Name: Garfield Goose and Friends
Genre: Family
Rating: 8.7
Cast: Frazier Thomas

"The Adventures of a Goose Who thinks that He's King of the United States!" Mr. Frazier Thomas, we truly miss you and your kind!

WELL, WHAATTA YA know! After all of these past 10 or so years of reading reviews and then writing them for IMDb.com, we were quite surprised to find such an old childhood "friend" as GARFIELD GOOSE & FRIENDS listed in the titles of series.

THIS ISN'T BECAUSE we thought the kiddie show to be unworthy of such inclusion; for we feel strongly about its being of such a quality to put it at the top of such a list of juvenile programming.

IT'S JUST THAT we had never known until this very evening that it had a short run on Network Television. You see, you learn something new every day! 

WE WERE AWARE that the show did do some jumping around; going from one local Chicago Television Station to another, during those early days. As a matter of fact, in those early 1950's, when we here in the Chicago market had only 4 TV Stations, GARFIELD GOOSE & FRIENDS managed to play on three of them. Having started on WBBM Chanel 2 (CBS), where it saw two non-consecutive year long runs, as well as a stint on WBKB Channel 7* (ABC); before settling down to an extended stay of over two decades on WGN Channel 9 (Independent**).

THE FORMAT OF the show was very simple, being one set; which was the front of Garfield's "Castle". This was the puppet stage, where the M.C./Creator, Frazier Thomas, would stand and carry on "conversations" with the "King" and various other denizens of the "Castle".

THE OTHER CHARACTERS included: Gar's nephew Chris (full name Christmas Goose); former Magician's assistant, Romberg Rabbit, McIntosh Mouse, cute& cuddly, but otherwise nondescript; Bloodhound Beauregard Burnside III, Chief of the King's Secret Service. In the very early tears, they even had a Butler, Geronimo; who was a real, live monkey in butler suit! 

MR. THOMAS DID a great job of creating interest for their young viewers by almost always opening the new days's episode already in a conversation with one of the characters; a ploy which immediately drew the viewer into the festivities. Frazier was also a good sport in his use of self deprecating humor. He would refer to himself as "Big, Fat, Friendly Frazier. Much like this writer, he was truly "fully figured."

THERE WAS A GOOD deal of continuity maintained over the years as there were many references to Gar's girlfriend, "Gasparella", his rival "Garfunkel" and various "Goose Boy" Organizations.

ONE OF OUR favourite bits involved reference to Garfield's Mother, who was said to be retired and living in Florida. She would send a letter before visits stating things like "I'll be flying up (to Chicago) to see you soon"; at which point Mr. Thomas (who was reading the letter aloud) would motion to the King, flapping his arms like wings. Gar would shake it off, making motion mimicking the flight of a passenger plane.

ANOTHER ON GOING gag involved Gar's Mother referring to Frazier Thomas as being Gar's "Doorman"; as he was always wearing a suit-coat with shoulder epaulets and many military type medals, befitting the King's Prime Minister; which was his official title.

OTHER FEATURES ON the series featured (in the early days) the Magic Drawing Board; on which the puppeteer/artist Roy Brown would illustrate recorded kids' stories from the rear of the paper surface unseen on the TV screen. There was also the Little Theatre Screen which gave us a seemingly endless array of cartoons. The titles ranged from 1930's Screen Gems KRAZY KAT and SCRAPPY episodes to some Warner Brothers LOONEY TUNES ans MERRIE MELODIES. Made for TV animation included: POW-WOW THE Indian BOY, BUCKY & PEPITO, THE MIGHTY HERCULES, THE FUNNY COMPANY, some odd European imports and (of course) CLUTCH CARGO! 

AS YOU CAN see, we were viewers in the Ryan household on Damen Avenue; and we have a great fondness for the show, which persists to this very day!

NOTE: * Our local Channel 7 has had three different call letters; WENR (Water Electricity Natural Resourses), then WBKB (for Balaban & Katz Broadcasting) and finally WLS (from its former sister radio station).

NOTE: ** WGN (from "World's Greatest Newspaper") was and is owned by the Chicago Tribune; which has now grown to a national Superstation.

The family genre features stories specifically created to be suitable for a wide range of age groups within a family. Family-oriented content is designed to be enjoyed by both children and adults, often providing entertainment that is wholesome, relatable, and appropriate for all members of a family to watch or experience together.

Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Garfield Goose was the self-proclaimed "King of the United States". His front man, Frazier Thomas would translate whatever any of the hand puppets "said". None of the puppets had a voice and only spoke through Mr. Thomas, whose role was the King's translator/ambassador. They would have guests and show cartoons, including old cartoons that everyone had seen over and over. The show appealed to all races and creeds, and although Garfield was sarcastic about everything, they never used the platform to be hurtful or to further any agendas. Mr. Thomas always would admonish Garfield for his remarks and show him feeling chagrined. The puppeteers could make the hand puppets actually show sorrow and glee, and all the emotions in between. All in all a wonderful children's show that, entertained as well as taught valuable lessons, easily on par with other shows like Kukla, Fran and Ollie (1947) and Shari Lewis's Lambchop.

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Gregg Berger and Lorenzo Music in Garfield and Friends (1988)

Lorenzo Music in Here Comes Garfield (1982)

Garfield Goose and Friends

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