Look way up and way back to episodes of the Friendly Giant

By Joan Janzen

"Look way up … waaaay up!" Those were words heard by generations of Canadian kids over 3,000 episodes and throughout 27 years. From 1958 until 1985 kids were shown their choice of seats: a little chair for you, a bigger chair for two to curl up in, and a rocking chair for someone who likes to rock. The same words were spoken every day before the drawbridge was lowered, young viewers entered the castle, and the main characters emerged: Jerome the Giraffe, Rusty the Rooster and the Friendly Giant.

More than 3,000 episodes of The Friendly Giant were watched by 800,000 Canadian kids each week from 1958 to 1985. Photo: Canadian Encyclopedia

Bob Homme (aka the Friendly Giant) would play various types of music on the clarinet, recorder and tin whistle. Jerome would sing while Rusty played the harp. The two puppets were manipulated by Rod Coneybeare. The puppeteer was tall enough to operate both puppets at the same time, as well as do their voices.

The 15-minute episodes were unscripted. Coneybeare and Homme would improvise the dialogue between the puppets and the Friendly Giant.

After the show was cancelled due to budgetary cutbacks at CBC, reruns were televised until 1987. The show was watched by 800,000 children each week during the show's peak years.

Homme refused to market the show by selling any merchandise and rarely appeared in interviews because he didn't want to spoil the illusion for children. He became a Canadian citizen in the early 1990s and earned the Order of Canada in 1998. He spent his retirement years in Ontario until his passing in 2000.

Rusty and Jerome are on display at the CBC Radio and Television Museum in Toronto along with the castle and miniature chairs.