"Uncle Fred" Sayles was the first NYC
based kids TV host to air reruns of the Felix The Cat movie cartoons
on WATV/WNTA TV Ch. 13 Newark/NYC's "Junior Frolics".
"Uncle Fred" would engage his visitors to "The Junior Frolics" (his
studio audience) and his viewers in songs, games, stories, craftmaking,
hobbies, informational segments and interviews with performers and
personalities between the reruns of the silent Felix The Cat, Koko
The Clown and Terrytoons movie cartoons Monday thru Saturday Evenings
from 1949 to Friday, September 12, 1958.
When
WNTA TV Channel 13 changed the show's title to Junior Town Frolics,
the station execs turned the show into a structured variety show for
kids. "Uncle Fred" Sayles didn't care for the structured format and
fought to have the series returned to it's looser cartoon show concept.
But the station execs forced "Uncle Fred" to host the variety kids
show version of Junior Town Frolics.
The
variety show format was not very successful and WNTA TV 13 brought
down the Junior Town Frolics on Friday, January 15, 1960.
For
a time WJZ/WABC TV Channel 7 in NYC aired "Felix The Cat" movie cartoons
produced by The Van Buren/Rainbow animations studios on Time For
Fun / The Johnny Jellybean Show.
Time
For Fun / The Johnny Jellybean Show featured "Uncle Joe" Bova
and "Johnny Jellybean" (portrayed by Bill Britten and later by Keith
Hefner) entertaining viewers with "The Van Bruen/Rainbow Felix The
Cat", "Molly Moo Cow", "Toonerville Trolley" and "Flip The Frog" /
"Willie Whooper" movie cartoons along with "Willie Wonderful" puppet
films. The show was seen weekday mornings and weekday afternoons on
Channel 7 from Monday, August 1, 1955 until Friday, June 2, 1960.
In
1960, Trans-Lux TV Inc and cartoon animator Joe Orlio created and
produced a new series of Felix
The Cat cartoons for nationally syndicated TV.
WNEW
TV Ch. 5 became the first NYC based TV station to air the new Felix
The Cat cartoons on Felix The Cat & Friends.
"Uncle
Fred"
Scott hosted Felix The Cat and Friends Monday thru Saturday
evenings from January 4, 1960 until August 31, 1962.
Sometime
in 1962, the series title changed to Felix & Diver Dan Channel
5 became the first NYC based station to air the Diver Dan puppet
films.
Actor/scriptwriter
Frank Freda played Diver Dan (in the diving suit), actress Suzanne
Turner was seen as Miss Minerva, The Mermaid Queen and Allen Swift
did the voices for all the puppets - as well as for Diver Dan himself.
On Monday, September 3, 1962, Channel 5 began airing the Trans-Lux
Felix The Cat TV cartoons and Rankin/Bass' "Tales From The
Wizard Of Oz" TV cartoons on Felix & The Wizard. Artist/ author/
and famed radio and TV broadcaster Fred Hall engaged his viewers with
character comedy and puppet skits, drawing lessons, craftmaking &
hobby tips, informational segments and interviews with guest performers.
Eventually,
WNEW TV Channel 5 changed the show's title to Hall In Fun.
On
this program, Mr. Hall added "The Rod Rocket" and "Deputy Dawg" cartoons
and "Adventures of Jungle Boy" TV films to the format. Fred Hall continued
until Channel 5 closed down Hall In Fun on Friday, September
3, 1965.
WPIX
TV Ch. 11 became the last NYC based station to screen reruns of Trans-Lux
Felix cartoons.
The
Felix The Cat Show debuted on WPIX Monday, May 11, 1970. "Officer
Joe" Bolton entertained his viewers between the reruns of pre-1960
Felix shorts; that is until Felix, Poindexter and Vavoom had
their last battle with The Professor, Rock Bottom and the Master Cylinder
on Friday, November 19, 1971.