Local TV Shows and Personalities

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Permalink Reply by Scott on June 6, 2008 at 9:44am

Sandy Beach on Q106.

Real name, Pam. Through a freakishly odd case of 'small world', we ended up roommates in Long Beach, CA. for a year. She met a software guy and I think they live in NYC now. The last I saw and spoke to them was 14 years ago at my wedding. Wow, talk about a Flashback.

Holy crap, I have been married for....and I am old and ......Brain Freeze!!!! Ok, better now.

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Permalink Reply by Pat Kagan Tobias on July 1, 2008 at 5:12pm

Yes, I loved Captain Billy who actually was the alter ego of Stretch Sharer(?) on Channel 13. Never got to be on his show, but I wouldn't have missed being home in time for his " ahoy shipmates " as he docked the ship at port on the Rio Grande complete with ship's bell. He started my obsession with Popeye. I do remember the day Captain Billy was killed./ Friend who grew up in Santa Fe that I met years later here in TN remembers it as the day his childhood ended. Poor Captain Billy. Uncle Roy had his own kiddie show on KOAT (ABC ) wore a bowler hat and referred to child guests as The Peanut Gallery. Does anyone know if he actually owned Toys by Roy in Winrock? He always asked "How are you? Is everything Copasetic?" I got to go with my Campfire girl group twice to K Circle B, that was really my favorite TV show because of the western movies. We girls were in awe of Dick Bills; he was handsome and could sing too. My brother Tom and argued for years over whether the lyrics to the theme song were " saddlebags all filled with beans and turkey"or "beans and jerky". The Valentino de la O show was a staple of Saturday TV ; Val was another great looking host and his brother ran the Mariachi Band. The band was Ok but looked mahvelous in their elaborate costumes and sunglasses--the studio lights were too bright, I guess. The show also had a comedian who was a Cantinflas look a like. He was always dancing around and in danger of losing his pants if you recall! Now his pants would fit right in with the hip-hop culture. Dr. Gerald Fishback came to our elementary school and gave us autographs. a drawing of a fish with "back" across it's back. He made science fun! Wow, I feel like a kid again just talking about all this. Uncle Howdy had a kids show too.He wore a straw hat and a striped jacket. As Howard Morgan he was the weatherman with the big smile who could draw Thermo, a little boy cartoon character who shivered when cold and sweated big drops in summer! Howard drew wonderful illustrated cold fronts instead of using weather radar, now which do you think is more fun? My Mom said Uncle Howdy was too good looking to be a kids show host but he was a good weatherman. What other shows do you remember? anybody remember a local Tv dance show kind of like American Bandstand?

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Permalink Reply by Molly McCoy Brack on July 5, 2008 at 10:28pm

(I'm replying to a post that says it was from today, but for some reason it's showing up back on page three of this thread, sorry if it seems out of context but I wanted to respond to the man who mentioned Shock Theatre)

Shock Theatre was also hosted by my dad, Bob McCoy. I have lots of the scripts, pictures and his Gatekeeper costume. I'll try to attach a couple of pictures. Unfortunately, I wasn't born till 1962 so I was too little to remember that show so I love to hear from people who watched it!

As I posted earlier, he was the first weather man in New Mexico and was the weather man on KOB for 25 years. He also hosted channel 4's Dialing for Dollars show, did tons of local commercials and local theatre. He died in 1971, but I have lots of great memories of hanging out in the studio while he did the weather or filmed ads for American Furniture. His best friend was Tom Doyle who did the news for many years with my dad. Before TV came along they had a radio show that I have some recordings of on 78-speed albums.

Attachments:

• THE_GATEKEEPER_web.jpg, 832 KB
• DOING_THE_WEATHER.jpg, 827 KB
• BOB_AND_TOM.jpg, 454 KB

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Permalink Reply by Westman on July 5, 2008 at 11:02pm

Thanks Molly!!
Your Fathers role of the Gatekeeper added to one of my favorite memories as a young boy.My brother,sister and Mom could hardly wait for Shock Theatre to come on.We would take turns on who slept with Mom as the other two slept on the floor.No going back to our own rooms for fear the Gatekeeper would come for us.No kidding.
Life then was so much simplier than today.As I look at your Dads picture I can hardly believe that he could come on in any way that would be even close to scary in todays form but then our imaginations took us way beyond fear itself.
The kids today have become too lazy to let their imagination go to work.They need all of the special effects.The way in which your father acted was all of the special effect we needed to freak ourselves out.
I applaud his abilities to draw this from us.
thanks for the great pictures!

