The Adventures of Timothy Pilgrim facts for kids

The Adventures of Timothy Pilgrim was a fun children's TV show from Canada. It had ten short episodes, each about 15 minutes long. It first aired in 1975 on TVOntario and was shown many times over the next ten years on TVO and other educational channels, even on PBS in the United States.

What's the Story About?

The main character is a young boy named Timothy Pilgrim. He shines shoes to earn money. One day, he finds a magic trunk! This trunk can take him 100 years back in time to the 1870s.

In the past, Timothy meets Zachariah Gibson. Zachariah is a traveling salesman and showman. He sells special "elixirs" and "tonics" from his wagon. These were like old-fashioned health drinks, but they probably didn't do much!

The show follows Timothy and Zachariah as they travel between the 1870s and the 1970s.

Timothy's Life

Timothy faces challenges in his own time. He is an orphan, which means he doesn't have parents. He lives in an old, empty warehouse. He earns money by shining shoes and doing small jobs at a diner owned by a kind lady named Wilma.

Timothy also has to deal with a bully named Barney. Barney tries to make Timothy pay him $5 just to work on "his" street corner. Luckily, Timothy has a friend, an old shoemaker named Ol' Coop.

Zachariah's Troubles

Zachariah Gibson also has problems in his time. He sells his "cure-all" drinks from his wagon. But he gets stuck on someone else's land because his wagon wheel breaks. His horse also goes missing! Zachariah feels lonely and thinks he can't trust anyone.

Even though they come from different times, Timothy and Zachariah become good friends. Their adventures teach Zachariah how important friendship is.

Making the Show

The parts of the show set in the 1970s were filmed in Toronto, Canada. They used real streets like King Street and old factories and warehouses. These places are now part of an area called Liberty Village.

The scenes from the 1800s were filmed in other historic places. These included Kleinburg, Westfield Heritage Village in Rockton, Ontario, and the Helliwell House at Todmorden Mills in Toronto.

Meet the Cast

Here are some of the actors who brought the characters to life:

• Paul Culliton played Barney, the bully.
• Joey Davidson played Timothy Pilgrim, the main character.
• David Hemblen played Zachariah Gibson, the traveling salesman.
• Jack Mather played Ol' Coop, Timothy's friend.
• Arlene Meadows played Wilma, the diner owner.

Episode Guide

Here are the names of the ten episodes:

• Zachariah Gibson's Magic Trunk
• Escape to the Future
• Past Meets Present
• The Missing Half-Penny
• Trapped in the Past
• A Thief at Large
• The Escaped Prisoner
• Zachariah's Pioneer Remedy
• Did Barney Do It?
• Returning Home