Showing posts with label '80's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label '80's. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Nick Fan Con Update - No Update


Folks, I’m sorry that I haven’t posting anything to you in a while about the convention, but my hands are tied. For the last few months I’ve been waiting for Brian, president of the CoC here in town, to set a date for this but so far nothing. Short of giving you their phone number and having all y’all call them and tell them how much you want this convention to happen I don’t know what to do to get things moving. If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to share them with me but all we need is a date and a place. I think I know the perfect place to have it it’s just the date I need. I’m sorry this isn’t better news. ☹ I’ll keep you posted. 


Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Special Delivery


Abby Hagyard from "You Can’t Do That On TV" Talks About Green Slime and More!



Fred Newman and Dan Sawyer – Doug – Bangin on a Trashcan



The Go-Go's on Rockpalast in Berlin 11/3/82




Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Nic’s Interview with George James

Recently I got an email from a Pinwheel fan who had a few questions for Mr. George James who played “Jake” on Pinwheel. He asked if I would mind forwarding them to him and of course I didn’t. After Mr. George sent back the answers I asked if I could please blog the interview and was given consent.

So, with that I would like to say a huge thank you to Nic Nagel for allowing me to post this interview.


Re: Fan Questions
George James
Today, (Monday, December 4, 2017) at 3:03 PM

Dear Peggy Sue and Nic,

How great it is to have people like you continue to show interest in Pinwheel. It validates the idea that people were moved, involved and positively affected by the show; which was the hope of all who took part in creating Pinwheel.

Nic I hope that I can answer your excellent questions to your satisfaction.

1-How did he get to be on Pinwheel?
This could be a very long answer because I’m not sure where my road to Pinwheel began. My parents exposed me to the magic of theatre and music and fostered in me a love of people and of life of all types. I developed a passion for flexing the imagination in pursuit of expressing thoughts and feelings, which I had no lack of.

When I first saw Sesame Street I immediately realized what a powerful vehicle for presenting positive and informing ideas about the world children's television had become.

It was a time when children’s television was breaking new ground and creating programming for children of all ages. A new idea had emerged that children’s programming could and should entertain and inform everyone and play up to young people rather than down. It was very exciting. At the time that all of this was happening I was not involved in children’s programming, I was involved in recording and record production, but the thoughts of what was happening in children's television were ever present in my mind. And as luck would have it, someone who knew someone who was looking for someone to join a team developing a children’s show for the new and experimental initiative of creating programming specifically for cable tv called me to audition.

I auditioned and was hired by Warner Communications to be part of the Pinwheel creation team as developer, music director, song writer and actor. I was overjoyed!

I hope that this explanation adds to the information that Peggy Sue has already provided. If you want to know more specifics, I’ll be glad to answer.


2-Who was his favorite character on the show?
Nic, I’m sure you’re aware that the characters in the world of Pinwheel were by design diverse. Each with their own particular charm and appeal. I grew to appreciate the specialness of each of the characters and never considered which one I liked best. Sal, Smitty and Kim were as sweet and lovable off set as they were on camera. The brilliance of the puppet design and puppetry of Craig Marin, Brad Williams and Olga Felgemacher (now Ola Marin) was always a source of fascination and wonder. The artwork and puppetry of Jim Jinkins was as fresh, clever and imaginative as it gets. What I’m getting at is that I held everyone on the show in such high regard that picking one out as my favorite would be difficult. I did like working with Minus thought.


3-What does he think of Nickelodeon from the the 90's-now days? And did he think that Nickelodeon would become this big when working for it?
We had a saying between cast and crew that floated around the set which provided much laughter as well as thought. It was “Life is change…how it differs from the rocks”.

Of course, we knew that rocks changed too but the point was made. What this meant to many of us was that it was important to stay flexible and positive to the prospect of and even the. inevitable of change. To resist change is stagnating, to prepare for and initiate change is growth. I do regret that Pinwheel was not given a chance to develop and grow, there was much more to be achieved. In the early days of Pinwheel and Nickelodeon, although there were some rough edges, the intentions and objectives of all involved were.

