The Uncle Al Show
Encyclopedia
The Uncle Al Show was a children's television program originating in Cincinnati
. The show was hosted by Cleveland native Al Lewis (1924–2009) (not to be confused with the actor who played Grandpa on The Munsters
), and later was co-hosted by his wife, Wanda.
The show enjoyed a remarkable 35-year run (1950–1985) on WCPO Television
, making it one of the longest-running local children's shows in American TV history. (Sesame Street
holds the national record as it has now surpassed 40 consecutive years on the air.) Uncle Al holds the unofficial record for the longest-running regularly scheduled series with the same host for the show's entire run.
, then-General Manager Mort Watters asked Lewis (hired on two months earlier as WCPO's first art director) to host an hour-long filler show called Al's Corner Drugstore, in which Lewis, dressed in a soda jerk
's uniform, would take phone-in requests for songs which he would play on his accordion, which would later become one of his many trademarks along with his straw boater hat.
At that time, the show was not aired in a closed set, so people could walk in from off the street to watch the show in person. Neighborhood children began doing just that, and Lewis, having a natural affinity for children, invited them onto the stage during the show. The same kids would return on subsequent occasions bringing friends, and they all took to calling Lewis "Uncle Al".
When mothers began calling in to the station requesting tickets to be on The Uncle Al Show, a Cincinnati institution was born- again, completely by accident, although Lewis himself never treated it in such a manner, as evidenced by the show's remarkable longevity. The Uncle Al Show made its official début on June 12, 1950. Having originally started as a 15-minute outing, it quickly expanded into an hour long show airing three episodes daily:
By the mid-late 1960s the show was scaled back to one 90-minute episode per day from 9 to 10:30 am, running opposite WLWT
's Paul Dixon Show
.
By 1955 Uncle Al had become so popular that executives from CBS
came to Cincinnati to consult with Al about hosting a similar show on their network; this was before WCPO switched affiliation from ABC
to CBS in 1961. Station executives understandably refused to release Lewis from his contract, so CBS brass settled on Howdy Doody
alum Bob Keeshan
to host their new kids' show, which became Captain Kangaroo
(When WCPO switched to CBS in 1961, both shows would run back-to-back on weekday mornings).
Lewis' wife Wanda joined the show in 1956. Initially, Wanda was called "Captain Windy", costumed in a superhero
-like outfit during the early days of the show, and was seen "flying" Superman-style before she made her entrance on stage. Her shy, quiet manner inspired colleague Paul Dixon to call her "The Windy One" when they co-starred on their own show (at their respective peaks, Dixon and Uncle Al ran opposite one another on weekday mornings).
Uncle Al's show was picked up by ABC
from October 18, 1958 until September 19, 1959.
appeared in a 1970 episode of Uncle Al playing a ship's captain in one of the show's skits.
By the 1960s, kids who appeared on the show each were given a nametag sticker in the shape of a bow tie modeled after Uncle Al's sartorial trademark. While the kids were told the name tag was a ticket to get in and a souvenir to take home, the primary reason for them was so that Lewis could refer to each child by name. Initially the tags were plain white, but later included the name of the show to one side, and WCPO's "9" logo to the other, with room in the middle for the child's name.
Other activities included dance contests, celebrating birthdays of kids in the audience that day (which was usually done during their trip to the circus near the end of the show) and singing, accompanied by Al himself, who often played either a banjo
, a guitar
or his trademark accordion
singing simple ditties like this one:
Each day the show would end with Uncle Al, Wanda and the kids all singing a prayer on the air before the kids made their way off the stage:
The cast and the kids would then say their goodbyes and the kids would walk off the set as the closing credits ran. The show's closing theme was the last few verses of the Disney standard It's a Small World written by Robert
& Richard Sherman.
But on equally frequent occasions, they would do in-house commercials for various local businesses. These included, but were not limited to:
Some of the cast members went on to become beloved Cincinnati TV Personalities in their own right. Most notable among these were:
Larry Smith
http://www.larrysmithpuppets.com/: Dayton
native Smith began his Cincinnati TV career with The Uncle Al Show handling and performing (and even creating) most of the puppets; he remained with the show for six years. Starting in the late 1960s he hosted his own afternoon kids cartoon show on WXIX. Now semi-retired, Smith still performs live shows from time to time.
Bob Shreve
http://www.bobshreve.com/: Shreve played various characters including Roger the Robot and, at one point, Lucky The Clown. He later hosted his own late night movie for many years on WKRC-TV
. Shreve died in February 1990.
Mike Tangihttp://tangipublishing.com: Tangi worked both behind and in front of the camera on Uncle Al and at WCPO in general from 1953 to 1963. He later worked with Glenn Ryle
at WKRC-TV
before going into advertising in the 70s, writing and performing memorable commercials for King Kwik Minit Markets. Tangi died in 1995.
