Birthday House

When I was five years old and living in New Jersey, one of the first TV shows I remember watching was a local kids show on WNBC-TV titled "Birthday House." The show was hosted by Paul Tripp and featured his wife, Ruth Enders, Jan Lara, Kay Lande and Tom Tichenor, who was also the shows puppeteer. He also played a character named Strawtop.

There were also the puppet characters George, Ducky, Mrs. Oven, Knock Knock and TC, the Talking Toychest. In one episode, Tripp said "TC stands for Toychest."

On each episode, a youngster and a few friends celebrated their birthday on TV. After a number of educational segments and songs, it would be time for the birthday cake and presents. The one song I remember from the cake segment that Tripp always sang went:

Make a wish Don't Tell. And if your wish comes true, I told you so.

I also owned a album of songs from "Birthday House", which included the song that opened each episode "Good morning good morning. Someone's birthday is today." "How old are you Today" "Hi Mike" and "Everybody up. Everybody up. Everybody up up up."

Even though "Birthday House" has been off the air for more than 40 years and Tripp has passed away, the show brings back fond memories of growing up in New Jersey. The concept of kids celebrating their birthday on TV would still work today as a reality show, a departure from the mean-spirited shows that have permeated the airwaves.

Welcome to Birthday House.

I used to watch this show as a youth. It featured a bunch of kids having a birthday party. It was amusing enough. The most specific thing I remember is that the boom microphone was a character in the show, and each time it was introduced, Paul Tripp used to sing,

"Hi, Mike! Hi, Mike! I like to say, 'Hi, Mike!' Hi, Mike! Hi, Mike! I like you very much!"

I guess that speaks for the power of music, that I would remember that little ditty.

Also, each December, the show would feature commercials for "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't," which would show up in movie theaters as a matinée each year. The commercial featured the scene where the villain, Rossano Brazzi, would bellow, "Merry Christmas, I don't think!!" I'm pretty sure us kids dragged my poor mother out to see it two or three years in a row...