Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Now you've got this to worry about! Here's a complete "day after Christmas"-themed episode of the long-running Whizzo the Clown show (this one billed as "Whizzo's Saturday Circus" in the TV listings - was it on other days of the week as well? What was it billed as during those airings?) as broadcast over WIBW Channel 13 in Topeka, KS.
Whizzo is probably best known nowadays, at least on a national level, thanks to a hilarious Rifftrax segment (one of the offshoots of the old MST3k crew) highlighting the film short "Santa's Christmas Circus" featuring our man Whizzo - about 15 years younger and a bit more spry - here's a direct link to what's available of it to view on YouTube: youtu.be/M0jc-VIUfqI?si=qhTg1r2O_sqSpC3u&t=872)
Whizzo was Frank Wiziarde (1916-1987), who was a fixture of children's TV in Kansas City and Topeka from the 1960's through the mid-1980s - that area's equivalent of Chicago's own Bozo the Clown.
NOTE: This came from a Umatic tape collection from the magician that performed on the show, so presumably this is why it was saved; it appears to have been recorded off air at the station, hence the inclusion of the commercial break (but was there only one break in the entire broadcast? There certainly do not seem to be any "holes" for additional breaks to have been thrown to).
Our sincere thanks to Troy Wood - who's eagle eye came upon this tape collection on Ebay - noticed the magic word 'Whizzo" on one of the tapes - and believed there must be some vintage TV awkward goodness contained therein. Thanks to Troy for sharing the tape with us for transfer to digital and for letting us share it with the Fuzzketeers here. :-)
Includes:
EIA color bars (and two 'beeps' of 639 Hz tone), with slate featuring client, subject, cut (1), length (28:55), recording date, agency ("In-House") and "Production 13 - Topeka, Kansas"
Segment 1: Whizzo enters stage, explains a girl was having a birthday on this day which is why the young audience is in attendance, sings "The Whizzo Song" with Sam Panda (in Santa garb) dancing on the stage, followed by a "turn around" routine and children in the audience going to shake his hand; Whizzo then advises of an opportunity to fill in slots for next week's show and gives a phone number to call; he and Sam do a dance routine, then do a hide-and-seek game including a girl named Kristen, 6, for whom "Happy Birthday" is sung, and antics ensue, then he signals for break
Promo for giveaway of tickets to Super Bowl XVI, and where to register (at Ray Beers Clothing and Dick Edwards Ford Lincoln/Mercury)
Commercials for:
TV Guide (a nice, non-specific ad for Christmas time)
97 FM (WIBW-FM 97.3) promo for skiing February 11th-15th in Dillon, CO
Segment 2: Whizzo welcomes guest "Sherry" with puppets Lola (a Madame look-alike), dancing to Barry Manilow's "Copacabana" (audio changed to prevent YouTube copyright blockage), and Topper (singing Tom T. Hall's "I Love" sped-up at 45 RPM by the performers - but with audio doubling to again prevent YouTube blocking); then the Amazing Hamilton comes to perform magic tricks (to the "Theme From S.W.A.T.," likewise changed in the audio department), and gives Whizzo Randall the bunny rabbit; Whizzo then poses to each of the children which Christmas presents they liked best, then they and Sam do a circular dance first clockwise, then counterclockwise; after the dance is over, Whizzo asks the children what a New Year's resolution is, then closes the program as he opened, with "The Whizzo Song"
"When you're sad, he'll make you glad"
This was recorded on Saturday, December 26th 1981 for airing during the 11:30am to 12:00pm timeframe.
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: tapes@fuzzy.tv We preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please e-mail tapes@fuzzy.tv Thank you for your help!
Now you've got this to worry about! Here's a complete "day after Christmas"-themed episode of the long-running Whizzo the Clown show (this one billed as "Whizzo's Saturday Circus" in the TV listings - was it on other days of the week as well? What was it billed as during those airings?) as broadcast over WIBW Channel 13 in Topeka, KS.
Whizzo is probably best known nowadays, at least on a national level, thanks to a hilarious Rifftrax segment (one of the offshoots of the old MST3k crew) highlighting the film short "Santa's Christmas Circus" featuring our man Whizzo - about 15 years younger and a bit more spry - here's a direct link to what's available of it to view on YouTube: youtu.be/M0jc-VIUfqI?si=qhTg1r2O_sqSpC3u&t=872)
Whizzo was Frank Wiziarde (1916-1987), who was a fixture of children's TV in Kansas City and Topeka from the 1960's through the mid-1980s - that area's equivalent of Chicago's own Bozo the Clown.
NOTE: This came from a Umatic tape collection from the magician that performed on the show, so presumably this is why it was saved; it appears to have been recorded off air at the station, hence the inclusion of the commercial break (but was there only one break in the entire broadcast? There certainly do not seem to be any "holes" for additional breaks to have been thrown to).
Our sincere thanks to Troy Wood - who's eagle eye came upon this tape collection on Ebay - noticed the magic word 'Whizzo" on one of the tapes - and believed there must be some vintage TV awkward goodness contained therein. Thanks to Troy for sharing the tape with us for transfer to digital and for letting us share it with the Fuzzketeers here. :-)
Includes:
EIA color bars (and two 'beeps' of 639 Hz tone), with slate featuring client, subject, cut (1), length (28:55), recording date, agency ("In-House") and "Production 13 - Topeka, Kansas"
Segment 1: Whizzo enters stage, explains a girl was having a birthday on this day which is why the young audience is in attendance, sings "The Whizzo Song" with Sam Panda (in Santa garb) dancing on the stage, followed by a "turn around" routine and children in the audience going to shake his hand; Whizzo then advises of an opportunity to fill in slots for next week's show and gives a phone number to call; he and Sam do a dance routine, then do a hide-and-seek game including a girl named Kristen, 6, for whom "Happy Birthday" is sung, and antics ensue, then he signals for break
Promo for giveaway of tickets to Super Bowl XVI, and where to register (at Ray Beers Clothing and Dick Edwards Ford Lincoln/Mercury)
Commercials for:
TV Guide (a nice, non-specific ad for Christmas time)
97 FM (WIBW-FM 97.3) promo for skiing February 11th-15th in Dillon, CO
Segment 2: Whizzo welcomes guest "Sherry" with puppets Lola (a Madame look-alike), dancing to Barry Manilow's "Copacabana" (audio changed to prevent YouTube copyright blockage), and Topper (singing Tom T. Hall's "I Love" sped-up at 45 RPM by the performers - but with audio doubling to again prevent YouTube blocking); then the Amazing Hamilton comes to perform magic tricks (to the "Theme From S.W.A.T.," likewise changed in the audio department), and gives Whizzo Randall the bunny rabbit; Whizzo then poses to each of the children which Christmas presents they liked best, then they and Sam do a circular dance first clockwise, then counterclockwise; after the dance is over, Whizzo asks the children what a New Year's resolution is, then closes the program as he opened, with "The Whizzo Song"
"When you're sad, he'll make you glad"
This was recorded on Saturday, December 26th 1981 for airing during the 11:30am to 12:00pm timeframe.
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: tapes@fuzzy.tv We preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please e-mail tapes@fuzzy.tv Thank you for your help!
