User Reviews

I remember watching Wonderama on Sunday mornings growing up in the New York area as well as Minnesota and it was a classic kids show thanks to the men who hosted such as Sandy Becker and Sonny Fox and the host I remember the most, Bob McAllister. Bob presided over a potpourri of music, comedy sketches, celebrity guests and games that included "Snake Cans" and "Guess Your Best." And when it ended he would sing the closing theme "Kids are People Too (wackadoo wackadoo wackadoo).

What made the show a big success was that Bob truly loved kids and treated everyone with respect. He almost got a big break as a game show host when Monty Hall hired him to host a pilot called "Carnival", which didn't sell. It's a shame he's gone, since I thought he would have a great candidate to replace Bob Barker on "The Price is Right." But we'll always remember him for the way he guided a successful kids show in "Wonderama." Wackadoo wackadoo.

I grew watching Metromedia Television Channel 5 New York from my apartment in Bridgeport, CT and My FFFFFAAAVVVorite show was Wonderama!!!! Yeah!!! When I heard those trumpets at the opening and all the kids and of Course, Bob Mcallister my day was as complete and fulfiled as reading a Peanuts Comic Book (Another joy of my childhood) I love "Exercise, Come on Everybody do your Exercise..." and I wished so much I could have been in the studio audience (As I'm sure many of the Commenters here and viewers everywhere did too!) Thanks for the memories Bob and rest in peace.

Joseph Mesa, AZ

I watched this on KTTV in Los Angeles when I was a kid in the late 60's and early 70's (between the ages of about 5 and 10 years old). I still remember (and perform) one particular 'slight of hand' trick I learned watching that show (involving a pencil) which still stumps people when I ask them to do it! This was a cornerstone of my youth and I watched without fail every Sunday. I watched this program more than the Electric Company, Sesame Street or any other show a kid could latch onto.

What's so funny is realizing through this and other resources that the show had such a small market which explains why nobody I ask in this area (which is close to KC) has any idea what I am referring to. I see a few others from Los Angeles recall the show in their reviews.

I recall a few scant things from my childhood TV watching: cartoons before grade school, Sunday night's Wonderful World of Disney after Mutual of Omaha's 'Wild Kingdom", and Bob McAllister's Wonderama every Sunday morning. I seem to remember a plate spinning routine which I particularly enjoyed just as I am sure I informed my parents at least once that "kids are people too". Great show, great memories and awfully neat to go through the you-tube videos again.

Thank goodness somebody other than myself remembers this incredible children's show.

Wonderama - with Bob McAllister (1967 - 1977) was a revolutionary children's variety show for its time. It combined music, exercise, learning, dancing, contests and all out fun. Bob McAllister was the host in those ten years that I watched it and his ability to interact and connect with children on an equal level was amazing. He was never condescending. You could tell he was actually having as much fun as the kids. Whether he was running the dance contest, choosing a child for the snake can game, leading the entire audience in exercise or performing as Professor Fingleheimer, his energy and excitement never waned. To this day, there has been nobody to match his ability to entertain and enlighten a child.

I can remember being on the edge of my seat to see if the first child picked would pull that bouquet of paper flowers out of the can and get all the toys, or get a snake and only get to pick one toy.

I jumped out of my seat for the exercise portion and even to this day know the words to the "Fingleheimer" song. "Has Anybody Here Got An Aardvark" still goes through my mind as I'm singing away in the shower and watching those kids on the "disco" segment dancing to music of the "1910 Fruitgum Company" and the "Archies" still makes me long for my youth. Why is it the best dancer never won that contest?

I remember seeing Tata Vega for the first time in my life on Wonderama.

Unfortunately, it was only when I looked up this listing that I found out Bob McAllister had passed away. If he only knew what an incredible portion of my childhood he played a part in. I was raised in Southern California, but through Bob, I learned about kids from all walks of life and realized that with different skin colors, different accents and different locations, we were all just kids that wanted to have fun and win toys!!

Bob, I miss you.

What kid would change the channel after hearing that signature line? Wonderama, produced mere blocks from my home every Sunday, was a staple of television back in the day when there weren't so many staples in the stapler.

After all this time, it is still true that they may be young, and not full grown, but our kids have problems of their own, although some of them for the ones in my generation were probably caused by all those sugar-laden goodies they used to give away at the end of the show.

Would they need a metal detector outside the studio if they did the show today?

This was one of the most fondest times of my life I was taking to channel 5 in New York and got to be a contestant of three and had to eat a big cookie what I remember it is all cameras turning towards me because I had stage fright for eating the cookie even though I lost I still got a consolation prize from Bob McAllister it was totally awesome.