By 1975, the show had adopted a more educational base, with guest appearances by members of the Cincinnati Police and Fire departments, representatives from the Cincinnati Zoo, educators and many others. But despite the educational enrichments, The Uncle Al Show continued to hold fast to the values the children came to love from day one.
By the early 1980s, demographics
were changing, and The Uncle Al Show was not immune. The show was first cut down to a half-hour, and then moved from its weekday slot to an early-morning weekend show. The show was re-named Uncle Al Town with the final episode taped on May 29, 1985. Despite the show coming to an end, both Al and Wanda remained at WCPO to the end of the 1980s.
Al and Wanda both retired to their home, a large farm near Hillsboro, Ohio
. But in retirement, the Lewises remained active in their community, and on occasion made personal appearances at festivals and other functions in Cincinnati. Surrounded by his family, Al Lewis died at his Hillsboro home on February 28, 2009 at the age of 84. He is survived by his wife Wanda, his four daughters and his 13 grandchildren. http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story/Tri-States-Beloved-Uncle-Al-Passes-Away/mbqT7X002EG7deu_FvxVww.cspx
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. The show was hosted by Cleveland native Al Lewis (1924–2009) (not to be confused with the actor who played Grandpa on The Munsters
The Munsters
The Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
), and later was co-hosted by his wife, Wanda.
The show enjoyed a remarkable 35-year run (1950–1985) on WCPO Television
WCPO-TV
WCPO-TV, virtual channel 9 , is an ABC-affiliated television station in Cincinnati, Ohio. WCPO's studio is located in the Mount Adams neighborhood of Cincinnati, just outside of Eden Park. Its transmitter is located along Symmes Street, just south of East McMillan Street in Cincinnati.The station...
, making it one of the longest-running local children's shows in American TV history. (Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
holds the national record as it has now surpassed 40 consecutive years on the air.) Uncle Al holds the unofficial record for the longest-running regularly scheduled series with the same host for the show's entire run.
History
The show's origins were completely happenstantial. In the summer of 19491949 in television
The year 1949 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1949.-Events:*January 3 – Colgate Theatre premieres on NBC....
, then-General Manager Mort Watters asked Lewis (hired on two months earlier as WCPO's first art director) to host an hour-long filler show called Al's Corner Drugstore, in which Lewis, dressed in a soda jerk
Soda jerk
A soda jerk was a person — typically a youth — who operated the soda fountain in a drugstore, often for the purpose of preparing and serving ice cream soda. This was made by putting flavored syrup into a specially designed tall glass, adding carbonated water and, finally, one or two scoops of ice...
's uniform, would take phone-in requests for songs which he would play on his accordion, which would later become one of his many trademarks along with his straw boater hat.
At that time, the show was not aired in a closed set, so people could walk in from off the street to watch the show in person. Neighborhood children began doing just that, and Lewis, having a natural affinity for children, invited them onto the stage during the show. The same kids would return on subsequent occasions bringing friends, and they all took to calling Lewis "Uncle Al".
When mothers began calling in to the station requesting tickets to be on The Uncle Al Show, a Cincinnati institution was born- again, completely by accident, although Lewis himself never treated it in such a manner, as evidenced by the show's remarkable longevity. The Uncle Al Show made its official début on June 12, 1950. Having originally started as a 15-minute outing, it quickly expanded into an hour long show airing three episodes daily:
-
- First episode: 9-10 am (ET)
- Second episode: 11 am-12 noon (ET)
- Third episode: 1-2 pm (ET)
By the mid-late 1960s the show was scaled back to one 90-minute episode per day from 9 to 10:30 am, running opposite WLWT
WLWT
WLWT, virtual channel 5 , is an NBC-affiliated television station in Cincinnati, Ohio, the station is owned by Hearst Television...
's Paul Dixon Show
Paul Dixon Show
The Paul Dixon Show was an American television variety program originating in Cincinnati on WLWT Television beginning in 1955 and ending in January 1975, one month after Dixon's death in December 1974...
.
By 1955 Uncle Al had become so popular that executives from 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...
came to Cincinnati to consult with Al about hosting a similar show on their network; this was before WCPO switched affiliation from ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
to CBS in 1961. Station executives understandably refused to release Lewis from his contract, so CBS brass settled on Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody is an American children's television program that was created and produced by E. Roger Muir and telecast on NBC in the United States from 1947 until 1960. It was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows...
alum Bob Keeshan
Bob Keeshan
Robert James "Bob" Keeshan was an American television producer and actor. He is most notable as the title character of the children's television program Captain Kangaroo, which became an icon for millions of people during its 30-year run from 1955 to 1984.Keeshan also played the original...
to host their new kids' show, which became Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
(When WCPO switched to CBS in 1961, both shows would run back-to-back on weekday mornings).
