Your Television Babysitter
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| Your Television Babysitter | |
|---|---|
| Presented by | Pat Meikle Don Hastings |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | DuMont |
| Release | November 1, 1948 |
| Related | |
| The Magic Cottage | |
Your Television Babysitter, also billed as Your TV Babysitter, was a daytime live television children’s series which debuted November 1, 1948, on the DuMont Television Network, and was hosted by Pat Meikle and created by her husband Hal Cooper.
Broadcast history[edit]
Your Television Babysitter was hosted by Pat (Mary Patricia) Meikle. In each episode, Meikle would tell a story using her “magic chalkboard”, from which colorful fairy-tale characters would appear, including Maxwell the Mouse. The series was produced by Hal Cooper (February 23, 1923 - April 11, 2014), Meikle's husband. They married on December 21, 1944, had two children Bethami (b. August 16, 1954) and Pamela. Meikle and Cooper divorced in 1970.[1]
Your Television Babysitter, which aired Monday through Friday 8:30am to 9am ET, led to a spin-off, Meikle and Cooper’s The Magic Cottage, which was aimed at slightly older children, and aired on weekday evenings from 6:30 to 7 pm ET.[1]
According to the book The Forgotten Network, both series were well received at the time.[2] Variety praised Meikle and stated that "her knowing method of not talking down to her moppet audience, is probably the answer to a mother's prayer. She's already being touted as a new TV star..."[3] The Magic Cottage continued on DuMont’s flagship station WABD until 1955. Meikle continued to work at WABD after both series had finished their runs.
Episode status[edit]
As with most DuMont series, no episodes are known to exist.
See also[edit]
- List of programs broadcast by the DuMont Television Network
- List of surviving DuMont Television Network broadcasts
- 1948–49 United States network television schedule (weekday)
- Playroom, DuMont children's series
- Kids and Company, DuMont children's series hosted by Johnny Olsen
- The Magic Cottage (1949-1951) DuMont series also created by Meikle and Hal Cooper
References[edit]
- ^ a b Davis, Jeffery (1995). Children's Television, 1947-1990. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. p. 163. ISBN 0-89950-911-8.
- ^ Weinstein, David (2004). The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. pp. 54–55. ISBN 1-59213-245-6. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
- ^ "DuMont's Round-Clock Sked". Weekly Variety. 1948-11-10. p. 38. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
Bibliography[edit]
- David Weinstein, The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004) ISBN 1-59213-245-6
- Alex McNeil, Total Television, Fourth edition (New York: Penguin Books, 1980) ISBN 0-14-024916-8
- Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows, Third edition (New York: Ballantine Books, 1964) ISBN 0-345-31864-1