Re: Bozo the Clown

[Kevin Vahey <kvahey@megsinet.net>]

> > I remember growing up in the early and mid '80s and still seeing a Bozo
> > show of sorts (I can't remember if it was the one hosted by Mr. Avruch
or
> > not) fairly regularly on TV. However, something in me wants to say that
I
> > saw that show on Ch. 56, not Ch. 5. But wasn't Frank's Bozo on Ch. 56
(or
> > some form of a Bozo show) at some point?
>

Around 1984 or so, WLVI indeed did carry Bozo ( The Frank Avruach version)
which were tapes made in the 60's. Harmon always considered WHDH's BOZO to
be "the one"...and when the show was syndicated twice ( in the 60's and then
again the 80's it was the WHDH show)

It wasn't until the early 80's that WGN's BOZO became nationaly known,
thanks to satellite...but if you grew up in the 60's in say New York and
watched Bozo.. it was Frank.

One major problem with the tapes from the late 60's is that WHDH did not
have the newer generation of color cameras that came out....since of course
they were afraid to upgrade not knowing if the station would stay on the
air. Channel 5 had the gawdawful RCA TK 42-43 cameras, which couldn't
retransmit a decent flesh tone. The RCA TK-44 came out in 1969, and tapes
made 30 years ago with those cameras look almost as good as today's cameras
( look at the old Carson tapes from NYC 69-72)

I still remember fondly a DATELINE BOSTON show from the early 60's where
Frank Avruch interviewed Bozo...no easy feat in the days before electronic
editing.

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