I talked about Pinwheel a little bit during a school presentation on lost media and, it turns out, my teacher watched it as a kid. The minute she saw the picture of Jake, Aurelia, Ebenezer, Plus, and Minus, she lit up with nostalgia and even began humming the theme song. Made my day 😊
I think this is the first time I've seen somebody look back at Pinwheel with respect and a bit of reverence, even though, like you said, there aren't many episodes out there in the ether. This oral history of Nickelodeon you've started is fast becoming something this TV historian is looking forward to watching. I knew *some* of the history of the network, but to see someone go out and compile clips and elements that haven't been seen publicly in decades and often ignored by Nick themselves is refreshing as hell. It would be nice if this episode rekindles a love for Pinwheel to that first generation who watched it and could share with their kids and *gulp* grandkids. Keep up the good work, and keep creating.
Wow, I never realized how raw Pinwheel started out as. Definitely had that public access vibe going on. This used to be my favorite show back in the day. During summer vacation I would watch the daily 3 hour blocks for as long as my mom would let me. It's a shame it's now mostly forgotten. Still, maybe this will help drum up new interest. Can't wait for the next episode!
Christopher Sobieniak Usenet still exist, but many ISPs in America dropped support for it in the 2000s. However, I think you can still use services like Google Groups to access it.
If Nick had the audacity to look back into the network's roots back then there will be a chance that Pinwheel would have a revival as a Sesame Street-like kids show for Nick Jr back in the late 90s or early 2000s.
Okay, I've been watching Nick Knacks for a while, and something has been forming in my mind: do an animated Pinwheel reboot. Do what the Ducktales reboot did and reimagine not just the show itself, but the entirety of Nickelodeon's earlier programming. Call it "Pinwheel Prime" I've even figured out a premise: High School graduate Jake James tries to figure out what he should do after college when he's told that he is to inherit his grandfather's old Pinwheel house. Located in the small seaside town of Nickel Bay, James comes into contact with weird fantastical characters like Ebenezer, Plus, Minus and Coco, the inhabitants of the old house. Jake also befriends other people: Crispin, an ancient sorcerer reincarnated as an aspiring magician, Josie, an inventor and hiker, Belle and Sebastian with their Uncle Dusty, and much, much more. Perhaps Danger Mouse is his favorite show? I see this show as a combination of wholesome and Down-to-Earth slice-of-life stories and more fast paced Looney Tunes-esque scenarios that channels the chaos of the network from the late 80s to the mid 2000s. What do you think? While I don't think this would happen, it would be a pretty cool show that celebrates the legacy of the network, from Hocus Pocus all the way to You Can't Do That On Television. Get back to me on this, I think we may have Nick's next big thing on our hands. In the meantime, keep up the good work!
Pinwheel was the foundation of Nickelodeon, You Can't Do That On Television & Double Dare was what Nickelodeon was built on.....it's slowly been crumbling since the 1990's.
Considering the fact that Nickelodeon only had three "puppet" shows before Eureeka's Castle in 1989. The network had to "adopt" Dusty's Treehouse and Today's Special as companions with Pinwheel.
@@melissawickersham9912 Yes, & I remember hearing in a video of Christine McGlade Aka Moose....talking about some of the very early scenes/skits were never shown in America because the father was drinking beer.
I think Nickelodeon can put Pinwheel on DVD if they wanted to. The could just edit out the animated shorts and any part that introduced them. But I think the reason they won't is probably because that Nick wants to pretend that era of the channel never existed.
@@nah....6151 That's because the 90s is considered the peak of Nickelodeon. And I think you're a bit off on the age group. There are still people who remember peak Nick and haven't reach 30 yet.
Xecter Ryan yeah they should put it back on tv for the next generation and put all 260 episodes of the show on Dvd and you can’t do that on television too and today special too and Sharon Lois and bram elephant show on dvd as well and eureekas castle on dvd and the rest of the classic Nickelodeon shows from the 1980s early 1990s
@@nah....6151 I think the reason Nick doesn't wax nostalgia for it's 80's stuff is because most of what they aired in the 80's was imported from other countries, and they didn't create them themselves (with the exception of "Pinwheel," and even then, a lot of the segments from "Pinwheel" were outsourced). Don't get me wrong, the Pinwheel era was my childhood. This is just my theory on things. EDIT: I forgot to mention that they may no longer have the rights to air some of the stuff they did in the 80's. Getting the rights can be a big hassle.
If anything, Pinwheel was the victim of being obscured due to cable TV still being in its infancy and VCR's were still very new and an expensive commodity in the home. Had I knew better, I would've begged my mom to tape every episode that came on during those years I saw it. I just never knew.
Not just Pinwheel but several of the early Nickelodeon shows had little to no video recordings remaining that survived today. Nickel Ficks perfect example of no known footage that was found. With Hocus Focus and By The Way examples of very little footage surviving to this day.
Your fantastic ability to research and present information on a great range of mediums is amazingly quenching to my thirst for more knowledge on virtually anything. I'm fascinated by your work, no matter the topic it's on and I'm super excited to see more of this. I hope it remains successful and worth it for you!
When I was in daycare back in the early 80's (consisting of little more than a local women's house), just about the only thing I remember was watching Pinwheel. This sort of became one of the first myths of my childhood because at home and at my family's homes they didn't have cable so there was just the PBS kids shows. Because I couldn't readily watch Pinwheel it's perceived quality grew in my mind. Was only after I watched some on UA-cam did I realize just how low budget it was. Strange what can affect one as a child.
Jersey Mike's Rail Videos Im 34 and daycare is where I just barely remember whatching it. I remember that green puppet with the cone nose, the snail, the bird and those bugs. Do you remember a show where their was a character that was basically a blob of clay that was shaped into something new for every episode. Or maybe not every episode cause I only have one scene in my head where it came in the room on a rolling pedestal crying?
I watched the ever-loving shit out of this show, even well beyond the age it had been aiming for. Some of the foreign cartoons were surreal as hell, and fun to watch.
