Mr. Dressup

Mr. Dressup
Mr. Dressup, Casey, and Finnegan
Created by	Ernie Coombs
Starring	Ernie Coombs Judith Lawrence
Theme music composer	Donald Himes
Country of origin	Canada
Original language(s)	English
No. of episodes	4,000
Production
Producer(s)	Daniel McCarthy
Running time	30 minutes
Release
Original network	CBC
Original release	February 13, 1967 (1967-02-13) – February 14, 1996 (1996-02-14)

Mr. Dressup is a Canadian children's television series. It originally ran on CBC from 1967 to 1996.

Mr. Dressup was developed and produced by Daniel McCarthy, who later became the head of children's programming for CBC Television.

The series starred the actor Ernie Coombs as "Mr. Dressup." The show aired every weekday morning, Mr. Dressup would lead children through a series of songs, stories, arts, crafts, and imagination games, with the help of his friends Casey and Finnegan, a child and a dog who lived in a treehouse in Mr. Dressup's backyard. Some critics likened the series to the American series, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which started being broadcast a year later in 1968 on the U.S. network PBS and produced by Coombs' old professional associate, Fred Rogers.

Judith Lawrence was the puppeteer who created Casey and Finnegan, along with other occasional puppet visitors such as Alligator Al and Aunt Bird. The set for the show included the inside of Mr. Dressup's house, with scenes shot in the living room, kitchen, and a kind of play room. This included the Tickle Trunk (where costumes used in make-believe skits were stored) and a long counter where Casey and Finnegan often appeared. Sometimes, the action moved outside to Casey's and Finnegan's treehouse.

Typically during a segment, Mr. Dressup would get a costume from the Tickle Trunk, such as one for an animal, policeman, or fireman. Donning the costume, he would play the suggested role. Occasionally, when the Tickle Trunk would not open, Mr. Dressup sang a song and tickled the lock, hence its name. The trunk appeared to be magic as it always had the right costumes, in the right sizes, neatly folded at the top of the piles of costumes. Occasionally Mr. Dressup would need to make an accessory for his costume, such as a hat, which would lead to a craft.

Mr. Dressup usually drew or made a craft and would sing a song with the puppets, such as "Down by the Bay". On occasion, Mr. Dressup would also read a book or show a short documentary to the audience. The films were usually silent and Mr. Dressup would narrate. He often drew pictures on his drawing board to either illustrate a short story or to play a game with one of his visitors. He would frequently encourage children to try the craft at home or to sing along with the songs.