Bumpity
Encyclopedia
Bumpity was an American
children's television show that aired locally in the Portland, Oregon
area on the ABC
affiliate KATU
, from 1971 to 1985. Bumpity, a green "bump on a lawn" with one pronounced tooth, along with his friend and side-kick, a red and purple striped worm named Fred, hosted the show. Other friends included Digger Mole and Scotty MacThistle. Fred never said a word, but did make squeaks in what he termed "High Worm".
An employee of the station named Bob Griggs, came up with an idea to design a puppet as an answer to a call from the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) which had asked local station affiliates around the country to air family friendly and educational morning programming. Bob created the characters with less than three dollar
s. The concept was approved and quickly became a hit with kids and parents alike due the program's easy, gentle nature.
Bumpity's most frequent guests to "Bumpity Park" included the librarians from the Multnomah County Library
, who would bring children's books to read. Other times Bumpity welcomed police officers, dentists, clog dancers
, and magicians.
In 2001 Crispin and Patrick Rosenkranz created a short documentary about Bumpity titled "Bumpity Returns." The video is available through their website or can be checked out from the Multnomah County Library
. The documentary includes interviews with Bob Griggs and others involved with the program, and with Bumpity himself, and also features clips from the show.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
children's television show that aired locally in the Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
area on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate KATU
KATU
KATU, virtual channel 2, also known as K2, is an ABC-affiliated television station broadcasting on digital channel 43 in Portland, Oregon, USA. It has been owned by Fisher Communications of Seattle, Washington, which has been the owner of the Seattle's ABC affiliate KOMO-TV, ever since it began...
, from 1971 to 1985. Bumpity, a green "bump on a lawn" with one pronounced tooth, along with his friend and side-kick, a red and purple striped worm named Fred, hosted the show. Other friends included Digger Mole and Scotty MacThistle. Fred never said a word, but did make squeaks in what he termed "High Worm".
An employee of the station named Bob Griggs, came up with an idea to design a puppet as an answer to a call from the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) which had asked local station affiliates around the country to air family friendly and educational morning programming. Bob created the characters with less than three dollar
Dollar
The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...
s. The concept was approved and quickly became a hit with kids and parents alike due the program's easy, gentle nature.
Bumpity's most frequent guests to "Bumpity Park" included the librarians from the Multnomah County Library
Multnomah County Library
Multnomah County Library is a public library system serving Multnomah County, Oregon, United States. Started in 1864, the system has 19 library locations with books, magazines, DVDs, and computers. It is the largest library system in Oregon serving a population of 724,680, with more than 425,000...
, who would bring children's books to read. Other times Bumpity welcomed police officers, dentists, clog dancers
Clogging
Clogging is a type of folk dance with roots in traditional European dancing, early African-American dance, and traditional Cherokee dance in which the dancer's footwear is used musically by striking the heel, the toe, or both in unison against a floor or each other to create audible percussive...
, and magicians.
In 2001 Crispin and Patrick Rosenkranz created a short documentary about Bumpity titled "Bumpity Returns." The video is available through their website or can be checked out from the Multnomah County Library
Multnomah County Library
Multnomah County Library is a public library system serving Multnomah County, Oregon, United States. Started in 1864, the system has 19 library locations with books, magazines, DVDs, and computers. It is the largest library system in Oregon serving a population of 724,680, with more than 425,000...
. The documentary includes interviews with Bob Griggs and others involved with the program, and with Bumpity himself, and also features clips from the show.