Life's a Circus

     Chicago children's television is synonymous with one name and one name above all others: Bozo. While Bozo is certainly a Chicago icon, his roots go back a bit further. In 1946, Alan Livingston produced a children's read-a-long book for Capitol Records titled Bozo at the Circus.(fun fact: Mr. Livingston would go on to oversee the creation of Bonanza 13 years later) 3 years after the album was released, Bozo got his first TV show, a Friday evening show in Los Angeles. In 1956, one of the actors hired to play Bozo bought the licensing rights to the character, subsequently franchising them out to various cities across the country. This is where Chicago comes into the picture.

     In 1960, WGN got the rights to Bozo and started putting him into segments in between cartoons. This arrangement lasted for about 6 months until WGN moved their television operations out of the Tribune Tower to their own studio on the city's northwest side. It was there on September 11, 1961 that the Bozo craze truly hit Chicago. On that date, a one-hour program called Bozo's Circus premiered, featuring Bozo, Ringmaster Ned, a 13-piece orchestra, humor, whimsy, and the Grand Prize Game, all taped in front of a 200-member studio audience. While 200 people to watch a children's show may sound like a lot, the supply couldn't come close to meeting demand. At the height of its popularity, there was a 10-year waiting list for tickets, and many women took to reserving a spot for their children as soon as they found out they were pregnant. The Bozo mania was so rampant that even in the wake of the Great Blizzard of 1967, a full house was lined up to gain access to the show.(alas, that was one of the few instances where the taping was cancelled and a repeat was shown in its place) In 1978, WGN became a cable superstation, and much like Harry Caray and the Cubs, Bozo benefited from being seen by a national audience. In 1984, the original host (Bob Bell) retired, and so a national search was launched for the next host. Joey D'Auria (who had gained fame as a contestant on The Gong Show) was picked to replace Bell. With a new host in place, the show went into the 1990s as a Chicago institution. Unfortunately, changes that began in 1997 ultimately did the show in. That year, the FCC passed new rules mandating 3 hours of educational programming be shown by all television stations each week. The next year, one of the cast members left as a result of budget cuts. Finally, WGN announced the cancellation of the program in 2001. The final taping was a 90 minute primetime special that aired on July 14 of that year.

     Bozo's legacy lives on in many different ways. Several costumes and props are on exhibit at the Museum of Broadcast Communications (also in Chicago). The Bozo character has popped up in various places over the years, from WGN specials, to parades, to even a 2008 PSA about the upcoming switch to digital television. The most recent appearance of Bozo came in 2018 when WGN re-entered the world of shows done before a live studio audience with Man of the People, which even featured a special appearance from Bozo himself.