Tarax Show facts for kids

The Tarax Show was a popular Australian children's TV program. It aired on GTV-9 in Melbourne from 1957 to 1969.

How The Show Started

The idea for The Tarax Show came from Denzil Howson, who worked at GTV9. He was asked to create a daily TV show for kids. The very first episode aired on 21 January 1957. This was just two days after GTV9 officially opened!

The show didn't start in a studio. It began live from a shop window at the Myer Emporium in Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. This was because the GTV9 studios were still being built. Sometimes, episodes were even filmed in Sydney to help more people discover the show.

Name Changes and Hosts

The program first launched as The Happy Show. Its first host was Happy Hammond, who was already famous from radio. In April 1957, Tarax Drinks became a sponsor. The show's name then changed to The Tarax Happy Show.

After Happy Hammond left, the show became simply The Tarax Show. Geoff Corke, known as King Corky, King of the Kids, took over as host. Later, Norman Swain, known as Uncle Norman, became the host. He was also a well-known radio personality.

Gerry Gee and Other Fun Segments

A very popular part of the show was ventriloquist Ron Blaskett and his puppet, Gerry Gee. Gerry was named after GTV-9. He was so popular that many toys and other items were made in his likeness. Ron Blaskett's act was one of the first special performances on the channel. Gerry Gee even starred in his own spin-off shows!

One of the most loved segments was Girl Next Door. In this part, Gerry would chat over a fence with a girl from his class. Elaine McKenna was the first "girl next door," followed by Patti McGrath (Patti Newton).

Other fun segments on the show included:

• Banjo Club
• Pura Prize Time
• Speaking Of Animals
• TV Stars of Tomorrow
• TV Gym
• Stan Stafford's Bunkhouse
• Friends in Blue
• How It Works
• Dog Shop
• Tiny's Story

Music for the show was played by Margot Sheridan on piano and Laurie Wilson on organ.

Meet the Cast

Many different characters and performers appeared on The Tarax Show over the years. Some of them became very famous!

Popular Characters

The cast included:

• Susan-Gaye Anderson
• Bernard The Magician (Alf Gertler)
• Joffa Boy (Joff Ellen)
• Professor Nitwitty (Denzil Howson)
• Professor Ratbaggy (Ernie Carroll)
• Gael Dixon
• Prince Philip (Philip Brady)
• Daisy the Cow
• Freddo Frog

Even famous Australian Rules Football player Ron Barassi appeared, teaching kids about the sport.

Stars Who Grew Up on the Show

Some performers who started on The Tarax Show later became big stars. These included Denise Drysdale, Roma Egan, Wendy Stapleton, and Marty Rhone.

Ossie Ostrich and Uncle Norman

Ossie Ostrich, played by Ernie Carroll, became very famous. He later starred with Daryl Somers on the show Hey Hey It's Saturday for 24 years! Ernie Carroll also drew the cartoon character Joy-belle and worked as a producer for The Tarax Show.

Uncle Norman joined the show after a long career on radio. His first appearance on TV was memorable: he slid down a slide and accidentally broke his leg! Joffa even sang a little song about it, thinking it was a joke. But it wasn't, and Uncle Norman had to go to the hospital. He was off the show for two months while he recovered.

Freddo Frog's Appearances

Freddo Frog appeared on the show in two ways. Sometimes he was a cartoon character, and other times he was a person in a frog costume. The animated Freddo Frog was one of the first cartoon series made in Australia for TV!

The Show's End

Eventually, due to budget cuts, The Tarax Show changed. Uncle Norman and Joffa Boy began hosting cartoons with short comedy sketches. After they left GTV-9, this format continued with a new show called Cartoon Corner.