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Julius Pierpont "J. P." Patches was a
clown A clown is a person who performs comedy and arts in a state of open-mindedness using physical comedy, typically while wearing distinct makeup or costuming and reversing folkway-norms. History The most ancient clowns have been found in ...
and the main character on ''The J. P. Patches Show'', an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
-winning local children's television show on
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
station
KIRO-TV KIRO-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Seattle, Washington, United States, affiliated with CBS and Telemundo. Owned by Cox Media Group, the station maintains studios on Third Avenue in the Belltown section of Downtown Seattle, and its ...
, produced from 1958 to 1981. J.P. Patches was played by show creator and Seattle children's entertainer Chris Wedes (April 3, 1928 – July 22, 2012). When the show ended in 1981, ''The J. P. Patches Show'' was one of the longest-running locally produced children's television programs in the United States.


The ''J. P. Patches Show''

The ''J. P. Patches Show'' was on TV for 23 years. For the first thirteen years, it was on twice a day, mornings and afternoons, six days a week (including Saturdays, where it aired only in the morning)) from Monday, February 10, 1958, through Saturday, December 26, 1970. For the next eight years, the show only aired mornings, six days a week, Monday, December 28, 1970, through Saturday, December 30, 1978. For the final two years, the show ran exclusively on Saturday mornings, Saturday, January 6, 1979, through Saturday, September 19, 1981. There was one final week of episodes, mostly retrospectives and farewells, from Monday, September 21 through Friday, September 25, 1981. ''The J.P. Patches Show'' ended up broadcasting around 12,000 episodes. The show premiered on February 10, 1958, on KIRO-TV. The show was immensely popular in the
Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected ma ...
area and southwestern British Columbia; at the peak of its run, the program had a daily local viewership of over 100,000. It was enjoyed not only by children but also by parents, who appreciated J. P.'s frequent use of
double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...
(
G-rated The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures ...
) and sly subversiveness that mostly went over their kids' heads.Stein Two generations of viewers grew up as "Patches Pals", sharing the joyful zany antics of J.P. with their kids. Patches Pals were reminded every show to follow the Patches Pals daily checklist: *Mind Mommy and Daddy *Wash hands, face, neck, and ears *Comb hair *Brush Teeth *Drink your milk *Eat all of your food *Say your prayers *Share your toys *Put toys away *Hang up clothes ''The J. P. Patches Show'' competed with two other local children's shows, ''Captain Puget'' on
KOMO-TV KOMO-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Seattle, Seattle, Washington, United States, affiliated with American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue-licensed Univision a ...
, and '' Wunda Wunda'' and ''King's Klubhouse'', both on
KING-TV KING-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Seattle, Washington, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside Everett-licensed independent station KONG (channel 16). Both stations share studios at the Home Plate ...
. '' Captain Kangaroo'', CBS's own long-running children's show, saw its first half-hour preempted by KIRO-TV in favor of ''J.P. Patches''. After 23 years, KIRO-TV cancelled the show because of declining ratings, and the final episode was broadcast on September 25, 1981. After the show ended, Wedes continued to portray J.P. at many public and private charity events for another thirty years despite suffering in later years from incurable (but in remission) blood cancer. Wedes spent many hours visiting sick children at
Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle Children's, formerly Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, formerly Children's Orthopedic Hospital, is a children's hospital in the Laurelhurst neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The hospital specializes in the care of infa ...
in Laurelhurst, never asking to be paid. In 2011, due to declining health conditions, Wedes announced that he expected his final public appearance as J. P. to be on September 17, 2011, fifty-six years after first donning the face paint. On December 14, 2011, a prime time special was aired on KCTS-TV titled ''J. P. Patches: Last Night at the City Dump'', which was meant to serve as a farewell to the character. On July 22, 2012, at 84 years old, Chris Wedes died after a long battle with
multiple myeloma Multiple myeloma (MM), also known as plasma cell myeloma and simply myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibodies. Often, no symptoms are noticed initially. As it progresses, bone pain, an ...
, a form of blood cancer.


Premise

The show was live, unrehearsed improv with rarely more than two live actors on screen (Wedes and Bob Newman) but with frequent contributions from the sound effects man and off-camera crew. J. P. was the "Mayor of the City Dump", where he lived in a shack, the inside of which was the appropriately rough but colorfully-furnished studio set. He welcomed frequent guests: Seattle
boy scout A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...
and
girl scout Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...
troops, various local and national celebrities (see below), and his cast of supporting characters: Sturdley the Bookworm (a
puppet A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. The puppeteer uses movements of their hands, arms, or control devices such as rods ...
), Esmerelda (portrayed by a Raggedy Ann doll), Ketchikan the Animal Man (a sort of
Jack Hanna Jack Bushnell Hanna (born January 2, 1947) is a retired American zookeeper and a former director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. "Jungle Jack" was director of the zoo from 1978 to 1992, and is viewed as largely responsible for elevat ...
character), Boris S. Wort (the "second meanest man in the world"), LeRoy Frump (a character obviously based on Art Carney's Ed Norton), Tikey Turkey (a rubber chicken), Grandpa Tick Tock (a grandfather clock with an elderly face where the pendulum would be), The Swami of Pastrami, Ggoorrsstt the Friendly Frpl (a one-eyed brown shag carpet), Miss Smith (a motorcycle riding delivery woman who told mostly awful jokes), Superclown (a JP like superhero), J. P.'s evil counterpart P. J. Scratches (per official site ''I.M. Rags''), and J. P.'s girlfriend, Gertrude. The show's supporting cast, male and female, human or non-human, was played by the versatile actor Bob Newman.


