The Friendly Giant
Encyclopedia
The Friendly Giant is a popular Canadian children's television program that aired on CBC Television
from September 1958 through to March 1985. It featured three main characters: a giant
named Friendly (played by Bob Homme
), who lived in a huge castle, along with his puppet animal friends Rusty (a rooster who played a harp and lived in a book bag hung by the castle window) and Jerome (a giraffe). The two principal puppets were manipulated and voiced by Rod Coneybeare
.
radio station WHA-AM
. Shortly thereafter, the show was moved to the UW-Madison's WHA-TV
. Kinescopes of these shows were distributed to a few other non-commercial stations, and some of them made it to the CBC headquarters in Toronto. At the invitation of Fred Rainsberry, the head of Children's Television at the CBC, in 1958 Bob Homme moved the show to Canada, where it became a staple show for several generations of young viewers. In the United States, National Educational Television
carried both WHA and CBC versions from 1953 until 1970, when NET ceded the network to the Public Broadcasting Service
.
would then be heard being played on harp
and recorder
, while the camera slowly zoomed into the Giant's castle, whose drawbridge and doors opened wide in welcome. Once inside, The Friendly Giant would put out miniature furniture for his viewers beside his feet (with only his feet and hands visible), saying, "One little chair for one of you, and a bigger chair for two more to curl up in, and for someone who likes to rock, a rocking chair in the middle." Typically, Jerome the Giraffe would visit, poking his head in through a high window. Rusty the Rooster, who lived in a book bag hanging on the wall by the window, would emerge and produce from the bag books to be read and other props, some seemingly larger than could fit in the bag.
The rest of the show focused on gentle, humorous chat between Friendly, Rusty and Jerome, followed by a story or a musical performance. When extra instrumentation was needed, a pair of otherwise silent puppet cats — Angie and Fiddle, the Jazz Cats — joined in. Music for the show was composed by the show's harpist, John Duncan.
At the show's conclusion, Friendly would put his miniature furniture away and his large, kindly hand would wave goodbye as the camera would zoom out and the castle's drawbridge would be raised; as a silvery moon
rose into the sky a cow would jump over it. Once, when the cow failed to make an appearance, the CBC
was inundated with phone calls from disappointed viewers. (On occasion, often for episodes devoted to musical performances, episodes would take place completely at night.)
The shows were largely ad libbed, typically based around a one-page plot summary for each episode. This gave the show an added spontaneity uncommon to most children's shows, though the series was marked by a go-slow, gentle nature. The simple repetition of its main elements from show to show put it fundamentally at odds with the bolder, ever-changing nature of such shows as Sesame Street
.
Throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, The Friendly Giant launched a block of children's programming aired by the CBC each weekday morning; it was followed in the block by Mr. Dressup
and the Canadian version of Sesame Street
.
The show's replacement, Fred Penner's Place, has been referred to by some people as "the Giant Killer".
By the time 'The Friendly Giant' ended, more than 3,000 episodes of the show had been produced.
in 1998. He died on May 2, 2000, at the age of 81 of prostate cancer
.
Approximately 850 episodes of the show are currently held in the CBC's archive, including kinescope
s of the earliest episodes.
The Friendly Giant was honoured as a Masterwork by the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada
in 2005.
The authorized biography of Robert Homme called Look Up — Way Up is based on interviews conducted with Bob after he retired. Links to memorable audio clips are included.
in Toronto as part of an exhibit called Growing Up with CBC in Toronto. However, Friendly Giant paraphernalia was removed from the CBC Museum, after the puppets Rusty and Jerome appeared in a sketch during the 2007 Gemini Awards without permission from the Homme family. Homme's daughter said that the clip was in poor taste and disrespected the memory of her father. Only the castle wall and window on which Friendly would lean and talk to Rusty and Jerome remains in the museum.
The train set used in the intro of the show is on display at the Pump House Museum in Kingston, Ontario
.
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
from September 1958 through to March 1985. It featured three main characters: a giant
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
named Friendly (played by Bob Homme
Bob Homme
Robert "Bob" Homme, CM was an American-born television actor, best known as the host of The Friendly Giant, a popular Canadian children's television program from the 1950s through the 1980s, which was broadcast on CBC Television.Homme became a citizen of Canada in the early 1990s, holding dual...
), who lived in a huge castle, along with his puppet animal friends Rusty (a rooster who played a harp and lived in a book bag hung by the castle window) and Jerome (a giraffe). The two principal puppets were manipulated and voiced by Rod Coneybeare
Rod Coneybeare
Rod Coneybeare is a Canadian puppeteer and voice actor. He is most famous for his work on the long lived Canadian children's program The Friendly Giant, where he performed as Jerome the Giraffe, who came in the window, and Rusty the rooster who lived in a book bag.In addition to his work on The...
.
Beginnings
The program started in 1953 on Madison, WisconsinMadison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
radio station WHA-AM
WHA (AM)
-External links:*Jeff Miller . *Randall Davidson. PortalWisconsin.org...
. Shortly thereafter, the show was moved to the UW-Madison's WHA-TV
Wisconsin Public Television
Wisconsin Public Television is a state network of public television stations operated primarily by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin–Extension...
