This post is primarily myself reminiscing about my favorite television station as a kid: WTXX-TV Channel 20. Airing in Connecticut, WTXX featured the best cartoons with weekday mornings consisting of Masters of the Universe among others, and after school I was glued to the channel specifically for Transformers and G.I. Joe. During the blocks of cartoons known as "Kidstime Express," a human host along with a puppet, usually T.X. Critter but sometimes another, would introduce the upcoming episode in between each show. T.X. was created by puppeteer Paul Fusco who is best known for designing the character Alf. There was also a Sunday morning show called Kidstime hosted by Mike as seen in the 1985 flyer scan below. Sorry about the poor quality of these screencaps; my VHS tapes are not in great shape, likely because I reused them, copying over shows numerous times.
I mentioned WTXX once before on YouTube when I played the Intellivision game Sharp Shot because one of the mini-games was used for contests on the station that my sister took part in and won. The channel also aired a variety of syndicated shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well as movies and some sports broadcasts, including the New York Mets, Boston Celtics, and Hartford Whalers. In 1995 WTXX became a UPN affiliate, which was best known for Star Trek: Voyager, and today Connecticut's channel 20 is a CW station.
This is the aforementioned 1985 flyer featuring the morning and afternoon cartoon lineups, plus the envelope I received it in:
Jonathan, for decades all I could do was call on my memory for images you have posted here. I vividly remember the yellow puppet and host that started my day, everyday. I’ve searched hi and low for these images for decades. Thank you for giving me a piece of my childhood back. Getting home from Savin Rock Community School, west haven, CT in the 80’s was intense. I would just make it home in time to watch Thundercats. Every morning I watched that line up. Still remembering waking up to Ducktales. I can’t believe you still have this. Thank you again. This made my year. Can’t believe how excited I am at 46 to see this lol.
When I saw this blog I just had to chime in. I grew up in Bridgeport Connecticut from 78-89. I remember seeing the T.X.Critter show in the afternoon but for me, it was in the morning before going to school because I wouldn’t leave for school until I got to watch my morning episode of G. I.Joe!! I loved my early morning before school cartoons routine. I had an even better Saturday morning Cartoon routine. That involved my younger brothers and I stacking these giant genuine imitation leather couch cushions up as high as we possibly could and sitting on them without the cushions playing Jenga on us. And a plate of fresh orange slices(a growing boy needs his Vitamins.) 🤣 But the main reason for me typing this is shortly before I left the bustling Inner-City of Bridgeport for Clean fresh air and Rolling Green Mountains of Southern Vermont and a Solitary Boredom of 17 acres of Heavy Forest and no neighboring kids in close biking distance. I saw during my weekday cartoon routine a contest that T.X. Critter show and KidsTime Express was putting on. Open to all children up to a certain age I believe it could of been 10 or 12. Send in to us your best artwork of your favorite cartoon character and we will select a winner to receive a $20 gift card to KidsStuff. At the time I was just starting to find my love for drawing and sketching mostly on the top of my school desk while the teacher was busy saying or doing something that I was supposed to be paying attention to rather then bringing out my inner Van Gogh with sketch’s of Whales and a goofy Andy cap ripoff of a Hip Hop wannabe character. That we kids in my public school named Cool Mo. 🤔 anyway I got the idea that I could draw something and possibly win and have my drawing on TV and then everyone will have to recognize my art skillz. So I got to work on drawing the 1 character who I thought was the hands down the coolest villain character of the time and year of 1989!! Big Super Powerful and and possibly the biggest Dumbass to ever be drawn in cartoons Rock Crusher from the 1 time very popular cartoon C.O.P.S. If I have to Praise and Pat my 1989 year old self on the back and did!👍 that drawing was still 1 of my best for my age and experience with drawing still to this day. So to make a long story a lot longer, I sent my drawing into the TV station and began the long process of waiting…… maybe a week possibly two. While watching my Weekday morning cartoons and seeing the station select a few winners for their drawing that obviously had to get there before my masterpiece had arrived because there was no possible way that they couldn’t or wouldn’t select my drawing right? Mine was the best drawing I have seen yet out of the few that have been selected and won. So my drawing was like a guaranteed winner. Had to be!! So as I was saying waiting ……. waiting and then I was starting to lose hope, the contest had to be rigged had to be for them not to choose my drawing. That’s what my little evil child mind was thinking. One morning while watching the last of my morning cartoons already dressed and ready to go out the door and start walking to school, I had to watch the last 5-10 minutes of the show and see who they picked to win this time over me. … There it was is! In all of its beauty and glory. My Masterpiece!! Along with my name in Big Bold Beautiful Print. What came after getting the gift card and finally getting to make my way across the state of Connecticut to get to a KidsStuff and finding the perfect thing to make a purchase with my Winners Prize is a Story for another time.
