Call It Macaroni is an American children's television series that premiered on January 24, 1975. [1] It was produced by Group W (Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, Inc.) with executive producers Gail Frank and Stephanie Meagher. [2] [3] Prior to its release, Donald McGannon, the chair of Group W, announced the show was a call to action for children to have a specific slot for their television. [4] Intended to be a 12-part series of children's specials to be aired once a month, due to its popularity, another 12 specials were produced. [5] [6]
Its goal was to show 10-12-year-olds different things they could experience in the United States. [7] It follows a different group of children each episode as they go to different places within the country, learning about a culture, city, environment, job, or hobby.
The first season was sold to 100, [5] [8] 103 [9] or 104 [10] [11] stations in syndication. [12] It was well received [5] [10] [13] and won a Peabody Award in 1975. [14] [15]
Episodes
There are 24 half-hour episodes of Call it Macaroni. [10] Air dates listed below may be later than the first airing. One episode, "Gym Dandys", is viewable on YouTube.
| Episode | Air date | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|
| It's a Long Way Up | January 24, 1975 [16] | Three teens climb Mount Hood in Oregon. [17] |
| Give the Circus a Tumble | February 19, 1975 [3] [18] | Three 11-year-olds spend a week with Circus Vargas as it tours and performs in Colorado. [3] |
| Fly like a Bird | March 19, 1975 [19] | Two San Franciscans take glider and hang gliding lessons. [19] |
| Once Upon a Horse | April 20, 1975 [20] | Two 12-year-olds get horse riding lessons and participate in a riding competition. [21] |
| Sail on the Winds of Time | April 24, 1975 [22] | Teens learn aboard a replica of a 19th century schooner. [22] |
| Texas Tenderfoot | May 30, 1975 [23] | Three teens from the San Francisco Bay region become wranglers, helping to drive horses from Big Bend National Park in West Texas to a ranch 60 miles (97 km) away. [23] |
| Exploring Yesterday | June 6, 1975 [24] | Three children get to experience how the Native Americans of northern Minnesota lived. [25] |
| A Seaful of Adventure | July 22, 1975 [26] | Three youngsters from the Boston area take a cruise on the Florida shrimp boat Lady Gin. [26] [27] |
| The Boys and Girls of Summer | September 4, 1975 [28] | A boy and a girl from Philadelphia go to the Philadelphia Phillies spring training camp in Florida. [28] |
| Path of Papagos | November 16, 1975 [29] | Three youngsters experience the Native American way of life. [29] |
| Puppets and Other People [30] | December 6, 1975 [31] | Three children from Boston construct a puppet under the supervision of puppeteer Kermit Love. [31] [32] Kevin Clash, the best known puppeteer to perform as Sesame Street's Elmo, saw this episode as a teen and asked his mother to help him contact Love; [33] she succeeded, and Love eventually became his mentor. |
| Where Do we Sign Up, When Do We Leave? | December 15, 1975 [34] | Three kids from the San Francisco area spend a week on a racing schooner exploring the Channel Islands of California. [35] |
| Nashville: Over the Rainbow | April 18, 1976 [36] | In the first episode of the second year, [9] a 13-year-old Dobro guitar player goes to Nashville and gets to perform with Bobby Bare. [37] |
| Lights, Camels, Action | May 21, 1976 [38] | Three New Yorkers join a production company working on the film Hawmps!, a comedy about the United States Camel Corps, on location in Arizona and become extras in one scene. [39] |
| And That's Jazz | June 11, 1976 [40] | Two budding musicians from New York go to New Orleans and join a jazz session. [41] |
| Rogue Runners | July 23, 1976 [42] | Some youngsters go on a five-day rafting trip on the Rogue River. [42] |
| Some of My Best Friends are Dolphins | August 20, 1976 [43] | Two children work with dolphins at the Miami Seaquarium. [44] |
| It's Really Magic | September 21, 1976 [45] | Two 11-year-olds from New York travel to Hollywood to work with the magician Shimada and perform at the Magic Castle. [45] [46] |
| How Do You Make a Moose Smile? | October 1, 1976 [47] | Three New York 11- and 12-year-olds are taught by a professional how to photograph wildlife in the wilderness. [48] |
| North of the Arctic | December 4, 1976 [49] | Two youngsters from Portland, Oregon, become acquainted with an Eskimo family in Alaska. [49] [50] |
| Dance to the Music | December 5, 1976 [51] | Two teens spend a week at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York. [51] [52] |
| When Bold Knights Lanced | January 10, 1977 [53] | A boy and a girl attend the annual Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan. [53] |
| Gym Dandys | February 11, 1977 [54] [55] | Two kids from San Francisco receive lessons from gymnasts training for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. [54] |
| Sing, West Virginia, Sing | March 15, 1977 [56] | Two young Philadelphians learn about the music and culture of Appalachia. [56] |
References
-
^ Willey, George (January 18, 1975).
