Browse Exhibits (9 total)

1958, 26 episodes, WCET (Cincinnati)

From WNET:

"Uncle Wonder makes the principles of the sciences simple for the pre-school child. Glenn Ryle, as Uncle Wonder, participates with children in their own world to help them discover some of the “truths” of the world. The series emphasizes power and includes simple demonstrates of natural phenomena such as gravity, sound, light, etc. Uncle Wonder operates in a three-part workshop: workbench for woodworking and demonstrating; nursery section for planting and plant demonstrations; and a laboratory setting for work with water, chemicals, and other liquids. Uncle Wonder makes the principles of the sciences simple for the pre-school child. He uses domestic objects, such as a milk bottle or a bar of soap, to illustrate how rain is formed or how surface tension works. Many of his TV experiments can be duplicated in the home with materials normally at hand. Uncle Wonder in each program invites his viewers into his workshop where he answers many of the questions of wonderment that fill the minds of little folk."

455 episodes, 1954-1959, 1966-1967, WHA-TV (Madison, Wisconsin) and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

From WNET:

"Probably the oldest continuing children’s program on public television, THE FRIENDLY GIANT is Robert Homme (pronounced “hummy”). The outsized “Giant” (who seems so big because he lives in a video world of miniature buildings and stage props) works with puppets to communicate knowledge and information on subjects ranging from pets to the weather. The program is designed for children ranging in age from three to seven.

Each program opens in a farmyard where Friendly towers over miniature sets. He talks about farmyard animals and then invites his young viewers into his Castle where he reads stories, sings songs and talks with his little puppet friends."

Puppets in THE FRIENDLY GIANT are Rusty the Rooster and Jerome the Giraffe, operated and given voice by Rod Coneybears, and puppet casts Angie and Fiddle, operated by John and Linda Koegh.

THE FRIENDLY GIANT was first produced by WHA-TV, Madison, Wisconsin. Premiering May 1954, it was one of the longest running NET series and was nationally recognized as an outstanding program for children. For three consecutive years it won Ohio State Awards. Mr. Homme, its creator, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin who has done extensive radio programming in music, moved to Canada and has continued with THE FRIENDLY GIANT for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation since 1958.

THE FRIENDLY GIANT is a presentation of National Educational Television.  It was produced for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation by Doug Davidson.

39 episodes, 1957, WGBH (Boston)

From WNET:

"'Discovery' produced by WGBH-TV aims to make learning about the world in which we live an adventure for young people -- an advantage that opens the doors to many fields of scientific knowledge.  Living animals and plants and other visuals become the illustrations for what the producers of “Discovery” call “how learning” -- how something causes something else, how change in one situation is related to another, how animals are adapted to live in their specific environments, and how plants, animals and man are related to one another.  Airing not only to stimulate intellectual curiosity about the world around us, but hoping also to encourage creative activity on the part of young viewers, emphasis is placed on what the child can do at home.  Guest on the programs include scientific experts as well as boys and girls with science hobbies.  The presentations are straightforward and the demonstrations interesting and unusual enough to command the attention of upper elementary grade students, junior high, and even high school biology classes.

Featured Personality: Mary Lela Grimes

The producer, writer and narrator of the “Discovery” series is a young woman from North Carolina: Mary Lela Grimes.  All of her life she has had nature hobbies such as collecting butterflies, keeping wild pets, naming plants, studying minerals, and watching birds.  After her graduation as a Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina, she became director of the Durham Children’s Museum and wrote a daily column on nature for the Durham Herald Sun.  When she and her husband moved to Boston, she joined the staff of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, working in the elementary science teaching program.  She also did newspaper, radio and TV work for the Society and helped organize and direct the Society’s Wildwood Nature Camp at Camp Barre, North Carolina.  In 1954, Mrs. Grimes was awarded a fellowship to study communications by the National Wildlife Federation.  she spent a year at Boston University (where she received her MS) and there began working with WGBH-TV in planning science programs for children.  It was here that the idea of “Discovery” was born."

24 episodes, 1958, KETC (St. Louis)

From WNET:

"This series of programs deals with social studies concepts for the preschool and primary grade school child. Puppeteers Leo and Dora Velleman use the puppet medium to communicate concepts about the school, the home and the community."

52 episodes, 1957, WKNO (Memphis)

From WNET:

"This series will present a learning experience to preschool and early primary school children through the use of children's fairy and fantasy stories. It is the purpose of this series to acquaint and re-acquaint the children with the classic stories which are often neglected in modern times. By the use of an explanatory technique showing both the good and evil in the stories, the child will be exposed to certain moral principles not commonly brought out in a children's program. By having as one of the principles in the program series a puppet dog, Poindexter, who has many of the same characteristics as the viewing child, a certain rapport can be established between the viewer and the puppet. Tom Tichenor, professional puppeteer, created Poindexter and is responsible for the programs."