If you watched Lunch with Casey at noon, you knew that Mel Jass’s Mattinee Movie would follow at 1. Mel would introduce whatever movie was coming up, and more importantly, he would promote local businesses, such as 10,000 Auto Parts, or Uncle John’s Pancake House. I vividly recall watching some movies that are burned into […]
In December 1971, Kent Zoya and his brother appeared on The Happy Hour on WTCN-11. Kent’s mother had her camera and snapped these photos. Kent remembers: “My brother and I were in the group of kids. I remember the lights were very hot. Each of us kids got a gift bag (you can see them […]
Sister Cabrini was featured on WTCN in the late sixties with a program on WTCN-11 call Hi Jerry. She was a ventriloquist and she continued her performances long after her program ended. Jack Kennelly has found some additional information about Mary Cabrini in the years after her show on WTCN Sister Mary Cabrini performs in […]
updated Feb 15, 2025 Romper Room was developed by Bert and Nancy Claster in Baltimore in 1953 and distributed nationally as a franchise. Each broadcast market around the country had it’s own locally produced version of the show. The program endured into the mid-90’s. Each local TV show shared several common elements. Children were encouraged […]
In 1990, KARE hosted a reunion of Twin Cities kids show hosts on their Between Friends show, broadcast on November 2, 1990. This vintage video comes to us from the wonderful people at TCMediaNow, who are working to preserve the broadcast history of Minneapolis/St. Paul television. Please visit their YouTube page to see a wonderful […]
A March 1967 newspaper article on Twin Cities children’s programs briefly mentioned a show called “Miss Barbara” hosted by Barbara DeValerio. It was described as “Barbara De Valerio of the St. Anthony School District uses puppets to present short reviews of new children’s books.” The program may also have been known as “Sunday Storybook.” A […]
One of the lesser known, and largely forgotten kids shows in the Twin Cities was Hi Jerry with Sister M. Cabrini Bongiovanni. Sister Carbrini was a Catholic nun who combined entertainment and performing with her ministry. Patrick Sweeney remembers the program. “Jerry was a ventriloquist’s dummy and the ventriloquist was a nun named Sister Mary […]
Most of us fondly remember Horror Incorporated on Channel 5, which started in 1969. However, the classic monster movies first appeared in the Twin Cities back in 1958. Shock Theater started on February 1, 1958 with the original 1931 Frankenstein starring Boris Karloff. Shock Theater was a collection of 52 Universal Horror movies packaged for […]
You can read all about Casey and Roundhouse over on the Lunch with Casey website!
“Uncle” Merle Edwards was a popular disc jockey at WMIN in the Twin Cities. He hosted an all night radio show and was known for his humor and warm laughter. Jeanne Anderson posted the following in her own blog about Twin Cities Music: Merle Edwards was at WMIN from 1949-55 and had shows like “Merle […]