"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.
|
PR4 & PR5 Pages for ads - CHEAP!
|
::NYC
Local Kid Shows Section::
NYC Kid's Show Roundup
/ Overview / Remembering
Favorites
NY Local Hosts Outtakes / Two
Views from the 50s / Tex
Antoine
Wonderama
/Return
of The Magic Garden / Sandy Becker
|
|
Back
to the menu Contact Us / Classic TV DVDs Other Cool TV Sites TVparty! Television Blog |