Jabberwocky

It was Dirty Frank, not Filthy Frank. He lived in an old cardboard box and was definitely styled after Oscar the Grouch. He had a screaming Boston accent, so likely voiced by someone from the production crew.

And yes, Robert Prosky of Hill Street Blue fame, JoBeth Williams of Poltergeist fame and Tucker Smallwood, from among other roles, God on the Sarah Silverman Show fame, all got their start at this locally produced Boston show. There was another cast member...Katrina I believe, but can't remember her last name.

Definitely outdated by today's standards, but had a certain charm nonetheless...

Jabberwocky was a cute little show produced locally by WCVB, Channel 5 in Boston, MA. It wasn't what one would call a blockbuster of a program or anything Earth shattering, but it was a pleasant little show starring Jo Beth Williams and I believe, Robert Prosky. Though Mr. Prosky is not listed under Jabberwocky, nor is appearance listed under his name, I did watch the show from time to time and recognized him in later performances. There was also a filthy puppet, appropriately named, Filthy Frank, with a gravelly voice.

The show entertained the younger set and even on occasion, those of us a little older (I was 14 when it premiered) and would give little life lessons without beating you over the head.

In retrospect, I think the fact that a local TV station (other than WGBH of course) did locally produced quality programs beyond news and the talk show format. Channel 5 was a ground breaker back then when new owners took over. Now it's just become a standard station. Disappointing.

Being a youth in Boston in the early 70's, I watched a lot of Jabberwocky. From the acid-induced, animated opening sequence to the "surprise box" finale, the show cleverly held children's attention while teaching common precepts and scientific phenomena. The lean cast consisted of Tucker Smallwood and JoBeth Williams and the puppet, Dirty Frank--puppeteer-ed by Peter Johnson who also made a few appearances. Smallwood and Williams would alternate episodes with Carl Thoma and Trina Sopko. Just once I was hoping that the two pairs would appear together on a single episode! Bob Prosky also lent his talent as the jack-of-all-trades, Mr. Buchanan. I often wonder whatever became of Carl Thoma. Unlike Tucker Smallwood, Thoma essentially faded immediately following Jabberwocky.