I'd pretty much forgotten about this show that I grew up with as a kid in the 80's. I'd occasionally think of Picture Pages once every few years or so, but never more than vaguely remember the show it was on. Watching this video instantly brought everything back. I was laughing at how much I suddenly remembered. And now I understand why I thought I remembered watching this in the really early hours of the morning when I did remember the show. Sucks that this is pretty ,ich impossible to find anymore 😔
I was born in late 1977. Pinwheel was my entire preschool experience. I loved it. Every bit of it and I watched it all day when we were not outside. It was calm and sweet. It’s one of my most loved childhood memories. When I had my son I was so disappointed I couldn’t find it to share with him. What a wholesome show. ❤❤
Rolling the first couple out fast like this is a smart move. Seems like you're really passionate about this project and I love that. Also, ninjas of clowns? That sounds TERRIFYING.
As a kiddo I loved Pinwheel. I cannot forget the kinda-scary yet comforting production values of shows like this and The Letter People. It is something I will never be able to forget. Its amazing that people made all the sets and puppets w their hands. It had a charm to it. Modern computer generated stuff just does not have that kind of charm.
I REMEMBER THE LETTER PEOPLE. Pinwheel did give me Letter People vibes. I’m studying Nickelodeon history and I love the bumpers from the 80’s. It honestly would’ve been cool to see a crossover between The Letter People and Pinwheel, although The Letter People (the tv show) ended in 1976 while Pinwheel first aired in 1977. It also would’ve been cool to see the animated versions of The Letter People (the ones from the coloring pages and book) meet the characters from the Nickelodeon bumpers (like the Big Beast Quintet, the Singing Fruits, the Doo Wop Dinosaurs, the Top of the Hour, etc).
While Pinwheel might not have achieved the same level of popularity as Sesame Street, it certainly did pave the way for Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. Even though it might have been lost to time, it's still considered a cult classic. I do have some rather fond memories of this show. Its premise was simple: Offering comfort to children, even though it didn't offer much in the way of educational programming, such as Sesame Street, or emotional understanding, such as Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood did, just as you'd said. It sure did have a lot of songs, though. Thanks for the video.
The amazing thing about Pinwheel, to me at least, is that I was actually a big fan of several of the shorts and series they featured. Specifically, Paddington, Curious George, Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings, and the Mr. Men. I've discovered quite a few of the others recently through various means, such as Picture Pages, the Wombles, and Magic Roundabout, and really grown to like them all. Forget the songs and other stuff; just an hour of those shorts every day would have been a great companion to Sesame Street in my eyes.
Loved Hattytown Tales, Charlie's Climbing Tree (Kalles Klattertrade), Bunny in the suitcase (Kockusfulu Nyul), Chapi Chapo, King Rollo, Miximetric, Paddington, Curious George and my favorite Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings.
This was my show when I was 5/6 years old! I watched them all! It was my favorite! I remember "Simon," "Hatty Town," "Paddington Bear," and those two clay balls that would turn into different shapes and such, and so much more! I also remember "Today's Special" would come on afterwards.
I'm going to show my age... I grew up watching Pinwheel, Today's Special, Danger Mouse (I still watch Danger Mouse 😁) and You can't do that on television. I miss the good old days🥺
That was back when Nickelodeon WAS Nickelodeon during the silver ball days where the programs aired were exclusive. And don't forget Livewire where they had such music acts like R.E.M., Midnight Star and Haircut 100.
@@lightningmcseed7303 Warner was the previous owner but they did air PBS shows as well. Plus while it did air during the early Viacom era, no new episodes were produced.
@@stephenholloway6893 Didn't You Can't Do That on Television begin before Viacom got involved in Nickelodeon with Nick acknowledging that show? And they don't acknowledge Livewire despite that being one of their most successful early 1980s shows with Pinwheel and You Can't Do That on Television and it was still in production until 1986 (a year after Viacom gained Nickelodeon).
Your research and extensive thought are splendid. You display a depth of caring and seeing the good in everything you review. Also, the side-line during the song count was hilarious and adorable.
i remember this one short that had a kid who kind of looked like Doug. he had a little sister and seemed to live in the projects. every short would start with him standing outside his building
My first memories of a TV show was Pinwheel. I was born in 82’, so maybe I remember it from syndication? I remember the pinwheel spinning and the house.
Never saw a second of this show before watching this. So informative, and it makes me even more eager for this pre-Double Dare early phase of the retrospective
I remember an interstitial in the "silver ball" era--it was basically just a music video of a song by George James/Jake called "It's Your Day" and featured Jake, Ebenezer, and maybe one or two other Pinwheel characters hanging around an amusement park. It was a rather nice, pleasant song in that early-80s pop way.
It could be either way. If Warner sold the rights of the series to Viacom at the time of the switch of ownership then they wouldn't but if they kept it but licensed it to Nickelodeon afterwards they might still own it.
I LOVED Pinwheel. It’s amazing how much I had forgotten. Like, all of those cartoons! I didn’t know that’s where I had seen them, but knew them so well. Thank you for this.
Who was your favorite character? And I seem to remember [from either reruns on a Non-Nickelodeon channel or old VHS tapes] that Plus and Minus were very mischievous.
OMG Thank you for this! I used to watch this as a kid and those shorts your showed washed over like a strong wave of nostalgia. I would try to describe the shorts to friends and they had no idea what I'm talking about! What a nice and educational walk down memory lane.
As unfortunate as it is to paraphrase Doug Walker, he was the first I heard to describe Nickelodeon as like the mood swings of children as a network. Bouncing between calm and energetic with nostalgic fondness throughout.
While I remember watching Pinwheel towards the end of Nickelodeon airing,cO remember some of the shorts more then the series itself. Like Picture Puzzle, Pattington Bear, Curious George (not the current PBS version) , and the Canada shorts. With that said, Pinwheel is still an very important series for Nickelodeon. Since who knows what would even happen if Warner Communications decided to keep the series exclusive to Columbus Ohio, instead of launching and renaming the channel in 1979. Or for that matter, if WB kept Nickelodeon instead selling it to Viacom.