I was of the Sonny Fox era of Wonderama. I remember a cool guy in a business suit, who gave out an unending supply of toys and cool stuff at the slightest win of the slightest competition (how can I get on this show?!?!). At some point the goofy, wannabe-cool Bob McCallister replaced the smooth-as-Nutella Fox, who eventually became the VP of children's programming at NBC.

I too remember Wonderama so well. I was such a naive kid and Bob and the show were sooo cool. They gave away all the latest toys but especially the banana seat bikes with monkey bars that (I think!) were prizes for the dance contest. I wanted one so bad and I had just a regular bike, which my parents said was 'practical'. The snake can game, by far my favorite,fed my little greedy mind and I would just dream of turning the top on the can that was always so hard to remove and voilà - the bouquet of flowers!!! and all those toys!!! But I did love Bob too, it never occurred to me that he didn't love kids and love his job - kids know these things! I would have done a lot to get a chance on the show but we lived in CT and I knew there would never be a chance. We didn't always get channel 5 that good and I would literally pray (hey, it was Sunday,..) that reception would be good. I remember the show was on from something like 7-11 am and we'd watch some, go to church, come home and keep watching. What a great memory!

I was a very small child when WONDERAMA was on but I think the reason I remember as much of it as I do is because MY FATHER liked the show. You know how when your a little kid your parents will walk into the room and say "Oh what is that garbage your watching?" My father actually got some kind of GLEE when he'd see that "Hey,WONDERAMA is on!" I guess WONDERAMA was the last show of its kind that most resembled the childrens shows of my fathers time. I remember the audience of kids running around trying to win prizes and having dance contests and stuff. In retrospect it was sort of like a kiddie version of LETS MAKE A DEAL. the kids would run around like idiota and wind up winning....a necklace made of bagels...or something or other. I remember the song "Kids Are People...Kids Are PEOPle...Kids are People Too....They're really really people too! Wocka dooh, wokka dooh!" I also remember...because at 70 years of age my Dad STILL sings it..." Does anybody here have an aardvarrk? Does anybody here have an aardvark? Theres a boy over here with a left and right ear but NOBODY here has an aardvark". It all seems sort of corny now but when I see the drek like POKEMON that kids have to watch on the weekend mornings now it makes me long for WONDERAMA, MAGIC GARDEN, ROMPER ROOM.....)

As with my fellow posters, I, too, grew up in the greater New York area and viewed "Wonderama" as nothing less than a weekly ritual, as hosted by Sonny Fox and, a little later, the late, great Bob McAllister. Both men had a real knack for talking to children without talking down to them. Really, they seemed to be having as much fun as the kids. And the kids were having a ball, obviously. From the exercise segments ("Exercise! Exercise! C'Mon, everybody, do your exercise!"), to the dance contest (where the main songs always seemed to be the Grass Roots' "Midnight Confession" and the Foundations' "Build Me Up, Buttercup," long after both had ceased to be hits), through McAllister's superficially nonsensical, but ultimately unforgettable songs ("Nobody Here Has an Aardvaark," "I've Got You"), to his Professor Fingleheimer creation ("The more you fingle, the less you heimer. Fingleheimer! Fingleheimer! Fingle-dingle-heimer!"), it was the sort of simplistic (But fun!) programming that would never pass muster with today's more sophisticated youngsters. And for that reason, I pity today's kids. They don't know what they're missing.

But we former "Wonderama" fans DO know. It was an irreplaceable part of our childhood, one we'll always treasure.

I am suprised that no one has commented on this great show. Bob was a key person in my youth and I loved this show. Our generation needs to band together and pull for good programming like this for our kids. Hell, i thought the cosby kids were racy when they came out. Lets stop leaving decisions to the big wheel generation (I was too big by the time they came out) and let these kids know what good tv was and is. I met Bob in an airport when I was a kid and it is one of the few standout memories I have from my childhood. I am sorry to see there are no other posts here. Hopefully the future will hold more. Crup

I was about 5 or 6 when I watched Wonderama in the early 70's. I remember watching the show on our old Zenith Console TV (with a 4 button clicker remote), LOL. Well, one Sunday while watching Wonderama I can remember experiencing one of my first pangs of envy seeing a young boy walking an Evel Knievel Moto-cross style bicycle off the stage that he just had won.

The bike was White w/ Red, White & Blue labels all over it resembling the American Flag. I started to light up thinking how much I wanted to be on that show and win a bicycle just like it. My Father shared in my passion, since at that time, he owned 2 Motorcycle Excessory Stores, and wanted to find out what it would take to get me on that show.

The following Sunday I saw another boy who had won a bicycle, but not as flashy as the one last week. My heart sunk as the kid walked off the stage with the bike and I heard Bob McAllister say something to the effect of, "We sure hope He enjoys his prize and we realize that there are not a lot of places to ride a bike here in New York City, etc..."