Lewis' wife Wanda joined the show in 1956. Initially, Wanda was called "Captain Windy", costumed in a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
-like outfit during the early days of the show, and was seen "flying" Superman-style before she made her entrance on stage. Her shy, quiet manner inspired colleague Paul Dixon to call her "The Windy One" when they co-starred on their own show (at their respective peaks, Dixon and Uncle Al ran opposite one another on weekday mornings).
Uncle Al's show was picked up by ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from October 18, 1958 until September 19, 1959.
Uncle Al & the kids
The kids who visited Uncle Al were more than just audience members; most of them were selected to be active participants for different skits on the show. While Wanda would handle the more educational aspects of the show, featuring kids assisting in one way or another, Uncle Al got kids involved as helpers for puppets doing different odd jobs, or he would enlist a child from the crowd on-the-spot to be a barker for games at Uncle Al's circus ("Step right up! Win a prize!"). Then-eight-year-old future film superstar George ClooneyGeorge Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
appeared in a 1970 episode of Uncle Al playing a ship's captain in one of the show's skits.
By the 1960s, kids who appeared on the show each were given a nametag sticker in the shape of a bow tie modeled after Uncle Al's sartorial trademark. While the kids were told the name tag was a ticket to get in and a souvenir to take home, the primary reason for them was so that Lewis could refer to each child by name. Initially the tags were plain white, but later included the name of the show to one side, and WCPO's "9" logo to the other, with room in the middle for the child's name.
Other activities included dance contests, celebrating birthdays of kids in the audience that day (which was usually done during their trip to the circus near the end of the show) and singing, accompanied by Al himself, who often played either a banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
or his trademark accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
singing simple ditties like this one:
- "When we sing together songs are such delight..
Har-mo-nee makes the melody right.."
Each day the show would end with Uncle Al, Wanda and the kids all singing a prayer on the air before the kids made their way off the stage:
-
- "Help me, God, to love you more,
- Than I ever did before,
- In my work and in my play,
- Please be with me through the day,
- Thank you for the friends we meet,
- Thank you for the food we eat,
- Thank you for the birds that sing,
- Thank you, God, for everything!"
The cast and the kids would then say their goodbyes and the kids would walk off the set as the closing credits ran. The show's closing theme was the last few verses of the Disney standard It's a Small World written by Robert
Robert Sherman
Robert Sherman may refer to:* Robert B. Sherman , American songwriter and screenwriter* Robert Sherman , American music critic, radio personality, academic, and writer on music...
& Richard Sherman.
Unusual Moments
In a 1990 interview, Lewis related an incident during a live show where he saw a little girl offstage sitting on his accordion—Lewis often assigned one of the kids' mothers to watch his accordion for him when he wasn't playing it; on this occasion it was the assigned mother's daughter who was sitting on the accordion. After a commercial break, Lewis went to retrieve the accordion to play it on camera and the keys promptly got stuck; the girl had urinated into his accordion. Thankfully, the instrument was insured and replaced, much to the chagrin of the insurer.Sponsors
One of the show's many trademarks was when they would go to an external commercial, Uncle Al would get everyone in front of the camera to say "magic words":- "Ala-kazam one, Ala-kazam two, Ala-kazam three, and POOF!!"
But on equally frequent occasions, they would do in-house commercials for various local businesses. These included, but were not limited to:
- Kahn'sKahn'sKahn's is an American meat processing and distribution company based in Ohio.-History:Originally from Alberschweiler in Bavaria, Germany, 45 year old Elias Kahn immigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, in 1880 with his wife and nine children. Cincinnati, also known as "Porkopolis", had previously...
Wieners: Billed at the time as "The Wiener the World Awaited", these commercials sometimes featured a talking puppet in the shape of a "Man in the Moon" frankfurter, possibly created by puppeteer Larry SmithLarry Smith (puppeteer)Larry Smith is a puppeteer and producer of children's programming in the Cincinnati area since 1957. His most notable work was a popular afternoon puppet/cartoon show airing on WXIX Television....
. - Mama's Cookies: Uncle Al and the kids together would sing a variation of "Shortnin' BreadShortnin' Bread"Shortnin' Bread" is a song by James Whitcomb Riley.-History:...
" as the jingle in this commercial. - Barq'sBarq's-External links:* - Official website* - The History of Root Beer...
Soft Drinks: This was when Barq's had other flavors besides just root beer; they also had orange, grape, lemon-lime and cream soda flavors as well. Wanda would sing the jingle while she and an assistant served drinks to the kids. - Al Naish Movers: Associated at one time with Mayflower movers, Naish was known for giving toy trucks to their customers' kids. The family-owned company is still in business today.