I've never forgotten the theme but I didn't remember any other detail. Digging like this makes me feel like parts of my brain which have been inactive for decades are now firing up
The funniest thing about watching this video really, really late is that somehow the line "heard the new spider-man movie was pretty good" in the jokes during the song segment is re-relevant in a way that made me double-take to make sure it wasn't a recent reupload. Anyway, all that said, I'm excited to watch this all, honestly, but especially these early early episodes. The fact that there's so rarely any focus put on those _early_ early eras of Nickelodeon was always really weird to me, like there was an entire piece of pop culture history getting ignored because the programming they put out in the 90s just washed the slate clean. Not to mention when it gets to those later shows, I'm gonna get to come face to face with things that I watched as a really young toddler, and as such have extremely vague faint memories of, and it's going to feel like seeing an old dream brought back into mind. All this to say. Good stuff.
i distictly remeber this... i watched it on ytv sometime in the early 90s. the music, and some of the charaters.. spark in my distant memory. like sigmond the sea snail... and mya the bee.. ... stuff from my memory.. before kindergarden..
If Nick wants to do an anniversary special, bring in George James and the original Coco for it. (If they’re not still alive, have a dedication credit.)
I'm so excited for this series given the first two episodes. I had never heard of Qube, and I had only vaguely heard of Pinwheel. So far, Nick Knacks is not only informational, but also incredibly fascinating! I'm looking forward to the shows I watched as a kid, but it's really interesting to see the origins of Nick. Plus, only one weird pronunciation in this entire half-hour video (at 26:55)! Improvement! Of course, I didn't think there were any times to say the word "escape." :P
I love coming back to this episode. I have a few memories of watching Pinwheel as a child, the most vivid being on summer vacation when my family rented a beach house, and the TV was showing an episode. I definitely remember Plus and Minus.
Pinwheel was WAY before my time. I was born in 1985, and my first intro to Nickelodeon was when "Double Dare" and "You Can't Do That on Television." came out a year later.
I didn't have Nickelodeon for the longest time (unless I visited my grandparents because their cable company carried it), but even I was aware of Pinwheel even before our company finally carried the network.
*Plus:* Hey, Minus? *Minus:* Yeah, Plus? *Plus:* Why is a mime like a hot fart? *Minus:* I don't know, Plus. Why? *Plus:* Because they're silent but deadly!
LOL! The Clock Man gave me nightmares for years. I recently caught it again, and the scene where his face appears in the trees around his castle...[shivers] My childhood nightmares re-awokened.
Thank you so much for this pinwheel deep-dive! I was born in 1983 and grew up in the Harrisburg, PA area. We had cable relatively early (a local company) and Pinwheel is one of those memories that is buried deep in my brain. I can sing the theme song and play "gotcha last" like plus & minus (the 2nd iteration, thank god), but I only have vague memories of a lot of the other parts of the main show. Watching the quick clips of the shorts was like watching my 4 year old life flash before me! I had to look up some footage of Picture Pages because the sound the Mortimer Ichabod Marker made is ingrained in my brain. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this series.
I paused at the part when he was talking about Pinwheel cartoons and segments and saw a name I thought I never would see again. I had no idea that Henry’s Cat was on prototype Nickelodeon. I used to have that on video when I was a kid!
Unlike Sesame Street Pinwheel had a certain level of mystique to it. It was a calm, soothing type of program that might have been boring to most but was that perfect ‘rainy day’ show to watch while curled up under the blanket on your couch while home sick. Of course the biggest distinction from SS was that it was less educational which i didn’t mind on a day off from school.
I feel like this is the type of show that people like Pendelton Ward and Rebecca Sugar watched as small kids and were subconsciously influenced by it. Especially all the weird, random songs.
Thanks for this series... We got cable just as this was launched and I know in the beginning they did show the QUBE version, a favorite segment was when Jake would have sound boxes. Basically , he'd open a box and they'd play a sound effect. By the time the new production came out I was starting to age out. I never liked the re-tooled versions of Plus and Minus or recast Coco. The introduction of other shorts kept me for that first season and there was a lot of carry-over from Captain Kangaroo was showing. Clips of the Hungarian Rabbit with Checkered Ears was a real standout and something I have found to show my kids.
It’s kind of hard to believe. One of the biggest animation channels on television started off with just one live-action show that resembled Sesame Street! I kind of like it, though, if anything for the weirdness and the simple songs.
Comfortable is the perfect description for this show. There was a very laid back flow to it that was kind of addictive. I actually enjoyed it more than Seasame Street.
i watched this in the 1989 when my parents left my brother and i alone i was 7 and he was 5, we would watch it all-day until todays special would come on. I missed all this. thank you so much for taking me back to childhood, im now 38 with all my success, i would give anything to experience this one more time.
I'm a 2000s kid, yet I somehow remember Pinwheel. I don't know how [possibly Sky Angel's KTV station? They did air a lot of obscure stuff like Gumby and Filmation's Archie. Or maybe old VHS tapes?], but I do remember. I wish I knew a little bit more about the puppet characters and their various scenes. I know Aurelia has magic, and I know she helps everyone with their problems, but were there any specific instances of Aurelia using her magic to help, or if the roles were ever reversed and everyone had to help Aurelia?
WOW! I’m a new subscriber to your channel, and I love historical videos like this. Especially when they include things I’ve never heard of. I grew up with Nick, but since I was born in 1993, I didn’t know any of this existed. I’m not done with the videos you’ve uploaded, but I can’t wait for more. Keep up the amazing work, and thank you for doing the discussion wit PieGuyRulz. That’s how I found you.
