Bob McAllister facts for kids

Bob McAllister was a popular children's TV host.

Robert C. "Bob" McAllister (born June 2, 1935 – died July 21, 1998) was an American television star. He was a talented magician and children's entertainer. Many people remember him as the host of the popular TV show Wonderama.

Bob's Early TV Days

Bob McAllister was born in Philadelphia. He first became known in the 1950s when he was still a teenager. He was a ventriloquist (someone who makes a dummy or puppet seem to talk) on the Today Show on NBC.

In 1953, he appeared on CBS on Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour. This helped him get his first regular TV job. He hosted his own show called "The Bob and Chauncey Show" in Norfolk, Virginia. On this show, Bob worked with a funny dummy named "Chauncey."

In 1963, Bob moved to Baltimore, Maryland. There, he hosted The Bob McAllister Show on WJZ-TV. This show was half an hour long and full of fun. It had comedy characters, puppet acts, magic tricks, and cartoons. It was a big hit!

Because of his success in Baltimore, Bob was offered a job in New York City. He started a new version of The Bob McAllister Show there in 1968. However, this show didn't last as long as the one in Baltimore. It ended in 1969.

Hosting Wonderama

While working on his own show, Bob McAllister also became the host of a very popular show called Wonderama. This show was made in New York City and was loved by many kids. Bob took over from the previous host, Sonny Fox.

Bob's Wonderama started on August 13, 1967. It quickly became one of the most popular children's shows. It had many fun things, similar to The Bob McAllister Show. Plus, it had exciting game shows where kids from the audience could play.

One popular game involved opening cans. Some cans had toy snakes, and one had a bouquet of artificial flowers. The child who found the flowers won the main prize! If a child opened a can with a snake, they still got a toy or a board game for answering a trivia question.

The theme song for Bob's Wonderama was "I Ain't Down Yet." It came from a Broadway musical called The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Kids in the audience would wave their arms in a criss-cross way to the music.

Bob also hosted Wonderama shows from different places. These included the Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park. The show was originally on Sunday mornings. For a while, it also aired on weekday afternoons, but it wasn't as popular then. So, it went back to Sunday mornings and continued until December 25, 1977.

Fun Characters Bob Played

Bob McAllister played many funny characters on Wonderama and The Bob McAllister Show. Here are some of them:

• The Crazy Magician: This character's magic tricks usually went wrong in a funny way.
• Prof. Fingelheimer: A quirky inventor with a German accent. He sang a silly but catchy song before showing off his latest invention:

Fingelheimer, Fingelheimer, Fingel-Dingel-Heimer,

Fingelheimer, Fingelheimer, Fingel-Dingel-Heimer.

The more you Fingel, the less you Heimer,

The less you Heimer, the more you Fingel.

Fingelheimer, Fingelheimer, Fingel-Dingel-Heimer.

• A Janitor: This character had a can of "instant" whatever. He used it to make chores easier.
• Mike Fury: A superhero who bragged about his brave deeds. He would create "explosions" by biting his "Super Onion" and breathing out strongly. He also taught kids good habits like brushing teeth and washing.
• Zip Code: A folk singer.
• Thurman: A relaxed farm boy.
• Salamander Dilly: An artist who created images on a blank canvas using a special video effect. His name was a playful nod to the famous painter Salvador Dalí.
• Seymore the Snake: A puppet who made funny comments about the show.

Other TV Appearances

In 1973, Bob hosted a TV special called Herbie Day at Disneyland. This special showed Herbie the Love Bug (a famous car from Walt Disney Pictures movies) at the Disneyland theme park. It was made to promote the movie Herbie Rides Again.

In 1975, Bob was asked to host a pilot (a test episode) for a new game show called Carnival for ABC. The pilot was well-made, but the show was never picked up as a full series.

Bob had to leave Wonderama after the Christmas Day show in 1977. In 1978, he briefly returned to children's television. He hosted Kids Are People Too on ABC TV. The show's name came from the closing theme song of Wonderama. However, this new show was aimed more at teenagers, not younger children. Bob had disagreements with the show's producers and network, and he was replaced by Michael Young later that year.

Later Life and Legacy

After his TV career, Bob McAllister continued to perform at events. For a while, he even co-owned a roller skating rink in New Rochelle, New York. He also tried to return to educational television in the early 1980s. He played a teacher, Mr. Graff, in a program called Tuned In for PBS.

Bob was also recognized for his magic skills. He received many awards, including the important "Magician of the Year" award from the Society of American Magicians.

Bob McAllister passed away on July 21, 1998, at the age of 63, due to lung cancer.

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  Bob McAllister was a popular children's TV host.