The Magic Cottage (TV series)
| The Magic Cottage | |
|---|---|
| Presented by |
Pat Meikle Don Hastings |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | DuMont |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | July 18, 1949 – September 12, 1952 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Your Television Babysitter |
The Magic Cottage was an American children's program broadcast on the now-defunct DuMont Television Network from 1949 to 1952.
"The Magic Cottage" was hosted by Pat (Mary Patricia) Meikle (pronounced Michael), an artist and actress. In each episode, Meikle would tell a story illustrated by her drawings on a sketch pad propped on an easel from which fairy tale characters would transform into live characters who acted out the adventures. Among them were the likes of Larry the Leprechaun, Maxwell the Mouse, and Wilmer the Pigeon, and in each episode Pat herself transformed into a princess who become part of the story being told as the drawings "rippled" into real-time action to the accompaniment of a strum on a harp.
The series was produced by Pat's real-life husband Hal Cooper (February 23, 1923 - April 11, 2014). Pat and Hal married on December 21, 1944, had two children -- Bethami (b. August 16, 1954) and Pamela -- and divorced in 1970. "The Magic Cottage" was a spinoff of their "Your Television Babysitter" which aired in daytime 8:30 to 9 a.m. ET Monday through Friday on DuMont beginning November 1, 1948. However, "The Magic Cottage" was aimed at slightly older children who had just entered school, and aired on weekday evenings from 6:30 to 7 p.m. ET.
It was a low-tech show, consisting largely of Meikle telling stories while drawing charcoal-stick pictures on a large sketch pad and chatting with visitors such as Oogie The Ogre. The basic set showed the interior of a cozy cottage with a window and a Dutch half-door at the rear, with Pat sitting mid-stage and speaking directly into the camera until the action transformed into the story of the day.
According to the book about DuMont called "The Forgotten Network," both series were well received by television critics of the time. Meikle was described by :[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]" as "the answer to a mother's prayers. She's already being touted as a new TV star." And, "The Magic Cottage" continued on DuMont's flagship station WABD until 1955. In fact, Meikle continued to work at WABD -- DuMont's flagship Newark, NJ, station, after both series had finished their runs.
Other regular cast members included Don Hastings, perhaps best remembered in the main supporting role of the Video Ranger on DuMont's popular series "Captain Video,:" and later as the long-running character of Dr. Bob Hughes (1960-2010) on the iconic "CBS" daytime soap opera "As the World Turns." Because it was done in the New York metro area, veteran staqe actors were commonplace cast members. Among them were the likes of Broadway and TV veteran Ruth White, a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actress who appeared regularly as the librarian named "Bessie Bookbinder."
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