The Bozo Super Sunday Show
Encyclopedia
The Bozo Super Sunday Show is the final version of WGN-TV's 40+ year-old Bozo series, which aired on Sunday mornings for seven seasons. It was taped in Chicago. The lead star of the show was Bozo the Clown
, played by Joey D'Auria
. The last episode was taped on October 25, 2000 and featured a cameo appearance by Roy Brown
as Cooky the Cook, Bozo's sidekick on WGN's previous Bozo series, Bozo's Circus and The Bozo Show
.
In 1997, the show was retooled in an effort to make the show qualify for educational requirements
.
The final Bozo television taping was the Bozo: 40 Years of Fun! special on June 12, 2001. It aired on July 14, 2001, featuring a guest appearance by singer Billy Corgan
, a loyal fan of WGN's Bozo series, who performed Bob Dylan
's "Forever Young."
The final rerun of The Bozo Super Sunday Show was broadcast August 26, 2001. Counting both of its predecessors, the Chicago Bozo was the longest-running television adaptation of the Bozo franchise, which was seen in numerous local versions throughout North America. The vast majority of Bozo stations had discontinued their Bozo franchises in the early 1970s, with the exception of a few stations that had revivals in the late 1980s.
WGN-TV's Bozo returned to the airwaves on a two-hour retrospective titled Bozo, Gar and Ray: WGN TV Classics
on December 24, 2005. The primetime premiere was #1 in the Chicago market and is rebroadcast annually during the holiday season.
Bozo the Clown
Bozo the Clown is a clown character very popular in the United States, peaking in the 1960s as a result of widespread franchising in early television.Originally created by Alan W...
, played by Joey D'Auria
Joey D'Auria
Joey D'Auria is an actor and a voice actor who is best known for his role of WGN-TV Chicago's Bozo the Clown from 1984-2001. D'Auria was hired after a long search for the next Bozo in part because his improvisational skills were very good...
. The last episode was taped on October 25, 2000 and featured a cameo appearance by Roy Brown
Roy Brown (clown)
Roy Thomas Brown was an American television personality, puppeteer, clown and artist best known for playing "Cooky the Cook" on Chicago's long running Bozo's Circus.-Early years:...
as Cooky the Cook, Bozo's sidekick on WGN's previous Bozo series, Bozo's Circus and The Bozo Show
The Bozo Show
The Bozo Show is a locally-produced children's television program that aired on WGN-TV in Chicago and nationally on what is now WGN America. Recognized as the most popular and successful locally-produced children's program in the history of television, it only aired under this title for 14 of its...
.
In 1997, the show was retooled in an effort to make the show qualify for educational requirements
E/I
E/I, which stands for "educational and informative," refers to a type of children's television programming shown in the United States. The Federal Communications Commission requires that every full-service Terrestrial television station in the U.S. show at least three hours of these television...
.
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
, a loyal fan of WGN's Bozo series, who performed Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's "Forever Young."
The final rerun of The Bozo Super Sunday Show was broadcast August 26, 2001. Counting both of its predecessors, the Chicago Bozo was the longest-running television adaptation of the Bozo franchise, which was seen in numerous local versions throughout North America. The vast majority of Bozo stations had discontinued their Bozo franchises in the early 1970s, with the exception of a few stations that had revivals in the late 1980s.
WGN-TV's Bozo returned to the airwaves on a two-hour retrospective titled Bozo, Gar and Ray: WGN TV Classics
Bozo, Gar and Ray: WGN TV Classics
Bozo, Gar and Ray: WGN TV Classics is a two-hour television special produced by WGN-TV in Chicago, Illinois. It debuted in 2005 and featured on both WGN-TV and its superstation simulcast, WGN America...
on December 24, 2005. The primetime premiere was #1 in the Chicago market and is rebroadcast annually during the holiday season.
Characters
Character | Actor | Years |
|---|---|---|
Bozo the Clown | Joey D'Auria Joey D'Auria Joey D'Auria is an actor and a voice actor who is best known for his role of WGN-TV Chicago's Bozo the Clown from 1984-2001. D'Auria was hired after a long search for the next Bozo in part because his improvisational skills were very good... | 1994-2001 |
Rusty the Handyman | Robin Eurich | 1994-2001 |
Professor Andy | Andy Mitran | 1994-2001 |
Tunia | Michele Gregory | 1994-1998 |
Pepper | Cathy Schenkelberg | 1994-1996 |