Canada once took kids’ TV seriously

Children’s television once assumed kids could think and feel deeply. That approach shaped a generation

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There are many things that bring back fond memories of childhood. I’m often transported back to simpler, innocent times where fun and enjoyment could be easily found in our homes, bedrooms and backyards. I smile when I think about family, friends, toys, games, books, records, stuffed animals, birthdays, holidays, and more.

Children’s television programs were in the mix, too. I was born in 1970 and watched an assortment of shows during that time period. Most names should be fairly recognizable, including: Sesame Street, The Electric Company, The Friendly Giant, Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood, Mr. Dressup, Circle Square, The Adventures of Timothy Pilgrim, Vegetable Soup and Polka Dot Door. (There were plenty of cartoons, too!)

Those were the shows of my youth. Your favourite shows may have been similar, somewhat different, or from a completely different era. If you’re interested in taking a trip down memory lane when it comes to children’s television, I would heartily recommend Ed Conroy’s ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids’ TV.

Conroy is a cultural historian, writer and producer who founded Retrontario in 2006. His work has appeared in various publications, including the Toronto Star, Toronto Life and blogTO. He appears regularly on radio and TV. He was awarded a 2016 Heritage Toronto Award of Merit for his work in the media, too.

Full disclosure: Conroy and I have known each other for years. We used to participate on Newstalk 1010 panels in Toronto, although we never appeared on the same one together. We occasionally chat on social media. I’ve written about him before, including when he was kind enough to privately send me the 10-episode run of The Adventures of Timothy Pilgrim for a column I wrote back in Oct. 2020.

Conroy is a master of his craft. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture and history, from the well-known to the unknown. “He has an uncanny ability to recall classic shows I haven’t thought about in years,” I wrote in the above column, and he’s able to “introduce/reintroduce them to the general public.” I’ve always believed, like others, in the importance of lifelong learning. Conroy’s expertise has contributed to this on more than a few occasions.

Here’s the newest example. “One of the great challenges in documenting our recent cultural past is a lack of interest in popular culture and its rich history,” the author wrote in his Introduction. “Television ranks among the most disrespected and misunderstood of cultural industries, due to a myriad of reasons, including but not limited to the ephemeral and disposable nature of the medium, its voluminous back catalogue, and the entrenched belief that as an art form it is not worthy of serious study.”

That’s a thought-provoking analysis. ImagiNation, which is his first book, therefore serves a critical role: to dispel the notion that children’s television shows are simplistic in nature and have no intellectual or academic heft. He proves that it’s quite the opposite.

Conroy examines kids’ TV programs that were broadcast (and, in some instances, are still being broadcast) in Toronto between 1950 and 2000. While he “adhered to Toronto’s geographical parameters as rigidly as possible,” those living outside the city will instantly recognize many shows. They were widely available for public consumption in Canada, and could be viewed in their local communities. There’s a plethora of research, quotes and tidbits of knowledge in this exceptional volume. You’ll learn something new about the shows you loved, occasionally watched, or never got to see.

“It all started with a little green puppet” in the 1950s, thanks to CBC’s Let’s See and the green-coloured breakout character that spawned Uncle Chichimus. Other shows followed, like Telestory Time, which was “the very first series designed for a preschool and primary audience,” Old Testament Tales, Maggie Muggins and a Canadian version of the popular Howdy Doody Show. Bob Homme and his signature program, The Friendly Giant, began in 1958 and served as a “brief, fifteen-minute reprieve from the fast pace of life.”

The 1960s brought us Razzle Dazzle, a memorable CBC program that placed “its emphasis on participation” from kids to send in jokes, gags, skits and anything else their hearts desired. There was Kiddo the Clown on CFTO-TV, starring a “hobo-like” protagonist who appeared “between cartoons to provide continuity,” as well as The Uncle Bobby Show, whose star, Bobby Ash, told the Toronto Star in 1969 that “children are the cleverest people.” This decade also involved some of CBC’s finest children’s programs that launched the careers of two great friends, co-workers and legendary puppeteers, Fred Rogers and Ernie Coombs, Misterogers, Butternut Square and Mr. Dressup.

Conroy’s analysis of 1970s staples like Sesame Street, Polka Dot Door, Circle Square, CUCUMBER and TVO’s Readalong and Math Patrol is superb. The same goes for popular 1980s shows, such as Kids of Degrassi Street, Today’s Special, Sharon, Lois and Bram’s Elephant Show and Fraggle Rock, and popular 1990s shows like The Grogs, The Big Comfy Couch and Nanalan. Some of the more illuminating entries involved kids’ TV shows that had shorter runs or more limited popularity (Homemade TV, Kidsworld, What If…), and the rise of networks like the monolith YTV and short-lived Canadian Children’s Channel.

“It has been an unbelievable honour to assemble the material you hold in your hands, which gave me the opportunity to relive my childhood,” wrote Conroy. “I hope it does the same for you.”

Well said. My sentiments exactly.

Michael Taube is a political commentator, Troy Media syndicated columnist and former speechwriter for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He holds a master’s degree in comparative politics from the London School of Economics, lending academic rigour to his political insights.