Heartfelt and genuine. We knew that it was something new for television and we cared deeply about what we were presenting to our audience. I am not that aware of what Nickelodeon is like today, but I hope that some, if not all, of that initial excitement and commitment is still present.  I really had no idea how big Nickelodeon would get, I don’t think that anyone did. But one did get a sense of how big programming for cable tv was going to be. Although Pinwheel aired into the 90’s we taped our last season in the mid 80’s in the infancy of programming for cable tv.


4-Apparently in the shows early years their where 3 more birds (besides Admiral) that came from Zintar. Is this true?
The Wonkles! 


5-Does he have any funny behind the scenes story's?
See answer 3


6-If Pinwheel where to come back would he return to his role as Jake?
If Pinwheel came back and I was asked to be a part certainly I would, but I would be different, Pinwheel House would be different, with hopefully the same feeling from the heart!


Nic, thanks for your great questions and for sharing the experience with me.

All best,
George “Jake” James


Saturday, December 2, 2017

Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 97: Interview with Peggy Sue Clay



We all have different dates as to when Nickelodeon’s 40th anniversary is. For some it’s December 1st, the day when the Pinwheel Network first aired. For me, personally, I go with 1979, the year the Pinwheel Network was relaunched as “Nickelodeon.” But regardless as to when we celebrate Nickelodeon has turned the big four-0 and I’d like to give a HUGE THANK YOU to Patricia at Old School Lane for interviewing me for her youtube channel. It was truly an honor.

Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 97: Interview with Peggy Sue Clay





Friday, July 21, 2017

**NICKCON UPDATE**

First, I would like to say thank you to everyone who are following my blog, have liked my pages and joined my various groups on Facebook. right now it may seem like these communities are small but hopefully they will grow large enough to help make this happen.

As of right now I can confirm that two (2) former Nickelodeon stars who love this idea and have agreed to be guests *IF* this convention can get off the ground. I can also confirm that an author and two film makers have also agreed to be guests as well giving us an updated take on the network. That leaves one guest I still need to talk to, please help me pray they say yes and that their fees are reasonable.

Also, today I spoke with two ladies in my community who had some good ideas for me which gave me an idea of who to talk to in regards to sponsorships for this event. I can’t fund it myself so I will need help with planning, execution and most of all financially.


That’s it for now, thank you for your time and for standing with the Classic Nickelodeon Fan Blog and A New Beginning For Classic Nickelodeon Yahoo email group in helping to make this happen. 

To be a part of the community please visit the NickCon - The Dream Facebook Page

Thursday, June 15, 2017

You Know You’re Addicted to Classic Nickelodeon When / If...


- (For those with on-screen search) You still search for “Pinwheel”, “The Tomorrow People”, “YCDTOTV”, “Today’s Special” and various other Classic Nick shows.

- You ever wished you could jaunt, or had any other TP special power.

- You’ve ever wanted to go to London to search for the Lab or the Tomorrow People.

- You always talk in rhyme because Muffy does.

- You know the real meaning behind “hocus pocus alamagocus”.

- You can name all, or most, of the original cast of the TP. (I can yay!)

- You know that TP is the short form for “The Tomorrow People”.

- You didn’t like the 90’s remake of the TP.

- You were disappointed when the CW version of the TP didn’t include any of the original cast, and when they did they were under different names.

- You’ve started naming your pets, or children, after Classic Nickelodeon characters.

- To this day you are still afraid to say, “I don’t know”, or “water”, and when you do you look up and duck because you think slime or water is going to fall from the sky / ceiling.

- You spend your free time searching eBay and iOffer for Classic Nick stuff. (videos, games, books, etc.)

- You did, or still, have a crush on Jeff from “Today’s Special”.

- You actually know which one is Plus and which one is Minus.

- You ever tried any of the experiments on “Mr. Wizard’s World”.

- You remember watching music videos in between each show, this was BEFORE Nick Rocks.

- (For ‘80’s fans) You remember when Nick use to show more than just those crappy cartoons all through out the 90’s.

- (For ‘90’s fans) You remember what Nickelodeon was like before it became the “SpongeBob Square Pants” network!

- You remember the “nickelodeon song” that they use to play in between shows.

- You sit around thinking of ways to update “Pinwheel”, “Today’s Special” and “YCDTOTV”.

- You’ve ever done the “Hobo Bug Giggle Dance”.

