Uncle Bobby started out as a short, wiry little man with a hawk-nose and British accent, but ended up being a less mobile, pulpy-nosed, long white-haired old man, less of a British accent and with a huge stomach. I believe the show featured cartoons and kid's features, including a regular visit from a safety cop from the Toronto police corps. Off the program, he did like his "wee drams." I read somewhere that Uncle Bobby and CTV sportscaster Pat Marsden used to close some bars in downtown Toronto back in the late 1960s, early 1970s.
Bimbo the clown and the birthday puppets deserve some mention here, also. What was it about hosts of kids shows in this era and their cardigan sweaters? Is there some symbolism here that is escaping me? One thing I remember that at some point, the show stopped taking itself so seriously and laughed at itself quite regularly, as the rest of us were doing. These cheap little shows were so bad, they were truly great!
The Uncle Bobby Show was an institution here in Canada and more should be made of this talented man who came to entertain us in our living rooms every weekday.
Bimbo the clown and the birthday puppets deserve some mention here, also. What was it about hosts of kids shows in this era and their cardigan sweaters? Is there some symbolism here that is escaping me? One thing I remember that at some point, the show stopped taking itself so seriously and laughed at itself quite regularly, as the rest of us were doing. These cheap little shows were so bad, they were truly great!
The Uncle Bobby Show was an institution here in Canada and more should be made of this talented man who came to entertain us in our living rooms every weekday.