J. P. Patches Last Public Appearance Is Saturday 9/15/11

[Tape Splicer]

This link is to the Seattle times entertainment section. The item concerns Chris Wedes aka J P Patches

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... =head_main

[jon]

Unfortunately, there was a very short window of time when I got to see JP Patches: between KIRO-TV signing on in 1958 and CHAN-TV signing a few years later and its Channel 8 burying KIRO's Channel 7. Plus, I had to be at my grandparents' house in New Westminster, because we always lived "over the ridge" that cuts through Vancouver, Burnaby and Coquitlam, and Seattle reception was spotty at best. We never had cable.

In other words, I saw very little JP, but I did enjoy what I saw.

Of course, I've read countless stories of him over the years. My favourite was, I think, from Robin Mitchell, who said JP would come into meetings still with his clown makeup because he had not had time to take it off. A hard guy to take seriously under those circumstances.

[Tape Splicer]

While living in Victoria in in the mid '50's and while on summer vacation away from boarding school, I recall being able to tune in Seattle TV stations with "rabbet ears" KTNT 11 (now KSTW). KTNT's host for Kid's programming was "Brakeman Bill" - Bill McLain. KIRO 7 had J P Patches -Chris Webes. KOMO 4 had Captain Puget - Don McCune KING 5 had two kids shows, "Wunda Wunda" Ruth Prins and "King's Clubhouse" Stan Boreson (and his basset hounds "Tallaluah" and "No Mo Shun"). Under the name "Jorgi Jorgenson" Stan Boreson recorded the comedy christmas song "I Just Go Nuts At Christas".
I know that CBC had shows for the younger set "Mr Dress up", "Friendly Giant" etc But I can't remember any local kid's show from CHAN, CHEK , CBUT. or for that mater KVOS 12 (other than "Frisky Frolics").

[jon]

I can't remember any local kid's show from CHAN, CHEK , CBUT. or for that mater KVOS 12 (other than "Frisky Frolics").

CHAN had several local kids shows over the years. There was Bob Hutton hosting Planet Pals. And there was also a traditional kids show with a studio audience and kids playing games for prizes. The name of that show escapes me, but I did win a Fresh-Up Freddie from sponsor 7-Up for taking the position of Brutus and losing a game of Snakes and Ladders.

And the first program aired when they signed on was a lady reading stories to children after school.

KVOS didn't have the budget for such things, so they ran Frisky Frolics before school, as you mentioned, and, beginning in the summer of 1958, Popeye after school. CBS provided them with Captain Kangaroo.

[Neumann Sennheiser]

Although born in Vancouver, I grew up in Calgary in the late 50's and early 60's so I would remember local shows like Colonel Lunar (spaceman guy with puppets), The Headhunter Show (super-amiable, kid friendly / kid interviewing guy - no puppets), Calgary Safety Roundup (a lot of school-crossing guard kids singing country songs and marching around with flags like it was 1936 in Nuremberg), Buckshot (again with the puppets!) and Kids Bids. The Old Dutch potato chip company sponsored the show and you would collect your potato chip box tops and bags and use them like Monopoly money to bid for toys and other cool stuff at a weekly televised auction. That wasn't just a Calgary thing though, TV stations all over the prairies ran their own local version of Kids Bids.

[jon]

Popcorn Playhouse in Edmonton may indeed be the most currently popular of the childrens' programs in Western Canada. There are not one, but two, Facebook pages dedicated to the program, with 1339 and 503 members/likes, respectively.

It was aired by CFRN-TV and was featured prominently in the last Open House at the station.

[Tape Splicer]

*CORRECTION* J P Patch name is Chris Wedes (not Webes).

[hagopian]

Mr. Wedes is a delightful man.

I met him on two occasions - and both times he was so kind and wonderful - it took me back to the days of Kiro - TV - living in Victoria.

He has brought a lot of joy to NW kids.

Stan Boreson is another Seattle entertainer I admire.

Seattle people should take pride in both these fine guys.

[BossRadio]

I"

And there was also a traditional kids show with a studio audience and kids playing games for prizes. The name of that show escapes me, but I did win a Fresh-Up Freddie from sponsor 7-Up for taking the position of Brutus and losing a game of Snakes and Ladders."

In Vancouver,Ron Morier hosted his eponymous Carousel (Carnival?) kiddies show. Old Dutch was prominent.This may be the one.

I loved a good kiddie show,and the PacNW had some of the best. One of my earliest tv memories after my parents bought their first in 1959 was watching puppet mice search for green cheese on Bob Hutton's Planet Pals.If ANYONE has a clip of that kids show and its mice,any program,please let me know. I would pay to see it again. Seriously.

Peter Rawslton (the ventriloquist) became a local legend with Pete's Place,and had a show or three more thru the years ,Old Dutch again taking sponsorship if memory serves.

As as a child in Victoria,Captain Puget on KOMO,Stan Boreson's Clubhouse on KING and Wunda Wunda were personal afternoon faves.I had huge crush on Ruth Prins at age six! Uncle Bob and Shandy (the St.Bernard) came live from the CHEK studios in Victoria five days a week ,complete with live peanut gallery I was there for my fifth or sixth birthday! Last I heard,Bob was comfortably retired(?),and Shandy of course was long gone, pushing up doggie-daisies

About twenty years ago,pre-internet,I made preliminary steps in writing a manuscript meant become a history of children's programs in the PacNW.One interviewee was a delightful old gent named Bob Willett,a puppeteer who came to Burnaby via LA during TVs golden age.He hosted a very early (late 40s?) kiddie show in SoCal, and did the same in BC around the time CHAN signed on.Sadly,my project fell by the wayside,and the notes have been lost,but I vividly recall him lamenting the CHAN/cum BCTV archives retained little(if any) of those early shows. He also said that a lady named Karen Currie was also invovled on-air as a co-host. (Miss Karen?) Anyone?