D. B.'s Delight

D.B.'s Delight was a locally-produced St. Louis, Missouri children's television quiz show produced by CBS affiliate KMOX-TV (later KMOV), Channel 4. The show ran 30 minutes on Saturdays and Sundays and aired in St. Louis from 1977 to 1988.

Cast

D.B.'s Delight featured two regular co-hosts- a live performer (successively, St. Louis media celebrities Julius Hunter, "Young" Bobby Day and later Guy Phillips) and a puppet character called "D.B. Doorbell" (performed, at various times, by puppeteers Dale Thompson, Doug Kincaid, and Bobby Miller). In addition to prize giveaways (usually special show themed pens, pencils, and T-Shirts), the show also featured comedic sketches and appearances by St. Louis child celebrities Mickey Dougherty and Ryan Bollman.

Format

Opening with The J. Geils Band's "Freeze Frame", the format of the show consisted of three rounds, each featuring two contestants (6th grade students selected from a visiting area school, which made up the studio audience). There was also an occasional humor segment known as the "Joke Board", a "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" inspired segment featuring the show's stars telling jokes through small trapdoors in a colorfully painted wall.

Each round lasted approx. 3 minutes, during which time the live host asked questions of an educational nature, for which contestants were awarded points for correct answers (in addition to questions involving history, mathematics, and current events, contestants were also asked music questions, in which a sample clip of pop music was played, and the contestant asked to correctly identify either the song title or the artist).

The third and final round of the show, called "The Winner's Round", featured a face-off between the two winners of Round 1 and Round 2. The winner of Round Three was invited back to participate in "D.B.'s Grand Delight", a special one hour show that aired once a year and featured a competition between Round Three winners from shows throughout the year.

Production details

Jan Landis was the original producer of the show (she was later succeeded by Debi Pittman); the shows were alternately directed by Skip Goodrum and Carl Petrie. Original puppeteer Dale Thompson built the first "D.B. Doorbell puppet character in 1976; this was replaced in 1981 by a "Kincaid Karacter" puppet designed and built by St. Louis puppeteers Bill Kincaid and Doug Kincaid, when Doug Kincaid assumed the role of lead puppeteer that same year.

A winner of many regional Emmy Awards, and a fond favorite of young St. Louis audiences growing up in the late 1970s and 1980s, "D.B.s Delight" was followed up by KMOV in 1988 by its production of "Gator Tales", another popular St. Louis children's television show.

Winners

Each show pitted 4 students from one 6th Grade class in the St. Louis area. The four highest scores were invited to compete in D.B.'s Grand delight.

Ron Fedorchak, playing for Lewis & Clark Junior High of Wood River, Illinois won the Grand Delight during the 1977-1978 school year.

References

• St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Wednesday, March 25, 1981, Section E Front Page, "The Disco Kid is dancing along on the road to fame", article on Ryan Bollman & D.B.'s Delight.
• St. Louis Globe-Friday, July 5, 1985, Living Section Front Page, "Talented brothers are creators...", article on Bill and Doug Kincaid and D.B.'s Delight.
• Original letter from the TV show producers, 1978

External links

• Official Website of The Kincaid Karacter Puppets
• [1] Article in St. Louis Post Dispatch 8-22-2008