Jabberwocky (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jabberwocky |
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Jabberwocky main title
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| Starring | Tucker Smallwood JoBeth Williams Robert Prosky Carl Thoma Joanne Sopko Peter Johnson |
| Country of origin | United States |
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| Original network | WCVB-TV |
| Original release | 1972 – 1974 |
Jabberwocky was a popular American TV show for kids aged 5 to 10. It aired every weekday from 1972 to 1974 on WCVB-TV in Boston. Later, starting in 1974, the show was shown all over the country once a week. Many TV stations even re-ran it early on Saturday mornings until the 1990s, so lots of kids got to enjoy it for a long time!
Contents
What Was Jabberwocky?
Jabberwocky was created by WCVB-TV Channel 5 in Boston. It was a mix of real actors, puppets, and fun cartoons. The show had a cool idea: it was a "show within a show." This means you watched a TV show about people making a TV show!
The main actors were JoBeth Williams and Tucker Smallwood. JoBeth Williams played the "lead performer" and Tucker Smallwood was the "director" of the kids' show they were making. In the very first season, Joanne Sopko and Carl Thoma played these roles. A smart professor named Jerome Kagan also helped advise the program.
Meet the Characters!
The show had some really memorable characters, both human and puppet!
Dirty Frank: The Curious Puppet
One of the most popular characters was a puppet named Dirty Frank. He was a friendly troublemaker who often popped out of a random box or crate. Dirty Frank was like a curious kid. His questions and sometimes messy behavior often started the main story for each episode. He helped the show explore different topics in a fun way.
Mr. Buchanan: The Helpful Handyman
Another important character was Mr. Buchanan, played by actor Robert Prosky. He was a kind handyman and prop master. He worked backstage in his workshop and loved to invent things to help the kids. Sometimes his inventions didn't quite work, but his wise advice always helped the characters find answers to their questions.
The characters mostly stayed in their studio set. But sometimes, episodes would take them out into the Boston area. These parts were like mini-documentaries, showing kids different places and things in the real world.
Who Made the Show?
Many talented people helped create Jabberwocky. Fred Schilpp and Adam Villone were the co-creators and wrote many episodes. Tucker Smallwood, who also acted in the show, sometimes wrote parts too. The cool animation and the puppets were made by Tom and Bob Jurkowski. The catchy theme music was created by David Lucas.
A special person named Peter Johnson was the puppeteer for the show. He learned his skills from Caroll Spinney, who is famous for playing Big Bird on Sesame Street!
Jabberwocky was a show that taught good values. It even won several big awards. One award was from Action for Children's Television, which was the first time a commercial TV show received such an honor!
Reruns and How More Kids Saw It
Even after new episodes stopped being made, WCVB-TV kept showing Jabberwocky. This was because the station was known for making lots of its own local shows. For over 20 years, WCVB made more local programs than any other TV station in the U.S.!
By the mid-to-late 1980s, you could often catch Jabberwocky on Saturday mornings. It was usually followed by other old shows or syndicated kids' programs. WCVB also made other children's shows after Jabberwocky, like The Nature World of Captain Bob and Pixanne.
After being on TV for more than 25 years, Jabberwocky finally stopped airing around the year 2000. But it remains a classic children's show that many people remember fondly!
