So, Boobs isn't crazy after all.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 10:06am

Wonderama was a long-running children's television program that appeared on the Metromedia network before changing its title, and to some extent its format, to Kids Are People Too. It ran from 1955 to 1977, with WNEW-TV in New York City being its flagship station. It ran in seven markets in which Metromedia owned television stations, including Boston, Cincinnati, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Kansas City, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. The show ran three hours and later two hours on Sunday mornings.

Despite the many hosts early on, Wonderama would experience its greatest viewership by way of Bob McAllister, a one-time kids host from Baltimore, who replaced Sonny Fox as host in 1967 and would remain host for the remainder of the show's run.

Each episode mixed in entertainment, educational, audience participation, and cartoon shorts. Popular features of Wonderama during the McAllister years included an American Bandstand-type dance segment (called "Wonderama a Go Go" and later "Disco City"); "Does Anyone Here Have an Aardvark?", a segment in which Bob would ask members of the audience to produce unusual objects; an exercise segment with its own theme song ("Exercise, Exercise, come on everybody, do your exercise..."); a Good News segment where selected audience members read "good" news items from around the country before McAllister sang a song ("Have you heard any good news today, today? I wanna hear what you have to say, wait 'till I get to the count of three, and tell me all the good news you have for me, one-two-three!") and queried the audience for their own good news; "Guess Your Best", a game segment where 3 kids made predictions on the outcome of audience polls and race relay competitions; and the classic "Snake Cans", in which contestants opened cans, most filled with spring loaded "snakes," hoping to find the one containing an artificial bouqet of flowers which earned them the grand prize of a bicycle or other prizes for answering trivia questions.

Each week, audience members received a goodie bag as detailed on the show, containing such items as an Oral-B toothbrush, Dynamite Magazine, Good Humor ice cream, Hostess Twinkies, a 6-pack of RC Cola, Fruit Stripe Gum, a gift certificate for Burger King or McDonald's, and Lenders Bagelettes. Each child also got a necklace made from a Lenders Bagelette which had their name painted on it and a 45 record of one of the music artists who performed on the Wonderama episode each week.

The program's closing theme song, sung by McAllister, was called "Kids Are People Too" ("wacka-doo, wacka-doo, wacka-doo") which was later adapted as the show's title when ABC picked it up as a Sunday morning kids show.

Being broadcast from New York gave Wonderama a chance to feature the top stars of the day, including ABBA, Muhammad Ali, The Jackson 5, the cast of Monty Python, and numerous others.

[BroadwayBulldog]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 10:23am

Wonderama.

Wonderama?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 10:40am

That was my favorite show. I wanted Sonny Fox to be my dad.

[D2]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 10:52am

I remember that show! Sonny Fox lived in my neighborhood when I was very little - I remember meeting him in his front yard. I was thrilled!

[erikaamato]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 11:31am

I loved Wonderama!!!! Kids are people... Kids are people... Kids are people, TOO! Wackadoo, wackadoo, wackadoo!

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 11:34am

Boobs started singing a song about an aardvark last night and we thought he was nuts, or drunk, or both -- nope, he's just a lyric savant.

[erikaamato]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 11:39am

LOL! I remember the exercise song, but not the aardvark one. Oh, well. I suppose I'll just have to ask Boobs to sing it for me someday!

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 11:39am

I loved this show growing up!

"We may be young, and not full grown, but we've got problems of our own... ba da ba dum ... kids are people too!"

[BroadwayBulldog]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 11:52am

Is that the children's version of the ba-da-bing?

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 11:52am

"Has anybody got an aardvark?
Has anybody here got an aardvark?
Everybody here has a left and right ear,
But nobody here has an aardvark."

I wanted to marry Sonny Fox. Bob McAllister, not so much.

[bdwaygirl]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 11:56am

Somms, after all this time, I can't believe you doubt Boobs' memory of the 60's-70's t.v./music scene!

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 11:57am

And, you know, he IS crazy.....just not in this case.

[bdwaygirl]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 11:59am

Just makes us love him more, Moony!

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 12:02pm

So very true, girly. Maybe I'll get him an aadvark for his birthday.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 12:07pm

Bob McAllister was my uncle's neighbor in Manhattan, so my brother got to be on the show. I remember he got chosen to participate in something where the kids were given theatrical makeup to put on at dressing tables on stage. Then all the kids voted on who looked best. They then took the "winner" and put an "ermine" robe on him and a crown.

All the other kids were made to wear court jester outfits and "entertain" the king.

My brother didn't want to do ANY of these things. He thought the makeup was gross and felt demeaned by having to act like a jackass on TV. WE, on the other hand, thought it was hysterical when we saw him on TV because it was so obvious that he was really pissed that he had to do any of this in the first place.

So, YES, the show, the songs and Bob McAllister really existed. (I also remember Sonny Fox!) But this doesn't mean that Boobs ISN'T nuts!!!!

Updated On: 5/20/07 at 12:07 PM

[erikaamato]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 12:11pm

I don't remember Sonny Fox at all (I wasn't even born when he left the show), but now that Bluemoon posted the lyrics to the aardvark song, I totally remember that!

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 12:20pm

Geez, I'm so old I even remember Sandy Becker!

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 12:21pm

"I don't remember Sonny Fox at all (I wasn't even born when he left the show)"

* checks to see which old folks home Sonny Fox is in and books room next door.*

*brings aardvark*

[bdwaygirl]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 12:25pm

I don't remember Sonny Fox, either. I'm sure if I saw some episodes, though, I probably would. Bob McAlister is the Wonderama host I know.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 12:30pm

I used to the "youngest person" everywhere I worked, with every group of friends I hung out with, blah, blah, blah. Now I'm THRILLED when there's someone OLDER than I am...ANYWHERE!

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 12:32pm

Want to feel young, Miss P? Come sit by me.

This is Mr. Fox.

[BroadwayBulldog]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 12:37pm

Re-gifting this to Boobs.

He isn't crazy after all.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 12:38pm

Sonny Fox was also in a movie from my childhood called "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't." Anyone remember that?

Moony, you'll always be young. Some things cannot be altered by time.

[bdwaygirl]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 12:42pm

That I do remember.

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 7:14pm

Um, I have to admit I don't know what that thing is in Bulldog's post.