"A Closer Look: A new try at children's programming".
The Argus – via
Newspapers.com.
-
^ Beals, Kathie (January 27, 1975).
"It's New and just for kids".
The Daily Item – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
c
"'Give the Circus a Tumble'".
Daily Breeze. February 16, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "McGannon ups the ante" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 13, 1975.
- ^ a b c "Everyone liked our "Macaroni" so much, we're giving them a second helping" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 30, 1975.
- ^ "Call it renewed" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 7, 1975.
- ^ Brown, Les (1977). The New York Times Encyclopedia of Television (PDF). Times Books. p. 66. ISBN 9780812907216.
- ^ Call it macaroni : a series of 12 half-hour television programs for young people, aired once a month, since January 1975 by 100 stations throughout the U.S. WorldCat. OCLC 318535716.
- ^ a b "Through the Eyes of Children". Cashbox. July 5, 1975.
- ^ a b c "We're Busy!" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 16, 1976.
- ^ "Look what we're up to!" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 13, 1977.
- ^ Brown, Les (June 5, 1975). "Children's Fare Taking a Giant Step on Local TV". The New York Times.
- ^ O'Connor, John J. (December 28, 1975). "TV View". The New York Times.
- ^ "Call it Macaroni - Peabody Awards".
- ^ "Seton Hall Radio Station Wins A Peabody Award for 'Poetry'". The New York Times. March 29, 1976.
-
^
"Television Today".
Oakland Tribune. January 24, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Designed for Discovery".
Kenosha News. April 26, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Best Bets".
San Francisco Examiner. February 19, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Wednesday March 19, 1975 Evening".
The Baltimore Sun. March 16, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Sun. TV Hilights".
Statesman Journal. April 20, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Friday May 23 Evening".
Redlands Daily Facts. May 23, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"TV Hi-lites".
The Reporter – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"'Texas Tenderfoot' Teaches City Children to Wrangle".
Missoulian. May 24, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Sunday".
The Morning Call. June 6, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"TV Highlights". San Antonio Express. August 9, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b McLean, Robert A. (July 22, 1975).
"Dial-Log".
Boston Globe – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"TV Previews".
Bridgeport Telegram. July 25, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Tonight's Movies and Highlights". Ellwood City Ledger. September 4, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Friday Evening".
The Boston Globe. November 16, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Today's Highlights".
Lincoln Journal Star. 21 December 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"'Call It Macaroni': Puppets".
Edwardsville Intelligencer – via Newspapers.com.
-
^ Engle, Murry (11 July 1975).
"The World's a Better Place With Love".
Honolulu Star-Bulletin – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Kevin Clash: The Man Behind Elmo (interview)". NPR. 15 December 2011.
-
^
"Tonight".
San Francisco Examiner. December 15, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Taking the New World to Explore Remote Islands". San Francisco Examiner. December 14, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Highlights".
The Cincinnati Enquirer. April 18, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Wilson, John S. (April 18, 1976). "Guitarist". The New York Times.
-
^
"Tonight".
The Portsmouth Herald. May 21, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"'Lights, Camels, Action'".
Sunday News. May 30, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Tuesday Evening".
The Press Democrat. June 11, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Sunday Morning".
Chicago Tribune. July 25, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Friday Evening". Boston Globe. July 23, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Friday: Tops Today".
The Boston Globe. August 15, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Sunday Afternoon".
South Bend Tribune. June 26, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Call It Macaroni It's Really Magic TV listing".
The Morning News. September 21, 1976. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Sunday Afternoon". South Bend Tribune. September 21, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Thursday Night".
The Wichita Beacon. October 1, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Series, Debate, 'Puzzle Children' and lesser events to fill out week".
Peninsula Times Tribune. October 16, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Saturday".
Orlando Sentinel. November 28, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Sunday Afternoon". South Bend Tribune. July 24, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Sunday, Dec. 5".
Omaha World-Herald. December 5, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Boy, girl visit dance center".
Dayton Daily News. November 9, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Afternoons, Monday through Friday".
The Republic. January 8, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Kids Train with Champs". The Weirton Daily Times. February 11, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"TV for Children, Sunday".
