Family Classics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Family Classics
The set of Family Classics and host Frazier Thomas.
Genre	Classic Films
Created by	Fred Silverman Frazier Thomas
Presented by	Frazier Thomas Roy Leonard Dean Richards Steve Sanders Jackie Bange
Theme music composer	Dennis Berry
Opening theme	"Moviescope"
Ending theme	"Moviescope"
Country of origin	US
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	40
No. of episodes	1001
Release
Original network	WGN-TV
Picture format	480i (4:3 SDTV) (1962-2000) 1080i ( HDTV) (2017– present)
Original release	First Run: September 1962 (1962-09) – December 2000 (2000-12) Second Run: December 8, 2017 (2017-12-08) – present

Family Classics is a special Chicago TV show. It started way back in 1962 on WGN-TV. The show plays old movies that families can enjoy together.

The first host was Frazier Thomas. He picked the movies and even edited them. He made sure they were safe for everyone to watch. After Frazier Thomas passed away in 1985, Roy Leonard took over. The show ran until 2000.

Then, in 2017, Family Classics came back! It returned after 17 years off the air. The movie Scrooge was shown on December 8, 2017. Now, Dean Richards is the host. The show continues to air every holiday season.

The Story of Family Classics

In 1962, Fred Silverman, who worked at WGN-TV, had a great idea. He wanted to show classic family movies during prime time. This was a time when many people watched TV. Usually, these movies were shown very late at night.

His idea was a big hit! The show became very popular. It even made other TV networks start showing new movies in prime time. Later, when more new movies came to TV, Family Classics moved to Sunday afternoons.

Meet the Hosts

Over the years, other people have hosted the show too. In December 2019, Steve Sanders filled in as host. He introduced the movie Holiday Inn. He also hosted the Marx Brothers' films Monkey Business and Animal Crackers. This happened because Dean Richards was recovering from an injury.

In December 2021, Jackie Bange also hosted. She presented It's a Wonderful Life. She also hosted Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. Dean Richards was again recovering from an injury at that time.

The Show's Special Set

The show had its own special look and sound. The theme music was called Moviescope. It was written by Dennis Berry. The camera would slowly zoom in on the set.

The set looked like a cozy study. It had a painting of Garfield Goose on the wall. This painting was done by Roy Brown. There was also a model sailing ship. It sat on a shelf filled with books. These books were actually repainted encyclopedias and dictionaries. They had the names of the movies that Frazier Thomas would introduce.

Movies Shown on Family Classics

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