Comments

  2. Trebuchet says

    I didn’t grow up here and I’d have to say I’m more of a Stan Boreson fan, but I’m still saddened by J.P.’s passing.

  3. Menyambal --- Sambal's Little Helper says

    I got to Seattle just before his show ended, so only saw a few bits. But dang, Seattle has some talented and creative people.

  5. davidsteinmuller says

    The loss of local TV isgoing to haunt us in the future. I can’t imagine Cleveland without Ghoulardi.

  6. MG Myers says

    That video brings back memories of watching JP Patches on television in the morning before elementary school. JP brought lots of smiles and laughter to his “Patches Pals” throughout the Seattle area. He had a way to make people laugh and forget their troubles.

  7. says

    Those of us a bit further south had a much more dignified influence in our formative years: Ramblin’ Rod Anders. Every day after school, Ramblin’ Rod would cruise in on his cardboard facade of a boat, wave, and show us really freakin’ good cartoons. No funny suit, just a guy who loved kids.
    Yep, Ramblin’ Rod. Much cooler than this clown.
    .
    .
    .
    .
    Sorry, but he is a clown.

  8. chigau (違わない) says

    Razzle Dazzle
    Howard the Turtle
    “Knuckle full of nickles.”
    *sigh*
    The Forest Rangers!!!

  9. Rodney Nelson says

    I remember Salty Brine on WPRI Channel 12, Providence, RI. “Goodbye and brush your teeth.”

  10. Hairhead, whose head is entirely filled with Too Much Stuff says

    What the hell, chigau, are you a Canuck? I haven’t met anyone yet who remembers Howard the Turtle, Razzle Dazzle, and Michelle Finney, and Alan Hamel (who went on to marry Suzanne Somers).

  11. rwgate says

    As kids growing up in West Seattle in the 50’s, we used to listen to Stan Boreson. Can’t say I remember J.P. Patches, but I do remember the Howdy Doody show. Another favorite was Yogi Yogerssen, who sang a lot of (to us) off color songs, especially during the Christmas season. Probably too early for PZ, but you can still find his performances on YouTube.

  13. viajera says

    Those of us a bit further south had a much more dignified influence in our formative years: Ramblin’ Rod Anders.

    Ramblin’ Rod! ::PDX native fistbump::

    I was on that show once when I was a kid. True Fact. Ramblin’ Rod was the best!

  14. janeymack says

    Native Oregonian here (though not from Portland). Ramblin’ Rod! My favorite show. Very envious, viajera, that you got to be on the show. I think davidsteinmuller at #5 is right. We have lost a lot of regional flavor with the loss of local tv. The homogenization of America continues!

  16. Hairhead, whose head is entirely filled with Too Much Stuff says

    So, chigau, from whence do you hail? I hight from Lotusland itself, Vancouver (and before that, Calgary, home of snow in July and -30 to deliver papers in).

  17. chigau (違わない) says

    Hairhead
    Medicine Hat born
    Calgary for University
    Medicine Hat for work for a while
    Edmonton for almost 30 years.
    alternating between shoveling snow for six months and
    t-shirts in February
    (while shoveling snow)

  18. JoeBuddha says

    Never a registered Patches Pal, but never missed an episode either. Trying to watch it as an adult is horribly cringe-worthy, but he was a big part of my childhood. He seemed to have even more fun putting on his show than we did watching it; many was the time that he and his co-hosts would crack each-other up for totally incomprehensible (to my grade-school self) reasons. So sad when he died. :(

  19. Oenotrian says

    I remember Ramblin’ Rod. He was on until 1997, which I didn’t realize until looking for videos just now.

  25. chigau (違わない) says

    bovarchist
    No.
    You are missing the point.
    We had locally produced shows by people who were in it for the love of the medium.
    We also had devoted local participation from children, parents, schools, TV stations, etc.
    You have a commercial franchise.
    (I ♥ Bill Nye.)
    (it wasn’t a contest, nobody lost)

  26. bovarchist says

    Chigau

    For a guy who loves Bill Nye, you don’t know much about where he came from. Just sayin’.

  27. baryogenesis says

    Soupy Sales. Before he went national. Lunchtime zanies in the 50’s. One of the originals . Esp. for getting a pie in the face.

  29. canadianchick says

    hey – some of us remember BOTH JP Patches from our childhoods AND watching Bill Nye on KING5’s “Almost Live” from our mis-spent teen and early adult years…

    so there!

    :)

  30. Rip Steakface says

    I suppose I was born too late to understand this, despite being a western Washington native. A shame.

