''Shenanigans'' was a children's television game show produced by
Heatter-Quigley Productions
Heatter-Quigley Productions was an American television production company that was launched in 1960 by two former television writers, Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley. After Quigley's retirement, the company became Merrill Heatter Productions.
H ...
which aired on
ABC Saturday mornings from September 26, 1964 to March 20, 1965, and again from September 25 to December 18, 1965.
The series began as local programming in New York City and later aired nationally on ABC. The show was similar to ''
Video Village Junior'', another program produced by Heatter-Quigley which featured children as contestants moving about a life-sized game board.
Stubby Kaye
Bernard Solomon Kotzin (November 11, 1918 – December 14, 1997), known as Stubby Kaye, was an American actor, comedian, vaudevillian, and singer, known for his appearances on Broadway and in film musicals.
Kaye originated the roles of Nicely-Ni ...
hosted the program, dubbed "the Mayor of Shenanigans," and
Kenny Williams was the announcer, known as "Kenny the Cop". Williams portrayed a similar role on ''Video Village''.
Game play
Children stood on a giant game board; a button was pressed that stopped a set of flashing lights with the numbers one through four, and the children advanced on the game board the corresponding number of spaces. The children then answered a question or performed a stunt and earning "Shenaniganzas",
scrip
A scrip (or ''chit'' in India) is any substitute for legal tender. It is often a form of credit. Scrips have been created and used for a variety of reasons, including exploitive payment of employees under truck systems; or for use in local co ...
that could be traded for items from the ''Top Value Stamp Catalog''.
Possible prizes were also suspended from the ceiling in the studio.
Most of the spaces on the game board were references to popular board games by the show's sponsor
Milton Bradley Company
Milton Bradley Company or simply Milton Bradley (MB) was an American board game manufacturer established by Milton Bradley in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860. In 1920, it absorbed the game production of McLoughlin Brothers, formerly the ...
, such as ''
Operation
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...
''. In 1964, a board game was published by Milton Bradley as a companion to the show.
See also
Similar game shows that came after ''Shenanigans'':
*''
Finders Keepers
Finders, keepers, sometimes extended as the children's rhyme finders, keepers; losers, weepers, is an English language, English adage with the premise that when something is unowned or abandoned, whoever finds it first can claim it for themself pe ...
''
*''
Fun House
A funhouse or fun house is an amusement facility found on amusement park and funfair midways and is where patrons encounter and interact with various devices designed to surprise, challenge, and amuse them. Unlike thrill rides or dark rides, fu ...
''
*''
Double Dare''
*''
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?''
*''
Family Game Night''
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shenanigans (Game Show)
Milton Bradley Company games
American Broadcasting Company original programming
1960s American children's game shows
1960s American children's television series
1964 American television series debuts
1965 American television series endings
Television series about children
Television series by Heatter-Quigley Productions
Television series by Four Star Television