Superhost & Operation Toothbrush – Dec. 1970

Here’s an odd little article that appeared in the Lorain Journal on December 2, 1970. 

WUAB-TV (which is still licensed to Lorain, Ohio) was promoting its “Operation Toothbrush,” with the goal of collecting 2,000 new toothbrushes for distribution to needy families. The TV station made a direct appeal to Lorain residents with this article, which notes, “in many households there is only one toothbrush for the entire family and often not even one.”

Yuck.

While the premise seems strange today (when dentists routinely give toothbrushes away), what’s odd is that good old Superhost himself, Marty Sullivan, is featured in the provided photo – but not identified. He had been on the air since the previous year; perhaps the Journal staffer putting together that page layout didn’t know who he was.

Anyway, Mr. Sullivan passed away in February of this year, leaving only a small handful of still living Cleveland television children’s show hosts from the 60s and 70s. 

It’s too bad that children's television has changed so much in the last thirty years. Kids are hardly ever allowed to enjoy shows just for the mindless fun of it (like watching the Three Stooges). And there are no locally produced shows just for kids, with adult hosts that the kids can identify with.

The Cleveland TV hosts (Captain Penny, Barnaby, Woodrow the Woodsman, Franz the Toymaker, etc.) that today’s aging Baby Boomers grew up provided them with adult figures that were friendly and kind and local. They could connect with the young viewers because they talked about things and places familiar to them, such as Cedar Point or the Animal Protective League. They made public appearances and drew crowds of adoring kids.

But that era has passed, along with the most of the communal TV watching experience. With all of the streaming options available today, the majority of the public is probably not watching the same programming (unless it’s sports or one of the dancing/singing competition shows).

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In case you missed it back in 1989, here’s Superhost saying goodbye to his fans on his final broadcast.  I remember watching it live and being somewhat surprised that it was such an anticlimactic wrap-up to such a long, memorable TV career. But it still chokes you up a bit.