LONGEST-RUNNING -- Locally Produced Children's TV Show in U.S. History - The J. P. Patches Show
N 47° 38.958 W 122° 20.918
10T E 548916 N 5277528
This superlative is mentioned on a plaque on the J. P. Patches statues next to Groundspeak headquarters, home of Waymarking.com!
Waymark Code: WMG67H
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 01/18/2013
Views: 93
If you're visiting the Groundspeak headquarters you might notice two statues of famous fictional characters 'J. P. Patches and Gertrude' who are part of a display here titled
Late For the Interurban. J. P. and Gertrude entertained generations of people on local TV Station
KIRO from 1958 to 1981. Patches was played by Chris Wedes (who passed away July 22, 2012) and his comical partner, Gertrude, was played by Bob Newman. The two formed a perfect partnership and they, with additional cast members, appeared on TV twice a day for many years and finally appearing on Saturdays only until their last broadcast in 1981. This verbiage was taken off a bronze plaque on the statue and says
It was the longest-running locally-produced children's television show in United States history, and boasted a daily audience of more than 100,000. With no script, no rehearsals and no second takes, the broad slapstick and high energy offered a welcome alternative to the formula then common in children's programming.
The brick pavers and bronze plaques that you see around the statues represent the donations and gifts to support the Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center. One of the bronze plaques on the CU2TV sculpture (a prop used on the show) says the following:
Through the donations tin can, this sculpture also supports Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center, where J. P. and Gertrude were frequent visitors. Your donations will help keep this important institution at the forefront of the medical research and care for our community's most precious asset - our children. Although the show went off the air in 1981, decades later J. P. Patches remained in demand for personal appearances. Patches Pals (now grown in body, if not in spirit) still looked forward to a cherished moment of conversation with The Clown. This statue was inspired, funded and created by Patches Pals the world over to honor two of the most beloved figures in Seattle television history.
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One of the donors was none other than Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft. All the brick pavers contain names centered in a black television. There's a wonderful web link to the Urban Sparks website that highlights the making of these statues by local artist (and former Patches Pal) Kevin Patelle.
The following website has a good Urban Sparks article about Chris Wedes' life and also mentions his show being the longest-running local children's television show in U.S. history. RIP, Patches...