Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Kids TV
    Kids TV TV Shows - 1950s 2 Mins Read

    Winky Dink and You

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    winkydink_0021 9 5 3 – 1 9 5 7 (USA)

    Praised as “the first interactive TV show”, the show’s central gimmick was the use of a “magic window”, which was a large piece of clear clingy plastic that stuck to the television screen via static electricity.

    A kit containing the magic window and various wax Winky Dink crayons could be purchased by sending 50 cents to Box 5, New York 19, New York – as host Jack Barry mentioned many times in each episode.

    At a climactic scene in every Winky Dink short, Winky (a large-headed boy with a shock of star-shaped blonde hair) would arrive upon a scene that contained a connect the dots picture.

    Host Jack Barry would then prompt the children at home to complete the picture, and the finished result would help Winky Dink and his dog Woofer out of their predicaments.

    If Winky Dink and Woofer were stuck on the side of a stream, for example, viewers with “magic windows” could draw a bridge for them to cross over, or a ladder to climb, or an escape hatch.

    The show was a big hit with baby boomers, some of whom apparently didn’t have 50 cents for a “magic window” and drew directly on their TV screens!

    winkydink_004Winky Dink and You ran for many years in syndication. An animated version was also produced in 1969, with voices provided by Lionel G Wilson.

    Creator Louis ‘Deke’ Heyward died of complications from pneumonia on 26 March 2002 in Los Angeles. He was 81.

    Host 
    Jack Barry
    Winky-Dink 

    Mae Questel
    Mr Bungle 

    Dayton Allen

    winkydink_838

    Related Posts

    • Magic Midway
      Magic Midway
      1 9 6 2 - 1 9 6 3 (USA) Claude Kirchner, former host of the successful 1948 series Super Circus…
    • Strike It Rich
      Strike It Rich
      1 9 5 1 - 1 9 5 8  (USA) Originally a CBS radio show which debuted in 1948, Strike…
    • Diane's Magic Book/Diane's Magic Theatre
      Diane's Magic Book/Diane's Magic Theatre
      1 9 6 8 (UK) 1 9 6 9 (UK) Diane's Magic Book was produced by Jess Yates for Yorkshire Television in…
    • Doug
      Doug
      1 9 9 1 - 1 9 9 3 (USA) 52 x 30 minute episodes The fantasy world of 11-year-old Doug…
    • Tonight! America After Dark
      Tonight! America After Dark
      1 9 5 7 (USA) 12 x 105 minute episodes When Steve Allen and The Tonight Show left the air in…
    • Magic Garden, The
      Magic Garden, The
      1 9 7 2 - 1 9 8 4 (USA) In a magic garden of stories, songs and imagination, two eternally…
    • Jamie and the Magic Torch
      Jamie and the Magic Torch
      1 9 7 7 (UK) 39 x 10 minute episodes Each episode of Jamie and the Magic Torch began with Jamie being tucked…
    • Ken Murray Show, The (Time To Smile)
      Ken Murray Show, The (Time To Smile)
      1 9 5 0 - 1 9 5 3 (USA) Comedian Ken Murray began his career as a teenager in…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleLittle Rascals, The
    Next Article Raggy Dolls, The

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Peeping Tom (1960)
      In the year that Hitchcock made Psycho, director Michael Powell […]
    • 1962
      January 01 – Western Samoa becomes independent. 01 – […]
    • Atlantic Records
      Atlantic Records has introduced the world to some of the most […]
    • Girls About Town
      1 9 6 9 – 1 9 7 1 (UK) 1 x pilot 19 x 30 minute episodes […]
    • Uri Geller
      Geller was born on 20 December 1946 in Tel Aviv, which was then […]
    • How the West Was Won
      1 9 7 6 – 1 9 7 9 (USA) 1 x Pilot 28 x episodes Mountain […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.