I was so disappointed that it was so far away, but I still loved watching that show and now, after running across this shows again just by a fluke on this website, all these sweetie memories of that show started flooding my thoughts. I sure wish they would release more of these good ole' shows on DVD, I never understood why they hold back any shows from release, at all...

Hello , my name is thomas, i remember watching this show on channel 5 on the metromediastation, every sunday morning my brother and i wouldsit and watch the show with Mr. mc allister, his energy and love for the childern , made me feel happy at that time in my life when everything else in the world wasnot so good , thank you mr mc allister for being part of my childhood , plse save me a spot on your show in heaven with deepest memorys , thomas h. kern

WOW!! i had forgotten about this show!!! Yes, Sunday mornings, 7am, channel 5 and they got the baagel necklace with their name on it from Lenders bagels, which I see in the store till this day and think about wonderama. Anyway, my father worked at IBM in White Plains, and we went to an IBM Xmas party somewhere in White Plains, and who was the guest host or whatever of the party? Bob McAllister !!! I was like 8, and had my first heart attack!! I was soo amazed he was the nicest man, it truly was one of the best things I had seen and experienced as a child.

Thanks bob!!!

PS- Wait!!!!! Remember they had a lion or tiger cub from the Bronx Zoo, and they named it Rama??? Please someone remember that!!!

Truly, one of my fondest childhood TV memories. I remember getting up and doing the "Exercise" song, and especially the dance contests. I remember Bob would ask the winner "whats your favorite dance", and the kids would always say "the four corners" with their eastern accents ( I was from Los Angeles)....anyway, what a great show. I teach dancing to adults, and whenever I am with a group around my age, I will always ask if they used to watch Wonderama, And then the stories begin. Its so funny to hear what each individual remembers. We all loved the show, thats for sure.

Sorry to hear about the passing of Bob McAllister. Thanks for the memories. Todd Van Dorn Long Beach Ca.

I was lucky enough to be on the show twice as a kid - probably pushing the age limit at 12 the second time around. The first time was with Sonny Fox, (I think), and the second with Bob McAllister. What a wonderful, fun experience. I picked the wrong can (only two were left) in the snake can competition, and had to watch sadly while some other kid got all those prizes! Although both experiences were incredibly memorable - I even remember what I wore - the happy, friendly environment depicted was just a bit different behind the scenes. There were monitors whose job was to keep the kids under control. Their tactic was to start yelling at the kids immediately when they walked through the door. And the attitude of control continued throughout the show. Of course that's how things were back then.

Wow. I'm blown away to find these reviews here. I got to this page by Google(tm)ing for "Fingleheimer" because for some reason I've had the "Fingleheimer" song in my head lately, and I wanted to see if I was the only person on the planet who remembered it. And I really expected that I was. (and by the way, I found somewhere else on the net where you can actually hear the song!) I'm amazed to find more people who remember Wonderama.

Thing is, I have a different experience with the show than everyone else here who has commented. It was NOT my favorite show, I didn't adore it. I liked it OK, and would watch it from time to time. As such, I really don't *remember* it very clearly. (which is why this is my first ever IMDb review without a rating). My memories of it are vague and shadowy. I remember there was the Fingleheimer segment, and I remember the song, but really not what happened with Professor Fingleheimer after the song. I remember the game with the snake cans and the bouquet of flowers. And I remember that the host was was named Bob MacAllister (but not how to spell it :). But that's largely it; I seem to recall that it was a *long* show, but I can't remember what content filled all that time.

But I have to say, it deserves high points for having catchy songs! As I read the comments here which referenced songs, I remembered the songs, but in some cases ("Exercise", "Kids are People Too") didn't remember that Wonderama was where I learned them. As much as I can't clearly remember the show, I can still sing you a good hunk of "Has Anybody Here Got An Aardvark?"

Has anybody here got an aardvark? Has anybody here got an aardvark? Everyone here has a right and left ear, but nobody here has an aardvark!

There's a hula-hoop, there's a kid with a {something-which-rhymes with hoop. Scoop? Flute?} There's a.... ... Everything's cute, but it really doesn't suit, 'cuz nobody here has an aardvark!

Anybody else remember the rest?

I remember this wonderful show and how I always wanted to be on it. I got that chance when i was in the fifth grade and what a wonderful time i had. The games, dances and special guest that appear on the show. This was an experience that all kids should experience. This show taught good value and respect for one another, too bad kids today will never experience a once in a life time show like this one. Leaving the show we all got bags with all kinds of things in it, I remember we all got the Duncan yo-yo's thats when they just was coming out so we all was like the first ones on the block with it. This show left me with a positive impression that i always carried with me, I even remember till this day the song: Kids r people too.

Does anyone remember the episode where the kid wanted a tube from a TV camera that they were going to discard ? He was a neighbor of mine......Judy Susco from Cranford, NJ.