  32. McC2lhu saw what you did there. says

    Being Canadian and having cable from Spokane, I think I’ve seen everything. I get the Mr. Green Jeans reference, “Look waaaaay up, and I’ll call Rusty”, Casey and Finnegan, “Won’t you be my neighbor?”, “HEYYYY YOU GUYSSSSSSSS!”…and of course, the local Buckshot Show. The only one I rarely find any reference to, even UTube vids are scarce, is the Uncle Bobby Show. I sometimes wonder about a couple shows that I can remember that no one else does. Did our cable package include programming from alternate Earths? The added rabbit ears with tinfoil and the giant wood cabinet TV makes the programming sources suspect.

  34. DLC says

    Hmm.. Local tv personalities.
    I think just about every town had theirs.
    I wonder if there’s an index of them somewhere.
    I remember some I’ve seen who were like that slightly weird but funny uncle who shows up for Thanksgiving.

  37. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    Hmm.. Local tv personalities.
    I think just about every town had theirs.

    I sold porn (pre-Internet) on a number of occasions to a locally famous weatherman. I’m pretty sure he came back because I pretended to not recognise him. /pointless anecdote

  39. fullyladenswallow says

    @37:
    That’s really funny. It’s sorta like catching your old man takin’ a sip of Southern Comfort behind the barn…not sure whether to pretend that you didn’t see it or make it plain that you now had gained some leverage.

    Of all the shows that seemed to hold my attention most, was the late ’50’s airing of “Mr. Wizard” (Don Herbert)- sort of the “Bill Nye” of his day.

  40. Air says

    San Francisco – Mayor Art “I’ll be seeing you sub-se-quent-ly!”

    My earliest (my only?) triumph of the mind occurred on his show – you had to pick a key to win the contents of a treasure chest. I noticed that one key had a little spot of red paint on it. 8 year old mind turns over, picks that key and wins!

  43. sciencemc says

    OK, you people who are dismissing JP Patches as a mere clown have no idea what you’re talking about. To be fair, unless you are already familiar with him, there’s no way you could understand from this video. You see, I HATE clowns. With a passion. But J.P. was only a clown in the most superficial way. He was funny. He never used a stupid voice or talked down to us. The show was full of silly devices, but they always had a certain wit to them. The intricate plots by Boris S. Wart (2nd meanest man in the world) to take over the city dump and the show. Losing most of his guests in the bottomless pit outside the door after they left. Calling kids out on the ICU2 TV set.

    One fine day in the 70s, I was outside on the porch when a cop car pulled into my driveway, and out gets J.P. with Officer Friendly. They decided to film a PSA about traffic safety at my house because of the blind driveway. What a great day. I even got to see J.P. punch Esmerelda in the face right in front of me.

    We all have our childhood favorites, but don’t write off J.P. as just another clown, because you are so very wrong if you do. He’s beloved in our community because he was much, much more.

  44. Hairhead, whose head is entirely filled with Too Much Stuff says

    Chigau, ah yes, the chinooks.

    Nothing like getting up at 4am to deliver morning papers at -15F, and returning home hatless (or toqueless) and in shirtsleeves with the temp now 20F. That’s the whipsaw-climate effect very common on the prairies (and something which, due to global warming, I think we’re going to experience a lot more of).

  46. Krasnaya Koshka says

    Wallace and Ladmo!

    I grew up in Arizona.

    Back me up, please, Ogvorbis!

    It is a deep shame all these childhood memories die but why are they all men?

    In Arizona we also had Villa Alegre.

  48. Hairhead, whose head is entirely filled with Too Much Stuff says

    I looooooved the Forest Rangers. No parents! No bullies! Fun in the outdoors! AAaahhh!

    Shit, I’m 55 now, and they were older than me when I was watching the show.

    I don’t care, I’m going to youtube and play the theme song again and feel eight years old!

  49. chigau (違わない) says

    I’m going to youtube and play the theme song again

    Oh. Bugger.
    I did that and now I’m all nostalgic and really sad :(

  50. janeymack says

    I guess I had the best of both worlds. Grew up in Oregon watching Ramblin’ Rod, then moved to Seattle as an adult and had the joy of watching Almost Live! I still haven’t gotten over the cancellation of Almost Live, either–heard a rumor not too long ago that it might be coming back but haven’t heard any more about it.

  51. kevinalexander says

    Bob Homme, who was the Friendly Giant refused to do personal appearances even though he could get some extra cash.

    He explained that the kids thought he was 50 ft tall and he didn’t want to disappoint them.

    Then there was the time that the tech at the CBC miked Rusty. Persistence of childhood illusion carries over into your professional life.

  53. NitricAcid says

    We had Mr. Dressup, the Friendly Giant, and Uncle Bobby. I have DVDs of the former to show my kids, but I’m not showing them Uncle Bobby (have a happy day, even if it isn’t your birthday).

    “Bimbo, Bimbo, he’s a happy clown you know….”