Arizonans will never forget cult show 'Wallace and Ladmo.' Long-lost tapes reveal why
For Arizonans who grew up with it, "The Wallace and Ladmo Show" holds a special place in the heart.
For those who never saw it, there is no doubt befuddlement about why a children's television show that went off the air decades ago is still celebrated in Phoenix.
The Phoenix City Council on March 26 approved renaming a portion of McKinley Street as Wallace and Ladmo Way. The street runs in front of the First Studio Gallery, which used to house KPHO-TV, Channel 5, where the show started in 1954.
The show lasted for 35 years, ending in December 1989. During those years, it became part of Arizona's culture.
"The Wallace and Ladmo Show" was such a fixture that it only celebrated its anniversary every fifth year. For it's 30th anniversary, then-Gov. Bruce Babbitt told the cast he was too busy to sign a proclamation honoring the show. He suggested they take the one he issued for the 25th anniversary, cross out that number, and replace it with 30.
A few years after the show went off the air, the main members of the cast ― Bill Thompson, who played Wallace, Ladimir Kwiatkowski, who played Ladmo, and Pat McMahon who played a host of characters, including the spoiled brat Gerald ― sat for interviews with a reporter at the Arizona State University newspaper, the State Press.
This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com about metro Phoenix and beyond, you'll hear those conversations for the first time. Guest host Richard Ruelas provides an oral history of one of Arizona's most beloved institutions.
Listen to Valley 101 on your favorite podcast app or stream the full episode below.
Submit your questions to us about metro Phoenix and Arizona for a chance to be chosen for the podcast.
Note: Valley 101 is intended to be heard, but we offer an AI transcript of the episode script. There may be slight deviations from the podcast audio.
Subscribe to Valley 101 : Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher
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Reach the producer Amanda Luberto at aluberto@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter @amandaluberto and on Bluesky @amandaluberto. Abby Bessinger provided audio assistance on this episode. You can reach Abby at abby.bessinger@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: New 'Wallace and Ladmo' interviews revealed
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