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ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids' TV
The incredible true story of how a motley crew of Toronto folk quietly revolutionized the medium of children’s television with minimal budgets and maximum imagination.
Between 1952 and 2000, Toronto experienced a golden age in the production of local children’s television programs.
Starting with the very first broadcast on CBC, a fascinating nexus of media professionals, educators, and children’s entertainers, most with no formal training, came together with the purpose to elevate the medium — at the time the most powerful communications tool in the world &mdash and use it as an educational tool rather than simply a platform to sell product.
This era was truly the Wild West of TV — there was no rule book. Toronto’s diverse population allowed for a unique mix of perspectives and talent to embrace the challenge and run with it.
Sometimes successful, sometimes not, the work created during this era remains etched in the minds of several generations, including programs such as The Friendly Giant, Mr. Dressup, Polka Dot Door, Uncle Bobby, Today’s Special, The Elephant Show and the many Degrassi series.
Between 1952 and 2000, Toronto experienced a golden age in the production of local children’s television programs.
Starting with the very first broadcast on CBC, a fascinating nexus of media professionals, educators, and children’s entertainers, most with no formal training, came together with the purpose to elevate the medium — at the time the most powerful communications tool in the world &mdash and use it as an educational tool rather than simply a platform to sell product.
This era was truly the Wild West of TV — there was no rule book. Toronto’s diverse population allowed for a unique mix of perspectives and talent to embrace the challenge and run with it.
Sometimes successful, sometimes not, the work created during this era remains etched in the minds of several generations, including programs such as The Friendly Giant, Mr. Dressup, Polka Dot Door, Uncle Bobby, Today’s Special, The Elephant Show and the many Degrassi series.
- GenresPop CultureCanada
352 pages, Paperback
Published January 20, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 1, 2025
You’ll remember more than you think you will (I repeatedly experienced the magic of unlocked memories I didn’t know I still had). I’d love to see more histories of Canadian children’s television from other regions. Also, Nina Keogh should rightfully be a household name, considering her enormous body of work over the decades.
February 9, 2026
A superbly presented book packed with nostalgia and history! I learned a lot about Canadian television that occurred outside of the brief window during which I was a dedicated viewer. What an interesting look behind the scenes at the influences that shaped some of our most beloved shows. The only thing that could possibly make this book more nostalgic would be a CD-ROM in a clear plastic sleeve attached to the inside of the back cover with picture and video clips from shows presented in the book. :)
One Caveat for readers: this deals with Toronto productions exclusively. While favourites like Size Small Island and Romper Room are mentioned, they were not produced in Toronto and don't feature prominently in this publication.
One Caveat for readers: this deals with Toronto productions exclusively. While favourites like Size Small Island and Romper Room are mentioned, they were not produced in Toronto and don't feature prominently in this publication.
April 27, 2026
Childhoods pass all too quickly, so we should be thankful for award-winning digital archivist and author Ed Conroy whose website Retrontario.com unearths rare and long forgotten footage of the past.
His remarkable book ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids' TV goes a step further by putting decades of Canadian television history right into our hands.
Highlighting over 100 of the most memorable children’s television programs broadcast between 1950 and 2000, ImagiNation offers a fascinating look at some of the most fondly remembered shows of our childhoods – and some lost classics.
It was surprising to learn that Canada’s first TV broadcast, Let's See (1952) was helmed by future Academy Award winner Norman Jewison and featured Canada's first genuine TV star - a sarcastic green-skinned puppet named Chichimus (he got his own show within a year).
It's a surprise to learn that the first on-screen pairing of Star Trek actors William Shatner and James Doohan took place in
CBC’s first English in-house dramatic series, Space Command (1953).
Another of the stories Conroy uncovers is that Canada had its own version of Howdy Doody. With Doodyville being rebuilt to spec in Toronto and the requisite cowboys, horses and six shooters were replaced by forest rangers, beavers and canoes!
Conroy’s remarkable research offers insights into Canadian classics such as The Friendly Giant and Mr. Dressup. Discovering that Rusty the Rooster was a last-minute addition to the Friendly Giant or that Mr. Rogers Neighbourhood actually began life as a Toronto show called Misterrogers makes for great reading.
The development of TVO's famed Polka Dot Door (and mascot Polkaroo) and the complex tale of the birth of the Canadian version of Sesame Street are highlights of this gorgeous illustrated book.
It’s also great to read about shows like The Kids of Degrassi Street and The Big Comfy Couch and the creation of YTV, Treehouse TV and The Zone.
ImagiNation is a fun and well researched overview of television history assembled with affection and insight offering readers a rare look at overlooked parts of Canadian culture.
His remarkable book ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids' TV goes a step further by putting decades of Canadian television history right into our hands.
Highlighting over 100 of the most memorable children’s television programs broadcast between 1950 and 2000, ImagiNation offers a fascinating look at some of the most fondly remembered shows of our childhoods – and some lost classics.
It was surprising to learn that Canada’s first TV broadcast, Let's See (1952) was helmed by future Academy Award winner Norman Jewison and featured Canada's first genuine TV star - a sarcastic green-skinned puppet named Chichimus (he got his own show within a year).
It's a surprise to learn that the first on-screen pairing of Star Trek actors William Shatner and James Doohan took place in
CBC’s first English in-house dramatic series, Space Command (1953).
Another of the stories Conroy uncovers is that Canada had its own version of Howdy Doody. With Doodyville being rebuilt to spec in Toronto and the requisite cowboys, horses and six shooters were replaced by forest rangers, beavers and canoes!
Conroy’s remarkable research offers insights into Canadian classics such as The Friendly Giant and Mr. Dressup. Discovering that Rusty the Rooster was a last-minute addition to the Friendly Giant or that Mr. Rogers Neighbourhood actually began life as a Toronto show called Misterrogers makes for great reading.
The development of TVO's famed Polka Dot Door (and mascot Polkaroo) and the complex tale of the birth of the Canadian version of Sesame Street are highlights of this gorgeous illustrated book.
It’s also great to read about shows like The Kids of Degrassi Street and The Big Comfy Couch and the creation of YTV, Treehouse TV and The Zone.
ImagiNation is a fun and well researched overview of television history assembled with affection and insight offering readers a rare look at overlooked parts of Canadian culture.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews