Kids Say the Darndest Things
Encyclopedia
Kids Say the Darndest Things is an American comedy series
hosted by Bill Cosby
that aired on CBS
as a special on February 6, 1995 then as a full season from January 9, 1998 to June 23, 2000. It was based on a popular feature of Art Linkletter
's radio show House Party and television series, Art Linkletter's House Party
, which together aired mostly five days a week from 1945 to 1969.
with the co-production of LMNO Productions and Linkletter's company, Linkletter Productions. Linkletter's production company displayed Sam Berman
's caricature of Linkletter (or at least his head), which was originally for NBC
's promotional book, published in 1947. Berman's caricature illustrated Linkletter's People Are Funny
.
adapted the show into a full-length musical comedy.
, British
television network ITV
produced their own version of the show entitled Kids Say the Funniest Things
. It was presented by Michael Barrymore
, and was a production of LWT.
entitled Kidspeak, hosted by Andrew Daddo
on the Seven Network
for several seasons in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
) produced a show with a similar concept called Kids Talk Back, that was first broadcast in 1999 and hosted by actor and radio host Andrew Lim. The show featured interviews with young guests, in addition to hidden-camera segments filmed in schools and kindergartens. Gurmit Singh
hosted a similar show in 2003 entitled Gurmit's Small Talk.
, Colors TV produced their own version of the show titled "Badmaash Company - Ek Sharat Hone Ko Hain" hosted by "Juhi Chawla".
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
hosted by Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
that aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
as a special on February 6, 1995 then as a full season from January 9, 1998 to June 23, 2000. It was based on a popular feature of Art Linkletter
Art Linkletter
Arthur Gordon "Art" Linkletter was a Canadian-born American radio and television personality. He was the host of House Party, which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and People Are Funny, on NBC radio-TV for 19 years...
's radio show House Party and television series, Art Linkletter's House Party
Art Linkletter's House Party
House Party is an American radio daytime variety/talk show that aired on CBS Radio and on ABC Radio from January 15, 1945 to October 13, 1967...
, which together aired mostly five days a week from 1945 to 1969.
Synopsis
Cosby also provided some of the humor in the show. The premise of the show is that the host would ask a question to a child (around the age of 3-8) who would usually respond in a "cute" way. The show sometimes would "flashback" to Linkletter's show, Art Linkletter's House Party. It would show kids (of the time), with their same "cute" reactions of whatever Linkletter would ask or say to them.Production
Kids Say The Darndest Things was produced by CBS ProductionsCBS Productions
CBS Productions is the production arm of the CBS television network now a part of CBS Corporation, formed in 1952 to produce shows in-house, instead of relying solely on outside productions. Its first production was CBS Television Workshop, a drama anthology series...
with the co-production of LMNO Productions and Linkletter's company, Linkletter Productions. Linkletter's production company displayed Sam Berman
Sam Berman
Sam Berman was a leading caricaturist of the 1940s and 1950s.Berman was in high school when he began drawing cartoons for the Hartford Courant. He went to New York to study art and then landed a position as a staff cartoonist for the Newark Star Eagle...
's caricature of Linkletter (or at least his head), which was originally for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's promotional book, published in 1947. Berman's caricature illustrated Linkletter's People Are Funny
People Are Funny
People are Funny is an American radio and television game show, created by John Guedel that remained popular throughout the 1940s. The program ran from 1942 to 1960. The program's stunts and audience participation were calculated to reveal the humorous side of human nature...
.
In other media
In 2005, Robert Johnson and Albert EvansAlbert Evans
Albert Evans , was a British Labour Party politician.A master engraver, Evans became involved in the Labour movement in the the 1920s, and was elected to Islington Borough Council in 1936...
adapted the show into a full-length musical comedy.
United Kingdom
In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television network ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
produced their own version of the show entitled Kids Say the Funniest Things
Kids Say the Funniest Things
Kids Say the Funniest Things was a Comedy show in the United Kingdom based on the United States show Kids Say the Darndest Things, produced by LWT for ITV from 27 December 1998 to 1 October 2000. A third series was recorded in 2001, but never aired because of the revelations surrounding Stuart...
. It was presented by Michael Barrymore
Michael Barrymore
Michael Kieron Parker , better known by his stage name Michael Barrymore, is a British comedian who appeared as a presenter of game shows and light entertainment programmes on British television in the 1980s and 1990s. These included Strike It Lucky, My Kind of People, My Kind of Music and Kids Say...
, and was a production of LWT.
Australia
There was also a version in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
entitled Kidspeak, hosted by Andrew Daddo
Andrew Daddo
Andrew Daddo is an Australian actor, author and television personality.Andrew has been a long time presenter on the Seven Network in Australia and has been involved in hosting many Seven specials...
on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
for several seasons in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Singapore
The Television Corporation of Singapore (now MediacorpMediaCorp
Media Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making....
) produced a show with a similar concept called Kids Talk Back, that was first broadcast in 1999 and hosted by actor and radio host Andrew Lim. The show featured interviews with young guests, in addition to hidden-camera segments filmed in schools and kindergartens. Gurmit Singh
Gurmit Singh
Gurmit Ottawan Singh Gurmit Ottawan Singh Gurmit Ottawan Singh (born March 24, 1965; is a popular Singaporean actor, host and comedy performer. He is best known for his role in Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd, and is one of the leading artistes in MediaCorp.-Life:...
hosted a similar show in 2003 entitled Gurmit's Small Talk.
India
In IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Colors TV produced their own version of the show titled "Badmaash Company - Ek Sharat Hone Ko Hain" hosted by "Juhi Chawla".
In popular culture
- In 1973, Tammy Wynette had a number one country hit with a song titled, "Kids Say the Darndest ThingsKids Say the Darndest Things (song)"Kids Say the Darndest Things" is a 1973 single written by Billy Sherrill and Glenn Sutton and recorded by Tammy Wynette. It was Wynette's thirteenth number one on the U.S. country singles chart, staying at number one for a single week and spending a total of thirteen weeks on the chart.-Chart...
". - In the Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
episode 'Brian Does Hollywood' Stewie GriffinStewie GriffinStewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
stars in an episode of Kids Say the Darndest things.