I just want to add I been trying to locate a recording of that clip of me winning. I been looking everywhere and I’m not having any luck. So if anyone is able to help me locate it please feel free to reach out to me. Anthony Barbiero Jr.
Thanks for the comment and congrats on winning! Finding that clip will certainly be challenging, though you never know as many people likely had VCRs in 1989. I wonder if the studio that owns the network would have all previous content stored somewhere. It's a long shot, but you could try writing them. You'd likely need to know the exact date, or maybe just the show it aired after and month would be enough. Good luck!
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Jonathan, for decades all I could do was call on my memory for images you have posted here. I vividly remember the yellow puppet and host that started my day, everyday. I’ve searched hi and low for these images for decades. Thank you for giving me a piece of my childhood back. Getting home from Savin Rock Community School, west haven, CT in the 80’s was intense. I would just make it home in time to watch Thundercats. Every morning I watched that line up. Still remembering waking up to Ducktales. I can’t believe you still have this. Thank you again. This made my year. Can’t believe how excited I am at 46 to see this lol.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments, I'm glad you enjoyed the post!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn’t DuckTales that I woke to then, it was indeed heathcliff! But years later, DuckTales was added to the line up.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw this blog I just had to chime in. I grew up in Bridgeport Connecticut from 78-89. I remember seeing the T.X.Critter show in the afternoon but for me, it was in the morning before going to school because I wouldn’t leave for school until I got to watch my morning episode of G. I.Joe!! I loved my early morning before school cartoons routine. I had an even better Saturday morning Cartoon routine. That involved my younger brothers and I stacking these giant genuine imitation leather couch cushions up as high as we possibly could and sitting on them without the cushions playing Jenga on us. And a plate of fresh orange slices(a growing boy needs his Vitamins.) 🤣 But the main reason for me typing this is shortly before I left the bustling Inner-City of Bridgeport for Clean fresh air and Rolling Green Mountains of Southern Vermont and a Solitary Boredom of 17 acres of Heavy Forest and no neighboring kids in close biking distance. I saw during my weekday cartoon routine a contest that T.X. Critter show and KidsTime Express was putting on. Open to all children up to a certain age I believe it could of been 10 or 12. Send in to us your best artwork of your favorite cartoon character and we will select a winner to receive a $20 gift card to KidsStuff. At the time I was just starting to find my love for drawing and sketching mostly on the top of my school desk while the teacher was busy saying or doing something that I was supposed to be paying attention to rather then bringing out my inner Van Gogh with sketch’s of Whales and a goofy Andy cap ripoff of a Hip Hop wannabe character. That we kids in my public school named Cool Mo. 🤔 anyway I got the idea that I could draw something and possibly win and have my drawing on TV and then everyone will have to recognize my art skillz. So I got to work on drawing the 1 character who I thought was the hands down the coolest villain character of the time and year of 1989!! Big Super Powerful and and possibly the biggest Dumbass to ever be drawn in cartoons Rock Crusher from the 1 time very popular cartoon C.O.P.S. If I have to Praise and Pat my 1989 year old self on the back and did!👍 that drawing was still 1 of my best for my age and experience with drawing still to this day. So to make a long story a lot longer, I sent my drawing into the TV station and began the long process of waiting…… maybe a week possibly two. While watching my Weekday morning cartoons and seeing the station select a few winners for their drawing that obviously had to get there before my masterpiece had arrived because there was no possible way that they couldn’t or wouldn’t select my drawing right? Mine was the best drawing I have seen yet out of the few that have been selected and won. So my drawing was like a guaranteed winner. Had to be!! So as I was saying waiting ……. waiting and then I was starting to lose hope, the contest had to be rigged had to be for them not to choose my drawing. That’s what my little evil child mind was thinking. One morning while watching the last of my morning cartoons already dressed and ready to go out the door and start walking to school, I had to watch the last 5-10 minutes of the show and see who they picked to win this time over me. … There it was is! In all of its beauty and glory. My Masterpiece!! Along with my name in Big Bold Beautiful Print. What came after getting the gift card and finally getting to make my way across the state of Connecticut to get to a KidsStuff and finding the perfect thing to make a purchase with my Winners Prize is a Story for another time.
ReplyDeleteI just want to add I been trying to locate a recording of that clip of me winning. I been looking everywhere and I’m not having any luck. So if anyone is able to help me locate it please feel free to reach out to me.
Anthony Barbiero Jr.
Thanks for the comment and congrats on winning! Finding that clip will certainly be challenging, though you never know as many people likely had VCRs in 1989. I wonder if the studio that owns the network would have all previous content stored somewhere. It's a long shot, but you could try writing them. You'd likely need to know the exact date, or maybe just the show it aired after and month would be enough. Good luck!
Delete