- Pat & Joe's: A now-defunct husband-and-wife-owned chain of five volume furniture stores in and around the Cincinnati area; the show used a jingle sung to the tune of "Mary Had A Little Lamb" which went:
-
- My good friends are Pat & Joe, Pat & Joe, Pat & Joe,
- my good friends are Pat & Joe, they save your mommy do-ough..
Regulars
Uncle Al's farm was also frequented by his in-house friends, which at one time or another included:- Pal the Dog, Uncle Al's pet
- Lucky the Clown (originally played by Jack Williams): Used mainly when they visited the circus near the end of each show
- The Merry MailmanRay HeathertonRay Heatherton was an American singer, Broadway musical theatre performer, and a popular New York television personality in the early days of the medium.-Early career:...
: A puppet who delivered viewer mail to Uncle Al every day.
(the producers used the last few lines of the Ray HeathertonRay HeathertonRay Heatherton was an American singer, Broadway musical theatre performer, and a popular New York television personality in the early days of the medium.-Early career:...
song from the New York kids show of the same name) - The Ding-A-Lings: A group of giggling, dancing squiggly columns
(one might understand it better if they ever caught an episode of the show) - The Weather People: These consisted of kids dressed in double-sided sun and cloud costumes (one side happy, the other side sad). If the weather forecast for a given day called for sunshine, the sun costume would be turned happy for the camera, and a "pity party" would be briefly held for the sad cloud. The opposite, of course, would ensue if that day's forecast called for rain.
- Mr. Patches (played by Tom McGreevey): When going to a commercial break from a skit he was in, Mr. Patches would say some magic words of his own, finishing with a "hum-m-m-m-m-mmmmm".
Some of the cast members went on to become beloved Cincinnati TV Personalities in their own right. Most notable among these were:
Larry Smith
Larry Smith (puppeteer)
Larry Smith is a puppeteer and producer of children's programming in the Cincinnati area since 1957. His most notable work was a popular afternoon puppet/cartoon show airing on WXIX Television....
http://www.larrysmithpuppets.com/: Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
native Smith began his Cincinnati TV career with The Uncle Al Show handling and performing (and even creating) most of the puppets; he remained with the show for six years. Starting in the late 1960s he hosted his own afternoon kids cartoon show on WXIX. Now semi-retired, Smith still performs live shows from time to time.
Bob Shreve
Bob Shreve
Bob Shreve was a first-generation television broadcasting personality based in Cincinnati, Ohio.-Biography:...
http://www.bobshreve.com/: Shreve played various characters including Roger the Robot and, at one point, Lucky The Clown. He later hosted his own late night movie for many years on WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana that is licensed to Cincinnati. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Highland Avenue in the Mount...
. Shreve died in February 1990.
Mike Tangihttp://tangipublishing.com: Tangi worked both behind and in front of the camera on Uncle Al and at WCPO in general from 1953 to 1963. He later worked with Glenn Ryle
Glenn Ryle
Glenn Ryle Schnitker was a long-time television personality, announcer and children's show host in Cincinnati, Ohio.-Early life:Ryle attended Western Hills High School in Cincinnati during World War II. He left high school at age 17 to enter military service with the United States Marines...
at WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana that is licensed to Cincinnati. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Highland Avenue in the Mount...
before going into advertising in the 70s, writing and performing memorable commercials for King Kwik Minit Markets. Tangi died in 1995.
Later Years & Personal Life
Throughout the years The Uncle Al Show remained a perennial ratings champion in Cincinnati, especially when the show ran three times a day. Personalities from competing stations knew they were in trouble when their shows were rescheduled opposite Uncle Al. The show ran an estimated 15,000 episodes, with an estimated 440,000 children having appeared on the show throughout its run.By 1975, the show had adopted a more educational base, with guest appearances by members of the Cincinnati Police and Fire departments, representatives from the Cincinnati Zoo, educators and many others. But despite the educational enrichments, The Uncle Al Show continued to hold fast to the values the children came to love from day one.
By the early 1980s, demographics
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
were changing, and The Uncle Al Show was not immune. The show was first cut down to a half-hour, and then moved from its weekday slot to an early-morning weekend show. The show was re-named Uncle Al Town with the final episode taped on May 29, 1985. Despite the show coming to an end, both Al and Wanda remained at WCPO to the end of the 1980s.
Al and Wanda both retired to their home, a large farm near Hillsboro, Ohio
Hillsboro, Ohio
Hillsboro is a city in and the county seat of Highland County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,605 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hillsboro is located at ....
. But in retirement, the Lewises remained active in their community, and on occasion made personal appearances at festivals and other functions in Cincinnati. Surrounded by his family, Al Lewis died at his Hillsboro home on February 28, 2009 at the age of 84. He is survived by his wife Wanda, his four daughters and his 13 grandchildren. http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story/Tri-States-Beloved-Uncle-Al-Passes-Away/mbqT7X002EG7deu_FvxVww.cspx