I watched this show when it was on the tail end of its run and started to get reduced down to make way for Nick Jr. programming. A shame that they don't acknowledge it in their history
I don't know how much I sawr of Pinwheel but I do remember it. Sometimes something random will trigger some memory of a short from the show. Years later when I learned when Nick essentially started, I thought it was so cool that it was 1979, the year I was born. I've gotten a great deal out of the channel over the years, especially Nick Jr which I still enjoy to this day. While I watched and have enjoyed various things on Disney for many years, it eventually lost that feeling being a part of me which Nick has maintained even if it's on a much smaller scale.
Yeah well, they needed a place to preach their message and I guess cable TV gave them that chance, especially after Reagan dropped the Fairness Doctrine and allowed broadcasters to not play their stuff for free anymore.
Man when I was a little girl I wanted the Pinwheel house to be made into a toy dollhouse. I still remember most of the theme song from this show. 🤣🤦🏼♀️
Thank you for explaining all of that to me. As someone who checked in and out of Pinwheel for about 5 years of my life, I could honestly say, I had no idea what the show was about. I thought it was boring and disjointed, though I did like the Paddington and Madeline shorts.
Wow, what was that clockman thing? I really enjoy these episodes even Nickelodeon wasn't a thing in Germany when I was a child. We only got it for about two years in the late 90s I think. But that was enough to discover the brilliance of Rocko's modern life. The channel returned some years later but it was never that popular.
It's funny how if you try to find anything about George James on the internet, you won't hardly find anything. Even on wikipedia, they don't even mention him and that guy is a legend for Nickelodeon. Racist bastards . I really appreciate you for making this video. This entire channel has some really great nostalgic content. I was sent here by watching episodes of Today's Special.
this is excellent- we didn't have cable at my house until (maybe) 1993/4, so pinwheel wasn't a part of my childhood...... but somehow you made me miss it! p.s. i would totally go to the movies with you, as a date even!
Maybe something is wrong with me, but Mr rogers and pinwheel were/are my favorite shows and my quiet soul is touched by the relaxed atmosphere they had. Thank you for your work researching this beautiful memory of so many. THANK YOU. Oh crap... I'm not crying, you are.....
I would think Pinwheel was more rural or even small town atmosphere, perhaps even suburban, since cable TV back then wasn't really an urban thing just yet. Many large cities still didn't have cable TV service for years to come, it was still mostly limited to those smaller communities with limited TV coverage and some cities like mine (Toledo).
Christopher Sobieniak When I was a kid, my parents had cable since we lived in Puerto Rico, and got "Pinwheel" as a midday block on Nickelodeon. This was similar to "Sesame Street", but quite close. I also remember when "The Magic Garden" was on WPIX-TV (Channel 11) in NYC back in the 1970's with two ladies where they tell stories, games and music. That was before "Pinwheel" came along. "The Magic Garden" was the show I used to watched as a kid, and it was shown only in NYC. WOR-TV (Channel 9) on the other hand had "Romper Room" from the 1970's, and it was also a local NYC kid show before "Pinwheel" came to the picture. Both WPIX-TV and WOR-TV did not come to cable until the 1980's when they became as "Superstations".
I only just found your channel. But I remember my mom telling me I was a Pinwheel kid. I even sing the song in my head for whatever reason from time to time. Loved Plus and Minus.
He has a clip of James in a future video, the name of which I can't recall. I think it might be the one that has the discussion about the Heidi show (not the original children's classics episode, the follow up.) Checking quickly, it's the addendum 1981 episode, towards the end, there's a clip from an interview with him from 2019.
I talked about Pinwheel a little bit during a school presentation on lost media and, it turns out, my teacher watched it as a kid. The minute she saw the picture of Jake, Aurelia, Ebenezer, Plus, and Minus, she lit up with nostalgia and even began humming the theme song. Made my day 😊
"I don't mind mines. Their like the ninjas of clowns"
One of the best sentences I've ever heard.
I think this is the first time I've seen somebody look back at Pinwheel with respect and a bit of reverence, even though, like you said, there aren't many episodes out there in the ether. This oral history of Nickelodeon you've started is fast becoming something this TV historian is looking forward to watching. I knew *some* of the history of the network, but to see someone go out and compile clips and elements that haven't been seen publicly in decades and often ignored by Nick themselves is refreshing as hell. It would be nice if this episode rekindles a love for Pinwheel to that first generation who watched it and could share with their kids and *gulp* grandkids. Keep up the good work, and keep creating.
nemalki agreed sesame street I remember watching in 1991 I was 7 at the time my pbs station in Boston aired it😊
Back in the day, pinwheel was that show you kept on to keep you relaxed while you were at home sick.
Facts bc it was my favorite show to watch
That was excellent. I feel nostalgic for a show I never even heard about before today.
Mee too I wanna know more about this
Wow, I never realized how raw Pinwheel started out as. Definitely had that public access vibe going on.
This used to be my favorite show back in the day. During summer vacation I would watch the daily 3 hour blocks for as long as my mom would let me. It's a shame it's now mostly forgotten. Still, maybe this will help drum up new interest.
Can't wait for the next episode!
A person I knew back in the Usenet days once called it "Low-Rent Sesame Street" the way it was presented.
Well that guy isn't my pal anymore.
Christopher Sobieniak Usenet still exist, but many ISPs in America dropped support for it in the 2000s. However, I think you can still use services like Google Groups to access it.
French Narrator: 24 songs later...
"Boy, I love to sing..."
Yeah, no shit! XD
If Nick had the audacity to look back into the network's roots back then there will be a chance that Pinwheel would have a revival as a Sesame Street-like kids show for Nick Jr back in the late 90s or early 2000s.