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Permalink Reply by My Mom's Daughter on July 27, 2008 at 12:05am

Molly, as another daughter of an "old" ABQ icon, I'm right along side of you! I'm sorry that I don't remember your dad but, at the same time, I was a kid!! YES, George Fishback did sign his name with a fish with "back" on top of it. I have a couple of those. As he and my mother were doing similar shows at KNME, our families were close. Unfortunately for him, he was at a party at my parents' house when I was little. I was sitting on his lap and he made me laugh --- uh, well, so -- yes, I pee'd George Fishback's pants. Going to the (KNME) studio on Roma was such a treat. It was a very small building. I remember the directors and probably most of the people who worked there. Not necessarily by name but just because they were all so very nice to a little girl. When "TV Kindergarten" needed real, live kids, my mom would recruit me and my friends...... things like knocking on the piano for "Trick or Treat" at Halloween, etc. When she did Romper Room, there were about 4 kids always there sitting at little school desks. I remember the Creamland Dairy cart coming to deliver them all milk. I was too young to remember much else about that show. I don't think that there are any Romper Room clips available, although my Mom got a Golden Mike award and was featured in McCalls Mag. (I have an issue, thank goodness!)

KNME does have a couple of clips from TV Kindergarten -- I saw then on their last anniverary special. Back then (as you probably know!), the film was broadcast then used again. (Nope, I don't know the technical details other than knowing that the film was VERY expensive and, once it was aired, it was recorded over.

I remember the director, Dr. Wayne Bundy at KNME -- again, a wonderful man. He most likely directed TV Kindergarten as well as George's science show. I used to sit in the control room, as quiet as a mouse, watching everything happen! Live broadcasts were a hoot so many times!

We were all so fortunate to grow up when we did. I vividely remember Howard Morgan's little bubble-drawings with the weather forecast. I don't remember if Dr. George did drawings when he was doing the weather... ???

One other thing that I distinctly remember/know is that networks oftentimes send up-and-coming news people to Albuq. -- kind of a training camp before they move on to places like LA/ SF -- or pick your other big city. Albuq. offers an accent-free atmosphere where they can learn how to pronounce very strange names (............. oh, like "Pojoaque" , etc.) then move on to larger markets.

The ABC affiliate's prime time meteorolgist is from Albuq. (James Quinones.) His brother is on (ABC?) Network news -- John Quinones.

Ahh well, those WERE the good old days!!

Thanks for the memories!

To whomever mentioned the Hebenstriets (sp) --- oh yes, I remember them at KGGM! VERY nice people!!

Yes, I also remember Howard Morgan's little "bubble faces" on the weather. (Did "Uncle George" also draw things when he was doing the weather? I think so ...?)

Uncle George is retired from doing the weather on KTLA in LA but is still a docent at one or more museums.

Oh yes, I DO remember Cap'n Billy. I think that I was on his show too. (I did NOT inherit my mother's grace/charm in front of a TV camera. I was one of the "frozen face" kids!)

Dialing for Dollars --- well, didn't we all think that EVERYONE in the WORLD was watching Dialing for Dollars? I remember the phone booke being cut up

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Permalink Reply by Danny Ray on July 5, 2008 at 11:54pm

Good Golly Miss Molly! Thanks for the cool pictures! I do not remember your Dad, but I remember Tom Doyle. We lived in Espanola (yes, we had TV) and I remember my Dad watching Tom on KOB. Your pictures are so cool and they bring back what TV used to be... Black and white, no electronic graphics... a white board with the weather info hand written on it! It is good to be taken back to where everything was before all the technical stuff we have today.
While we are on TV people, remember Rex Monger? Channel 7 weather guy. Used to be on KOB Radio before the TV thing. And the guy I was trying to think of the other night was Hartzel Crib (sp?) at KGGM-TV, channel 13. That guy did everything there at one time or another. He was the news anchor in like 1961, then a weather guy for years, then dialing for dollars, then weekend news. I think he pretty much stayed there until he died. Last time I saw him was about 15 years ago pumping gas in his car at Circle K on San Mateo.
Again... thanks so much for the pictures! Dan in Las Cruces

