Today's Special
Today's Special was a Canadian children's television program produced by Clive VanderBurgh at TVOntario from 1981 to 1987.[1] It was set in a department store, based on the flagship location of the now defunct Simpson's in Toronto. Many sequences for it were shot at the Queen Street West and Yonge Street store after hours.
| Today's Special | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Clive VanderBurgh |
| Starring | Jeff Hyslop Nerene Virgin Bob Dermer Nina Keogh |
| Country of origin | Canada U.S. |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 122 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 Minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | TVOntario (Canada) Nickelodeon/Nick Jr./PBS Playhouse Disney Noggin Discovery Kids (U.S.) |
| Original release | September 1, 1981 – July 1, 1987 |
Characters
Core characters
- Jeff (Jeff Hyslop): A mannequin with a magic hat that makes him come to life when someone says "hocus pocus alimagocus". If it comes off his head, he turns back into a mannequin. He can't leave the store or he will become one permanently (he can only go outside onto the building's roof or, in very rare episodes, when traveling by magic). Because he has not been alive for very long, he knows little about many everyday objects (at least in earlier seasons). However, he is often shown to be a fast learner, a deep thinker, and a source of ideas. He is also a very talented dancer, which he at some point demonstrates in nearly every episode. Though he wishes that he was not bound by the rules of the spell that keeps him alive, he puts his friends' needs first.
- Jodie (Nerene Virgin): The store's display designer. Portrayed as a sweet, level-headed woman, she functions as a mentor and teacher to Jeff, who is relatively new to the world. He often works as her assistant in setting up the displays. Although she has no established authority, she usually takes a leadership role among the characters. Her words are often comforting to others, and she is always ready to help her friends with their problems.
- Sam Crenshaw (puppet, Bob Dermer): The store's security guard. Born in 1919,[2] he is the oldest of the four main characters. He is a generally laid-back individual, as the years have worn him down. He often fails to notice or realize certain things around him at first, though when he does, he is known to get hysterical about it. He doesn't seem particularly bright and is sometimes clumsy, but he means well and is capable in his job. He is a retired sailor and a veteran of the Boer Wars, and his signature song is "Singin' Yo Hee Ho". He's a widower and also has a pet cat named Penelope that Muffy is afraid of. He uses a computer to mind the store sometimes
- Muffy Mouse (puppet, Nina Keogh): A mouse who speaks in rhyme and lives in the store all the time. She plays the piano, rides a scooter, and wears a feather boa around her neck like a lasso. She also plays tricks on people, and enjoys mischievous acts. As a mouse, she is obsessed with cheese and other snacks. She's young, naive and her fear of cats makes mention of them a pet peeve. She is usually the first one to get upset or frustrated over a situation, and her cousin, Mort visits her on occasion.
Other main characters
- TXL Series 4 (Robyn Hayle): The store’s computer system. Sam operates it from the security room. It appears to have a feminine persona. Despite being a machine, it is suggested that it is capable of human emotions.
- Mrs. Pennypacker (puppet, Cheryl Wagner): An employee who runs the stock room at night. She is an elderly lady who shows her age in terms of physical appearance more than Sam does, but often appears more enthusiastic and full of energy than him. Her motto is "I know where everything goes" and the others sometimes call upon her knowledge of the store's layout to find obscure or special items.
- Mort (puppet, Bob Stutt): Muffy’s cousin from the farm. His country lifestyle tends to contrast with her city life. He, like her, speaks in rhyme, and often comes to visit.
- Waldo the Magnificent (Barrie Baldaro): The magician who originally brought Jeff to life. A rather wise but somewhat inept man, the spells he casts with his wand often go awry, and it may take multiple tries to get it right. A running gag is his tendency to call Sam by the wrong name.
- The Mime Lady (Nikki Tilroe): A mime character seen in quiz segments of the show. Tilroe also provided voices for several other characters.
- Eddie ([Little People]): A boy with a blond hair. He usually wears a red-and-white striped shirt and blue pants.
- Michael ([Little People]): An African-American boy. He usually wears an aquamarine sweater, blue pants, and a red cap.
- Sarah Lynn ([Little People]): A girl with blond hair. She usually wears a blue shirt with a red flower on it.
- Maggie ([Little People]): A girl with curly light brown hair. She usually wears a light blue shirt and red glasses.
- Sonya Lee ([Little People]): An Asian-American girl. She wears a white shirt, pink overalls, and a pink headband.
Premise
In the children's department of a major department store, each night when Jodie arrives for work, she carries a mannequin (Jeff) upstairs, where Muffy says the magic words "hocus pocus alimagocus!" This brings him to life.
Many early episodes focused on a tangible object as a subject, such as hats or costumes, with the show revolving around teaching about it. Later episodes dealt with more complicated ones, such as the episode "Wishes" dealing with sacrificing one thing for another, "Butterflies", that deals with death, or "Phil's Visit", which dealt with alcoholism.
Short films, often less than a minute long, were often inserted as breaks in the episode's main plot, narrated by Robyn Hayle (the same actress who provided the voice of TXL). These included Mime Lady segments, animated quizzes designed to test a child's observation, narrated storybooks, and popular nursery rhymes (which an unseen Muffy would introduce with "And now I'd like to introduce a nursery rhyme by Mother Goose").
Many episodes featured one or more one-time visitors to the store. Some would cause problems for the characters, while others would befriend them and help solve their problems. These visitors included the characters' friends or family, people coming to the store to do their jobs, people brought there by magic ("Treasure Hunts", "The Queen of Hearts"), bizarre, non-human characters ("Space", "Sam and the Robot"), and real-life celebrities ("Opera", "Trash"). Magic was important to many episodes, and the characters sometimes would have an adventure that involved it.
References
- Sanderson, Vicky (September 10, 1982). "TVOntario combats mindless TV: Today's Special gives kids something to respond to from Full Screen to Widescreen". The Toronto Globe and Mail. p. 20. ProQuest 386689363. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
- "Sam and the Robot". Today's Special. Season 7. TVOntario.
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