Jabberwocky (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Jabberwocky was a daily children's TV show designed for 5-10 year-olds that eventually went into national syndication. The original series ran Monday through Friday for over two seasons, from 1972 to 1974, on WCVB in Boston; the nationally syndicated version ran weekly and was rerun in the wee hours of Saturday mornings by many TV stations up until the 1990s.
-- in one of her earliest roles—and actor Tucker Smallwood
as the "lead performer" and "director" respectively of a children's show. The actress and director were played by Joanne Sopko and Carl Thoma in the first season. Harvard professor and psychologist Jerome Kagan was an advisor to the program.
The friendly antagonist in most episodes was puppet character Dirty Frank, who popped up from whatever packing crate was convenient. As a representative alter-ego for children, Dirty Frank's inquisitive nature and his sloppy behavior drove the plot of most episodes.
Another main character was the helpful and venerable Mr. Buchanan (actor Robert Prosky
), a human handyman-prop master who concocted various inventions to help children in his backstage workshop. In many episodes, Mr. Buchanan's failed inventions and grandfatherly insights led the characters toward answers to their questions.
The characters were seen in a studio set, but episodes often took them out into the Greater Boston area for miniature documentary segments.
Co-creators Fred Schilpp (Executive Producer) and Adam Villone (Head Writer) wrote many of the episodes along with Dewey Bergman and Joseph A. Bailey. Tucker Smallwood was also an occasional segment writer for the show. The animation sequences, and the puppets, were created by Tom and Bob Jurkowski. The original theme music was written and produced by David Lucas
of David Lucas Associates, a commercial music house in New York. Gail Frank was Producer and eventually became Executive Producer. Peter Johnson, the puppeteer, was trained by Caroll Spinney
(Big Bird
) from Sesame Street
and Children's Television Workshop.
The value-based program won several major broadcasting awards including a citation from Action for Children's Television, the first ever given to a commercial television program.
WCVB-TV continued to air Jabberwocky well after it went out of production, as it became part of the station's past legacy of original local programming (something WCVB was known for doing a lot of). By the mid-to-late 1980s the show could always be seen Saturday mornings at 5am, followed by off-network reruns and later, in the 1990s, by syndicated children's programming that lead up to ABC's Saturday Morning lineup (most notably Cappelli & Company
). However, 'CVB did venture into original Saturday kids shows once again, when in 1989 they premiered A Likely Story, an imaginative show that encouraged reading.
By 1999-2000, after a continued airing of more than 25 years, Jabberwocky (along with classic airings of another WCVB '70s original, The Nature World of Captain Bob) vanished off the station's schedule.
Brothers and sisters
Happy and growing
Hammers and blisters
Things you'll be knowing
(Boy: I have a feeling in my mind that i've been here before...)
Flying machines,
In space and time
Words and their meanings
Games, toys, and rhymes
Touching and feeling
Inside and outside
Hands on the ceiling
My feet are on my side
(Children: All the world is Jabberwocky if you want it to be...)
Building a sound
to sing when you're near
No need to frown,
your friends are all here
(Child: Oh, this is Jabberwocky, hee-hee)
Synopsis & History
Created and videotaped by WCVB-TV Channel 5 Boston, Jabberwocky featured real actors and puppets and various interstitial cartoons. The "show within a show" concept featured actress JoBeth WilliamsJoBeth Williams
JoBeth Williams is an American film and television actress and director, and current President of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.-Early life:...
-- in one of her earliest roles—and actor Tucker Smallwood
Tucker Smallwood
Tucker Smallwood is an American actor, author and vocalist.-Early life:From 1967 to 1970, Smallwood served in the United States Army Airborne Infantry. Commanding a Mobile Advisory Team during the Vietnam War, he was wounded in action...
as the "lead performer" and "director" respectively of a children's show. The actress and director were played by Joanne Sopko and Carl Thoma in the first season. Harvard professor and psychologist Jerome Kagan was an advisor to the program.
The friendly antagonist in most episodes was puppet character Dirty Frank, who popped up from whatever packing crate was convenient. As a representative alter-ego for children, Dirty Frank's inquisitive nature and his sloppy behavior drove the plot of most episodes.
Another main character was the helpful and venerable Mr. Buchanan (actor Robert Prosky
Robert Prosky
Robert Prosky was an American stage, film, and television actor.-Life and career:Prosky, a Polish American, was born Robert Joseph Porzuczek in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Helen and Joseph Porzuczek. His father was a grocer and butcher...
), a human handyman-prop master who concocted various inventions to help children in his backstage workshop. In many episodes, Mr. Buchanan's failed inventions and grandfatherly insights led the characters toward answers to their questions.
The characters were seen in a studio set, but episodes often took them out into the Greater Boston area for miniature documentary segments.
Co-creators Fred Schilpp (Executive Producer) and Adam Villone (Head Writer) wrote many of the episodes along with Dewey Bergman and Joseph A. Bailey. Tucker Smallwood was also an occasional segment writer for the show. The animation sequences, and the puppets, were created by Tom and Bob Jurkowski. The original theme music was written and produced by David Lucas
David Lucas (composer)
David Lucas is an American rock and roll composer, singer, and music producer. He has written a number of well-known commercial jingles, such as AT&T's "Reach out and touch someone". In 1981, he received a Clio Award for composing the music to Pepsi's "Catch that Pepsi spirit"...
of David Lucas Associates, a commercial music house in New York. Gail Frank was Producer and eventually became Executive Producer. Peter Johnson, the puppeteer, was trained by Caroll Spinney
Caroll Spinney
Caroll Edwin Spinney, sometimes credited as Carroll Spinney or Ed Spinney , is an American puppeteer most famous for playing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on the children's television show Sesame Street.-Life and career:...
(Big Bird
Big Bird
Big Bird is a protagonist of the children's television show Sesame Street. Big Bird, like many of the other Sesame Street characters, is a Muppet character. He is sometimes referred to simply as "Bird" by his friends....
) from Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
and Children's Television Workshop.
The value-based program won several major broadcasting awards including a citation from Action for Children's Television, the first ever given to a commercial television program.
WCVB-TV continued to air Jabberwocky well after it went out of production, as it became part of the station's past legacy of original local programming (something WCVB was known for doing a lot of). By the mid-to-late 1980s the show could always be seen Saturday mornings at 5am, followed by off-network reruns and later, in the 1990s, by syndicated children's programming that lead up to ABC's Saturday Morning lineup (most notably Cappelli & Company
Cappelli & Company
Cappelli & Company is an American children's television series created by, and starring, children's songwriter/composer Frank Cappelli. The series was in production for four and a half seasons, from 1989 to 1992, originating from Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE-TV...
). However, 'CVB did venture into original Saturday kids shows once again, when in 1989 they premiered A Likely Story, an imaginative show that encouraged reading.
By 1999-2000, after a continued airing of more than 25 years, Jabberwocky (along with classic airings of another WCVB '70s original, The Nature World of Captain Bob) vanished off the station's schedule.
Theme Lyrics
(Boy: It's just a jabberwocky world, come on and see it with me...)Brothers and sisters
Happy and growing
Hammers and blisters
Things you'll be knowing
(Boy: I have a feeling in my mind that i've been here before...)
Flying machines,
In space and time
Words and their meanings
Games, toys, and rhymes
Touching and feeling
Inside and outside
Hands on the ceiling
My feet are on my side
(Children: All the world is Jabberwocky if you want it to be...)
Building a sound
to sing when you're near
No need to frown,
your friends are all here
(Child: Oh, this is Jabberwocky, hee-hee)