The Cincinnati Enquirer. September 18, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Tuesday Evening". Boston Globe. March 15, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
Call It Macaroni is an American children's television series that premiered on January 24, 1975. [1] It was produced by Group W (Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, Inc.) with executive producers Gail Frank and Stephanie Meagher. [2] [3] Prior to its release, Donald McGannon, the chair of Group W, announced the show was a call to action for children to have a specific slot for their television. [4] Intended to be a 12-part series of children's specials to be aired once a month, due to its popularity, another 12 specials were produced. [5] [6]
Its goal was to show 10-12-year-olds different things they could experience in the United States. [7] It follows a different group of children each episode as they go to different places within the country, learning about a culture, city, environment, job, or hobby.
The first season was sold to 100, [5] [8] 103 [9] or 104 [10] [11] stations in syndication. [12] It was well received [5] [10] [13] and won a Peabody Award in 1975. [14] [15]
Episodes
There are 24 half-hour episodes of Call it Macaroni. [10] Air dates listed below may be later than the first airing. One episode, "Gym Dandys", is viewable on YouTube.
| Episode | Air date | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|
| It's a Long Way Up | January 24, 1975 [16] | Three teens climb Mount Hood in Oregon. [17] |
| Give the Circus a Tumble | February 19, 1975 [3] [18] | Three 11-year-olds spend a week with Circus Vargas as it tours and performs in Colorado. [3] |
| Fly like a Bird | March 19, 1975 [19] | Two San Franciscans take glider and hang gliding lessons. [19] |
| Once Upon a Horse | April 20, 1975 [20] | Two 12-year-olds get horse riding lessons and participate in a riding competition. [21] |
| Sail on the Winds of Time | April 24, 1975 [22] | Teens learn aboard a replica of a 19th century schooner. [22] |
| Texas Tenderfoot | May 30, 1975 [23] | Three teens from the San Francisco Bay region become wranglers, helping to drive horses from Big Bend National Park in West Texas to a ranch 60 miles (97 km) away. [23] |
| Exploring Yesterday | June 6, 1975 [24] | Three children get to experience how the Native Americans of northern Minnesota lived. [25] |
| A Seaful of Adventure | July 22, 1975 [26] | Three youngsters from the Boston area take a cruise on the Florida shrimp boat Lady Gin. [26] [27] |
| The Boys and Girls of Summer | September 4, 1975 [28] | A boy and a girl from Philadelphia go to the Philadelphia Phillies spring training camp in Florida. [28] |
| Path of Papagos | November 16, 1975 [29] | Three youngsters experience the Native American way of life. [29] |
| Puppets and Other People [30] | December 6, 1975 [31] | Three children from Boston construct a puppet under the supervision of puppeteer Kermit Love. [31] [32] Kevin Clash, the best known puppeteer to perform as Sesame Street's Elmo, saw this episode as a teen and asked his mother to help him contact Love; [33] she succeeded, and Love eventually became his mentor. |
| Where Do we Sign Up, When Do We Leave? | December 15, 1975 [34] | Three kids from the San Francisco area spend a week on a racing schooner exploring the Channel Islands of California. [35] |
| Nashville: Over the Rainbow | April 18, 1976 [36] | In the first episode of the second year, [9] a 13-year-old Dobro guitar player goes to Nashville and gets to perform with Bobby Bare. [37] |
| Lights, Camels, Action | May 21, 1976 [38] | Three New Yorkers join a production company working on the film Hawmps!, a comedy about the United States Camel Corps, on location in Arizona and become extras in one scene. [39] |
| And That's Jazz | June 11, 1976 [40] | Two budding musicians from New York go to New Orleans and join a jazz session. [41] |
| Rogue Runners | July 23, 1976 [42] | Some youngsters go on a five-day rafting trip on the Rogue River. [42] |
| Some of My Best Friends are Dolphins | August 20, 1976 [43] | Two children work with dolphins at the Miami Seaquarium. [44] |
| It's Really Magic | September 21, 1976 [45] | Two 11-year-olds from New York travel to Hollywood to work with the magician Shimada and perform at the Magic Castle. [45] [46] |
| How Do You Make a Moose Smile? | October 1, 1976 [47] | Three New York 11- and 12-year-olds are taught by a professional how to photograph wildlife in the wilderness. [48] |
| North of the Arctic | December 4, 1976 [49] | Two youngsters from Portland, Oregon, become acquainted with an Eskimo family in Alaska. [49] [50] |
| Dance to the Music | December 5, 1976 [51] | Two teens spend a week at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York. [51] [52] |
| When Bold Knights Lanced | January 10, 1977 [53] | A boy and a girl attend the annual Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan. [53] |
| Gym Dandys | February 11, 1977 [54] [55] | Two kids from San Francisco receive lessons from gymnasts training for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. [54] |
| Sing, West Virginia, Sing | March 15, 1977 [56] | Two young Philadelphians learn about the music and culture of Appalachia. [56] |
References
-
^ Willey, George (January 18, 1975).
