Razzle Dazzle
Encyclopedia
Razzle Dazzle was the title of a Canadian
children's program produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
between 1961 and 1966.
The series was initially co-hosted by Alan Hamel
and Michele Finney who were later replaced by Ray Bellew
and Trudy Young. There was also a cast of characters who appeared in every episode, most notably Howard the Turtle (John Keogh), who was considered the star of the show.
Howard the Turtle would tell jokes which he called "Groaners". Another highlight of the show was the secret decoder wheel which kids could send in to receive. At the end of each show a secret message was shown on the TV screen. Only those at home with a decoder wheel could decipher the message. Other recurring characters on the show included Percy Q. Kidpester (Ed McNamara) and Mr. Sharpey (Paul Kligman
) who was known for saying "A knuckle full of nickels". "Spots and Stripes" was often a feature on the show, where groups of kids competed against each other.
Among the regular features in the series was the serialization of a children's adventure series in the final five minutes (thus spreading each episode over a week's worth of shows). Initially shown was an Australian adventure series called The Magic Boomerang. This was replaced by the Canadian-made The Forest Rangers
, that ended up as a series of its own.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
children's program produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
between 1961 and 1966.
The series was initially co-hosted by Alan Hamel
Alan Hamel
Alan Hamel was the co-host of a Canadian children's television show called Razzle Dazzle from 1961 to 1964. The show featured a talking turtle named Howard.Hamel was born in Toronto, Ontario...
and Michele Finney who were later replaced by Ray Bellew
Ray Bellew
Ray Bellew in St. John's, Newfoundland, was an actor and performer.He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In the 1960s he hosted a teen radio show and was in his own TV series of that time, Skipper and Company in St. John's, Newfoundland, which ran on the CBC's Newfoundland affiliate for years...
and Trudy Young. There was also a cast of characters who appeared in every episode, most notably Howard the Turtle (John Keogh), who was considered the star of the show.
Howard the Turtle would tell jokes which he called "Groaners". Another highlight of the show was the secret decoder wheel which kids could send in to receive. At the end of each show a secret message was shown on the TV screen. Only those at home with a decoder wheel could decipher the message. Other recurring characters on the show included Percy Q. Kidpester (Ed McNamara) and Mr. Sharpey (Paul Kligman
Paul Kligman
Paul Kligman was a Canadian actor.Born in Romania, he emigrated to Canada where he spent his youth in Winnipeg and studied at the University of Manitoba. He moved to Toronto in 1950 and established his career there...
) who was known for saying "A knuckle full of nickels". "Spots and Stripes" was often a feature on the show, where groups of kids competed against each other.
Among the regular features in the series was the serialization of a children's adventure series in the final five minutes (thus spreading each episode over a week's worth of shows). Initially shown was an Australian adventure series called The Magic Boomerang. This was replaced by the Canadian-made The Forest Rangers
The Forest Rangers
The Forest Rangers was a Canadian television series that ran from 1963 to 1965. It was a co-production between CBC Television and ITC Entertainment and was Canada's first television show produced in colour...
, that ended up as a series of its own.
External links
- Queen's Film and Media: CBC Television Series, 1952-1982 (Page for series from R.C.M.P. to Rear View Mirror) by Blaine Allan.