![]() The adventures of the circus people involved countless other characters, some of whom were mere spectators at their shows and others intriguing personalities in their own right. All of these characters were rendered on the TV screen as startlingly lifelike puppets so impressive that even Jim Henson (of "Muppets" fame) might have been envious. ![]() (Caleb Chung), the shy but friendly strongman and calliope player and others. These friends included Fair "Dink" Dinkum (voice of Patty Maloney), the Australian ringmaster Lionel (voice of Jim Cummings), the troupe's Brooklyn-accented barker and magician Lily (Patricia Parris), a glamorous lady trapeze artist Q.T. Dumbo served as a "Pegasus" of sorts for a magical flying wagon, drawing his friends through the sky to each new performance. Ostensibly a spin-off of Disney's 1941 animated movie DUMBO, this series placed the titular pachyderm (here voiced by successful voice-over actress Katie Leigh) among the denizens of a traveling circus that roamed the environs of an unidentified country. "Dumbo's Circus," a short-lived but aggressively syndicated "kiddie" show with puppets that aired on the Disney Channel in the 1980s, is a program whose quirks I remember with great joy despite not necessarily valuing the program as highly as I once did. This is not to say that all kids' shows are inherently equal, though: some are genuine masterpieces that even adults can hail as ideal examples of the fusion of art, commerce, and socialization others are not quite so substantial in their themes, but tend to contain some element or another that encourages viewers to remember them fondly years or even decades after they are broadcast. It is truly a pity that not every children's television show has proved to be as enduring or memorable as "Howdy Doody," "Sesame Street," or "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." Adults (particularly younger adults) do tend to be picky, but kids will accept just about any brand of entertainment as long as it's presented good-naturedly and with the aim of charging up their imaginations.
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