Classic Nick Thursday – Stu Rosen

Stu Rosen Dies: Emmy Winning ‘Dusty’s Treehouse’ Creator, ‘Fraggle Rock’ Voice Actor Was 80

By Dino-Ray Ramos, Associate Editor/Reporter

August 4, 2019 2:46pm

https://deadline.com/2019/08/stu-rosen-dead-fraggle-rock-voice-actor-emmy-winning-producer-animation-childrens-programming-obituary-1202661066/?fbclid=IwAR3Kq5bCDmjeK6AS79xAHmZnO5z24ut9b2-SjRHO9kDLkls31GNOj1xC7LQ

Stu Rosen, an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning force in children’s programming died early Sunday morning after a battle with cancer. He was 80.

“This is a very sad day for my family and I. My wonderful, colorful, fantastic cousin, Stu Rosen died this morning,” wrote Rosen’s cousin Donna Siegel on Facebook. “My heart is broken and I’m sure anyone who has ever met him feels the same way. What a character he was.”

                                  

She continued, “He is the one I wrote about a few months ago that I gave a birthday party for….but it was really a going away party because he was dying of cancer. I told you all that it was the best party I have ever given.”

Rosen’s was into the industry was as a production assistant at KCET before creating and serving as the co-executive producer of the children’s television program Dusty’s Treehouse. Rosen starred as the titular Dusty in the series that ran from 1970-1980 and featured the puppets of Tony Urbano. Cut from the same cloth of shows like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Captain Kangaroo, the series featured animal puppets and covered topics like music, school, politics, kindness and behavior. Dusty’s Attic, a forerunner of Dusty’s Treehouse featured future Oscar winners Steve Martin and Paul Williams. Dusty’s Treehouse went on to win eight Emmys and later appeared in reruns on Nickelodeon.

Rosen served as governor of the children’s TV branch of the Television Academy. On the directing side, he helmed animated series such as MASK, Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling, The Legend of Prince Valiant, Biker Mice from Mars as well as the episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1987. He also voiced directed and lent his voice to the iconic Jim Henson series Fraggle Rock.

His credits included an array of popular animated series such as Batman: The Animated Series, The Pirates of Dark Water, X-Men, Spiderman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series. He also directed and voiced Phantom 2040 which included the talents of Margot Kidder, Ron Perlman, Leah Remini, Mark Hamill, Debbie Harry, Rob Paulsen and Paul Williams. On the live-action side, he appeared in Rome and The Huntress.

Dusty's Treehouse – An Anniversary Episode Behind The Scenes Starring Stu Rosen

Special Delivery – Dusty’s Treehouse

A much-loved classic among early Nickelodeon fans is Dusty’s Treehouse in which Mr. Stu Rosen, as Dusty, taught life lessons to young children in a fun and easy to understand format. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I with this series would finally be put on to proper DVD and sold commercially. In today’s world children could use this type of quality, family friendly, and not to mention educational, programming.

Dusty’s Treehouse (clip)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiDXjCNpoyA

Dusty's Treehouse – An Anniversary Episode Behind The Scenes Starring Stu Rosen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwraKiLd7hY

Special Delivery – Sound Effects Master Fred Newman

Some of you might think this is an unusual choice for a Special Delivery, and perhaps it is, but if you were around Nickelodeon in the early to mid-1980’s then you will remember Fred Newman as the hose of Livewire, a talk show just for kids.

This audience participated style show was designed for kids of all ages, and the show's main focus discussed true current events and stories during those times. They also mixed it up with a variety of musical guests, storytellers and actors. Even Fred himself appeared as a guest teaching the audience about sound and how to create sound.

Livewire was the first Nickelodeon talk show to achieve a CableACE Award. It was also the #1 rated show on Nickelodeon in 1982, and never went below #7 in the ratings during the 5-year span of the show.

On a personal note, I love Fred Newman, he’s talented and funny and to this day I still have a recording of him on cassette tape when he was a guest himself on Livewire. I loved his “personal theme song” that he did, cracked me up!  

With that being said I hope you enjoy this lecture by Fred at the Academy of Art University.

Sound Effects Master Fred Newman | School of Sound Design | Academy of Art University

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qnqmbkA4iw