Winky Dink and You
Encyclopedia
Winky Dink And You was a CBS television children's show that aired from 1953 to 1957, on Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m./9:30 central. It was hosted by Jack Barry
, and featured the exploits of a cartoon character named Winky Dink (voiced by Mae Questel
) and his dog Woofer, with sound effects provided by Joseph Scholnick
. The show, created by Harry Prichett, Sr. and Ed Wyckoff, featured Barry and his sidekick, the incompetent Mr. Bungle (Dayton Allen
), introducing clips of Winky Dink, noted for his plaid pants, tousled hair, and large eyes.
Praised by Microsoft
mogul Bill Gates
as "the first interactive TV show," the show's central gimmick was the use of a "magic drawing screen", which was a large piece of vinyl
plastic which stuck to the television screen via static electricity
. A kit containing the screen and various Winky Dink crayons could be purchased for 50 cents. At a climactic scene in every Winky Dink short, Winky would arrive upon a scene which contained a connect the dots
picture. He would then prompt the children at home to complete the picture, and the finished result would help him continue the story. Examples include drawing a bridge to cross a river, an axe to chop down a tree, or a cage to trap a dangerous lion.
Another use of the interactive screen was to decode messages. An image would be displayed, showing only the vertical lines of the letters of the secret message, which viewers at home would quickly trace onto their magic screen. A second image would then display the horizontal lines, completing the text.
A final use of the screen was to create the outline of a character with whom Jack Barry would have a conversation. It would seem meaningless to viewers without the screen, further encouraging its purchase.
Prichett came up with the core idea of drawing on the screen when working as a graphic designer for an advertising agency in the early '50's. The agency had the account for Benrus
Watches, a principal sponsor of Your Show of Shows
, NBC's saturday evening variety show starring Sid Caesar
and Imogene Coca
. Benrus reported that a number of its dealers had to deal with viewers who were angry to find that the expensive wristwatch on one of the commercials could not be bought for $39.95. (This is about $325 in 2010 dollars but was considered a modest price for a watch at that time.) The agency was concerned that viewers were not seeing the "and up" after the "$39.95" because early TV sets varied in the extent to which they would "cut off" the edges of the picture. Agency staffers were asked to watch the show and report back what was visible on their screens. Prichett decided to put a piece of Cellulose acetate film
(which was a standard tool in graphic arts at the time) over the screen so that he could use a Grease pencil
to sketch exactly which parts of the commercial were visible. As he waited, he started to add drawings to the images on the screen, then erase them and then add new ones. It seemed obvious that children would enjoy working with television this way.
The program was successful because of its pioneering interactive marketing scheme, and Winky Dink became one of television's most popular characters of the 1950s. However, the show's production was halted despite its modest popularity because of concerns about x-rays from TV picture tubes. This was particularly true for early color television sets. CBS was also concerned about parents' complaints about children drawing on the screen.
The show was revived in syndication
for 65 episodes beginning in 1969 and ending in 1973. In the 1990s, a new "Winky Dink Kit" emerged on the market, containing a magic screen, crayons, and all-new digitized Winky Dink and You episodes.
Jack Barry (television)
Jack Barry was an American television game show host and producer via Barry & Enright Productions, his production company with Dan Enright...
, and featured the exploits of a cartoon character named Winky Dink (voiced by Mae Questel
Mae Questel
Mae Questel was an American actress and vocal artist best known for providing the voices for the animated characters, Betty Boop and Olive Oyl. She began in vaudeville, and played occasional small roles in films and television later in her career, most notably the role of Aunt Bethany in 1989's...
) and his dog Woofer, with sound effects provided by Joseph Scholnick
Joseph Scholnick
Joseph H. Scholnick was a noted radio and television sound effects engineer in the early days of television. He is best known for his work on the children's TV show Winky Dink and You, and for sponsoring the creation of the first FM educational radio station in the United States that was owned an...
. The show, created by Harry Prichett, Sr. and Ed Wyckoff, featured Barry and his sidekick, the incompetent Mr. Bungle (Dayton Allen
Dayton Allen
Dayton Allen was a comedian and voice actor. He was one of the "men in the street" on the '"The Steve Allen Show."' His catchphrase was "Why not, Bubbe?"...
), introducing clips of Winky Dink, noted for his plaid pants, tousled hair, and large eyes.
