SHENANIGANS
(ABC, September 26,
1964-March 20, September 25-December 18, 1965)
Heatter-Quigley
Productions, Four Star Television
MAIN CAST:
Stubby Kaye
– The Mayor
Kenny
Williams – Kenny the Cop/Announcer
Shenanigans
was a Saturday morning game show developed by the Milton Bradley
Company for Heatter-Quigley
Productions.
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High shot of the contestant moving up the game board. |
The show
was similar to Heatter-Quigley’s earlier Video
Village Junior in that it was like a living board game. Two children
contestants moved around a giant game board by a number of spaces (1-4) determined
by a set of flashing lights stopped when two other children, known as “The
Pressers”, pressed a button. The children then had to either answer a question
correctly or successfully perform a stunt to earn “Shenaniganzas”; in-game money
used to exchange for prizes in the Top Value Stamps
Catalog. “Shenaniganzas” would also be awarded whenever a contestant
landed on specific spots on the board. Other spots included “Lose a Turn”, “Free
Turn”, or “Go to the Dog House”, which acted like a time-out jail for a contestant
until they pressed an unmarked button that played a specifically requested
sound.
Kenny the Cop puts a contestant in the dog house. |
Many of the stunts were inspired by
Milton Bradley’s games, such as having to play Operation
on a life-sized dummy. To determine which kid started the game, the two of
them played a game of Time Bomb (essentially
“Hot Potato” with a toy
bomb). There was also an assortment of carnival games, such as a test of
strength, balloon popping, and a haunted house where a mystery prize could be
retrieved from the “Shenanighoul” that lived inside. The first one across the
finish line or farthest ahead when time ran out won the game. The runner-up got
whatever “Shenaniganzas” they accumulated and an assortment of consolation
prizes like fishing rods or bikes, as well as a copy of the Shenanigans board game. The winner also won the board
game and a slightly better assortment of prizes, such as a record player. The Pressers
were also given an assortment of Milton Bradley games for their participation.
Confronting the Shenanighoul for a prize. |
Shenanigans
originally aired locally on New York City’s WPIX
in 1952, with Bob Quigley
serving as the host. It only lasted 6 months. For the retooled ABC version,
Stubby Kaye was enlisted as “The Mayor of Shenanigans” and also sang the theme
song. Kenny Williams served as the announcer and Kenny the Cop, similar to the roles
he performed on Video Village. Along with standard commercial breaks, a
loud Morse code-like signal would tell Williams to head over to a wall of
Milton Bradley games and do an in-show commercial for one of them. Kaye and
Williams would also perform various goofy comedy routines to open and close out
each episode.
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The Shenanigans board game. |
Shenanigans
debuted on September 26, 1964, and was well-received. It took a hiatus for
the summer and returned the following September. Unfortunately, the ratings
declined substantially and the show as cancelled in December of 1965.
EPISODE GUIDE:
N/A
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