Kid Show

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More About

• David McCall
• Michael Eisner
• Fort Worth
• Emmy Awards
• Advertising

It's not easy on the soul pushing toy guns and brightly colored, bombastic commercials on unsuspecting children, so sometimes advertisers choose to do some good. In the early '70s, advertising executive David McCall observed that his son was having trouble with multiplication tables but somehow seemed to know the words to every pop hit on the radio. The solution was obvious. Mix information kids needed to learn with what advertisers know is the best tool to teach anybody anything—catchy, jingle-like songs. McCall pitched the idea to Michael Eisner (who was, at the time, head of ABC's children's programming division), and Schoolhouse Rock was born. Airing from the early '70s to the mid '80s, the Saturday morning show won four Emmy awards in the process of teaching children the fundamentals of history, grammar, science, math and politics. This month Casa Mañana's Children's Playhouse is presenting live versions of favorites such as "Interplanet Janet," "Conjunction Junction" and the beautiful "Figure Eight," so the original intended audience can enjoy them with their own children. Shows run Friday through October 15 at the Casa Mañana Theater, 3101 W. Lancaster Ave. in Fort Worth. Call 817-332-2272 or visit casamanana.org.
Fridays-Sundays. Starts: Sept. 29. Continues through Oct. 15