J. P. Patches facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The J. P. Patches Show |
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Logo in 1958
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| Created by | Chris Wedes |
| Starring | Chris Wedes Bob Newman |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 24 |
| No. of episodes | around 12,000 |
| Release | |
| Original network | KIRO-TV KCTS-TV (J.P. Patches: Last Night at the City Dump) |
| Original release | February 10, 1958 – September 25, 1981 J.P. Patches: Last Night at the City Dump special: December 14, 2011 |
Julius Pierpont "J. P." Patches was a friendly clown and the main character of The J. P. Patches Show. This popular children's TV show won an Emmy Award. It was shown on Seattle station KIRO-TV from 1958 to 1981.
J.P. Patches was played by Chris Wedes (born April 3, 1928 – died July 22, 2012). He was also the person who created the show. When the show ended in 1981, The J. P. Patches Show was one of the longest-running local children's TV programs in the United States.
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The J. P. Patches Show
The J. P. Patches Show was on TV for 23 years. For many years, it aired twice a day, six days a week. Later, it was shown only in the mornings, and then only on Saturday mornings. In total, about 12,000 episodes were broadcast!
The show first aired on February 10, 1958. It was very popular in the Puget Sound area and in British Columbia, Canada. At its most popular, over 100,000 people watched it every day. Both kids and parents enjoyed the show. Parents liked J.P.'s clever jokes that sometimes went over kids' heads.
Two generations of viewers grew up as "Patches Pals." They loved J.P.'s funny and silly adventures. Every show, Patches Pals were reminded to follow a daily checklist:
- Mind Mommy and Daddy
- Wash hands, face, neck, and ears
- Comb hair
- Brush Teeth
- Drink your milk
- Eat all of your food
- Say your prayers
- Share your toys
- Put toys away
- Hang up clothes
The J. P. Patches Show had some competition from other local children's shows. These included Captain Puget and Wunda Wunda. Even a national show, Captain Kangaroo, had its first half-hour replaced by J.P. Patches on KIRO-TV.
After 23 years, KIRO-TV stopped the show because fewer people were watching. The last episode aired on September 25, 1981. After the show ended, Chris Wedes continued to play J.P. at many public events. He also visited sick children at Seattle Childrens Hospital for free.
In 2011, Chris Wedes announced his last public appearance as J. P. Patches. This was because of his health. On December 14, 2011, a special TV show aired called J. P. Patches: Last Night at the City Dump. It was a farewell to the character. Chris Wedes passed away on July 22, 2012, at 84 years old.
Show Premise
The show was performed live and was mostly made up on the spot. There were usually only two actors on screen: Chris Wedes and Bob Newman. The sound effects person and crew also helped from off-camera.
J. P. was known as the "Mayor of the City Dump." He lived in a shack, which was the colorful studio set. Many guests visited him, including local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops. Famous people also appeared on the show.
J.P. had many fun supporting characters:
- Sturdley the Bookworm (a puppet)
- Esmerelda (a Raggedy Ann doll)
- Ketchikan the Animal Man
- Boris S. Wort (the "second meanest man in the world")
- LeRoy Frump
- Tikey Turkey (a rubber chicken)
- Grandpa Tick Tock (a grandfather clock)
- The Swami of Pastrami
- Ggoorrsstt the Friendly Frpl (a one-eyed shag carpet)
- Miss Smith (a motorcycle-riding delivery woman)
- Superclown (a J.P. like superhero)
- P. J. Scratches (J. P.'s evil twin)
- Gertrude (J. P.'s girlfriend)
All of these supporting characters, whether human or not, were played by the talented actor Bob Newman.
Bob Newman
Bob Newman (born January 24, 1932) started working at KIRO-TV in 1960. He was a film editor and floor director. He often watched the J. P. Patches Show being filmed.
One of J. P.'s jokes was to call the city dump operator, Gertrude, on a big yellow banana phone. Gertrude was never seen or heard. One day, J. P. asked Gertrude for a ham sandwich. Newman, in a high voice, yelled out, "Okay Julius, I'll send it right down." Chris Wedes was surprised, and from that day on, Newman became Gertrude. He wore a frumpy dress and a wig made from a red mop. Bob Newman was always ready to make people laugh. He played over 17 characters on the show and was a loyal friend to Chris Wedes. Newman passed away on December 13, 2020.
ICU2TV
J. P. would announce the birthdays of "Patches Pals" by "seeing" them on his "ICU2TV" set. This was a cardboard prop that made it look like J. P. was looking right at you through your TV. He could even guess where a birthday gift might be hidden in a child's house! This was thanks to a postcard sent by a parent.
Famous Guests on TV Show
Many famous people visited The J. P. Patches Show:
Origin of J. P. Patches
The J. P. Patches character was first created in 1953 by Daryl Laub for WTCN-TV in Minneapolis. When Laub left the station in 1955, Chris Wedes took over the character. Chris Wedes brought J. P. with him when he moved to Seattle in 1958. He became KIRO-TV's first floor director. Besides the TV show, J. P. Patches often helped raise money for local charities. He frequently visited sick children at Children's Hospital.
Late for the Interurban Statue
On August 17, 2008, a bronze statue of J. P. and Gertrude was revealed in Fremont, Seattle. The statue is called Late for the Interurban. It was created by sculptor Kevin Pettelle. The date was chosen to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the J. P. Patches show.
Many "Patches Pals" attended the event. Important people like Washington Governor Christine Gregoire and Congressman Jim McDermott were there. Both Chris Wedes (J. P. Patches) and Bob Newman (Gertrude) were also present.
Merchandise and Videos
- You can find a J. P. Patches action figure, bobbleheads, lunchboxes, and Christmas ornaments.
- In 1992, four VHS video tapes of the show were released. Since the show was live, very little footage was saved. There is a Christmas show, a highlights reel, a 20th anniversary show, and J. P.'s final show. All of this footage was put together into a 2-DVD set in 2005.
- The book J.P. Patches, Northwest Icon was released in 2002. It was written by Bryan Johnston and Chris Wedes.
- Bryan Johnston also wrote a novel about Boris S. Wort called The 2nd Meanest Man in the World (2017).
