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Gator Tales was a local children's television show produced in St. Louis, Missouri by local CBS affiliate KMOV. The show aired on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the Midwest from 1988 to 1999, including Missouri, Arkansas, and Illinois. [1]
The 30-minute show- which stressed the development of good character values and self-esteem- featured a quirky puppet alligator named "Grouchie Gator" and his puppet friends (performed by puppeteer Doug Kincaid, a visiting storyteller friend, and an occasional walk-on guest star. The storylines revolved around "Grouchie's Place" (Grouchie Gator's backwoods store, located in an imaginary swamp) and usually involved Grouchie getting into some sort of trouble.
"Gator Tales" was produced by Al Frank (later Rebecca McDowell), and was directed by Skip Goodrum. Brothers William Kincaid and Doug Kincaid created the puppet characters featured on "Gator Tales", designed the set and created the props for the show. In addition, Doug Kincaid wrote the scripts for all the episodes.
From 1988 to 1993 the part of the storyteller was played by Bobby Norfolk, and from 1994 to 1999 the role was filled by Annette Harrison. The show at times featured guest appearances by notable local actors, including Todd Newton in one of his first professional TV roles.
"Gator Tales" won numerous regional Emmy Awards during its 11-year run on KMOV, and was one of the last of the "classic" local children's television shows to be produced, prior to the eventual dominance of syndicated broadcast programming, cable TV and the growth of such national children's television giants as Nickelodeon.
Doug Kincaid starred on "D. B.'s Delight", another children's show, prior to his work on "Gator Tales".
Captain Kangaroo is an American children's television series that aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for 29 years, from 1955 to 1984, making it the longest-running nationally broadcast children's television program of its day. In 1986, the American Program Service integrated some newly produced segments into reruns of past episodes, distributing the newer version of the series to PBS and independent public stations until 1993.
Shining Time Station is a children's television series jointly created by British television producer Britt Allcroft and American television producer Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by Quality Family Entertainment, in association with Catalyst Entertainment in seasons 2 and 3, for New York City's PBS station WNET, and was originally taped in New York City during its first season and in Toronto during the rest of its run. It incorporated sequences from the British television show Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, which was in turn based on the books of The Railway Series written by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry.
Howdy Doody is an American children's television program that was created and produced by Victor F. Campbell and E. Roger Muir. It was broadcast on the NBC television network in the United States from December 27, 1947, until September 24, 1960. It was a pioneer of children's programming and set the pattern for many similar shows. One of the first television series produced at NBC in Rockefeller Center, in Studio 3A, it pioneered color production in 1956 and NBC used the show to promote color television sets in the late 1950s.
KMOX is a commercial radio station in St. Louis, Missouri. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it is a 50,000 watt Class A clear-channel station with a non-directional signal. The KMOX studios and offices are on Olive Street at Tucker Boulevard in the Park Pacific Building in St. Louis. KMOX refers to itself as "NewsRadio 1120 - The Voice of St. Louis". It is considered the first U.S. station to program all talk shows around the clock.
KDNL-TV is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, affiliated with ABC. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station maintains studios at the University Tower in the suburb of Richmond Heights and a transmitter in Shrewsbury.
KTVI is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside CW owned-and-operated station KPLR-TV. The two stations share studios on Ball Drive in Maryland Heights; KTVI's transmitter is located in Sappington, Missouri.
KMOV is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power station KDTL-LD. The two stations share studios on Progress Parkway in suburban Maryland Heights; KMOV's transmitter is located in Lemay, Missouri.
KSDK is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Tegna Inc. The station's studios are located on Market Street in Downtown St. Louis, and its transmitter is located in Shrewsbury, Missouri.
KPLR-TV is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, serving as the market's outlet for The CW. It is owned and operated by network majority owner Nexstar Media Group alongside Fox affiliate KTVI. The two stations share studios on Ball Drive in Maryland Heights; KPLR's transmitter is located in Sappington, Missouri.
KNLC is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, which broadcasts the classic television network MeTV. Owned and operated by Weigel Broadcasting, the station maintains a transmitter near Hillsboro-House Springs Road in House Springs, Missouri.
Garfield Goose and Friends is a children's television show produced by WGN-TV in Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1955 to 1976. The show was known as Garfield Goose and Friend from 1952 to 1955 when it aired on WBKB and WBBM-TV. It was the longest running puppet show on television until Sesame Street broke that record. The host of the show was Frazier Thomas, who did all of the talking. The show centered on a clacking goose puppet named Garfield Goose, who considered himself "King of the United States." There were many other puppet characters such as Romberg Rabbit, Macintosh Mouse, Chris Goose and a sleepy bloodhound called Beauregard Burnside III. The show used a "Little Theater Screen", upon which the camera would zoom before cartoons such as Total Television, The Funny Company, Clutch Cargo, The Pink Panther, Jay Ward, Hanna-Barbera, Space Angel and The Mighty Hercules were broadcast.
James Todd Newton is an American entertainment reporter, game show host, and author.
Cousin Skeeter is an American sitcom, that originally aired on Nickelodeon from 1998 to 2002. It starred Robert Ri'chard as Bobby, a young boy whose life is changed when his strange cousin, Skeeter, comes to stay with his family. With Skeeter's help, Bobby learns life lessons and tackles the ups and downs of growing up. The show also included Meagan Good as Bobby's friend Nina, Rondell Sheridan as Bobby's father Andre, and Angela Means as Bobby's mother Vanessa. Skeeter is portrayed by a hand puppet with Bill Bellamy providing his voice, and Drew Massey performing the puppetry, assisted by Alice Dinnean. Within the show, Skeeter is treated like a regular human and no mention of him being a puppet is made. Although the series was shot in a single-camera format, the show used a laugh track.
Bill Ray Jackson was an American television personality, cartoonist, and educator. He was best known for having hosted the children's programs The BJ and Dirty Dragon Show and Gigglesnort Hotel.
D.B.'s Delight was a locally produced St. Louis, Missouri children's television quiz show produced by CBS-owned affiliate KMOX-TV, Channel 4. The show ran 30 minutes on Saturdays and Sundays and aired in St. Louis from 1977 to 1988.
William "Bill" Kincaid was known as a costume designer until 1990, and is also known as an artist creating pet paintings in brilliant colors on large canvases.
Douglas Doerr Kincaid is an American artist, writer, and performer, best known for his work in the fields of puppetry and promotional costuming.
The Baseball Bunch is an American educational children's television series that originally aired in broadcast syndication from August 23, 1980 through the fall of 1985. Produced by Major League Baseball Productions, the series was a 30-minute baseball-themed program airing on Saturday mornings, which featured a combination of comedy sketches and Major League guest-stars, intended to provide instructional tips to Little League aged children.
Captain 11's Showboat was a locally produced children's program, based in St. Louis, Missouri, airing on KPLR-TV, Channel 11 during the late-afternoon hours, starting in May 1959, and ending in August 1968.
Steve Savard is an American sports anchor and the former "Voice of the St. Louis Rams", serving in that role from 1999 to 2015. He was the lead news anchor and former sportscaster at KMOV in St. Louis, Missouri. Savard, a St. Louis native, attended Parkway North High School and Northwest Missouri State University where he graduated in 1986 with degrees in English and journalism. Steve has won six Emmy Awards, including best sportscaster. In February 2013, he made the switch from sports to become a news anchor in which he co-anchors the 10:00 p.m. edition of News 4. In May 2013, he added the 6:00 p.m. newscast to his duties at KMOV.