. Kinescopes of these shows were distributed to a few other non-commercial stations, and some of them made it to the CBC headquarters in Toronto. At the invitation of Fred Rainsberry, the head of Children's Television at the CBC, in 1958 Bob Homme moved the show to Canada, where it became a staple show for several generations of young viewers. In the United States, National Educational Television
National Educational Television
National Educational Television was an American non-commercial educational public television network in the United States from May 16, 1954 to October 4, 1970...
carried both WHA and CBC versions from 1953 until 1970, when NET ceded the network to the Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
.
Format
The short, 15-minute show was perhaps most famous for its opening sequence. Each episode would begin with the camera panning over a detailed model of part of a village as Friendly could be heard observing the goings on in the town below. Suddenly, his giant boot would come into view and Friendly would ask the viewers to "Look up, look waaaaay up!" and the Giant would invite everyone to come visit his castle. The traditional tune Early One MorningEarly One Morning
"Early One Morning" is an English folk song. The lyrics are first found in publications as far back as 1787. A broadside in the Bodleian Library, Oxford dates from about 1803...
would then be heard being played on harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
and recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
, while the camera slowly zoomed into the Giant's castle, whose drawbridge and doors opened wide in welcome. Once inside, The Friendly Giant would put out miniature furniture for his viewers beside his feet (with only his feet and hands visible), saying, "One little chair for one of you, and a bigger chair for two more to curl up in, and for someone who likes to rock, a rocking chair in the middle." Typically, Jerome the Giraffe would visit, poking his head in through a high window. Rusty the Rooster, who lived in a book bag hanging on the wall by the window, would emerge and produce from the bag books to be read and other props, some seemingly larger than could fit in the bag.
The rest of the show focused on gentle, humorous chat between Friendly, Rusty and Jerome, followed by a story or a musical performance. When extra instrumentation was needed, a pair of otherwise silent puppet cats — Angie and Fiddle, the Jazz Cats — joined in. Music for the show was composed by the show's harpist, John Duncan.
At the show's conclusion, Friendly would put his miniature furniture away and his large, kindly hand would wave goodbye as the camera would zoom out and the castle's drawbridge would be raised; as a silvery moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
rose into the sky a cow would jump over it. Once, when the cow failed to make an appearance, the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
was inundated with phone calls from disappointed viewers. (On occasion, often for episodes devoted to musical performances, episodes would take place completely at night.)
The shows were largely ad libbed, typically based around a one-page plot summary for each episode. This gave the show an added spontaneity uncommon to most children's shows, though the series was marked by a go-slow, gentle nature. The simple repetition of its main elements from show to show put it fundamentally at odds with the bolder, ever-changing nature of such shows as Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
.
Throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, The Friendly Giant launched a block of children's programming aired by the CBC each weekday morning; it was followed in the block by Mr. Dressup
Mr. Dressup
Mr. Dressup is a Canadian children's television series produced by CBC Television that ran from 1967 to 1996.The series starred Ernie Coombs as Mr. Dressup. The show aired every weekday morning, and each day Mr...
and the Canadian version of Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
.
Cancellation
In 1984, the Canadian federal government made deep cuts into the CBC budget, and The Friendly Giant was cancelled soon afterwards, though CBC executives insisted that the show's passing was unrelated to the cuts. It was commonly thought at the time that the move was intended to create enough public outrage that the government funding cuts to the CBC would be reversed. While there was strong public sentiment to keep the show on the air, the funding cuts were not reversed, and no new shows were made. It aired regularly for years afterwards as repeats.The show's replacement, Fred Penner's Place, has been referred to by some people as "the Giant Killer".
By the time 'The Friendly Giant' ended, more than 3,000 episodes of the show had been produced.
Post-cancellation
The star of the show, Robert Homme, was made a member of the Order of CanadaOrder of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 1998. He died on May 2, 2000, at the age of 81 of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
.
Approximately 850 episodes of the show are currently held in the CBC's archive, including kinescope
Kinescope
Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor...
s of the earliest episodes.
The Friendly Giant was honoured as a Masterwork by the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada
Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada
The Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada was a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the preservation of Canada’s audio-visual heritage, and to facilitating access to regional and national collections through partnerships with members of Canada's audio-visual community...
in 2005.
The authorized biography of Robert Homme called Look Up — Way Up is based on interviews conducted with Bob after he retired. Links to memorable audio clips are included.
Props controversy
Props, costumes and puppets from the show were on display at the CBC MuseumCBC Museum
The CBC Museum is dedicated to the preserving the physical heritage and archival materials relating to the history of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is located in the Canadian Broadcasting Centre at 250 Front Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
in Toronto as part of an exhibit called Growing Up with CBC in Toronto. However, Friendly Giant paraphernalia was removed from the CBC Museum, after the puppets Rusty and Jerome appeared in a sketch during the 2007 Gemini Awards without permission from the Homme family. Homme's daughter said that the clip was in poor taste and disrespected the memory of her father. Only the castle wall and window on which Friendly would lean and talk to Rusty and Jerome remains in the museum.
The train set used in the intro of the show is on display at the Pump House Museum in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
.
External links
- Authorized biography of Robert Homme called Look Up - Way Up based on interviews done with Bob after he retired.
- AVTrust.ca - The Friendly Giant (containing a video clip of the show). Retrieved October 22, 2005
- Friendly Giant - CBC Classics - CBC Days to Remember - CBC Archives. Retrieved October 22, 2005
- Friendly Giant dies after lengthy illness. Retrieved October 26, 2008
- TV Acres - The Friendly Giant. Retrieved October 22, 2005
- Obituary of Bob Homme and The Friendly Giant on TV Party.com. Retrieved October 22, 2005