Toronto in the 1980s
The 1980s marked the period in which baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – gained control of economic and political power. It was a decade that showcased glamour, fitness, and an obsession with monetary success.
Canada signed the Free Trade Agreement, and fear of nuclear war continued to cast a dark shadow. Under the guise of protecting children, campaigns that warned parents of “stranger danger,” condemned premarital sex, and called the population to “just say no to drugs” became hallmarks of the decade – reflecting the media-induced moral anieties of the time.
In 1984, The Sports Network and MuchMusic heralded the arrival of niche cable channels in Canada. By 1988, YTV launched – marking Canada’s very first dedicated children’s network. With this development, television became increasingly integrated into the classroom, and series such as Today’s Special were designed from the ground up to meet the emotional and learning needs of children.
Before They Were “Famous”
Children’s television shows were a pipeline for a lot of young talent. In the 1950s, Hollywood director Norman Jewison got his start as a floor director with the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC), working on Uncle Chichimus and Maggie Muggins. Star Trek’s Captain Kirk and Scotty – William Shatner and James Doohan respectively – appeared in the CBC’s adaptation of The Howdy Doody Show. Fred Rogers came to Toronto to start Misterogers (the conceptual seed of Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood), while budding Second City comedians John Candy and Martin Short appeared in TVOntario’s Cucumber. Electronic music pioneer Beverly Glenn-Copeland appeared as a regular on Mr. Dressup, while original Polka Dot Door host Tonya Williams went on to star in the glossy US soap opera The Young and The Restless. Perhaps the most famous Torontonian in the world, Aubrey Graham, known as “Drake,” started out as an actor on the third iteration of Degrassi – “The Next Generation” – in 2001.
Today’s Special
Set in a Toronto department store, Today’s Special ran from 1981 to 1987. During its development, the show conducted audience testing, capturing a trove of data about children’s learning behaviors and outcomes. Compiled into a strategic document, Formative Evaluation: Two Pilot Programs by the Office of Project Research Report #5, the research informed key learning objectives for Today’s Special. The show fostered preschool-level learning in dance, poetry, music, picture reading, and cognitive learning – all while relating lessons to real-world applications. Over time, the series began to reach a broader and slightly older audience. It began to delve into more complicated subject matter such as alcoholism, death, race, and different intellectual and physical abilities.
Stewardship of the program was given to Clive VanderBurgh, an established producer. He worked with writers including Jed MacKay and Clive Endersby, and puppeteers such as Nina Keogh, Bob Dermer, and Nikki Tilroe. Singer and dancer Jeff Hyslop was cast as the mannequin who was brought to life with a hat and a magical spell, and former Polka Dot Door star and teacher Nerene Virgin was cast as Jody, the store’s level-headed display designer who functioned as a mentor and teacher. For the first time in Canadian broadcast history, a Black woman and white man appeared as friends and colleagues.
The Elephant Show
October 8, 1984 was when The Elephant Show aired. It featured the musical group Sharon, Lois & Bram – popular children’s entertainers who had released many albums. The program mixed live concert footage along with segments that helped children address fear, anxiety, jealousy, and other challenging emotions. The show was shot all over Toronto and featured many Canadians who would gain international fame later in life, including Andrea Martin, The Nylons, Murray McLauchlan, and Louis Del Grande. The Elephant Show developed enormous American viewership because it was broadcast on the dedicated kids cable service Nickelodeon, where Today’s Special also enjoyed great success.