Okay, I've been watching Nick Knacks for a while, and something has been forming in my mind: do an animated Pinwheel reboot. Do what the Ducktales reboot did and reimagine not just the show itself, but the entirety of Nickelodeon's earlier programming. Call it "Pinwheel Prime" I've even figured out a premise:
High School graduate Jake James tries to figure out what he should do after college when he's told that he is to inherit his grandfather's old Pinwheel house. Located in the small seaside town of Nickel Bay, James comes into contact with weird fantastical characters like Ebenezer, Plus, Minus and Coco, the inhabitants of the old house. Jake also befriends other people: Crispin, an ancient sorcerer reincarnated as an aspiring magician, Josie, an inventor and hiker, Belle and Sebastian with their Uncle Dusty, and much, much more. Perhaps Danger Mouse is his favorite show? I see this show as a combination of wholesome and Down-to-Earth slice-of-life stories and more fast paced Looney Tunes-esque scenarios that channels the chaos of the network from the late 80s to the mid 2000s.
What do you think? While I don't think this would happen, it would be a pretty cool show that celebrates the legacy of the network, from Hocus Pocus all the way to You Can't Do That On Television. Get back to me on this, I think we may have Nick's next big thing on our hands. In the meantime, keep up the good work!
Pinwheel was the foundation of Nickelodeon, You Can't Do That On Television & Double Dare was what Nickelodeon was built on.....it's slowly been crumbling since the 1990's.
Considering the fact that Nickelodeon only had three "puppet" shows before Eureeka's Castle in 1989. The network had to "adopt" Dusty's Treehouse and Today's Special as companions with Pinwheel.
Nickelodeon also had to adopt You Can’t Do That On Television because that show originated in Canada just like Today’s Special did.
@@melissawickersham9912 Yes, & I remember hearing in a video of Christine McGlade Aka Moose....talking about some of the very early scenes/skits were never shown in America because the father was drinking beer.
I think Nickelodeon can put Pinwheel on DVD if they wanted to. The could just edit out the animated shorts and any part that introduced them. But I think the reason they won't is probably because that Nick wants to pretend that era of the channel never existed.
It would simply be the normal puppet interactions and songs (assuming the rights to those songs could still be used unless there's red tape involved).
@@nah....6151 The 80s had its nostalgia run in the 2000s.
@@nah....6151 That's because the 90s is considered the peak of Nickelodeon. And I think you're a bit off on the age group. There are still people who remember peak Nick and haven't reach 30 yet.
Xecter Ryan yeah they should put it back on tv for the next generation and put all 260 episodes of the show on Dvd and you can’t do that on television too and today special too and Sharon Lois and bram elephant show on dvd as well and eureekas castle on dvd and the rest of the classic Nickelodeon shows from the 1980s early 1990s
@@nah....6151 I think the reason Nick doesn't wax nostalgia for it's 80's stuff is because most of what they aired in the 80's was imported from other countries, and they didn't create them themselves (with the exception of "Pinwheel," and even then, a lot of the segments from "Pinwheel" were outsourced). Don't get me wrong, the Pinwheel era was my childhood. This is just my theory on things.
EDIT: I forgot to mention that they may no longer have the rights to air some of the stuff they did in the 80's. Getting the rights can be a big hassle.
If anything, Pinwheel was the victim of being obscured due to cable TV still being in its infancy and VCR's were still very new and an expensive commodity in the home. Had I knew better, I would've begged my mom to tape every episode that came on during those years I saw it. I just never knew.
Not just Pinwheel but several of the early Nickelodeon shows had little to no video recordings remaining that survived today. Nickel Ficks perfect example of no known footage that was found. With Hocus Focus and By The Way examples of very little footage surviving to this day.
Your fantastic ability to research and present information on a great range of mediums is amazingly quenching to my thirst for more knowledge on virtually anything. I'm fascinated by your work, no matter the topic it's on and I'm super excited to see more of this. I hope it remains successful and worth it for you!
When I was in daycare back in the early 80's (consisting of little more than a local women's house), just about the only thing I remember was watching Pinwheel. This sort of became one of the first myths of my childhood because at home and at my family's homes they didn't have cable so there was just the PBS kids shows. Because I couldn't readily watch Pinwheel it's perceived quality grew in my mind. Was only after I watched some on UA-cam did I realize just how low budget it was. Strange what can affect one as a child.
Jersey Mike's Rail Videos iiiii
Jersey Mike's Rail Videos Im 34 and daycare is where I just barely remember whatching it. I remember that green puppet with the cone nose, the snail, the bird and those bugs. Do you remember a show where their was a character that was basically a blob of clay that was shaped into something new for every episode. Or maybe not every episode cause I only have one scene in my head where it came in the room on a rolling pedestal crying?
George James' work on this show is honestly AMAZINGLY impressive! Thank you for your lovely songs and singing, Mr. James! :D
I watched the ever-loving shit out of this show, even well beyond the age it had been aiming for. Some of the foreign cartoons were surreal as hell, and fun to watch.
I'm finding this series legitimately fascinating, and I'm impressed with your research. MORE FOREVER PLEASE.
Also, George James has a beautiful singing voice.
I'd pretty much forgotten about this show that I grew up with as a kid in the 80's. I'd occasionally think of Picture Pages once every few years or so, but never more than vaguely remember the show it was on.
Watching this video instantly brought everything back. I was laughing at how much I suddenly remembered. And now I understand why I thought I remembered watching this in the really early hours of the morning when I did remember the show. Sucks that this is pretty ,ich impossible to find anymore 😔
I was born in late 1977. Pinwheel was my entire preschool experience. I loved it. Every bit of it and I watched it all day when we were not outside. It was calm and sweet. It’s one of my most loved childhood memories. When I had my son I was so disappointed I couldn’t find it to share with him. What a wholesome show. ❤❤
I can't believe that Nickelodeon was over 40 yrs OLD!
Thanks for the history lesson; Now I know for sure that Nick was the first of its kind.
Rolling the first couple out fast like this is a smart move.
Seems like you're really passionate about this project and I love that.
Also, ninjas of clowns? That sounds TERRIFYING.
As a kiddo I loved Pinwheel. I cannot forget the kinda-scary yet comforting production values of shows like this and The Letter People. It is something I will never be able to forget. Its amazing that people made all the sets and puppets w their hands. It had a charm to it. Modern computer generated stuff just does not have that kind of charm.
