Here's Humphrey
Encyclopedia
Here's Humphrey is an Australian children's television series first aired on Monday 24 May 1965. It featured a character known as Humphrey B. Bear
Humphrey B. Bear
Humphrey B. Bear is an Australian children's television series and its fictional character namesake is an icon of Australian children's television. Humphrey B Bear was first broadcast on Adelaide's NWS-9 on Monday, 24 May 1965. The show became one of the most successful programs for pre-schoolers...

. In the early days Humphrey was known as Bear Bear and was named Humphrey B. Bear as the result of an on-air competition. Here's Humphrey has become one of the most successful programs for pre-schoolers in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

.

Awards

It has won Logies
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...

 for Best Children's Series and the character of Humphrey has received a number of National Awards and Commendations, including a special "Citizen of the Year" Award at the 1994 Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...

 celebrations.

Production

It was recorded mainly in NWS-9
NWS-9
NWS is an Australian television station owned by the WIN Corporation which is based in Adelaide, Australia. The station's name, NWS is an acronym of The NeWs South Australia.-Origins:...

 Adelaide by Banksia Productions. The Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...

 stopped showing Here's Humphrey in 2007, however Banksia Productions were approached by other channels interested in the show. Repeats of Here's Humphrey run every summer from December to February.

On 14 February 2007 the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...

 announced that it would record a new Here's Humphrey series for the first time since 2003. The episodes started airing in December 2007, featuring a few minor tweaks to the show's set, presenters, segments, and layout.

The Curiosity Show
The Curiosity Show
The Curiosity Show was an Australian educational children's television show produced from 1972 to 1990, hosted by Prof. Rob Morrison and Dr. Deane Hutton. The show was produced by Banksia Productions in South Australia for the Nine Network. 149 episodes were produced.-History:Banksia Productions...

started as a segment in Here's Humphrey before being spun off into a separate show in 1972.

Under Australian government regulations for pre-school programming on commercial television, Here's Humphrey is aired without commercial breaks.

Criticism of Here's Humphrey

Typical complaints about the Humphrey character include the character failing to wear pants and the fact that he is mute
Speech disorder
Speech disorders or speech impediments are a type of communication disorders where 'normal' speech is disrupted. This can mean stuttering, lisps, etc. Someone who is unable to speak due to a speech disorder is considered mute.-Classification:...

. The latter has drawn the most serious criticism, mainly relating to concerns children may be negatively affected by a role model that does not communicate properly.

In the mid 70s the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal brought in strong legislation for all children's programming and every program had to attain a C (children) or P (preschool classification). Educational advisers were attached to the program led by Elizabeth Mansutti, a teacher and writer who trained a team of writers to ensure that the program met with the strict educational and entertainment guidelines. Producers were engaged with education background to write, produce and present the program including Penni-Anne Smith, Lyn McCarthy (singer and teacher) Gabrielle Kelly (teacher) and Kate Kennedy White (teacher).

While there was often criticism from the Children's Television Lobby group in the period 1977-1982 led by Barbara Biggins, the producers insisted that the program was designed not to 'teach' children but to engage them in story, song, adventure and curiosity show.
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