Tarax Show


The Tarax Show was an early Australian children's TV program on GTV-9 in Melbourne running from 1957 to 1969.

Synopsis

Denzil Howson who was then Assistant Program Manager at GTV9, was asked by Norman Spencer to develop a daily children's program. A pilot of the show was kinescope recorded onto film. The program started on Melbourne's GTV-9 on 21 January 1957, debuting from the Myer Emporium Lonsdale St store window, as the GTV9 studios in Bendigo Street, Richmond were still under construction. Normally the program was produced from GTV-9, but some editions were taped at ATN-7 in Sydney to help build the audience there.
Beginning under the name The Happy Show, the first host was Happy Hammond, who had come to television from radio. The program was sponsored by Tarax Drinks from April 1957, with the name changing to The Tarax Happy Show. The show was co-hosted by Princess Panda (Panda Lisner

Cast

Over time, the show's cast included Susan-Gaye Anderson, Bernard The Magician, Joffa Boy, Professor Nitwitty, Professor Ratbaggy, Gael Dixon, Prince Philip, Daisy the Cow and Freddo Frog.
Ossie Ostrich went on to star in Hey Hey It's Saturday, appearing with Daryl Somers for 24 years on TV. Ernie Carroll also drew the cartoon character Joy-belle and worked as producer.
Uncle Norman joined the show after a long radio career at 3KZ. His very first appearance on the TV show involved arriving down a slide, but he broke his leg in the process; Joffa improvised a little ditty about Uncle Norman breaking his leg, but when it became clear that it was not a joke, he was rushed to hospital. It was two months before he was well enough to appear again.
The TV Dentist caused some consternation with management, by suggesting that it did not matter which brand of toothpaste was used, and saying soft drink will rot your teeth - the program was sponsored by a soft drink company, and included ads for toothpaste.
Freddo Frog appeared both as a cartoon and a costume character at different times. The animated version was one of the first Australian produced cartoon series on TV.
Young performers who later went on to become stars include Denise Drysdale, Roma Egan, Wendy Stapleton and Marty Rhone.
Due to budget cuts, the show was replaced by Uncle Norman and Joffa Boy hosting cartoons with the occasional brief comedy sketch. After the duo left GTV-9, that format was used for the successor program Cartoon Corner.

National Film & Sound Archive

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Category:Australian variety television shows
Category:Australian children's television series
Category:Nine Network original programming
Category:Australian television shows featuring puppetry
Category:Television shows set in Victoria
Category:Black-and-white Australian television shows
Category:1957 Australian television series debuts
Category:1969 Australian television series endings