Pinwheel (TV series)

Infobox_television
show_name = Pinwheel


caption =
format = Educational, Children's
picture_format = NTSC
runtime = 60 minutes per episode (ran in 3-5 hour blocks)
creator =
starring =
country = USA, CAN
rating=TV-G
network = Nickelodeon
first_aired = April 1, 1979
last_aired = 1990
num_episodes = 260|

"Pinwheel" is a children's television show that aired on the Nickelodeon cable network from 1979 to 1990. The show was the original program featured on the Nickelodeon network (the channel itself was known as "Pinwheel" until 1981).

Longevity

There were a total of 260 one-hour "Pinwheel" episodes recorded. However, Pinwheel was typically broadcast in 3 to 5 hour long blocks with multiple one-hour episodes shown back-to-back. It remains the longest running Nickelodeon show in episodes, and was the longest running in years until "You Can't Do That On Television" broke the record. It is now #4, behind "All That", "You Can't Do That On Television" and "Rugrats".

Notable characters

It was notable for featuring a variety of animation from around the world, in addition to live action segments where humans acted along with puppets. Live action characters included Sal and Smitty (an elderly couple who ran a newspaper called "The Daily Noodle"), Jake (a man who had small boxes which emitted various sound effects), Coco (a female mime played by C.C. Loveheart), and Kim (played by Arline Miyazaki).

Puppet characters included Plus and Minus (similar-looking characters whose favorite game was "Gotcha Last!"), Aurelia (a gypsy who lived in the house and used a special phone [actually a desk phone base with a crystal ball on it and no receiver] to dial the "Opposite City Operator"), Silas the Snail (had an elderly-looking face, and took an entire episode to go from one end of the garden to the other), Ebeneezer T. Squint (green-faced equivalent to "Sesame Street" 's "Oscar the Grouch"; his sole goal in life was to be on the front page of "The Daily Noodle"), Luigi (ran a produce stand), Molly the Mole (lived in a tree in the backyard) and the Hobo Bugs, Herbert and Lulu.

Program content

* "Alfie Atkins"
* "Bagpuss"
* "Bod"
* "Bolek and Lolek"
* "Bunny in the Suitcase"
* "Chapi Chapo"
* "Charlie's Climbing Tree"
* "Curious George"
* "Emily"
* "Flower Stories"
* "Hattytown Tales"
* "King Rollo"
* "Lilliputput"
* "Magic Coco"
* "Mole"
* "Magic Roundabout, The"
* "Mixometric"
* "Musti"
* "Paddington Bear" (airs on Nick Jr. Classics in UK)
* "Picture Pages"
* "The Pilis"
* "Professor Balthazar"
* "Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings"
* "Tip and Tap"

External links

*imdb title|id=0224947|title=Pinwheel
* [http://www.johnnorrisbrown.com/classic-nick/pinwheel/index.htm Classic Nick Online]
* [http://mystiesplace.com/pages/Pinwheel/index.htm Pinwheel House]