Super Flying Fun Show facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Super Flying Fun Show |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's television |
| Starring | Marilyn Mayo |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 9 |
| Production | |
| Production location(s) | Sydney, New South Wales |
| Running time | 90 then 120 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | TCN-9 for GTV-9 |
| Picture format | 2" monochrome VT, kinescoped, PAL Colour from 1975 |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | 1970 – 1979 |
The Super Flying Fun Show was a popular live TV show for kids in Australia. It aired on weekday mornings from 1970 to 1979. The show was made in Sydney at TCN 9 and also shown in Melbourne on GTV 9. It was a mix of live fun and cartoons, keeping children entertained for many years.
Contents
How the Show Started
The Super Flying Fun Show took the place of an earlier morning show called Today. The Today show had some changes, and eventually, it was cancelled in late 1969. After that, the TV channel decided to fill the morning time with a mix of live children's entertainment and cartoons. This new idea became the Super Flying Fun Show in 1970.
Meet the Hosts and Characters
The first hosts of the show were Miss Marilyn, played by Marilyn Mayo, and Rod Hull. Rod Hull was famous for his puppet, Emu.
Rod Hull and Emu
Rod Hull's character was Caretaker Clot, also known as Clotty the Janitor. In the show's opening, you would see him walking to the TCN 9 TV tower and flipping a big switch to start the day's fun. Caretaker Clot was a funny character who used to be a police officer in another local show called Caper Cops.
In 1971, Rod Hull moved back to England and took his Emu puppet with him. To keep Emu on the show in Australia, a new Emu puppet was made. Marty Morton then joined as a new host and also helped produce the show.
Other Fun Characters
The show had many other memorable characters:
- Skeeter the Paperboy: Played by James Kemsley, this character was also called "Amos" Skeeter. He even hosted his own segment, Skeeter's Cartoon Corner, until 1973. Later, Daryl Somers took over the hosting role. James Kemsley later became known for writing and drawing the comic strip Ginger Meggs.
- Wing Ding: This was a human-sized chicken who promoted snacks from Arnott's.
- Paddle Pop Lion: A human-sized lion who promoted a popular ice cream brand from Streets.
- Freddo Frog: A human-sized frog who promoted chocolate from Cadbury.
What Happened on the Show
The Super Flying Fun Show was packed with exciting things for kids.
Competitions and Music
Every day, Miss Marilyn would spin a prize wheel, and lucky viewers would get a call on the telephone to win prizes. The show also featured live music. Regular performers included Marshall and his Portable Music Machine, and the famous country singer Smoky Dawson.
Cartoons and Films
Between the live parts of the show, viewers could watch cartoons, mostly from America. There were also short films like Comedy Capers, which showed funny silent movies by Hal Roach.
Show Merchandise
Fans of the show could also get special merchandise. This included LP records with songs from the show and board games made by Milton Bradley.
The Show's End
Throughout the 1970s, the Super Flying Fun Show had competition from other children's morning shows. These included Breakfast-A-Go-Go) in Sydney, Fredd Bear's Breakfast-A-Go-Go in Melbourne, and later Non Stop Cartoon Carnival and The Early Bird Show on ATV 0.
The Super Flying Fun Show ran until late 1979. After it ended, cartoons filled its time slot until a new news and current affairs program called Today started in 1982.
It's not known if any episodes of the Super Flying Fun Show were saved on film or videotape. It's possible that many of the episodes are now lost. Interestingly, similar shows with the same name were also made in other Australian cities, like Perth and Adelaide, with different hosts.
