Pixanne facts for kids

Pixanne was a popular children's TV show. It was created and hosted by a talented singer and actress named Jane Norman. The show aired from 1960 to 1969 on WCAU-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After that, it was shown all over the country for seven more years.

How Pixanne Started

Jane Norman was a very gifted child. She started playing and writing music when she was only 3 years old. When she grew up, she had an idea for a children's TV show. She imagined a character similar to Peter Pan.

Jane talked to one of her old professors from Temple University. He worked at a TV station called WFIL (now WPVI-TV). Even though WFIL didn't have any openings, he told her to try WCAU-TV. This station was owned by CBS at the time.

Jane went to WCAU-TV without an appointment. She told the Program Director all about her idea for the show. Amazingly, within just three weeks, Pixanne was on the air!

What Made Pixanne Special

Jane Norman played the main character, Pixanne. She dressed up as a "pixie" in a green outfit, tights, and a hat with a feather. One of the coolest things about the show was that Pixanne could "fly"!

How Pixanne Flew

Jane used a special setup to fly, much like what actress Mary Martin used when she played Peter Pan on stage. But Jane only had one wire holding her up, while Mary Martin used several. Jane remembered that learning to fly this way was a bit painful. However, it looked so real and amazing that they kept using this method for the whole show.

The Fun Characters

Pixanne had many puppet friends on the show. These included Oggie Owl, Fliffy Butterfly, Herkimer, Tearesa, Galumpagus, and Dandy Lion. Other puppets were made by Addis Williams.

Jane Norman also played other characters herself. One of these was a witch named Windy. Sometimes, famous guests would appear on the show, like the singer Tiny Tim.

Music and Activities

Pixanne sang many popular songs on the show. Some of these were "Swinging on a Star" and "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake." She also sang "I've Gotta Crow" from the 1954 musical Peter Pan. Other songs included "Look at That Face" from The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd and "Beautiful Things" from the 1967 movie Doctor Dolittle.

The show used classical music in the background. This included music by Maurice Ravel and Carl Orff. Orff's music was used for Pixanne's daily cartoon introduction, where she marched with a magical flag. Besides singing, Pixanne also showed adventure films and taught kids how to make crafts, like puppets and hats.

Pixanne was very popular. Near the end of its run, it had high ratings, meaning many people were watching it.

Show's End and Return

In 1969, the management at WCAU-TV changed. The new managers decided to take Pixanne off the air. Many viewers were very upset and protested this decision.

But the show didn't stay gone for long! Pixanne soon came back through "syndication." This means other TV stations bought the rights to show it. WNEW-TV in New York was the main station that showed it. Pixanne finally went off the air for good in 1976.

Jane Norman's Life After Pixanne

After Pixanne, Jane Norman continued to work in television. She produced family-friendly shows for big networks. One show she produced was The National Kids’ Quiz, which was hosted by Michael Landon on NBC.

Jane also wrote a book in 1981 with Dr. Myron Harris. It was called The Private Life of the American Teenager. She appeared on more than 95 radio and TV talk shows to talk about her book.

In 2005, Jane Norman was honored by the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia. They added her to their Hall of Fame. Jane Norman passed away at her home in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, on May 13, 2017, at the age of 83.