Winky Dink and You ran from '53 to '57, and still stands as one of the most innovative concepts in the vast cultural wasteland of children's television. Kids were invited to draw directly over the screen with a piece of plastic film and special crayons, forming a collaboration with the storyteller. How this ever got cancelled is beyond me. But there allegedly were a lot of complaints from parents that their children were drawing directly on the tv screen without first mailing in for the accessory kit. Thanks to the miracle of youtube, we can now play the original Winky Dink for the first time in over 50 years. All you need are a few materials you should easily be able to find around your workplace:
-a piece of clear plastic, large enough for your computer monitor (3mm mylar is ideal, but you can substitute a sheet protector or even plastic wrap)
-scotch tape
-dry erase markers, different colors
-a cloth or tissue for erasing
After you have your tools and materials assembled, click on the link below to be redirected to the youtube page. Then click the box in the lower-right corner of the player to expand the video to full screen. Let the magic of drawing commence.
bonus trivia: if the host looks familiar, that's Jack Berry. He was almost ruined in the late 50's by the scandal over his rigged game show (depicted the movie Quiz Show) but revived his career and hosted The Joker's Wild until the day he died. If Winky's voice sounds familiar, that's Mae Questel, the voice of Betty Boop and Olive Oyl from the 30's. She also played the grandma in National Lampoon's Vacation.
(by the way, there's a Winky Dink dvd set with included kit available, but don't confuse it with this video: it's a remake from the 70's that I haven't seen).
CLICK HERE TO BEGIN
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