Ah man! Thank you so much for giving us the name.

Hi everyone. It's the guy at WNED again. We'll be dubbing a couple of the first episodes to new tape soon. In the meantime for nostalgia's sake, here is some of the information that's printed on the side of the old tapes.

Mr. Whatnot Episode #1 "Intro Show"
Guest: J. Raven (folk singer)
House Warming and 1st visitors: Agnes Witch, J. Raven, Sammy Skunk
Music: Wynken, Blinken and Nod and "Getting to Know You" (guest)
Feature: Welding Sculpture Workshop
Puppets: Sammy Skunk and Agnes Witch
29:00

Mr. Whatnot Episode #13 "Cleanup/Nature Signs"
Guest: Bulldog
Sammy the Magician and Cleanup
S: Mr. Fizbee and the Little Troop
Music: "The Happy Whistler"
C: Weed Pictures
Nature Signs
28:56

Mr. Whatnot Episode #21 "Mail"
G: Mr. Postman and Capt. Bully
Mr. Postman Explains Mail, Writing Machines
M: "Typewriter Song"
Capt. Bully Visits and Teaches Mr. Whatnot:
M: The Hokey Pokey
S: "The Six Foolish Fishermen"
Puppet: Wilber
29:00

Mr. Whatnot Episode #27 "Colds/Doctors"
Missy's Cold and Sammy: The Doctor's Advice
M: The Little Train that Said Achoo
C: Sick Bed Gifts - Tissue Paper Flowers
Jac. The Fox Talks of Paris
S: Chanticleer the Fox
29:00

Mr. Whatnot Episode #72 "Teaching Pets Tricks"
Date 4/15/1967
G: Trick Dog and Trainer
S: Petunia, I Love You
M: Red, Red Robin
Chalk Talk
Puppet: Missy
28:58

More to come. Stay Tuned!!!

Here are the opening shots of Mr. Whatnot (seasons one and two) WITH MUSIC!

http://www.youtube.com/user/ArchiveWNED

Enjoy!

We'll be uploading whole shows soon...

Great stuff! Thank you.

Here is Mr Whatnot!

http://www.youtube.com/user/ArchiveWNED#p/u/0/bdR9Y-Tk4PY

Please be patient. It's a slow process uploading these.

More videos coming soon! In the meantime, here are some Mr. Whatnot facts. (Taken from some of the original newspaper articles and WNED press releases)

Mr Whatnot (originally proposed under the name "Project Horizon" ) was an initiative of 90 half-hour television shows broadcast for in-school use in the Buffalo area. (Of course that meant that Toronto was able to benefit as well!) Funding came from Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Each episode was broadcast three times a week, and at three times during the day (two of which were during school hours). City schools - public and private - made it a staple of their weekly schedule. The result was 40,000 viewers each of the days it was broadcast. (Most of them were K-3rd grade.) At the time, that meant it had an audience three-and-a-half times larger than any other WNED show.

The show's host was John E. Paupst Jr, a local actor and Supervisor of Education for the mentally retarded for the Buffalo Public Schools. He appeared several times before this in local commercials and has acted in plays at the Studio Theatre and the Jewish Centre. He is remembered for his performances in "The Fantasticks" and "Camino Real" at the Studio Theatre and has directed several children's productions there.

Mr Whatnot received a 1967 Ohio State Award from the Institute for Education by Radio-Television "...in recognition of outstanding achievement among television programs relating to personal problems."


So anyway, more videos are coming soon! (see the link in the post above)

It was something else to see that programme again. And I can't get over how a part of my mind woke up and remembered the theme tune after so many years upon hearing it again.

Should you ever come across a tape label listing the 'Rooster Song' a.k.a. 'What Does The Rooster Say?', digitise that one. You won't be sorry.

Is John E. Paupst Jr. still with us?