Latest news with #TheAfternoonShow

The Advertiser

ABC radio host James Valentine remembers the day he met TV's Mr Squiggle

ABC radio presenter James Valentine grew up with Mr Squiggle, so when he got to share a first-hand interaction with the beloved marionette, he was understandably excited. Mr Valentine was one of the many Australian children who would sit glued to their TVs during episodes of the popular children's show during its four-decade run on ABC TV. The show, which aired from 1959 to 1999, saw Mr Squiggle, the man from the Moon, turning children's squiggles into sketches with his pencil nose. Read more from The Senior Joining him on his adventures were his friends Gus the Snail, Bill the Steam Shovel and of course, the perennially grumpy Blackboard, who was always telling the aloof Mr Squiggle to "Hurry Up" and get on with his drawing. James grew up in the 1960s, when the show was still black and white and was hosted by Miss Pat (Pat Lovell). It was about 20 years later, when he was hosting popular children's program The Afternoon Show, that he gained a first-hand insight into the show and the man behind it. That man was puppeteer Norman Hetherington, who created and operated all the marionettes on the show and also provided their voices. James worked in the studio next door to Mr Squiggle's and would regularly pass and say hello to Hetherington in the hallways. Then, he got the chance to visit the Mr Squiggle set personally to film a segment for his own show, giving him the chance to feel like a kid all over again. "I got to be a squiggle companion for, you know, one moment," he said. "I got to hold Mr Squiggle's hand. I got to do the 'I don't know, Mr Squiggle, what is it? (the sketch)'. 'Oh, it's a camel on the washing line... you've got it the wrong way up. Turn it the other way up. See, there it is now. "It was like, wow, I've got to do this with Mr Squiggle. So, you know, I have a great fondness for it." So, what was the man behind the show like? "He was a very, you know, softly spoken, shy sort of man. He wasn't an ebullient character, you know, he was a quiet kind of man. "He was a bit like one of those people that when he was around Squiggle, he kind of was Squiggle." Mr Valentine said Hetherington even bore a striking resemblance to Mr Squiggle. He was also a dedicated family man. The famous puppets seen on the show were created to celebrate the births of each of his children. His daughter Rebecca would even go on to present and work behind the scenes on later series of the show. The National Museum in Canberra will celebrate the lasting legacy of the beloved show during an upcoming exhibition. The free exhibition, which will also include iconic characters Blackboard, Rocket, Bill Steamshovel and Gus the Snail, will explore the history of the famous characters and the magic behind Norman Hetherington's artistry. It will feature more than 800 objects drawn from the Norman Hetherington collection, including puppets, artworks, scripts, costumes, props and sets. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. ABC radio presenter James Valentine grew up with Mr Squiggle, so when he got to share a first-hand interaction with the beloved marionette, he was understandably excited. Mr Valentine was one of the many Australian children who would sit glued to their TVs during episodes of the popular children's show during its four-decade run on ABC TV. The show, which aired from 1959 to 1999, saw Mr Squiggle, the man from the Moon, turning children's squiggles into sketches with his pencil nose. Read more from The Senior Joining him on his adventures were his friends Gus the Snail, Bill the Steam Shovel and of course, the perennially grumpy Blackboard, who was always telling the aloof Mr Squiggle to "Hurry Up" and get on with his drawing. James grew up in the 1960s, when the show was still black and white and was hosted by Miss Pat (Pat Lovell). It was about 20 years later, when he was hosting popular children's program The Afternoon Show, that he gained a first-hand insight into the show and the man behind it. That man was puppeteer Norman Hetherington, who created and operated all the marionettes on the show and also provided their voices. James worked in the studio next door to Mr Squiggle's and would regularly pass and say hello to Hetherington in the hallways. Then, he got the chance to visit the Mr Squiggle set personally to film a segment for his own show, giving him the chance to feel like a kid all over again. "I got to be a squiggle companion for, you know, one moment," he said. "I got to hold Mr Squiggle's hand. I got to do the 'I don't know, Mr Squiggle, what is it? (the sketch)'. 'Oh, it's a camel on the washing line... you've got it the wrong way up. Turn it the other way up. See, there it is now. "It was like, wow, I've got to do this with Mr Squiggle. So, you know, I have a great fondness for it." So, what was the man behind the show like? "He was a very, you know, softly spoken, shy sort of man. He wasn't an ebullient character, you know, he was a quiet kind of man. "He was a bit like one of those people that when he was around Squiggle, he kind of was Squiggle." Mr Valentine said Hetherington even bore a striking resemblance to Mr Squiggle. He was also a dedicated family man. The famous puppets seen on the show were created to celebrate the births of each of his children. His daughter Rebecca would even go on to present and work behind the scenes on later series of the show. The National Museum in Canberra will celebrate the lasting legacy of the beloved show during an upcoming exhibition. The free exhibition, which will also include iconic characters Blackboard, Rocket, Bill Steamshovel and Gus the Snail, will explore the history of the famous characters and the magic behind Norman Hetherington's artistry. It will feature more than 800 objects drawn from the Norman Hetherington collection, including puppets, artworks, scripts, costumes, props and sets. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. ABC radio presenter James Valentine grew up with Mr Squiggle, so when he got to share a first-hand interaction with the beloved marionette, he was understandably excited. Mr Valentine was one of the many Australian children who would sit glued to their TVs during episodes of the popular children's show during its four-decade run on ABC TV. The show, which aired from 1959 to 1999, saw Mr Squiggle, the man from the Moon, turning children's squiggles into sketches with his pencil nose. Read more from The Senior Joining him on his adventures were his friends Gus the Snail, Bill the Steam Shovel and of course, the perennially grumpy Blackboard, who was always telling the aloof Mr Squiggle to "Hurry Up" and get on with his drawing. James grew up in the 1960s, when the show was still black and white and was hosted by Miss Pat (Pat Lovell). It was about 20 years later, when he was hosting popular children's program The Afternoon Show, that he gained a first-hand insight into the show and the man behind it. That man was puppeteer Norman Hetherington, who created and operated all the marionettes on the show and also provided their voices. James worked in the studio next door to Mr Squiggle's and would regularly pass and say hello to Hetherington in the hallways. Then, he got the chance to visit the Mr Squiggle set personally to film a segment for his own show, giving him the chance to feel like a kid all over again. "I got to be a squiggle companion for, you know, one moment," he said. "I got to hold Mr Squiggle's hand. I got to do the 'I don't know, Mr Squiggle, what is it? (the sketch)'. 'Oh, it's a camel on the washing line... you've got it the wrong way up. Turn it the other way up. See, there it is now. "It was like, wow, I've got to do this with Mr Squiggle. So, you know, I have a great fondness for it." So, what was the man behind the show like? "He was a very, you know, softly spoken, shy sort of man. He wasn't an ebullient character, you know, he was a quiet kind of man. "He was a bit like one of those people that when he was around Squiggle, he kind of was Squiggle." Mr Valentine said Hetherington even bore a striking resemblance to Mr Squiggle. He was also a dedicated family man. The famous puppets seen on the show were created to celebrate the births of each of his children. His daughter Rebecca would even go on to present and work behind the scenes on later series of the show. The National Museum in Canberra will celebrate the lasting legacy of the beloved show during an upcoming exhibition. The free exhibition, which will also include iconic characters Blackboard, Rocket, Bill Steamshovel and Gus the Snail, will explore the history of the famous characters and the magic behind Norman Hetherington's artistry. It will feature more than 800 objects drawn from the Norman Hetherington collection, including puppets, artworks, scripts, costumes, props and sets. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.