Pinwheel

[ryhoyarbie]

Another puppet show that was similar to Sesame Street was Pinwheel that was on Nickelodeon from 1979 to about 1989. Anybody remember this show?

Background information:

Pinwheel was similar to Sesame Street. It had human actors interacting with puppets showing daily events around the house. In fact, Plus and Minus played a game of tag much like Ernie and Bert's. Pinwheel contained many short international clips. It started airing on the Pinwheel channel (later re-named Nickeolodeon) on April 1, 1979. It aired for five hours in the morning from 9:00am- 2:00pm. After running for 10 years, the show was canceled in 1989.

Opening Theme
http://www.johnnorrisbrown.com/classic-nick/theme-songs/pinwheel.rm

ryan

 

[The Count]

Yes, I have fond memories of Pinwheel from my youth when I had better sight.

Not only was Plus and Minus's tag game like that of Bert and Ernie's as you say, but I feel that they were meant to be Pinwheel's version of Bert and Ernie. Think about it, two kidlike characters who live together in their own section of the same house. And we always saw the two of them together in whatever scrapes they got in.

Other similarities...
The old man snail character who lived in the garden. Given that he lived in the area outside yet adjacent to the main house, it could be likened to Big Bird and his nest area next to 1-2-3 Sesame Street.
The Doodlebugs, though much bigger than the Twiddlebug family, could be thought of as their versions of the insect characters.
The long pointy-nosed green-skinned guy who lived in the basement was Pinwheel's version of Oscar the Grouch; gruff and grouchlike to the rest of the inhabitants of the house.
Cocoa the Mime, who was most often seen during the Opposite City segments, could be thought of as a stand-in for Linda from SS.
And then there's the main couple whose names escape me, could be thought of as either Gordon and Susan or Luis and María depending on which you think of as the main couple on Sesame Street. Pinwheel's main human couple were newspaper editor and photographer respectively who published the paper from inside the house itself.
And of course, the part I remember most or fondest of all, Hattytown where the characters were all based on the hats worn by the person of their perspective profession. For example, you knew who the postman was cause he had a postman's hat as his head.
Hope this helps and have a good weekend.

 

[redBoobergurl]

I totally remember Pinwheel! When I was really little, I would watch Sesame Street in the morning and then flip over to Pinwheel and for a short time when I was about 3 years old and didn't know any better, I thought it was all one show. As I got older, I knew the difference but couldn't help but notice the similarities! I really wish you could get Pinwheel on DVD along with some of the other really old Nickelodeon shows like Today's Special.

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

! I really wish you could get Pinwheel on DVD along with some of the other really old Nickelodeon shows like Today's Special.

Todays Special is a CBC show

Todays Special DVD Petition

 

[redBoobergurl]

Todays Special is a CBC show

Todays Special DVD Petition

I'm sure it is, but it used to run on Nickelodeon in the afternoons.

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

I'm sure it is, but it used to run on Nickelodeon in the afternoons.

when it must of been b4 i had cable

 

[Vic Romano]

I really wish you could get Pinwheel on DVD along with some of the other really old Nickelodeon shows like Today's Special.

Today's Special was totally on Nick, and you're the first person I've seen in awhile (besides myself) mention it! Go Beth! But as far as Pinwheel is concerned, it was really on in '79!?! Why does that seem too old? How long has nick been on? I thought Nick came into existence like 1984 or so, and I thought Pinwheel first came on then with it. I always thought Pinwheel was Nick's first show, and if it what you say is true, I had noidea it was that old!

 

[ryhoyarbie]

I actually found out that Pinwheel was the name of the network and then they changed it to Nickelodeon.

ryan

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

I actually found out that Pinwheel was the name of the network and then they changed it to Nickelodeon.

ryan

thats correct in 1984 it became Nick i lived up in Buffalo New York so i got UHF Canadain Stations and Todays Special and pinwheel were o them with Polka Dot Door and Mr Wizard and some show with mice in a libary

 

[Convincing John]

And then there's the main couple whose names escape me, could be thought of as either Gordon and Susan or Luis and María depending on which you think of as the main couple on Sesame Street. Pinwheel's main human couple were newspaper editor and photographer respectively who published the paper from inside the house itself.

Count, the newspaper editor and photographer were named Sal (a lady) and Smitty (a guy who wore a hat a lot like Fozzie's). They worked on a newspaper called "The Daily Noodle", and were always trying to phtograph "The Admiral Bird", which none of the grown-ups had ever seen...kind of like Snuffy's "imaginary" days.

Yeah, I remember Pinwheel, too! Another cartoon I remember oh, so fondly was "Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings". Here's a link to help jog your memory:
http://www.thechestnut.com/simon/simon.htm

Here's a Pinwheel link to help folks remember the show...I wish it was on DVD, too

http://www.mystiesplace.com/Pinwheel/

Convincing John