Off to See the Wizard

My memory of this show is incredibly fragmentary, even though I was 8 when this first aired in 1967. That said, I remembered when "Lili" was aired, and I also remember seeing The Three Stooges at the end of one of the segments.

That this show aired was ironic. Walt Disney had run his shows on ABC until 1959, when he and the network had trouble with each other. Disney then moved his show to NBC. It is very strange that this show would air, as ABC's version of Disney's Wonderful World of Color.

The concept certainly sounded good: An anthology tapping into MGM's movies, as well as original programming. It also used the team of Chuck Jones and Abe Levitow. Unfortunately, this show was canceled, joining the ranks of other Friday night shows that bit the dust in the mid-1960s. Still, it seems like such an intriguing show.

I remember "Off To See The Wizard" - not because of ANY of the stories in ANY of the episodes - but because of the voice talent in the animated segments. After all, Daws Butler was in EVERY "Fractured Fairy Tale" that was part of "Rocky And His Friends" and "The Bullwinkle Show", and even "Cap'n Crunch" for Jay Ward Productions. And Daws played everyone from Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Super Snooper and Blabber Mouse the detectives, to the ever-popular Snagglepuss for Hanna-Barbera Productions. The forever wonderful June Foray was the voice of Rocky the Flying Squirrel" himself on "Rocky And His Friends" and was in all but one of the "Fractured Fairy Tales" for Jay Ward, and Tweety's "Granny" and many others for Warner's, and "Witch Hazel" for BOTH Warner Brothers AND Walt Disney Productions! Anything those two were in would forever stick in my memory, regardless of whatever else was around what they did in any particular program.

I don't remember "Off to See the Wizard." According to TV.com, it ranked at #9 as the most favorite prime time program for children, ages 6-11 during the 1967 t.v. season. But, I am sure it could not compete with the #1 children's favorite: The Flying Nun! It was on Fridays for sixty minutes. The animated Oz characters had thirty-second segments that lead to the intro of the family movie of the week. CBS had the rights in 1967. 23 years later, there was a full animated series on ABC called "The Wizard of OZ!" "Off to See the Wizard" was up against "The Wild Wild West" on CBS and "Tarzan" on NBC. So, no wonder, I could not remember the program! I has having to difficult a time in deciding on "The Wild Wild West" and "Tarzan," swinging through the vines!

For years, before the internet, I tried and tried to remember the name of this show. I happened to stumble upon it, here, and was sad that there was very little about it, sooooo, I guess it's time for me to comment on what I remember...

If my memory serves me, this was an hour long show, on the ABC television network. It ran for about a year, on Friday nights. I remember the Friday part, as that was TV dinner night in my home, and my parents would have dinner on a card table, in front of the big(for 1968) Sears color TV we had.

There were animated hosts from the story "The Wizard Of Oz", and if you read the cast list you note that some of the cream of the crop of voice talent lent their vocal stylings to this show. These "hosts" would introduce a segment of either live action, or animated stories.

Oh, to be 7 again, and watch this one.

Now how I recall those Friday nights when I'd see the Main 4 Characters going over the rainbow at the start of the show and even when they and The Wizard of Oz slid down the slide.recently I'd even checked this show out on You Tube to see how it would look?As you'll see too it did very well in mimicking the scenes in The Great Hall including from which the The Voice says "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" Among others.It just has if not the same magic as the 1939 classic then very close to it.Very similar to it in fact. when it opens and closes with the classic song of somewhere over the rainbow.If you also saw this as a kid and reminisce about this then you'll be immediately transported back through time too.This would be great for release on DVD as well.So let's hope that it'll get on a.s.a.p. as well.Yes what a score it would be to be 4 again too.

Truthfully,Stephen "Steve" G. Baer a.k.a. "Ste"of Framingham,MA USA

P.S.As I've said before from place to place online I got Ste as a result of My older Brother J.Kevin being a year older than me and unable to say Stephen at the time. Yes like allot people from the gift of gab and in the famous words of the song of OZ with the Tinman by the group of America.