Praised by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
mogul Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
as "the first interactive TV show," the show's central gimmick was the use of a "magic drawing screen", which was a large piece of vinyl
Vinyl
A vinyl compound is any organic compound that contains a vinyl group ,which are derivatives of ethene, CH2=CH2, with one hydrogen atom replaced with some other group...
plastic which stuck to the television screen via static electricity
Static electricity
Static electricity refers to the build-up of electric charge on the surface of objects. The static charges remain on an object until they either bleed off to ground or are quickly neutralized by a discharge. Static electricity can be contrasted with current electricity, which can be delivered...
. A kit containing the screen and various Winky Dink crayons could be purchased for 50 cents. At a climactic scene in every Winky Dink short, Winky would arrive upon a scene which contained a connect the dots
Connect the dots
Connect the dots, also known as dot to dot or join the dots is a form of puzzle containing a sequence of numbered dots. When a line is drawn connecting the dots the outline of an object is revealed. The puzzles often contain simple line art to enhance the image created or to assist in rendering a...
picture. He would then prompt the children at home to complete the picture, and the finished result would help him continue the story. Examples include drawing a bridge to cross a river, an axe to chop down a tree, or a cage to trap a dangerous lion.
Another use of the interactive screen was to decode messages. An image would be displayed, showing only the vertical lines of the letters of the secret message, which viewers at home would quickly trace onto their magic screen. A second image would then display the horizontal lines, completing the text.
A final use of the screen was to create the outline of a character with whom Jack Barry would have a conversation. It would seem meaningless to viewers without the screen, further encouraging its purchase.
Prichett came up with the core idea of drawing on the screen when working as a graphic designer for an advertising agency in the early '50's. The agency had the account for Benrus
Benrus
The Benrus Watch Company Inc., was founded in New York City in the 1920s by Benjamin Lazrus. The name "BENRUS" originates from the combination of Benjamin Lazrus' forename and surname. In the 1960s, the Fair Trade Commission determined that Benrus marketing practices were misleading for a minority...
Watches, a principal sponsor of Your Show of Shows
Your Show of Shows
Your Show of Shows is a live 90-minute variety show that appeared weekly in the United States on NBC , from February 25, 1950, until June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca....
, NBC's saturday evening variety show starring Sid Caesar
Sid Caesar
Isaac Sidney "Sid" Caesar is an Emmy award winning American comic actor and writer known as the leading man on the 1950s television series Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, and to younger generations as Coach Calhoun in Grease and Grease 2.- Early life :Caesar was born in Yonkers, New York,...
and Imogene Coca
Imogene Coca
Imogene Fernandez de Coca was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows....
. Benrus reported that a number of its dealers had to deal with viewers who were angry to find that the expensive wristwatch on one of the commercials could not be bought for $39.95. (This is about $325 in 2010 dollars but was considered a modest price for a watch at that time.) The agency was concerned that viewers were not seeing the "and up" after the "$39.95" because early TV sets varied in the extent to which they would "cut off" the edges of the picture. Agency staffers were asked to watch the show and report back what was visible on their screens. Prichett decided to put a piece of Cellulose acetate film
Cellulose acetate film
Cellulose acetate film, or safety film, is used in photography as a base material for photographic emulsions. It was introduced in the early 20th century by film manufacturers as a safe film base replacement for unstable and highly flammable nitrate film....
(which was a standard tool in graphic arts at the time) over the screen so that he could use a Grease pencil
Grease pencil
The grease pencil, a wax writing tool also known as a wax pencil, china marker, , is made of hardened colored wax and is useful for marking on hard, glossy non-porous surfaces such as porcelain, glass, polished stone, plastic, ceramics and other glazed, lacquered or polished surfaces, as well as...
to sketch exactly which parts of the commercial were visible. As he waited, he started to add drawings to the images on the screen, then erase them and then add new ones. It seemed obvious that children would enjoy working with television this way.
The program was successful because of its pioneering interactive marketing scheme, and Winky Dink became one of television's most popular characters of the 1950s. However, the show's production was halted despite its modest popularity because of concerns about x-rays from TV picture tubes. This was particularly true for early color television sets. CBS was also concerned about parents' complaints about children drawing on the screen.
The show was revived in syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
for 65 episodes beginning in 1969 and ending in 1973. In the 1990s, a new "Winky Dink Kit" emerged on the market, containing a magic screen, crayons, and all-new digitized Winky Dink and You episodes.