- After watching the “Pinwheel Songbook” and hearing Ebenezer sing about his “lovely weeds” you’re out and about with your Mom, or your friend, and they are looking at different plants and mention something about weed control and you break out into song…

“Weeds how I love my lovely weeds
I attend to all their needs
They’ve my buddies they’re my weeds.
Weeds when you’re troubled my heart bleeds
All my care and whoa received
When I’m caring for my weeds”

- While you’re singing this they just look at you and laugh b/c they actually know the song and know that this is nothing unusual for you. (Guess that would make them a fan too huh?)

- You have a sound box collection. (Like Jake did on “Pinwheel”.)

- You campaign to have national “Les Lye” and “Don Herbert (Mr. Wizard)” days.

- You knew that Don Herbert was Mr. Wizard’s real name.

- You still have a crush on Christine (Moose) or Kevin/Alistair from “YCDTOTV”.

- You still have, or found on eBay, a “Double Dare” NES game. – And still have the system to be able to play it on! (I did find it and I have played it!)

- When you saw Marc Summers on “Unwrapped” you wondered why he wasn’t behind a podium reading off questions and why no one was covered in goop.

- You’ve ever built, or still want to build, your own “Double Dare” obstacle course.

- You’ve ever walking into a café and ordered a Barth Burger.

- You’ve ever made green slime.

- Not only did you make the slime you used it on your friends, or had them use it on you.

- You campaign to have a “show and tell day” at work so that you can take in different parts of your Classic Nickelodeon collection to show them off.

- You knew when, “it was just the introduction to the opposites.”

- You’ve ever said, “Duhhh I heard that.”

- You remember, “Who got you last.”

- You remember when “Pinwheel” was lunchtime entertainment.

- You know the significance of “Dare”, “Double Dare” and the “Physical Challenge”.

- You wanted to live on your own tiny planet with a talking rose like “The Little Prince”.

- By the end of the 80’s you could name the two shows Dave Coulier was on.

- You remember when “Uncle Joey” from “Full House” hosted “Out of Control”.

- You remember when you saw Dave Coulier on “Full House” and said, “Hey that’s the guy from “Out of Control!”” (I actually did that and I know others who have done that as well.)

- Your toughest lessons as a preschooler came from “Today’s Special”.

- When you meet someone named Jeff, Jodie, Sam or even Muffy you immediately start to sing the "Today's Special" theme song in your head so that you can remember their name. (This happened to me recently and it did help!)

- You go on Facebook and search for all your favorite CN shows then join every page and fan group you can find for it.

- When you can’t find a page or group for your particular show you start your own.

- You spend hours on eBay and iOffer hunting down your favorite CN shows. (I do this.)

- When you can’t find what you want you start hunting down private collectors and buy your shows through them. (I have done this several times and it was worth it!)

- You create a list like this to celebrate in your obsession!

- You start a CN Yahoo group, website and Facebook page / group.

- You still write fan letters to your favorite CN stars.

- While watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade you start to wonder what a CN parade would look like then start designing the floats and giant balloons. (Guilty)

- Every year on Halloween you dress up like your favorite CN character / cartoon.

- To celebrate Half-O-Ween in May (like Christmas in July) you dress up like your favorite CN character / cartoon.

- You hang out at, or ride, every roller coaster named in “Wild Rides” hoping that you’ll run into Matt Dillon.

- You program your cell phone to play a different CN theme song for every person on your contact list.

-Your default ringtone on your cell phone is the theme from “Pinwheel.” (Mine actually is.)

- You wonder if Smitty is still looking for the Admiral Byrd.

- You’re still hoping that Ebeneezer will full fill his life long goal to be on the front page of the "The Daily Noodle".

- You wonder if Silas the Snail is still trying to get to the other side of the garden, or if he’s ever going to make it to the snail convention.

- When you see the (then new) Energizer battery commercial it reminds you of the “Livewire” opening credits.

-You are friends with several CN stars.

-Someone asks if they can interview you for a new Nickelodeon documentary which will look back on the history of Nickelodeon. (I blogged about this not long ago.) 

-Your playlist is filed with music from Pinwheel, Today’s Special, Black Beauty’s theme, and so forth.



**NEW** You Know Your Mom is Addicted to 
Classic Nickelodeon When / If She...

-When you tell her it’s “John & Stephen’s” birthdays and she knows who you’re talking about.

