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January 27, 2024 8:57 pm  #1


When Rocketship 7 Came To Toronto

I knew that a lot of us grew up watching Dave Thomas (real name Boreanaz) early mornings on WKBW's Rocketship 7, but up until I saw this, I never realized that the star of the show came to Toronto for personal appearances.

I'm not sure how many times this happened, but it's testimony to how popular the kids program was up here. (I can't help but wonder, given the population size between the two cities, if they didn't have more T.O. viewers than those in The Queen City.)

I discovered this on a wonderful Facebook site called "Friends Who Like Vintage Toronto," about a place that still exists, but looks a whole lot different these days. The good news is the site isn't private so anyone who yearns to see how Hogtown used to look can time travel backward from the comfort of the browser of their choice.)

I grew up near Lawrence Plaza at Bathurst and Lawrence and the pic of Morgan's was a real memory flogger for me. But I will never forget Promo and Dave. I just never knew the Rocketship had (at least) once landed here. 

 

January 28, 2024 6:23 am  #2


Re: When Rocketship 7 Came To Toronto

When he left WKBW he went to WPVI in Philly as weatherman Dave Roberts until he retired in 2009. His son David Boreanaz starred in Bones and now Seal Team!

 

January 28, 2024 8:11 am  #3


Re: When Rocketship 7 Came To Toronto

RadioActive wrote:

a wonderful Facebook site called "Friends Who Like Vintage Toronto,"

That is a cool site. No fan of FB, but thanks for posting this one, it's quite interesting for those of us who were around in the day.


 

 

January 28, 2024 8:17 am  #4


Re: When Rocketship 7 Came To Toronto

The above photo shows the post 1967 redesigned Promo the Robot. The original 1962 version was much more boxy looking.

 

January 28, 2024 8:35 am  #5


Re: When Rocketship 7 Came To Toronto

mace wrote:

The above photo shows the post 1967 redesigned Promo the Robot. The original 1962 version was much more boxy looking.

Now I was already feeling old, but you are REALLY old. Hee!
 

 

January 28, 2024 1:50 pm  #6


Re: When Rocketship 7 Came To Toronto

Because of Rocketship 7 and Commander Tom I kind of thought I lived in Buffalo until I started going to kindergarten.

 

January 28, 2024 2:17 pm  #7


Re: When Rocketship 7 Came To Toronto

Growing up in Etobicoke I almost only watched the kids shows on WKBW and not much from WBEN and WGR.  Naturally I viewed a lot from CFTO, CBC and a little from CHCH. When we moved outside of Toronto, and not exposed as much to Buffalo TV, the children's shows on CKOC and CFPL were a lot different than what I was used to. 

 

January 28, 2024 5:47 pm  #8


Re: When Rocketship 7 Came To Toronto

I was also a fan of "Uncle Bill" Lawrence who had a morning kid's show on CHCH when I was growing up and also the Friendly Giant and Mr. Dressup, of course. Wasn't a fan of Captain Kangaroo though, or Uncle Bobby. 

One shocking thing I've learned as an adult - Alex Laurier - who was a regular on Uncle Bobby and also ubiquitous on TVO in the 1970s was not only convicted and jailed in 1994 for having sexually abused a child in 1973 - but he had also been charged in 1974 of *four* similar offences against children and given probation - and despite this he was allowed to continue appearing on and hosting kids' TV shows for another decade! (In pre-internet days I used to spend some time going through old newspaper microfilms and found some articles from 1974, short pieces deep in the Toronto Sun - about his trial). Different time I guess but it just amazes me that a kiddy show entertainer being charged with sexually abusing a child wasn't front page news and a career ender then and there. 

Last edited by Hansa (January 28, 2024 5:48 pm)

 

January 28, 2024 6:51 pm  #9


Re: When Rocketship 7 Came To Toronto



When I was growing up in Vancouver we all watched JP Patches on KIRO TV from Seattle.
JP showed cartoons and also made jokes that adults got as being kinda double entendre.
Apparently Simpson's creator Matt Groening has admitted that JP was actually his inspiration for Krusty the clown.