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Permalink Reply by Pat Kagan Tobias on November 8, 2008 at 1:02pm

Hi again, Yes , I do remember Hartzel Krib or Crib. We wondered if that was really his name but it was ---everybody had such funny names trying to be distictive. Hartzel had what I would call, Great Voice. Nowadays he could be voiceover man " In a world, where you get your TV from towers on top of a 10000 foot mountain" etc He would do well.

Does any one remember the local ads that would run at Christmastime.on TV during local programming? There was this one businessman named Gus Patterson, a men's clothier, who always did a spot at the holidays. He was originally from the country of Lebanon, I think. He surely reminded us of Uncle Tanous on the Danny Thomas show. Anyway, Gus would somehow work in an ad for his store while talking about Christmas and how much America meant to him. He looked very nervous but on he went. Our family was very touched by Gus and his sincerity. What a nice guy! Gus had a column that ran in the Albuquerque papers called "Gus Says ". Kind of like " Well, the weather is getting cold now. Fall is finally here. Maybe its time for a better raincoat? Come see us at Gus Patterson." Then he wouild have some philosophy in the column too. We couldn't wait to hear the next "Gus Says" column read out loud by my sister who could imitate anyone to a Tee.

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Permalink Reply by Michael J aka Kirk C on November 8, 2008 at 3:49pm

Hi, Pat -- I vaguely remember Gus Patterson...but more vividly remember a husband and wife TV tag team whose names I can't remember at the moment. He was a round, balding, VERY fast-talking east coast native who was owner/manager of a discount furniture store called "The Hub." The funny thing was, every commercial always featured bedroom "suits" or living room "suits" that came "complete wid da picture on da waaaalll!" HENRY MARX. That was his name. And his wife Ann was on TV fronting for a business called "The Wig." They sounded and looked identical. As a matter of fact, it never occurred to me before, but they could have been siblings! BTW...I think Hartsell's last name was spelled Hartsell Cribb. Does anyone remember a REALLY mellow-voiced announcer for Piggly Wiggly named Bob Watson? WOW, what an amazing voice he had.....

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Permalink Reply by Pat Kagan Tobias on November 8, 2008 at 10:19pm

Actually, I do remember Bob Watson. He had a very resonant voice. And the guy from The Hub , I forgot him till you mentioned it. People still call bedroom and living room suites, suits and it really bothers me.
Do you remember the early days of arts programming on UNM's Channel 5? Japanese Brush painting ? We loved getting out our brushes. I got where I could paint a horse and water with some reeds but didn't get any further. We used bottled ink because we didn't have the cool ink block that the on camera teacher used.

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Permalink Reply by Anthony R. Lovato on July 6, 2008 at 1:54pm

I remember Dialing for Dollars, but does anyone remember when Dialing for Dollars was robbed live on-air. The host was just about to make a phone call to a viewer, when a guy in a ski mask and a gun (I think) grabbed the host and demanded the money. The host was standing behind the big red phone and he looked scared. I was a little kid when I saw this, so I don't know if it was a joke or what.

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Permalink Reply by Rita on July 10, 2008 at 9:45pm

jim baca did the news and henry tafoya did sports....i think my mom was hot for henry tafoya

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Permalink Reply by George Buckley on September 4, 2008 at 1:09am

I've had the "Adios Amigo" song stuck in my head all day. I remember the words, which were different from the Jim Reeves song, but I could not remember the name of the show. Found this posting and have loved the memories it has brought back. I grew up in Clovis and Ruidoso. Left for the Navy in 1975. I have sang the "Adios Amigo" for several close friends when it was their time to leave and never ran into anyone who had ever heard the song before. Thanks for the wonderful memories.

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