Hot Dog (TV series) facts for kids
Hot Dog was a cool TV show for kids that aired on NBC on Saturday mornings. It ran from September 12, 1970, to September 4, 1971. This show was like a fun documentary that answered all sorts of interesting questions. It was created by Frank Buxton and produced by him along with Lee Mendelson.
The program was special because of its funny hosts. These included comedian Jo Anne Worley, comedian Jonathan Winters, and writer and actor Woody Allen. A test episode aired on March 28, 1970. It featured Worley, Allen, and Tom Smothers. Tom Smothers was later replaced by Jonathan Winters when the show became a regular series.
What Was Hot Dog All About?
The idea for Hot Dog came from Frank Buxton's travels. He was a comedian and later hosted another show called Discovery. His travels took him to many different factories.
Hot Dog explained things in a really funny way. It showed how everyday things work, like how we snore! It also showed how many things were made. This included the famous hot dogs and their buns, plus toppings like mustard.
The series covered 70 different topics. There were 13 episodes in total, and they were shown again for the rest of the season. Hot Dog even won a special award called a Peabody Award in 1970 for being such a great show. Some of the music in the series was played by a band called The Youngbloods.
Where Else Could You See Hot Dog?
After its original run, Hot Dog episodes were shown again. This happened during the 1977–1978 TV season. By then, Woody Allen had become very famous for his movies.
Some parts of Hot Dog were also shown on a local kids' show in Los Angeles. This show was called That's Cat and it started in 1976. In 1971, individual parts of Hot Dog were even sold to schools. These were on 16mm film, which was a common way to show movies back then.
Interesting Topics Covered
Hot Dog explored many different questions and topics. Here are some of the things the show explained:
- "How does a frog jump?"
- "How does a letter get through the mail?"
- "How do they get toothpaste in the tube?"
- "How do they make a baseball glove?"
- "How do they make a hot dog roll?"
- "How do they make a surfboard?"
- "How do they make baseballs?"
- "How do they make bicycles?"
- "How do they make bowling balls?"
- "How do they make bubblegum?"
- "How do they make cartoons?"
- "How do they make chocolate?"
- "How do they make playing cards?"
- "How do they make pennies?"
- "How do they make plywood?"
- "How do they make spaghetti?"
- "How do they make tennis shoes?"
- "How do they make toothbrushes?"
- "How do they make T-shirts?"
- "How money is made"
- "Is that really lead in a lead pencil?"
- "What makes popcorn pop?"
- "What's a compass?"
- "Where does honey come from?"
- "Where does lumber come from?"
- "Where do felt tip pens come from?"
- "Who invented the hot dog?"
