Lunchtime Little Theatre (Montreal TV series)

Lunchtime Little Theatre was a children's television series that aired on Montreal station CFCF-12, from 1962 to 1967. The show starred Ted Zeigler as Johnny Jellybean, and was an example of what Zeigler referred to as "kidadult entertainment".A CFCF-12 memory: Johnny Jellybean - 22 January 2011 - The Montreal Gazette - Retrieved 12 September 2020
== Cast ==
* Ted Zeigler as Johnny Jellybean
* Bill Merrill as Tumy / Toomey the DuckTelevision legend Johnny Jellybean back in Montreal - Mike Boone 25 May 1982 - The Montreal Gazette - Retrieved 12 September 2020
* ? as Mert / MauryJohnny Jellybean to ‘Consequences’ : Guru of ‘60s Show in Canada No Longer So Off-The-Wall - Sheldon Teitelbaum - 1 January 1988 - The Los Angeles Times - Retrieved 12 September 2020 the Mailman
== Production ==
=== Inception ===
After having worked as an actor in Australia, Chicago, and Vancouver, Zeigler auditioned for the role of Johnny Jellybean in 1962. Zeigler won the part thanks to his versatility in being able to pull faces, perform different voices, engage in slapstick, and improvise.
=== Format ===
The show was broadcast live and often relied on improvisation developed during commercial breaks, and featured slapstick comedy. Recurring segments involved Johnny Jellybean smashing the "Squawkbox" with a hammer, causing it to play something unexpected; the character Mert the Mailman might call Jellybean on the phone to get him in range to throw his mail at him, amongst other things.Say good-bye to Johnny Jellybean, kids... - 6 December 1969 - The Montreal Gazette - Newspapers.com - Retrieved 12 September 2020 Additional characters included Enzio Pesta and Jet Crash, a fighter pilot who enjoyed eating "Puffed Grass, the only cereal with chlorophyll".
=== Cancellation ===
In a 1969 interview Zeigler claimed a figure in management (later identified in 1982 as CFCF general manager Sam Pitt) had decided the show had "run its course", and was cancelled as a result. Zeigler also stated that the management didn't care about entertaining children, and were more concerned about budget issues.
Zeigler would later state in 1988 that a recurring segment called "Radio Free Canada" delivering body counts of children killed in the Vietnam War brought viewer protest and caused the show's cancellation.
== Reception ==
The show was at its peak watched in over 190,000 households daily, and was popular viewing at both McGill and Sir George Williams Universities.
== Loss ==
It was known as early as 1969 that the show was lost; Dane Lanken stated, "Saddest of all is that Johnny Jellybean is really gone: nobody, it seems, had the foresight to save even one episode on film for posterity."
Zeigler would later state in 1988 that a spiteful production manager had erased the tapes.
== Quotes ==
See Lunchtime Little Theatre (Montreal TV series)/Quotes.
== Links ==
* Jellybean Comedy Clubhouse on IMDB
== References ==
Category:Fiction
Category:Real lost media
Category:Real TV shows
Category:Real Canadian TV shows