Bob Newman

Bob Newman (born January 24, 1932, on Mercer Island, Washington) initially started at KIRO-TV as a film-editor and floor director in 1960, two years into J.P.'s run. He started hanging around the set, just to watch the fun. One of J. P.'s bits was to call the city dump operator Gertrude on a big yellow banana phone, although Gertrude herself was never seen or heard. One day, as J. P. asked for a ham sandwich from Gertrude for a picnic, Newman yelled out, in a falsetto voice, "Okay Julius, I'll send it right down." Wedes was as surprised as everyone else, and from that day forward Newman became Gertrude, with his falsetto voice, frumpy dress and a wig made from a dyed red mop. J. P. got his "ham" as Bob Newman was willing to do anything for a laugh and proved to be the perfect foil for Wedes' improvisational comedy. He provided over 17 characters for the show and remained a faithful friend to Chris Wedes up until his death in 2012. Newman died on December 13, 2020.


ICU2TV

J. P. announced the birthdays of selected Patches Pals by "viewing" them on his "ICU2TV" set (a cardboard prop that created the appearance that J. P. was looking at you from inside your television). He predicted where a gift might be hidden in the child's house with amazing accuracy (with the never-mentioned assistance of a postcard from a parent). The sound effect used was the same, distinctive
ringtone A ringtone, ring tone or ring is the sound made by a telephone to indicate an incoming call. Originally referring to and made by the electromechanical striking of bells, the term now refers to any sound on any device alerting of a new incoming ...
of Lloyd Cramden's "presidential hotline"
telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...
in ''
Our Man Flint ''Our Man Flint'' is a 1966 American spy-fi comedy film that parodies the ''James Bond'' film series. The film was directed by Daniel Mann, written by Hal Fimberg and Ben Starr (from a story by Hal Fimberg), and starred James Coburn as master ...
''.


Famous guests on TV show

* Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows *
Al Capp Alfred Gerald Caplin (September 28, 1909 – November 5, 1979), better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip ''Li'l Abner'', which he created in 1934 and continued writing and (wi ...
*
Jacques Cousteau Jacques-Yves Cousteau, (, also , ; 11 June 191025 June 1997) was a French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker and author. He co-invented the first successful Aqua-Lung, open-circuit SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus). T ...
* Beverly Garland (of '' My Three Sons'') *
The Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an American exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, and comedy in their style of play. Created in 1926 by Tommy Brookins in Chicago, Illinois, the team adopted the name ''Harlem'' because of ...
* Jack LaLanne * Clayton Moore *
Jesse Owens James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games. Owens specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lifet ...
* Slim Pickens *
Dixy Lee Ray Dixy Lee Ray (September 3, 1914 – January 2, 1994) was an American politician who served as the 17th governor of Washington from 1977 to 1981. Variously described as idiosyncratic and "ridiculously smart," she was the state's first female gover ...
*
Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, and businesswoman. Her career spanned almost 70 years. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portra ...
*
Merrilee Rush Merrilee Rush ( Gunst; January 26, 1944) is an American singer, best known for her recording of the song "Angel of the Morning", a top-10 hit which earned her a Grammy nomination for female vocalist of the year in 1968. Early life and career ...
* Colonel Harland Sanders * Danny Thomas * Tiny Tim * Burt Ward


Origin

Broadcaster Daryl Laub created the J. P. Patches character in 1953 for WTCN-TV in
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
. When he left WTCN in 1955 for KSTP-TV, Chris Wedes (pronounced WEE-dus) took over the character from that point on. Wedes appeared on several WTCN programs. Besides J.P., his most notable character was Joe the Cook, a sidekick to host Roger Awsumb as Case Jones on WTCN's ''Lunch with Casey''. Wedes brought J. P. with him when he moved to Seattle in 1958 to become KIRO-TV's first floor director. In addition to the long-running TV show, J. P. Patches made frequent fundraising appearances for local charities. He was a common sight at Children's Hospital, visiting sick kids and promoting the work of the hospital.


''Late for the Interurban'' statue

On August 17, 2008, a bronze statue of J. P. and Gertrude was unveiled on North 34th Street, about 250 feet east of the intersection with Fremont Avenue North, in the Fremont section of Seattle. The unveiling date was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ''J. P. Patches'' show. The statue is called ''Late for the Interurban'' by sculptor Kevin Pettelle and is approximately east of '' Waiting for the Interurban''. The unveiling was attended by hundreds of Patches' Pals, including Washington Governor Christine Gregoire, Congressman Jim McDermott,
King County King County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 2,269,675 in the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Washington, and the 13th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle, also the st ...
Executive Ron Sims, and several members of the county and city councils; both Chris Wedes (J. P. Patches) and Bob Newman (Gertrude) were present. The event was emceed by
Pat Cashman Patrick Cashman (born September 16, 1950) is an American comedian and television and radio personality based in the Seattle metropolitan area. Early life and education Born and raised in Bend, Oregon. He has a younger brother named Mike Cashm ...
, and the keynote address was given by Wedes' 16-year-old granddaughter, Christina Frost.