-She asks you to with them happy birthday for her because she knows your friends with them on Facebook.

-She knows that a Barth burger is.

-She knows how to make REAL slime. (Not the versions they have out these days.)

-When you tell her that “Jake from Pinwheel” called you back she knows who you’re talking about and wants to hear all about it.

-She knows who Sam and Muffy are.

-On the day you’re supposed to go hang out with her she calls you and asks you to bring over Black Beauty and The Tomorrow People.


-She helps you put ideas together for your upcoming CN convention. (We’re working on it.) 


Monday, January 2, 2017

Classic Nick Sighting – The Little Prince Rose Parade Float


Netflix: The Little Prince – Rose Parade Float 
POSTED 2:33 PM, DECEMBER 22, 2016, BY KTLA 5

Original Article Link: 
http://ktla.com/2016/12/22/netflix-the-little-prince-rose-parade-float/


Dimensions: 26’H x 16’W x 42’L 
Float Title: Soar Beyond Imagination

Float Theme 
The Little Prince was a big new title that we launched on Netflix this year and something that was both part of our foray into feature films, but also family-friendly programming. It is a story we love and we feel not only honors a internationally beloved book that has been passed down through generations, but also the tradition of families sharing time together watching great content, which is harder and harder to find time for in this day and age. The float shows Zero17 and her fox flying through asteroids searching for the Little Prince. The Rose Parade is also something that has become a tradition across generations and it is something that families share together as part of their holiday season. So we felt The Little Prince and The Rose Parade were connected in that way. And, of course, you can’t ignore that a main character in The Little Prince is The Rose! We named our float “Soar Beyond Imagination” because success and imagination are inextricably linked, especially as we look for the next creative innovations that will make our world a better place. The film’s story reminds us not to get so wrapped up in our adult lives that we lose our ability to be imaginative and fail to instill the value of imagination in the next generation.

Flowers/Materials used 
The Front Unit has clouds of blue iris, white carnations and white gypsophila. The neighbors plane is decorated in cranberry seed, silverleaf, ground orange lentil and onion seed. The asteroids consist of seeds, petals and fresh flower blooms. The Prince’s home planet is covered in pink, hot pink, lavender and white roses. The Rear unit is a garden of tulips, amaryllis, daffodils, hyacinth, daisys, and snapdragons. The large tree is a paper bark trunk with a canopy of magnolia branches. The old man’s home is a combination of lettuce seed, crushed walnut shells, poppy seed and pepper. There is accents of carnation petals, lunaria, cut statice and ground split pea. 

All text and information courtesy Pasadena Tournament of Roses.


86. Netflix – “Soar Beyond Imagination”: The Internet television network is reaching new heights with their debut parade entry. Beloved book-turned-movie, the float portrays “The Little Prince,” with the hopes to inspire young and old to stay imaginative. The story, a new Netflix original film, is about ‘an overscheduled girl who befriends an eccentric aviator; he regales her with tales about the adventures of an unusual boy who lives on an asteroid.’ Fun fact: The main character in the story is the Rose.



Netflix Made A Parade Float to Remind Award Season Voters: Don’t Forget About ‘The Little Prince’ 
By Amid Amidi | 01/02/2017 6:39 pm
http://www.cartoonbrew.com/awards/netflix-made-parade-float-remind-award-season-voters-dont-forget-little-prince-147199.html


Rose Parade Preview #5 at Artistic Entertainment Services in Azusa 
POSTED 8:47 AM, DECEMBER 23, 2016, BY GAYLE ANDERSON AND NANCY CRUZ, UPDATED AT 05:13AM, DECEMBER 24, 2016
http://ktla.com/2016/12/23/rose-parade-preview-5-at-artistic-entertainment-services-in-azusa/

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Special Delivery – Thanksgiving


Happy Thanksgiving everyone.


Turkey Television









A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (full)



Garfield's Thanksgiving



Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 1981 (full, with commercials)
***special not on this parade – it features the puppets from Nickelodeon!***



Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 1986 (full)



Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 1988 (full)




Thursday, October 13, 2016

Special Delivery – Under the Mountain

Under the Mountain is an eight-part television series based on the novel of the same name written by Maurice Gee that first aired in 1981 and was produced by Television New Zealand.

