SAVER OF A TV SHOW

I'm just a little. Too young. To remember. Much.

About Dave Garroway and NBC's Today Show. I remember my parents watched. And if I did, it was to see J. Fred Muggs.

Any monkey who had a girlfriend named Phoebe B. Beebe had to be cool. I suppose she was a chimpanzee, but I don't know. I don't know whether she was like Jimmy Durante's Mrs. Calibash, "wherever you are". Things were like that in the 50's. There was more mystique back then.

TV Guide even named an award for the chimp representing Distinguished Foolishness in the industry. How, oh how did they ever quit awarding that one? It could be bigger than the Country Music, Grammys, or Emmys in today's world. Just think of the nominees for this year alone.

I'm quite fuzzy about the particulars (as we used to say in Southern Illinois; well, I never said it, but anyway[s]) it seems J. Fred saved Garroway's job somehow. Maybe ratings. But the little guy survived from 1953-57. Not bad for a pre-Topo Gigo. Not bad for a non-talent in tv land. But now I'm getting redundant.