I REMEMBER THE LETTER PEOPLE. Pinwheel did give me Letter People vibes. I’m studying Nickelodeon history and I love the bumpers from the 80’s. It honestly would’ve been cool to see a crossover between The Letter People and Pinwheel, although The Letter People (the tv show) ended in 1976 while Pinwheel first aired in 1977. It also would’ve been cool to see the animated versions of The Letter People (the ones from the coloring pages and book) meet the characters from the Nickelodeon bumpers (like the Big Beast Quintet, the Singing Fruits, the Doo Wop Dinosaurs, the Top of the Hour, etc).
While Pinwheel might not have achieved the same level of popularity as Sesame Street, it certainly did pave the way for Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. Even though it might have been lost to time, it's still considered a cult classic. I do have some rather fond memories of this show. Its premise was simple: Offering comfort to children, even though it didn't offer much in the way of educational programming, such as Sesame Street, or emotional understanding, such as Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood did, just as you'd said. It sure did have a lot of songs, though. Thanks for the video.
The amazing thing about Pinwheel, to me at least, is that I was actually a big fan of several of the shorts and series they featured. Specifically, Paddington, Curious George, Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings, and the Mr. Men. I've discovered quite a few of the others recently through various means, such as Picture Pages, the Wombles, and Magic Roundabout, and really grown to like them all. Forget the songs and other stuff; just an hour of those shorts every day would have been a great companion to Sesame Street in my eyes.
Loved Hattytown Tales, Charlie's Climbing Tree (Kalles Klattertrade), Bunny in the suitcase (Kockusfulu Nyul), Chapi Chapo, King Rollo, Miximetric, Paddington, Curious George and my favorite Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings.
This was my show when I was 5/6 years old! I watched them all! It was my favorite! I remember "Simon," "Hatty Town," "Paddington Bear," and those two clay balls that would turn into different shapes and such, and so much more! I also remember "Today's Special" would come on afterwards.
I'm going to show my age... I grew up watching Pinwheel, Today's Special, Danger Mouse (I still watch Danger Mouse 😁) and You can't do that on television. I miss the good old days🥺
That was back when Nickelodeon WAS Nickelodeon during the silver ball days where the programs aired were exclusive. And don't forget Livewire where they had such music acts like R.E.M., Midnight Star and Haircut 100.
Pinwheel was absolutely formative of my artistic development.
I loved this show as a kid! I still sing the theme song.....often! Useually at inappropriate times.
Crazy how the show gets almost no love or references from Nick, especially considering that this is the original flagship show that started it all
For the most part it seems that if Viacom wasn't involved somhow, they don't want to talk about it at all.
Viacom only aquired Nick in 1985, PBS were their former owners from at least the 1980's
@@lightningmcseed7303 Warner was the previous owner but they did air PBS shows as well. Plus while it did air during the early Viacom era, no new episodes were produced.
@@stephenholloway6893 Didn't You Can't Do That on Television begin before Viacom got involved in Nickelodeon with Nick acknowledging that show?
And they don't acknowledge Livewire despite that being one of their most successful early 1980s shows with Pinwheel and You Can't Do That on Television and it was still in production until 1986 (a year after Viacom gained Nickelodeon).
Your research and extensive thought are splendid. You display a depth of caring and seeing the good in everything you review. Also, the side-line during the song count was hilarious and adorable.
i remember this one short that had a kid who kind of looked like Doug. he had a little sister and seemed to live in the projects. every short would start with him standing outside his building
My first memories of a TV show was Pinwheel. I was born in 82’, so maybe I remember it from syndication? I remember the pinwheel spinning and the house.
Never saw a second of this show before watching this. So informative, and it makes me even more eager for this pre-Double Dare early phase of the retrospective
Oh, you'll love it!
That was the eaaaarly days of nickelodeon during the early to mid 1980s
Funny thing; the backing track for the song "Opposite City" was used in the Saturday Night Live short film "Jogger Motel".
For those wondering about The Clockman, look up "About Dressy Sally". This is what they're talking about.
Blame it o Jorge has a video on clock man
I was wondering why he showed a photo of pro wrestler "The Boogeyman" there lol
I remember an interstitial in the "silver ball" era--it was basically just a music video of a song by George James/Jake called "It's Your Day" and featured Jake, Ebenezer, and maybe one or two other Pinwheel characters hanging around an amusement park. It was a rather nice, pleasant song in that early-80s pop way.
It would be nice if Warner Archive could release a few episodes of this show on a 2 disc DVD set
Warner most likely doesn't own it anymore
It could be either way. If Warner sold the rights of the series to Viacom at the time of the switch of ownership then they wouldn't but if they kept it but licensed it to Nickelodeon afterwards they might still own it.
"Mesmerizing" is a perfect word to describe Pinwheel.
I LOVED Pinwheel. It’s amazing how much I had forgotten. Like, all of those cartoons! I didn’t know that’s where I had seen them, but knew them so well. Thank you for this.
Who was your favorite character? And I seem to remember [from either reruns on a Non-Nickelodeon channel or old VHS tapes] that Plus and Minus were very mischievous.
OMG Thank you for this! I used to watch this as a kid and those shorts your showed washed over like a strong wave of nostalgia. I would try to describe the shorts to friends and they had no idea what I'm talking about! What a nice and educational walk down memory lane.
So, the Pinwheel songs are basically the improvised songs Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen used to do on Weekend Update?
As unfortunate as it is to paraphrase Doug Walker, he was the first I heard to describe Nickelodeon as like the mood swings of children as a network. Bouncing between calm and energetic with nostalgic fondness throughout.
I would kick real money to get all these episodes
While I remember watching Pinwheel towards the end of Nickelodeon airing,cO remember some of the shorts more then the series itself. Like Picture Puzzle, Pattington Bear, Curious George (not the current PBS version) , and the Canada shorts. With that said, Pinwheel is still an very important series for Nickelodeon. Since who knows what would even happen if Warner Communications decided to keep the series exclusive to Columbus Ohio, instead of launching and renaming the channel in 1979. Or for that matter, if WB kept Nickelodeon instead selling it to Viacom.