When twins Rachel and Theo Matheson first meet the mysterious Mr. Jones when they are young children lost in the woods near their home. Eight years later they meet Mr. Jones again in Auckland while they are spending their summer holidays with their aunt, uncle and cousin. It is during this time they learn that Mr. Jones is an alien, sent from another world in a battle against another race of slimy, slug-like beasts / monsters / aliens who strip a planet until it is barren then move on to the next to do the same.

While in their human form these creatures are known as the evil Mr. Wilberforce family who, despite their slug-like form have a keen sense of sight and smell as they spy on Rachel and Theo from across the lake.


























Sunday, October 9, 2016

Special Delivery – Marc Summers’ Mystery Magical Special



Summery from Wikipedia
Summers' character and three young children (friends of his, all of whom seem to play themselves) arrive at a mysterious mansion after they get a flat tire. Within, they find, among other things, heads falling from the ceiling, Burton performing card tricks, and even a bizarre demon-like villain character who engages in a prolonged swordfight with Burton. At the end of this fight, Burton performs another display of his talents, wherein he reveals that the demon character never existed, and that the entire ordeal was, in his words, "just a trick". Afterward, the characters leave the mansion, where they meet another lost traveler, Stan Allen, magician, looking for a phone (he had run out of gas), whom they wryly tell to "help [himself]".


Marc Summers’ Mystery Magical Special






Sunday, August 21, 2016

Julie & Julia Movie

Alright, I realize that this is the farthest topic from ‘80’s Nickelodeon that I can get but I can’t help it. Every time I see this film all I can think is, how can I take this blog to the next level? Keeping in mind that everything I post here goes out to my email group and gets posted on Facebook.

Ya know, I post and post and I’m so very thankful for all of you who “Like” these posts on Facebook and all of my subscribers but, does this blog make a difference? Does it really help you to remember “the good old days,” when you were a child and enjoying your favorite shows?

I know it does for me but then over the years I’ve been very fortunate to be able to purchase several of these classics on VHS and DVD so they truly are a part of my life but what about all of you? What would you like to see from this blog?

When I post my Special Deliveries do you show them to your kids? Do they like them? Do I need to post more videos? Articles? Tell me what you think but please note, it is only on a very rare occasion that I will write about a ‘90’s program and I certainly will NOT post any of those ‘90’s cartoons. Sorry if this offends you but this blog is about early to mid-1980’s with the rare glimpse of anything ‘90’s related. The post I made about the Legends of the Hidden Temple is a good example. The ‘90’s Nickelodeon generation is vastly larger than those of us who actually remember the very early ‘80’s programs. That coupled with the fact that many of those shows are now on DVD, plus they air a block of ‘90’s shows on one of the Nickelodeon networks means that your shows are readily available for viewing. Anyway I think you get the picture.


So all of that being said, what do you guys think? Feedback please, and thank you in advance. 


Friday, June 17, 2016

The Book of Slime

A few years ago I wrote a book called, “The Book of Slime” It is a collection of slime recipes that I  have collected around the web with a couple of my own surprises thrown in for fun. (Credit is given to the website I found the recipe on.) So the question is this.
If I can figure out a decent price point on these, one that would include printing, binding, and shipping, would anyone be interested in buying one? 


My guess would be about $10 and the pages will be printed in color. Slime Green of course. 

Monday, June 13, 2016

Special Delivery – The Get Along Gang


In this pilot episode, which was broadcast on the Nickelodeon in April 1984, The Get Along Gang try to win a scavenger hunt despite Catchum's cheating and their own competition-fueled infighting.


The Get Along Gang





Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Classic Nickelodeon Alert

Classic Nickelodeon Alert


This morning  I awoke to see that Marc Summers was co-hosting the Home & Family show. I was busy so I didn’t get to watch it but the show will air as a re-run Wednesday morning at 11AM center time. Check local listings for your time zone. 


Thursday, March 3, 2016

Special Delivery – A Cricket in Times Square

Chester, a plucky little cricket with the gift of making beautiful music leaves his country home to find fortune in the Big Apple, instead he finds himself overwhelmed by the dangerous bustle and hub-ub around him. Eventually, he teams up with a mouse, a boy and a cat to save the kindly owner of a corner newsstand from financial ruin. This Chuck Jones animated feature first appeared on television and earned a Parent's Choice Award.


A Cricket in Times Square