New Zoo Revue

New Zoo Revue
Format	Children's television series
Starring	Doug Momary Emily Peden Sharon Baird Larri Thomas Yanco Inone Hazel Shermet Joni Robbins Bob Holt Chuck Woolery Fran Ryan
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	196 www.mediaandtechnology.net
Production
Running time	0:24 (per episode)
Broadcast
Original run	1972 – 1977

New Zoo Revue is an American half-hour children's television show that ran in syndication from 1972-1977. Stations usually broadcast the program in the early or middle part of the morning hours, when many pre-schoolers were watching it as well as similar shows such as the franchised Romper Room and CBS's Captain Kangaroo. Rights are managed by Las Vegas based Media and Technology Solutions, Inc. and is in development to bring back the show with a new contemporary version and is working with original creator Doug Momery.

Concept

The 196-episode musical comedy format show conveyed the concepts of cooperation and guidance for living in contemporary society. Each episode dealt with a topic like moving away, courtesy, bragging, or patience.

Though hosted by humans Doug (Doug Momary) and Emmy Jo (Emily Peden), who in real life were married, the show featured its costumed adult-sized puppet characters, primarily Freddie the Frog (voiced by Joni Robbins), Henrietta Hippo (voiced by Larri Thomas), and Charlie the Owl (voiced by Bob Holt).^{[citation needed]}

Other characters included Frieda the Frog; Mr. Dingle (played by a costumed Chuck Woolery), an elderly postman, store-keeper and Jack-of-All-Trades; and Mrs. Goodbody (played by veteran character actress Fran Ryan), a nosy neighbor who serves as an advice columnist for The All-New Zoo Gazette.

The show was a recipient of awards and recommendations from the National Education Association and the National School Board Association.^{[citation needed]}

While the show all but faded away by the early 1980s, repeats of New Zoo Revue became in demand once again in the late 1990s, when the FCC's "E/I" rule went into effect.

The show was made infamous by an unreleased "blooper" where Joni Robbins who played Freddie the Frog yelled out "Ah, go f*ck yourself Charlie!". The profanity-laced "blooper" went on from there.^[1]

Characters

• Henrietta Hippo is a tutu-wearing, genteel Southern Belle type, who was a bit shy.
• Charlie is a serious, know-it-all scientist/inventor owl who lived in a tall tree equipped with an elevator.
• Freddie the Frog is always ready for a good time but was a bit naive. While the same size as the other adult-sized characters, Freddie was characterized (at least in some episodes) as a school-aged child.
• Mr. Dingle, the friendly elderly postman.
• Mrs. Goodbody, the nosy neighbor, occasionally dropped by.

Guest stars

• Composer Henry Mancini, as well as Jim Backus of Mr. Magoo and Gilligan's Island fame, made cameos on the show.
• Jesse White, best known as the original Maytag repairman in Maytag's TV commercials, guest starred on a few episodes.
• June Lockhart, best known for her roles on Lassie, Lost in Space and Petticoat Junction, guest starred on one episode.
• Richard Dawson, host of Family Feud and co-star of The Running Man, guest starred in the "Time Travel" episode as a knight from medieval England.

References

1. ^ The funniest Kids show BLOOPER ever!!! on YouTube (uploaded January 9, 2008)

External links

• New Zoo Revue at the Internet Movie Database
• New Zoo Revue at TV.com