I've never forgotten the theme but I didn't remember any other detail. Digging like this makes me feel like parts of my brain which have been inactive for decades are now firing up
The funniest thing about watching this video really, really late is that somehow the line "heard the new spider-man movie was pretty good" in the jokes during the song segment is re-relevant in a way that made me double-take to make sure it wasn't a recent reupload.
Anyway, all that said, I'm excited to watch this all, honestly, but especially these early early episodes. The fact that there's so rarely any focus put on those _early_ early eras of Nickelodeon was always really weird to me, like there was an entire piece of pop culture history getting ignored because the programming they put out in the 90s just washed the slate clean. Not to mention when it gets to those later shows, I'm gonna get to come face to face with things that I watched as a really young toddler, and as such have extremely vague faint memories of, and it's going to feel like seeing an old dream brought back into mind. All this to say. Good stuff.
i distictly remeber this...
i watched it on ytv sometime in the early 90s.
the music, and some of the charaters.. spark in my distant memory.
like sigmond the sea snail... and mya the bee..
... stuff from my memory.. before kindergarden..
Why did you do that, as soon as I heard the theme song of pinwheel I started crying. Pinwheel and 3-2-1 contact were my childhood.
If Nick wants to do an anniversary special, bring in George James and the original Coco for it.
(If they’re not still alive, have a dedication credit.)
I'm so excited for this series given the first two episodes. I had never heard of Qube, and I had only vaguely heard of Pinwheel. So far, Nick Knacks is not only informational, but also incredibly fascinating! I'm looking forward to the shows I watched as a kid, but it's really interesting to see the origins of Nick.
Plus, only one weird pronunciation in this entire half-hour video (at 26:55)! Improvement! Of course, I didn't think there were any times to say the word "escape." :P
"I like mimes, they are like the ninjas of clowns" Wouldn't ninja clowns be scarier though?
Clockman has been found; and it's a really sweet story.
I love coming back to this episode. I have a few memories of watching Pinwheel as a child, the most vivid being on summer vacation when my family rented a beach house, and the TV was showing an episode. I definitely remember Plus and Minus.
It would be cool if all 260 episodes of pinwheel is on UA-cam
I've always been wary of mimes, and your assessment of them being "ninja clowns" only fuels my distrust. :P
Pinwheel was WAY before my time. I was born in 1985, and my first intro to Nickelodeon was when "Double Dare" and "You Can't Do That on Television." came out a year later.
Trust me you didn't miss much nickelodeon didn't start to get goog in till mid 1986
Pinwheel reruns aired clear until 1990, so some of us mid 80's kids still saw it. I saw it until it went off the air
I didn't have Nickelodeon for the longest time (unless I visited my grandparents because their cable company carried it), but even I was aware of Pinwheel even before our company finally carried the network.
Lol. Mimes: The Ninjas of Clowns.
*Plus:* Hey, Minus?
*Minus:* Yeah, Plus?
*Plus:* Why is a mime like a hot fart?
*Minus:* I don't know, Plus. Why?
*Plus:* Because they're silent but deadly!
LOL! The Clock Man gave me nightmares for years. I recently caught it again, and the scene where his face appears in the trees around his castle...[shivers] My childhood nightmares re-awokened.
Thank you so much for this pinwheel deep-dive! I was born in 1983 and grew up in the Harrisburg, PA area. We had cable relatively early (a local company) and Pinwheel is one of those memories that is buried deep in my brain. I can sing the theme song and play "gotcha last" like plus & minus (the 2nd iteration, thank god), but I only have vague memories of a lot of the other parts of the main show. Watching the quick clips of the shorts was like watching my 4 year old life flash before me! I had to look up some footage of Picture Pages because the sound the Mortimer Ichabod Marker made is ingrained in my brain. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this series.
I remember that Mike Myers spoofed Simon, and the land of chalk drawings on SNL.
I paused at the part when he was talking about Pinwheel cartoons and segments and saw a name I thought I never would see again. I had no idea that Henry’s Cat was on prototype Nickelodeon. I used to have that on video when I was a kid!
Unlike Sesame Street Pinwheel had a certain level of mystique to it. It was a calm, soothing type of program that might have been boring to most but was that perfect ‘rainy day’ show to watch while curled up under the blanket on your couch while home sick. Of course the biggest distinction from SS was that it was less educational which i didn’t mind on a day off from school.
I feel like this is the type of show that people like Pendelton Ward and Rebecca Sugar watched as small kids and were subconsciously influenced by it. Especially all the weird, random songs.
Thanks for this series... We got cable just as this was launched and I know in the beginning they did show the QUBE version, a favorite segment was when Jake would have sound boxes. Basically , he'd open a box and they'd play a sound effect. By the time the new production came out I was starting to age out. I never liked the re-tooled versions of Plus and Minus or recast Coco. The introduction of other shorts kept me for that first season and there was a lot of carry-over from Captain Kangaroo was showing. Clips of the Hungarian Rabbit with Checkered Ears was a real standout and something I have found to show my kids.
That crazy bird was a boss in Wario Land, I'm pretty sure.
It’s kind of hard to believe. One of the biggest animation channels on television started off with just one live-action show that resembled Sesame Street! I kind of like it, though, if anything for the weirdness and the simple songs.
Comfortable is the perfect description for this show. There was a very laid back flow to it that was kind of addictive. I actually enjoyed it more than Seasame Street.
i watched this in the 1989 when my parents left my brother and i alone i was 7 and he was 5, we would watch it all-day until todays special would come on. I missed all this. thank you so much for taking me back to childhood, im now 38 with all my success, i would give anything to experience this one more time.
I'm a 2000s kid, yet I somehow remember Pinwheel. I don't know how [possibly Sky Angel's KTV station? They did air a lot of obscure stuff like Gumby and Filmation's Archie. Or maybe old VHS tapes?], but I do remember. I wish I knew a little bit more about the puppet characters and their various scenes. I know Aurelia has magic, and I know she helps everyone with their problems, but were there any specific instances of Aurelia using her magic to help, or if the roles were ever reversed and everyone had to help Aurelia?
