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Mr. Dressup is a Canadian children's television series, starring Ernie Coombs, a former understudy of Fred Rogers, in the title role. It originally ran on CBC from 1967 to 1996, soon becoming an iconic presence in Canadian media.Production
Mr. Dressup was developed and produced by Daniel McCarthy, who later became the head of children's programming for CBC Television, as a replacement for Butternut Square, on which Mr. Dressup had been a featured  character.Premise
The series starred the actor Ernie Coombs as Mr. Dressup. The show aired every weekday morning, Mr. Dressup would lead children through a series of songs, stories, arts, crafts and imagination games, with the help of his puppet friends Casey and Finnegan - a boy and a dog who lived with him and often played in the tree-house in Mr. Dressup's backyard. Some critics likened the series to the American series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which started being broadcast a year later in 1968 on the U.S. network PBS and was produced by Coombs' former professional associate, Fred Rogers. Judith Lawrence was the puppeteer who created Casey and Finnegan, along with other occasional puppet visitors such as Alligator Al and Aunt Bird.
The set for the show included the inside of Mr. Dressup's house, with scenes shot in the living room, kitchen and a play room. This included the Tickle Trunk (where costumes used in make-believe skits were stored) and a long counter where Casey and Finnegan often appeared. Sometimes, the action moved outside to Casey's and Finnegan's tree house. Typically during a segment, Mr. Dressup would get a costume from the Tickle Trunk, such as one for an animal, policeman or fireman. Donning the costume, he would play the suggested role. Occasionally, when the Tickle Trunk would not open, Mr. Dressup sang a song and tickled the lock, hence its name. The trunk appeared to be magical as it always had the right costumes, in the right sizes, neatly folded at the top of the piles of costumes. Occasionally, Mr. Dressup would need to make an accessory for his costume, which would lead to a craft. Mr. Dressup usually drew or made a craft and would sing a song with the puppets. On occasion, Mr. Dressup would also read a book or show a short documentary to the audience. The films were usually silent and Mr. Dressup would narrate. He often drew pictures on his drawing board to either illustrate a short story or to play a game with one of his visitors. He would frequently encourage children to try the craft at home or to sing along with the songs.
In later years, Judith Lawrence chose to retire from the show. Rather than cast a new puppeteer in the roles of Casey and Finnegan, a team of new puppeteers was brought in. They hired Karen Valleau (Chester the Crow), Nina Keogh (Truffles), Jani Lauzon (Granny), Ruth Danziger (Annie), Jim Parker (Alex), and Bob Dermer (Lorenzo the Raccoon). These new characters visited Mr. Dressup and over time, became the lead puppet characters, with Casey and Finnegan gradually being removed from the show. This was done gradually for a transition before Lawrence's retirement.
When Casey and Finnegan stopped appearing on the show, an announcement was made that they were attending kindergarten. With the new characters came new sets, including the community centre. During the last 10 years of the show, singer, musician and Yo-Yo champion Mark Kersey appeared as recurring character "Mark the Repairman".
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