The Friendly Giant

Finding information about the Canadian children's icon The Friendly Giant is very difficult. Apparently there is some reason why the old TV series cannot be released on DVD. Now three generations are deprived of the wonderful nostalgia of a kinder gentler era in Children's TV. That simple armchair was a source of comfort to countless kids in Canada and the US. But, alas, that comfort is gone.

Thankfully, Grant D Fairley has done a masterful job in the 2007 release of "Look Up - Way Up." This is an authorized biography of Friendly based on Grant's personal taped interviews with Bob Homme. You can even hear his voice again at www.thefriendlygiant.info. This is as close as it will ever come to a sequel.

Before the gentle Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, before the frenzied, loud, noisy muppets of Sesame Street, there was The Friendly Giant. Mr. Homme's show appeared on Chicago's Window to the World WTTW and was broadcast somewhere between The Totem Club, What's New, and the Story Teller starring Val Bentin. The soft music, the little set, the quietness of the show was somehow haunting to watch and a little sad to behold in comparison with the other children shows on the air at that time.

I can do no more than echo the sentiments of others on here, that there was something magical about the calm and jocular Friendly Giant and his limbless companions. Loved seeing the cow make its jerky way over the moon. Loved the stories and the walks over the countryside. Loved the arranging of the furniture in front of the fire, a big chair for two more to curl up in. The rocking chair, for someone who likes to rock. All the reliable and comforting things that a child never tires of hearing again and again. It is telling that there is not a single non-positive comment on the IMDb about the Friendly Giant. Click on 'Hated it', and you just get another positive comment. Bob Homme left a fine legacy.

Great part of my childhood too! Something that makes us Canadians - Friendly Giant, Chez Helene and other common kids experiences. Enjoyed reading new biography of Bob Homme - The Friendly Giant - called - no surprise here - Look Up - Way Up. The Palantir Publishing website also has some audio clips of interviews with Bob. So neat to hear his stories. Takes me back to preschool again! Cocoa and cinnamon toast. I was one of the ones who liked the big arm chair for those who like to curl up. My favourite opening scene was when Friendly started in a farm yard. Then it was always so great to see his boot then the castle and then the drawbridge come down. I wish they were out on DVD.

Look up. WAY UP! At the stroke of 10:15 am from coast to coast on the CBC for better than 27 years, this meant that "The Friendly Giant" was about to start. Its theme, "Early One Morning," was written as a nostalgic ballad for the slow pace of Britain prior to the Industrial Revolution. Similarly, in an age of fast food, faster cars, and life in the fast lane, "The Friendly Giant" proved to be an escape from the ratrace of real life. It gave children a chance to "curl up in an armchair" as the Friendly Giant's guests in his castle. Along with Rusty the rooster and Jerome the giraffe, "Friendly" entertained youngsters with children's stories, songs, and music. In addition, the show implicitly taught youngsters that not every giant was a scary monster who ground bones to make their bread. After all, the Friendly Giant was a kind and gentle character. Bob Homme, who died earlier this year, certainly left his legacy with thousands of kids across Canada.