Posted by dave on November 10, 2009 at 17:34:57:
Legendary children's television host Bill Jackson will return to Chicago for a live show featuring Dirty Dragon and other characters from his popular children's television programs.
A benefit for the Museum of Broadcast Communications, 'Saturday Morning with B.J. and Dirty Dragon: Bill Jackson, Live in Person-One Last Time' will take place at The Lake Theater in Oak Park, IL on Saturday, December 5th from 10:00am to Noon.
To anyone who grew up watching local children's programming in the Chicago area during the late 60's and early 70's, the name Bill Jackson elicits fond memories. Jackson a gifted artist, comedian and puppeteer was hired in 1968 by
then-independent WFLD-Ch. 32, to create a show to compete with WGN-TV's popular Garfield Goose and Friends.
Debuting as Cartoon Town, the resulting show, later renamed The B.J. and Dirty Dragon Show, featured Jackson as town mayor, interacting with a host of memorable puppet characters, airing cartoons, drawing and carving the town monument, an interactive clay blob, known as Blob. Jackson was the creative force both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. He designed and built the sets, created and worked all of the puppets, wrote the scripts and voiced the characters.
"Bill Jackson is probably the most creative personality ever to work in local television, certainly in Chicago and maybe in other markets as well," said MBC President Bruce DuMont. "A healthy portion, if not a majority of Bill's fans had all gone into some form of creativity-- advertising, art direction, writing--and they were there because Bill was their inspiration."
'Saturday Morning with B.J. and Dirty Dragon: Live in Person-One Last Time' will give fans of his shows, a chance to relive childhood memories and reacquaint themselves with some of Jackson's most popular characters, including Mother Plumtree, Old Professor, Wally and Weird, the town monument, Blob--and of course that cranky postmaster, Dirty Dragon.
Jackson and his puppets appeared in a number of other shows, including BJ's Bunch, which aired locally in New York. The educationally-themed Gigglesnort Hotel first aired in 1975, was syndicated nationally and remained in reruns on WLS in Chicago through 1985. Firehouse Follies, the final program to use his characters aired 1979-1980. Jackson eventually left television and taught at the California Institute of the Arts for 12 years.
Jim Engel, a curator for the MBC and children's television historian, is producing the show with Jackson.
Tickets to 'Saturday Morning with B.J. and Dirty Dragon: Live in Person-One Last Time' at The Lake Theater,
(1022 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL) are $60 each. Premium VIP tickets are $120 each and include a pre-show meet and greet with Bill Jackson. Tickets can be ordered at www.Museum.TV or by calling (312) 822-0512.
The benefit event is sponsored by Classic Cinemas and Rubschlager. Promotional support provided by American Airlines, Me-TV and MarksPlier.