One of my earliest TV watching memories is a show called "All Aboard with Mr. Be". It aired on WDCN, the Nashville public television station we watched in my hometown of Clarksville. A little recent research revealed that the show was shot at WKNO in Memphis. I also read that the puppets were built by legendary Nashville puppeteer Tom Tichenor, and performed by a Memphis high school student named John McDonald. I have always remembered the name of one of the puppets, "Poncey de Lion", who was of course a lion.
And today I got confirmation via email that the "Mr. Be" puppeteer was the same John McDonald who is now artistic director of the Roxy Regional Theatre in Clarksville! John and Tom Thayer have done an incredible thing in creating a professional theatre in Clarksville. I saw their "Into the Woods" a couple of years ago, and was very impressed.
As I told John, my childhood self would be very proud that my grownup self knows Poncey de Lion personally!
Wonderful! I was a kid in Memphis and, like you, I found this to be my favorite show. I had a chance to interview both the producer-director (Holden Potter) and the star (Allen Bates, now known in theater and film as Allen Hamilton), for a book on the children's television genre. Wonderful memories!
ReplyDeleteI loved this show as a kid. It's really good to know all involved have moved on to other things and are having a good life. I still hope to meet them all one day to let them know how wonderful they made being a kid back then.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could get a copy of this on you tube.It was a great show.
ReplyDeleteI was growing up outside Memphis, and four-year-old never missed a show.
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