Loved the background jokes
WOW!
I’m a new subscriber to your channel, and I love historical videos like this. Especially when they include things I’ve never heard of. I grew up with Nick, but since I was born in 1993, I didn’t know any of this existed. I’m not done with the videos you’ve uploaded, but I can’t wait for more. Keep up the amazing work, and thank you for doing the discussion wit PieGuyRulz. That’s how I found you.
iirc Brad Williams is the person credited with the first on air promotion of the word "cowabunga" with his dummy act. I could be wrong though.
I watched this show when it was on the tail end of its run and started to get reduced down to make way for Nick Jr. programming. A shame that they don't acknowledge it in their history
I don't know how much I sawr of Pinwheel but I do remember it. Sometimes something random will trigger some memory of a short from the show. Years later when I learned when Nick essentially started, I thought it was so cool that it was 1979, the year I was born. I've gotten a great deal out of the channel over the years, especially Nick Jr which I still enjoy to this day. While I watched and have enjoyed various things on Disney for many years, it eventually lost that feeling being a part of me which Nick has maintained even if it's on a much smaller scale.
So. The green dude “grew weeds in the basement.”
(WELL. My childhood shows apparently corrupted me.)
🤣🤣💨💨
RIP Dale Engel.
I remember when Pinwheel was on Nickelodeon. That's my childhood, right there.
0.48 T-9 was Leroy Jenkins this made my day
Yes! I was just going to comment that! 0:41
Oh, they get around, though I'm sure it's this guy..
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leroy_Jenkins_(televangelist)
Oh, that's less fun.
Yeah well, they needed a place to preach their message and I guess cable TV gave them that chance, especially after Reagan dropped the Fairness Doctrine and allowed broadcasters to not play their stuff for free anymore.
LEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOY JENKINS!
41 M just discovered your channel and Im in heaven, Thank you!
Franci Anderson who sang song number 23, has a beautiful voice.
Man when I was a little girl I wanted the Pinwheel house to be made into a toy dollhouse. I still remember most of the theme song from this show. 🤣🤦🏼♀️
Thank you for explaining all of that to me. As someone who checked in and out of Pinwheel for about 5 years of my life, I could honestly say, I had no idea what the show was about. I thought it was boring and disjointed, though I did like the Paddington and Madeline shorts.
Thank you so much for posting this, it brings back such awesome elementary school memories❤️
*THE CLOCK MAN*
*TICK TOCK. HE'S COMING FOR YOU.*
Im watching this to help me sleep. That part spooked the shit out of me
HUH
I hate me
You deserve so many more views and subs. The writing is really good and witty. The editing is great.
That song montage was very calming.
Pinwheel was more like Captain Kangaroo than Sesame Street.
Wow, what was that clockman thing? I really enjoy these episodes even Nickelodeon wasn't a thing in Germany when I was a child. We only got it for about two years in the late 90s I think. But that was enough to discover the brilliance of Rocko's modern life. The channel returned some years later but it was never that popular.
It's funny how if you try to find anything about George James on the internet, you won't hardly find anything. Even on wikipedia, they don't even mention him and that guy is a legend for Nickelodeon. Racist bastards . I really appreciate you for making this video. This entire channel has some really great nostalgic content. I was sent here by watching episodes of Today's Special.
Thank you so much for this... Brings back so many memories. Used to watch this at my late grandparents house. Haven't seen this in years. Thank you❤
Yesss! Just finding this! The intro theme was the music of my toddlerhood!
I've watched this video at least 4 or 5 times (Nick Knacks is my comfort show!) but that Clock Man jump scare gets me every time 😅😂
this is excellent- we didn't have cable at my house until (maybe) 1993/4, so pinwheel wasn't a part of my childhood...... but somehow you made me miss it!
p.s. i would totally go to the movies with you, as a date even!
Maybe something is wrong with me, but Mr rogers and pinwheel were/are my favorite shows and my quiet soul is touched by the relaxed atmosphere they had. Thank you for your work researching this beautiful memory of so many. THANK YOU. Oh crap... I'm not crying, you are.....
Pinwheel was one of my favorite shows which is weird cause I hate musicals
It's hard for me to express how weird and fascinating I find all of this as a child of the 90s (born '85)
Nickelodeon needs to get in touch with their audience of today and the past, and put the shows both Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z have loved.
I would think Pinwheel was more rural or even small town atmosphere, perhaps even suburban, since cable TV back then wasn't really an urban thing just yet. Many large cities still didn't have cable TV service for years to come, it was still mostly limited to those smaller communities with limited TV coverage and some cities like mine (Toledo).
Christopher Sobieniak When I was a kid, my parents had cable since we lived in Puerto Rico, and got "Pinwheel" as a midday block on Nickelodeon. This was similar to "Sesame Street", but quite close. I also remember when "The Magic Garden" was on WPIX-TV (Channel 11) in NYC back in the 1970's with two ladies where they tell stories, games and music. That was before "Pinwheel" came along. "The Magic Garden" was the show I used to watched as a kid, and it was shown only in NYC. WOR-TV (Channel 9) on the other hand had "Romper Room" from the 1970's, and it was also a local NYC kid show before "Pinwheel" came to the picture. Both WPIX-TV and WOR-TV did not come to cable until the 1980's when they became as "Superstations".
I only just found your channel. But I remember my mom telling me I was a Pinwheel kid. I even sing the song in my head for whatever reason from time to time. Loved Plus and Minus.
Does anyone know what George James has been doing today or at least the last five years?
He has a clip of James in a future video, the name of which I can't recall. I think it might be the one that has the discussion about the Heidi show (not the original children's classics episode, the follow up.) Checking quickly, it's the addendum 1981 episode, towards the end, there's a clip from an interview with him from 2019.