Merchandise and Videos

* A J. P. Patches action figure is distributed by Seattle novelty dealer Archie McPhee, along with a
bobblehead A bobblehead, also known by common silly nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible action figure. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to ...
,
lunchbox A lunch box (alt. spelling lunchbox) refers to a hand-held container used to transport food, usually to work or to school. It is commonly made of metal or plastic, is reasonably airtight and often has a handle for carrying. In the United ...
es, Christmas ornaments and assorted other collectibles. * In 1992, four VHS video tapes were released of the ''J. P. Patches Show''. Because the show was performed and broadcast live—in real time—very, very little footage of the show was ever made. There is a Christmas show, there is a highlights reel, there is a 20th anniversary show put together in 1978, and there is J. P.'s final show in 1981. All of the above footage was incorporated into a 2-DVD set in 2005. * The book ''J.P. Patches, Northwest Icon'', by Bryan Johnston and Julius Pierpont Patches (Chris Wedes), () was released in 2002 by Peanut Butter Publishing. * Johnston has also written a novel about Boris S. Wort and his campaign to "meanify" Seattle, entitled ''The 2nd Meanest Man in the World'' (2017). Seattleites "of a certain age" will find many icons and events of their childhood put into the perspective of Wort's nefarious plot. * In addition to the book and action figure, DVDs and tee shirts have been available at th
Channel 9 store


Popular culture

*J. P. was listed as one of Krusty the Clown's birthday buddies in the animated television show ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'' (episode "
Radio Bart "Radio Bart" is the thirteenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 9, 1992. In the episode, Bart receives a microphone tha ...
") along with Bart. This was similar to JP's I.C.U.2-TV segment. Matt Groening, the creator, drew a lot of inspiration from his former home in the Pacific Northwest such as naming the streets. JP and fellow Pacific NW clown
Rusty Nails Rusty may refer to something covered with rust or with a rust (color). Rusty is also a nickname for people who have red hair, have a rust-hued skin tone, or have the given name Russell. Rusty may also refer to: People *Rusty Anderson (born 1959 ...
are considered the inspiration for Krusty.


See also


Official website
*'' Fremont Troll'' *
List of local children's television series (United States) The following is a list of local children's television shows in the United States. These were locally produced commercial television programs intended for the child audience with unique hosts and themes. This type of programming began in the late ...


Notes and references


Video

* B&W with color sequences, remaster of rescued original recordings c. 1960s - early 1970s. * Remaster of rescued original recordings c. 1970s.


Bibliography

*
Link to RealAudio archive of interview on local morning program on KUOW-FM 94.6, Seattle.
Host talks with local Seattle stars from the ''J.P. Patches Show'', 54m 56s.
RealAudio link: "http://128.208.34.90/ramgen/archive/weekday/wkdy010104-b.rm?start='00:01:59.000'&end='00:56:05.048'" * Date pe
"Montlake Landfill Information SumMarchy, January 1999"
* * *
2006 appearances, inclusive. *
Chris Wedes holds the copyright, Bryan Johnston is the author. * * * * :Stein referenced Jack Broom, "The J.P. Generation", ''Pacific Magazine'', ''The Seattle Times'', 4 April 1993, pp. 6-11,14-17; :Bill Cartmel, "Hi Ya, Patches Pals", ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', 11 April 1971, pp. 6-7; :Erik Lacitis, "Patches Understands – and Survives", ''The Seattle Times'', 23 February 1978, p. A15; :
o title O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), plu ...
''The East Side Journal'', 31 May 1962, p. 3; Ibid. 14 May 1969, p. 19. * *


External links

*
jppatches.com, official web siteGuide to the Chris Wedes Collection on J.P. Patches at the Museum of History & Industry, SeattlePersonRatings ProfileHistoryLink history of J.P. PatchesKetchikan the Animal Man (Bob Newman) fan site
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20120721030549/http://www.kbtc.org/page.php?id=334 ''J.P. Patches Tribute'' Documentary produced by
Full Focus KBTC-TV (channel 28) is a television station licensed to Tacoma, Washington, United States, serving the Seattle area as a member of PBS. Owned by Bates Technical College. KBTC-TV maintains studios and transmitter facilities separately in Tacoma ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patches, J. P. American children's television presenters 1958 American television series debuts 1981 American television series endings 1950s American children's television series 1950s American comedy television series 1960s American children's comedy television series 1970s American children's comedy television series 1980s American children's comedy television series Culture of Seattle Television in Minnesota American clowns American television shows featuring puppetry Television shows about clowns Fictional characters from Seattle Local children's television programming in the United States