"A Closer Look: A new try at children's programming".
The Argus – via
Newspapers.com.
-
^ Beals, Kathie (January 27, 1975).
"It's New and just for kids".
The Daily Item – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
c
"'Give the Circus a Tumble'".
Daily Breeze. February 16, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "McGannon ups the ante" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 13, 1975.
- ^ a b c "Everyone liked our "Macaroni" so much, we're giving them a second helping" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 30, 1975.
- ^ "Call it renewed" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 7, 1975.
- ^ Brown, Les (1977). The New York Times Encyclopedia of Television (PDF). Times Books. p. 66. ISBN 9780812907216.
- ^ Call it macaroni : a series of 12 half-hour television programs for young people, aired once a month, since January 1975 by 100 stations throughout the U.S. WorldCat. OCLC 318535716.
- ^ a b "Through the Eyes of Children". Cashbox. July 5, 1975.
- ^ a b c "We're Busy!" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 16, 1976.
- ^ "Look what we're up to!" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 13, 1977.
- ^ Brown, Les (June 5, 1975). "Children's Fare Taking a Giant Step on Local TV". The New York Times.
- ^ O'Connor, John J. (December 28, 1975). "TV View". The New York Times.
- ^ "Call it Macaroni - Peabody Awards".
- ^ "Seton Hall Radio Station Wins A Peabody Award for 'Poetry'". The New York Times. March 29, 1976.
-
^
"Television Today".
Oakland Tribune. January 24, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Designed for Discovery".
Kenosha News. April 26, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Best Bets".
San Francisco Examiner. February 19, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Wednesday March 19, 1975 Evening".
The Baltimore Sun. March 16, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Sun. TV Hilights".
Statesman Journal. April 20, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Friday May 23 Evening".
Redlands Daily Facts. May 23, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"TV Hi-lites".
The Reporter – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"'Texas Tenderfoot' Teaches City Children to Wrangle".
Missoulian. May 24, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Sunday".
The Morning Call. June 6, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"TV Highlights". San Antonio Express. August 9, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b McLean, Robert A. (July 22, 1975).
"Dial-Log".
Boston Globe – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"TV Previews".
Bridgeport Telegram. July 25, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Tonight's Movies and Highlights". Ellwood City Ledger. September 4, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Friday Evening".
The Boston Globe. November 16, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Today's Highlights".
Lincoln Journal Star. 21 December 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"'Call It Macaroni': Puppets".
Edwardsville Intelligencer – via Newspapers.com.
-
^ Engle, Murry (11 July 1975).
"The World's a Better Place With Love".
Honolulu Star-Bulletin – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Kevin Clash: The Man Behind Elmo (interview)". NPR. 15 December 2011.
-
^
"Tonight".
San Francisco Examiner. December 15, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Taking the New World to Explore Remote Islands". San Francisco Examiner. December 14, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Highlights".
The Cincinnati Enquirer. April 18, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Wilson, John S. (April 18, 1976). "Guitarist". The New York Times.
-
^
"Tonight".
The Portsmouth Herald. May 21, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"'Lights, Camels, Action'".
Sunday News. May 30, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Tuesday Evening".
The Press Democrat. June 11, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Sunday Morning".
Chicago Tribune. July 25, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Friday Evening". Boston Globe. July 23, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Friday: Tops Today".
The Boston Globe. August 15, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Sunday Afternoon".
South Bend Tribune. June 26, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Call It Macaroni It's Really Magic TV listing".
The Morning News. September 21, 1976. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Sunday Afternoon". South Bend Tribune. September 21, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Thursday Night".
The Wichita Beacon. October 1, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Series, Debate, 'Puzzle Children' and lesser events to fill out week".
Peninsula Times Tribune. October 16, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Saturday".
Orlando Sentinel. November 28, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Sunday Afternoon". South Bend Tribune. July 24, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Sunday, Dec. 5".
Omaha World-Herald. December 5, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"Boy, girl visit dance center".
Dayton Daily News. November 9, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Afternoons, Monday through Friday".
The Republic. January 8, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Kids Train with Champs". The Weirton Daily Times. February 11, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
-
^
"TV for Children, Sunday".
The Cincinnati Enquirer. September 18, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Tuesday Evening". Boston Globe. March 15, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.