Bozo, Gar and Ray: WGN TV Classics
Encyclopedia
Bozo, Gar and Ray: WGN TV Classics is a two-hour television special produced by WGN-TV
in Chicago, Illinois. It debuted in 2005 and featured on both WGN-TV and its superstation
simulcast, WGN America. The program is hosted by WGN-TV personality Dean Richards.
The special airs annually, immediately after the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade
on Thanksgiving
nationally on WGN America, as well as on Christmas Eve
on WGN Chicago.
The show was created in response to the continuing popularity of WGN programming, including Bozo the Clown
, which had been seen weekly on WGN until 2001. Because most Bozo shows were either wiped
or never recorded, and because of scheduling constraints, rerunning the show was not an option. Thus, WGN decided to cobble together the best of the remaining tapes of WGN's children's programming to create the special. Included in the special were the Bozo programs Bozo's Circus (1961-1980), The Bozo Show
(1980-1994) and The Bozo Super Sunday Show
(1994-2001), as well as the long-running children's programs Garfield Goose and Friends
and Ray Rayner
and his Friends, both of which are well known in Chicago although less known outside the area. The original incarnation of the Chicago Bozo show, Bozo (1960-1961), was not featured and is believed to be lost (it aired for only one year, and only as an interstitial).
The special also features three animated shorts, all of which have aired on WGN-TV for many years: Hardrock, Coco and Joe: The Three Little Dwarves
; Suzy Snowflake
; and the 1954 UPA
version of Frosty the Snowman
.
The program is not available on DVD
, although the animated shorts are available separately through The Museum of Broadcast Communications
.
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
in Chicago, Illinois. It debuted in 2005 and featured on both WGN-TV and its superstation
Superstation
Superstation in United States television can have several meanings. In its most precise meaning, a superstation is defined by the Federal Communications Commission as "A television broadcast station, other than a network station, licensed by the FCC that is secondarily transmitted by a satellite...
simulcast, WGN America. The program is hosted by WGN-TV personality Dean Richards.
The special airs annually, immediately after the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade
McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade
The McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade, "Chicago's Grand Holiday Tradition," is an annual parade produced and presented by the Chicago Festival Association . It is held on State Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, every Thanksgiving morning starting at 8 am CST...
on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
nationally on WGN America, as well as on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
on WGN Chicago.
The show was created in response to the continuing popularity of WGN programming, including Bozo the Clown
Bozo the Clown
Bozo the Clown is a clown character very popular in the United States, peaking in the 1960s as a result of widespread franchising in early television.Originally created by Alan W...
, which had been seen weekly on WGN until 2001. Because most Bozo shows were either wiped
Wiping
Wiping or junking is a colloquial term for action taken by radio and television production and broadcasting companies, in which old audiotapes, videotapes, and telerecordings , are erased, reused, or destroyed after several uses...
or never recorded, and because of scheduling constraints, rerunning the show was not an option. Thus, WGN decided to cobble together the best of the remaining tapes of WGN's children's programming to create the special. Included in the special were the Bozo programs Bozo's Circus (1961-1980), The Bozo Show
The Bozo Show
The Bozo Show is a locally-produced children's television program that aired on WGN-TV in Chicago and nationally on what is now WGN America. Recognized as the most popular and successful locally-produced children's program in the history of television, it only aired under this title for 14 of its...
(1980-1994) and The Bozo Super Sunday Show
The Bozo Super Sunday Show
The Bozo Super Sunday Show is the final version of WGN-TV's 40+ year-old Bozo series, which aired on Sunday mornings for seven seasons. It was taped in Chicago. The lead star of the show was Bozo the Clown, played by Joey D'Auria...
(1994-2001), as well as the long-running children's programs Garfield Goose and Friends
Garfield Goose and Friends
Garfield Goose and Friends was a children's television show produced by WGN-TV in Chicago, Illinois, United States from 1955 to 1976. The show was known as Garfield Goose and Friend from 1952 to 1955 when it aired on WBKB and WBBM-TV. It was the longest running puppet show on television. The host...
and Ray Rayner
Ray Rayner
Ray Rayner was a staple of Chicago children's television in the 1960s and 1970s on WGN-TV.-Early life:...
and his Friends, both of which are well known in Chicago although less known outside the area. The original incarnation of the Chicago Bozo show, Bozo (1960-1961), was not featured and is believed to be lost (it aired for only one year, and only as an interstitial).
The special also features three animated shorts, all of which have aired on WGN-TV for many years: Hardrock, Coco and Joe: The Three Little Dwarves
Hardrock, Coco and Joe
Hardrock, Coco and Joe is a short stop motion animated cartoon based on a song written by Stuart Hamblen. It is about three of Santa Claus' helpers who ride on Santa's sleigh each Christmas. The short has become an annual "Christmas Classic" on Chicago's WGN-TV and Johnstown, PA WJAC-TV since its...
; Suzy Snowflake
Suzy Snowflake
"Suzy Snowflake" is a popular Christmas song written by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett, made famous by Rosemary Clooney in 1951 and released as a 78 RPM record by Columbia Records, MJV-123....
; and the 1954 UPA
United Productions of America
United Productions of America, better known as UPA, was an American animation studio of the 1940s through present day, beginning with industrial films and World War II training films. In the late 1940s, UPA produced theatrical shorts for Columbia Pictures, most notably the Mr. Magoo series. In...
version of Frosty the Snowman
Frosty the Snowman
"Frosty the Snowman" is a popular song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950. It was written after the success of Autry's recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the previous year; Rollins and Nelson shipped the...
.
The program is not available on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, although the animated shorts are available separately through The Museum of Broadcast Communications
Museum of Broadcast Communications
The Museum of Broadcast Communications is an American museum that currently exists exclusively on the Internet and not in any physical capacity. Its stated mission is "to collect, preserve, and present historic and contemporary radio and television content as well as educate, inform and entertain...
.