From: utzoo!utcsrgv!dave
Newsgroups: net.games.trivia
Title: Re: Friendly Giant - old Canadian TV
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.1343
Posted: Thu Apr 28 11:56:58 1983
Received: Thu Apr 28 14:48:49 1983
References: ihuxp.411

THE FRIENDLY GIANT IS STILL ON!

I also used to watch it when I was a kid in the sixties. But it's
still hanging in there, on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) stations.
In Toronto it's on at 9:45 a.m.  The man who plays the giant is
Bob Home. I believe the giraffe is called "Rusty". There's also
a puppet who sticks his head in the window of the castle to chat.

I was home one morning a few months ago and caught the show.
It hasn't changed at all in 20 years.  When it starts, you're
invited to "Look up - WAAAY up", as the camera climbs up the giant.
He then lets the castle moat down and invites you in, putting out
a few doll-size chairs for you in the living room of the castle.
There's something tremendously reassuring about him that kids love.

The signature tune is an old song called "Early one Morning". (I only
know that because I learned it in Grade 1 or 2 piano lessons.)
The first few notes are c-ccceggafdcBdG, where - is a rest and capitals
are an octave down.

"Chez Helene" used to be on right after TFG. They were fifteen minutes
each. I just called CBC and was told that Chez Helene hasn't been
on for about 10 or 15 years. From what I remember, it taught
you a little French. The main character was a lady, He'l`ene,
who I believe had something to do with dresses (dress shop?).
I don't think the whole show was in French, but I think it
taught a little French as part of it. The signature tune began:
efgagag-f-e-c---e-d-G---g-e-c.

Ah, wasn't life easier back then!

Dave Sherman
Toronto