The Friendly Giant; 1; Meet the Friendly Giant and Rusty
- Series
- The Friendly Giant
- Episode Number
- 1
- Producing Organization
- Wisconsin Public Television
- Contributing Organization
- PBS Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin)
- AAPB ID
- cpb-aacip/29-08v9s5gj
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- Description
- Episode Description
- The "Friendly Giant" and his pal, Rusty, are introduced in this first program. Rusty puts his book bag in order, bringing out a fishing pole, a glass of milk, books, a xylophone and a bass drum. There is a spirited rendition of the William Tell Overture and a special chorus of "On Wisconsin" just for fun. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
- Series Description
- Robert Homme conceived the title and general idea for his Friendly Giant television program for preschoolers in 1953 while he was working as writer/announcer for WHA at the University of Wisconsin. The Friendly Giant made his television debut in 1954, on WHA-TV, with Bob Homme as writer, producer and performer. The series continued on WHA-TV for a total of over 850 performances until May of 1958, then moved to Canada and the national network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation where it continues to be seen by a third of a million young viewers every day. Bob Homme's main concern in the creation of his series was to bring to life a giant who wouldn't frighten children and the name, Friendly, was picked for that reason. The format today is essentially the same as it was when the program began in 1954. After the move to Canada, a puppet orchestra was added, along with a music room in which concerts of live music were performed. The appeal of the series is its quiet manner and leisurely pace and the intimate quality the Friendly Giant imparts by visualizing his audience as two or three children only. The series isn't obviously educational; it teaches more by showing than telling. The outsized "Giant" (who seems so big because he lives in a video world of miniature buildings and stage props) works with puppets to communicate knowledge and information on subjects ranging from pets to the weather. The series is designed for children ranging in age from three to seven. Each series opens in a farmyard where Friendly towers over miniature sets. He talks about farmyard animals and then invites his young viewers into his Castle where he reads stories, sings songs and talks with his little puppet friends. Puppets in The Friendly Giant are Rusty the Rooster and Jerome the Giraffe, operated and given voice by Rod Coneybears, and puppet casts Angie and Fiddle, operated by John and Linda Koegh. This series of 15-minute episodes was originally recorded in black and white. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
- Asset type
- Episode
- Genres
- Children’s
- Rights
- Content provided from the media collection of Wisconsin Public Broadcasting, a service of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. All rights reserved by the particular owner of content provided. For more information, please contact 1-800-422-9707
- Media type
- Moving Image
- Credits
-
-
Performer: Homme, Robert
Producing Organization: Wisconsin Public Television
Writer: Homme, Robert
Writer: Homme, Robert
- AAPB Contributor Holdings
-
Wisconsin Public Television (WHA-TV)
Identifier: WPT1.25.T1 MA (Wisconsin Public Television)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Master
Duration: 00:18:49
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- Citations
- Chicago: “The Friendly Giant; 1; Meet the Friendly Giant and Rusty,” PBS Wisconsin, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed September 27, 2025, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-29-08v9s5gj.
- MLA: “The Friendly Giant; 1; Meet the Friendly Giant and Rusty.” PBS Wisconsin, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. September 27, 2025. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-29-08v9s5gj>.
- APA: The Friendly Giant; 1; Meet the Friendly Giant and Rusty. Boston, MA: PBS Wisconsin, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-29-08v9s5gj