Tribune Revives Wonderama!!!

Tribune Syndication is trying out a revival of the 1970's-early 80's childern's show "Wonderama", and like the original, the new version will originate from New York this time at WPIX Studios (the 70's version was taped at what is now WNYW Fox 5). The new host is David Osmond, nephew of Donny, and will have elements of the original mixed with newer features. There will be a "Wonderama Christmas Special" just on WPIX Dec. 25, and the show itself debuts on Jan. 7, 2017 on the following Tribune owned stations:

New York (WPIX); Dallas/Fort Worth (KDAF); Washington, DC (WDCW); Houston (KIAH); Seattle (KCPQ & KZJO); Miami/Fort Lauderdale (WSFL); Denver (KDVR & KWGN); Portland, OR (KRCW); Hartford/New Haven (WTIC & WCCT); Oklahoma City (KFOR & KAUT); Indianapolis (WXIN, WTTV & WTTV 4.2); Norfolk (WTKR & WGNT) and New Orleans (WGNO & WNOL).

If the test run is a success, look for Wonderama to be perhaps part of the Saturday CW lineup Fall 2017

I bet this will carry the E/I tag.

I'm not so sure, because if this is indeed a reboot of the original, it will be part game show (with actual prizes), lots of music, most of which does not fit in the E/I category.

CaliRadioFan said:

I'm not so sure, because if this is indeed a reboot of the original, it will be part game show (with actual prizes), lots of music, most of which does not fit in the E/I category.

Click to expand...

I was saying it would be retooled to meet E/I standards.

I never heard of Wonderam until this post kinda sounds like a kids show.

The original Wonderama on WNEW-TV in NY was in fact a Saturday morning kids show, hosted by Sonny Fox.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderama

Wonderama back in the 70s besides New York's WNEW also aired on Washington's WTTG, KTTV in Los Angeles, KMBC in Kansas City and I am pretty sure WXIX in Cincinnati and WTCN in the Twin Cities. I guess this would explain Wonderama's Bob McAllister making a claim just before his death from cancer in 1998 about being such a big star in some cities but totally unknown in others.

You sure this is real? And it's not one of those "Fox affiliates take My Little Pony" fake stories.
There have been quite a few "game shows" that have had E/I bumpers in the past. I can think of four in the past 20 years: Click, Peer Pressure, Go for It TV and Gladiators 2000. If Wonderama has music and game show elements, as long as it fits the core FCC E/I requirements, it should be fine.
Look for KZJO to take this rather than KCPQ. And if so, they will probably bury it to 7AM on a weekday morning. They have been pulling that the past few years...airing E/I programming at 7AM M-F followed by a court show. KCYU/KFFX Yakima Tri-Cities does this with Litton's Go Time block, airing one certain show at 9:30AM on a certain weekday.

This is only a trial run by Tribune, right? No other stations in non-Tribune markets taking this show?

Here's the article:

http://pix11.com/2016/11/30/wondera...-pix11-in-new-version-of-beloved-family-show/

The vibe I'm getting from what's written and the video clip that's been posted is that someone from Tribune thinks maybe the time is right to go 'old school' children's programming. Work up something that will attract young eyeballs in 2017, and more importantly attract advertisers to reach those young eyeballs. There seems to be at least some money behind this, which makes me think this is not time filler meant for a weekday morning throwaway slot. But they're not 100% certain of the show's success, hence the limited market tryout. The pilot special airs on Christmas night @ 6pm on WPIX. It will be interesting to see the regular Saturday time slots on January 7, 2017. And yes, just the stations listed are signed on for now.

Update: From the wonderamatv.com website, the time slots and stations -

SEASON ONE STARTING JANUARY 7th / 8th

Saturdays

WTTV4.2 / Indianapolis – 11:00 AM
WCLT / Chicago – Noon
KIAH /Houston – Noon
KWGN / Denver – Noon
KUAT / Oklahoma City – 1:00 PM

Sundays

KZJO / Seattle – 10:00 AM
WGNT / Norfolk – 11:00 AM
WCCT / Hartford – Noon
WNOL / New Orleans – 1:00 PM
WSFL /Miami – 2:00 PM
KRCW / Portland – 2:00 PM
WDCW / Washington, DC – 5:00 PM
PIX11 / New York – 6:00 PM

WCLT? I guess that's the cable-only CLTV (operated by Tribune/WGN). Lots of Sunday showings - I'm surprised. I would think the majority of them would air Wonderama on Saturday mornings, as if it was a children's block.

The number of Sunday slots reinforces my 'old school' theory, as Sunday was the day a lot of these stations programmed kids' shows pre-WB (now CW) and UPN (now MyNet) Would love to hear from people in the listed cities just how much on-air promotion "Wonderama" gets in the next two weeks.

Did anyone watch the WPIX Xmas "Wonderama" special? If so, thoughts?

crainbebo said:

You sure this is real? And it's not one of those "Fox affiliates take My Little Pony" fake stories.
There have been quite a few "game shows" that have had E/I bumpers in the past. I can think of four in the past 20 years: Click, Peer Pressure, Go for It TV and Gladiators 2000. If Wonderama has music and game show elements, as long as it fits the core FCC E/I requirements, it should be fine.
Look for KZJO to take this rather than KCPQ. And if so, they will probably bury it to 7AM on a weekday morning. They have been pulling that the past few years...airing E/I programming at 7AM M-F followed by a court show. KCYU/KFFX Yakima Tri-Cities does this with Litton's Go Time block, airing one certain show at 9:30AM on a certain weekday.

This is only a trial run by Tribune, right? No other stations in non-Tribune markets taking this show?

Click to expand...

You forgot the two J.D. Roth hosted/produced offerings, NBC's Endurance and Fox's Moolah Beach.

RadioFreeCedarCity said:

You forgot the two J.D. Roth hosted/produced offerings, NBC's Endurance and Fox's Moolah Beach.

Click to expand...

And Fun House in the late 80's early 90's watched it on WGN also came on WOTV.

But Fun House wasn't "E/I", this was a few years before the requirements became part of children's television.

BTW, how's Wonderama? Good ratings? Good show?

I've Seen it on the WPIX app on Roku, It's OK I can see Kids and Tweens enjoying the show

theme song

Was this the program that had the theme song, "Kids are People Too?" Because my mother loved that song!

Wonderama was broadcast in the Boston market on the former WSMW-TV channel 27, now a Univision O&O. How times have changed; now people want to watch Spanish soccer and novelas on Sunday instead of something like that.

Kids Are People Too was a separate show that aired in the late 1970s.