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Mr. Dressup, Casey and Finnigan
 The
Friendly Giant with Jerome and Rusty
Fred Penner
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While most TV shows had teams of writers,
The Friendly Giant had none. Homme would show up at
the studio with a simple outline and the confidence that he
and Rod Coneybeare (the puppeteer for Rusty and Jerome) had
the chemistry to make it work. Everything was instinctive.
His philosophy for the show was based on creating an unchanging
environment for children that was safe, gentle and quiet.
The show remained virtually unchanged for 26 years. Music
was an integral part of the show. Young viewers were exposed
to jazz, 16th century baroque, or the likes of Peter Appleyard
and Moe Koffman. An accomplished musician himself, Homme had
some of Canada's best performers playing behind the scenes.
Bob Homme as the Friendly Giant
with Jerome and Rusty
In the '60s, Coombs debuted on Butternut Square as
Mr. Dressup - the man with the never-ending supply of costumes.
The character was a hit from the start. Three years later
CBC gave Coombs his own show. He developed a more intimate
long-lasting one-on-one connection with his young audience
by talking directly to the camera. "There's a certain segment
of 20- to 35-year-olds that have one thing in common - they
all watched Casey and Finnigan and Mr. Dressup," comments
Susan Sheehan, Mr. Dressup producer. "It's kind of a nice
warm fuzzy link between a lot of people who live across the
country, and I don't think it will ever happen again."
Ernie Coombs as Mr. Dressup
with Casey and Finnigan
Fred Penner's Place bridged a gap between generations
of children's programming. It drew on the strength of Penner's
talent of nurturing a warm, intimate relationship with his
young viewers. But it also utilized more modern production
techniques, included elaborate sets with vibrant colours,
introduced sophisticated new puppets, and showcased well-known
guest entertainers, singers and dancers. Not only did Canadian
children tune into Fred Penner's Place from one end of the
country to another; American kids were doing the same thing,
thanks to Nickelodeon, the huge American children's network.
Fred Penner with puppets Penelope
and Nikki
Original Air Date - March 20, 2001
Links
Mr.
Dressup on CBC
The
Friendly Giant (CBC Archives)
The
Official Fred Penner Web site
(Note: CBC does not endorse the content of external
sites)
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