The ZOOM kids

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 9:33am

Does anybody remember ZOOM, the kids TV show from the 1970s produced by WGBH in Boston (and broadcast by Channel 13 in New York)? The all-kid cast (wearing identical horizntally striped TV shirts) would answer viewers questions and perform songs and skits written by kids who would send them in to WGBH.

The cast rotated every six months or so - and does anybody know what happened to any of the ZOOM kids?

[rlbgbc]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 9:37am

Yes, I remember ZOOM! Was a ZOOM devotee in the day.

I don't know what happened to any of them, but a guy once worked for me that went to Ithaca College with one of them -- don't remember which, but it was a guy. Said he was a horrible actor...and that his reputation as a ZOOMer haunted him. When he was on stage, the other cast members would stand in the wings and do that weird arm thing they taught the viewers to do -- where your elbows meet and you flip your arms to create an optical illusion. They'd also lapse into speaking "ubbi dubbi" whenever he was around. LOL Sometimes kids can be so cruel, no?

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 9:50am

"Boston Mass 02134 - Send it to ZOOM!"

[rlbgbc]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 9:53am

Red:

Correction. It's:

Ohhh...Twoooo....Onnnnne....Threeeee.....Four!

ZOOMgame
ZOOMrecipe
ZOOMguest

Gawd, I hadn't thought about that for years!

[Craig]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 10:04am

And what was their language called again?

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 10:31am

ya know, I'm a competant actor and all (in my own mind, LOL!)...but I never could get that Ubbi dubbi language - and I can speak piglatin - but that one totally evaded me. Maybe if I got the rules now at the tender age of 42, I might be able to figure it out...(I just made myself laugh...)

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 10:47am

The language was Ubbi Dubbi.

"Hubbi frubbeinds. Thibbis ibbis abuh Zuboom Cubbard."

I sent away for a Zoom card and got one with Jon on it. I really wanted Nina, with her long, straight '70s hair. I always wondered if Donna on That '70s Show was modeled after her.

I was actually traumatized when they switched casts because they were exactly my age and I actually felt a sort of vicarious kinship with them. When they announced, "In a few weeks, there'll be some new Zoomers," I was bereft. They kept half the cast and brought in newbies. And, in my opinion, they kept the wrong ones.

I bet it was Joe who went to Ithaca.

[orion59]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 12:09pm

Ah, the good old days of local television in Boston, Zoom, Major Mudd, Boomtown and Willy Whistle.

Night time local tv was just as good with the Saturday night Creature Feature hosted by Feep, a Martian puppet.

Updated On: 4/6/04 at 12:09 PM

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 12:23pm

I used to LOVE Zoom!! I forget what show I was watching...maybe I love the 70's on VH1..but they interviewed a couple of the Zoom kids all grown up. They didn't mention what the were doing now though.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 12:29pm

Would you believe - when I was home at my parent's place on vacation last week I found a Certificate of Graduation because I had made it through a week of Romper Room on local TV in Dayton Ohio - OY VEY!!!! (this was in 1966, I believe)

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 12:33pm

i saw it!!! i saw it!!! LOL!!! Updated On: 4/6/04 at 12:33 PM

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 12:35pm

ahh yes - now I can never live those days down - I guess I'll just always be white trailor trash - no matter how much I try to rise above my roots...LOL...

[Craig]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 12:35pm

They have a "new" ZOOM on the air now.. It's heinous. Then again, it's not exactly geared to me anymore..

Two other shows I enjoyed as a kid-

Romper Room (which I was on) - loved playing with Romper Stompers! (and who could forget Do Bee!, which I have a letter from)

Also loved The Uncle Floyd Show" -- and Oogie!

Updated On: 4/6/04 at 12:35 PM

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 12:38pm

i wanted my own magic mirror... also, apparently, when i was 13, i wanted to be a Solid Gold Dancer...

[orion59]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 12:40pm

Yeah, Romper Room with Miss Jean. My grandmother used to love embarrassing me by howing people the pic of me in front of the tv watching Romper Room at 3 years old and trying to do the exrecise segment.

Bend and stretch
Reach for the stars
Here comes Jupiter, there goes Mars

It's frightening that I can still remebmer the song. It must have made quite the impression on me.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 12:43pm

now THATS something I would have paid to see - you (joeyjoe) prancing around the living room as a solid gold dancer...thank God those days are behind us...LOL

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 12:46pm

(i am ashamed)

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 12:57pm

No need to be ashamed - I am sure you looked cute in your leotard...with that cute butt and all....

[Karma76]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 1:00pm

I had some issues with romper room since my name is not exactly common and absolutely was not then. so she would call my sisters names...even my parents..but did she see me...nope. I waited EVERY day religiously in hopes she would someday see me. haha

and Willie Whistle. clowns freak me out as is...he especially freaked me out for some reason. I tried to find info on Willie Whistle and I tell you it is like he is in witness protection now cause there is NOTHING on him. haha

[orion59]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 1:08pm

Yes clowns are scarey. That's what I liked about Willie. I always liked scarey shows and movies. To me, watching Willie was more like watching one of those Creature Features than a childrens show.

The reason you cannot find anything on Willie probably is that his identity was always very carefully guarded. he was played by Dana Hersey who later went on to host "The Movie Loft" on a local Boston channel. It showed old classics. Dana had aspirations of being a local and maybe even a netional news broadcaster. He was like the Stone Phillips of those days. Heavily sprayed helmut hair, generic he man looks and an overly serious attitude. Afraid of not being taken seriously because f the Willie gig, he always vehemently denied that he had played Willie (Later on I belive he vehementley denied playing with Willie also, but that's another story). I believ he was able, either purchasing the rights to Willie Whistle or by some legal action, to make Willie disappear from the face of the earth.

Updated On: 4/6/04 at 01:08 PM

[Karma76]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 1:19pm

yeah I heard that also. I loved the movie loft I am a Bostonian as well so I watched PLENTY of Mr. Heresy. He did a GREAT job of keeping it hidden. Funny little Boston Fact about Liz Callaway hosting RTG (ready to go) for a few years and I remember going off to middle school but not before I watched that show. haha

[orion59]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 1:46pm

Here's a fun little site with audio, video and pics from 70's kids shows. They have the Krofft shows, Shazam, The Wonder Twins, Isis and some Zoom


http://dt.prohosting.com/70s/childtv/childtv.html

[orion59]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 1:51pm

I'm so excited, they actually ahve a video of a Quisp commercial

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 1:54pm

Oh Zephyr winds which blow on high
Lift me now so I can fly!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/6/04 at 2:11pm

A new Zoom! I feel SO Jose'!

"There is but no way that one can compare the experience of watching the original Zoom series with its hackneyed and crass modern 're-creation,' proving once again that there is no way in which WGBH should ever be allowed to touch a property that was handled much better 30 years ago by, um, WGBH. One bridles at the infusion of so called 'hip-hop' so called 'culture' and its inheriant ghetto ignorance with which one can clearly see the compleat dubming down of American culture. If one cares to look honestly. One hopes that one will eventually see a release of the complete first season of the original series of Zoom on what is called digital video disc so that today's generation can witness irrefutiable prove of my underlying guiding princiapal: EVERYTHING WAS BETTER BEFORE YOU WERE BORN."