Garfield Goose and Friends
| Garfield Goose and Friends | |
|---|---|
Romberg Rabbit, Beauregard Burnside III, Garfield Goose, Mackintosh Mouse, Frazier Thomas and Chris Goose on Garfield Goose and Friends.
|
|
| Also known as | Garfield Goose and Friend |
| Genre | Children's program |
| Created by | Frazier Thomas |
| Written by | Frazier Thomas |
| Directed by | Ron Weiner |
| Starring |
Frazier Thomas Roy Brown |
| Theme music composer | Ethel Smith |
| Opening theme | "Monkey on a String" Trumpets heard are from "Cinderella" and were added through editing. |
| Ending theme | "Monkey on a String" |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 24 (2 on WBKB/WBBM, 1 on WBKB (now WLS), 21 on WGN) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Frazier Thomas |
| Release | |
| Original network |
WBKB-TV/WBBM-TV (1952–1954) |
| Original release | September 29, 1952 – October 1, 1976 |
WBKB-TV/WBBM-TV (1952–1954)
WBKB-TV (now WLS-TV) (1954–1955)
Garfield Goose and Friends is a children's television show produced by WGN-TV in Chicago, Illinois, United States from 1955 to 1976. The show was known as Garfield Goose and Friend from 1952 to 1955 when it aired on WBKB and WBBM-TV. It was the longest running puppet show on television. The host of the show was Frazier Thomas, who did all of the talking. The show centered on a clacking goose puppet named Garfield Goose, who considered himself "King of the United States." There were many other puppet characters such as Romberg Rabbit, Macintosh Mouse, Chris Goose (Garfield's nephew who was born on Christmas, hence "Christmas Goose") and a sleepy bloodhound called Beauregard Burnside III (whose name happened to be a mix of two American Civil War generals). The show used a "Little Theater Screen", upon which the camera would zoom before cartoons such as Clutch Cargo and Space Angel were broadcast.
Thomas created Garfield Goose for a local television program he hosted in Cincinnati. Thomas, who was an Indiana native and had worked on Cincinnati local radio since before World War II, said he got the idea when he saw Catholic nuns with a sock puppet in the form of a goose, with which they invited children to "feed the goose" with donations for charity. He wanted to do something special to award prizes to children on his television show, so he created a Garfield Goose puppet for that purpose. "Garfield" was the television station's telephone exchange. In Cincinnati, Garfield Goose lived in a cuckoo clock, since he had always wanted to be a cuckoo bird.
In 1951 Thomas and Garfield Goose moved to Chicago and CBS affiliate WBKB-TV, which was then on Channel 4. At first, the goose was a character on Petticoat Party, a variety show hosted by Thomas. Later, when the character was thought to have enough appeal for a show of its own, Garfield Goose and Friend debuted on September 29, 1952 with Chicago puppeteer Bruce Newton. The actual first puppeteer for Garfield was a WBKB secretary, Lee Ann Prineas, who left her clerical duties while the show was on the air. The show aired directly opposite NBC's Howdy Doody. In early broadcasts, Thomas hosted the show in a suit and tie, but on October 16, 1952, Garfield appointed him Admiral of his navy and his Prime Minister. making it necessary for Thomas to wear the uniform he is most remembered in. The uniform is now part of the Museum of Broadcast Communications collection.
...
Wikipedia