Reviews & Ratings for
"Curiosity Shop" More at IMDbPro »

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
A unique show that ought to be made available again, 10 May 2007
Author: (bhardy@daedalusbooks.com) from Maryland, United States

"Onomatopoeia" is the name of the multi-armed, fuzzy-faced puppet who made sound effects. His nickname was "Ono." One of the main puppets was a short little bearded fellow in a bowler hat who was an inventor. He also was in animated segments where he would talk of things that he did back in the old country in Bosnia—the first time I ever heard of that place. This was the show I saw the animated short "Flatland" on, and possibly "The Dot and the Line." Ray Bradbury did a spooky little poem called "The Groon" that was also animated here. The younger boy, who looked a lot like Boxy on the old Battlestar Galactica show, once had a slogan T-shirt on that said, "Shoelaces are a drag." Thanks to all the other commentators for reminding me of forgotten details. I too had a juvenile crush on Pamelyn Ferdin.

2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Freaky, Freaky Puppets, 2 March 2005
Author: Clownbird from United States

Someone needs to put this thing on DVD. If only to scare the pants off of a new generation of kids. I was fascinated by this show, and remember precious little about it other than it featured three kids (including perennial favorite Pamelyn Ferdin) and a Laugh-In Joke Wall-type series of doors out of which a number of puppets would poke their heads and talk to the kids. And these puppets scared the HELL out of me. But it was a good scared because I loved watching the show. I don't remember anything about the cartoon elements of the show, or even that Chuck Jones and Mel Blanc were involved (when I watched it, at age five). But I read recently that Chuck was pretty heavily involved in the production of the show, so: daughter Linda Jones, if you're listening and you own the rights to this thing, put it on DVD! Does anyone remember the names of the puppets or what creatures they were supposed to be? There was one in particular which really gave me the heeby-jeebies, but I couldn't even describe it now to save my life.

2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
One of a Kind show, 23 June 2002
Author: richard.fuller1

I too remember this show. Shirley Jones appeared in the premiere episode. The animal puppets were classic. I had a punch-out book of the Curiosity Shop, that I could set up with all the animal puppets in the wagon or whatever that was they were all in. All I can recall of the puppets was the basset hound, the giraffe and the duck-bill platypus who was a person in a full costume and never spoke. He wore big sneakers too. Pamelyn Ferdin, a child actress all over tv shows back then, perhaps best found as one of the five children in the Guardian Angel episode of the sixties Star Trek, was one of the kids and the older boy can be found in several episodes of Brady Bunch as Bobby's friend, particularly in the episode with Joe Namath. A black girl was eventually brought in, I guess to appeal to affirmative action that was going on back then. I also recall the Halloween episode. All the puppets were dressed up as monsters and the platypus was a vampire. It was very creepy seeing them all like that. Was it the final episode I recall that had the children leave the curiostiy shop, saying good bye and once outside we were treated to them hopping around in multi-colored psychedelic swirls, with only their silhouettes moving, accompanied by some very funky music?

I would love to see this show again. For the longest time I equated Shirley Jones with this show more than I did Partridge Family.

2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
A "lost" children's classic, 18 September 2000
Author: George R. Willeman from Culpeper, VA

Probably one of the best shows ever made for Saturday morning TV, not the usual animated dreck but a fun show that was also informative and educational. I remember best a show about horror, done for Halloween, where I first saw the unmasking scene from "The Phantom of the Opera". I even had a Curiosity Shop lunchbox! Hopefully, with the ever growing hunger of the cable/satellite TV monster, this show will someday resurface.

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Alien Egg Eater???, 22 September 2009

Author: scottbc236 from United States

I loved the show at 9 years old. I not only remember the Onomatopoeia puppet... but I remember a bit of the song too. I also remember a cartoon Alien egg eater.... or something where he had a machine that fed him boiled eggs very quickly that slid down his throat so seemingly easy. I went and boiled me 3 or 4 eggs, cracked them, threw them in the air, and, yes, let them slip WHOLE down my throat (well, as whole as they would go). Yea, stupid. But what good memories! And I remember the little tune that he sang.... at least I think he was the one that sang the tune, but I know a tune that some cartoon character La La La ed on Curiosity Shop. I still hum it to myself to this day. Yea, I loved the puppets.

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Curiosity Shop on YouTube, 29 April 2008

Author: dheath-10 from Maine

I have been looking for video of this show for decades. Thank God someone has finally put some clips on YouTube. If you haven't seen them, you have to check them out. The opening sequence is there, as well as a commercial and network promos for the whole Saturday morning lineup from 1971. If nothing else, it proves to my family that I didn't make this show up in my own mind.

I wish I could find the Halloween special...as many here have said, it stands out in my mind (few other things from that long ago have made it this far in my memory).

Onomatopoeia was my favorite, which explains a lot about me...

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
What a wonderful childhood memory, 20 April 2005
Author: monkeesfan62 from Brookyn, New York (Yo Adriaaaaaaan!!)

OK I have one word for all those who remember this show, Onemonapeia ( I hope I spelled it right). That was the name of my favorite puppet on this wonderful show. I was like 8 or 9 when this show was on and I remember I even had the lunch box. I remember that puppet in particular because he spoke in sound effects hence the name. I remember there were a lot of famous cartoonist involved in this show including Chuck Jones and voice over artist like Mel Blanc, Daws Butler, and Don Messick. I too wish somebody would release this on DVD along with other childhood memories of mine like Do-Do the Kid From Outer Space, The Bugaloos, Lancelot Link Secret Chimp and The Double Decker London Bus. I would love to have the opportunity to be able to watch these nostalgic favorites.

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Quality show from a bygone era, 10 August 2003
Author: SRECCLES

I remember this show and also had the Curiosity Shop lunch box. It was from the good old days when T.V. wasn't only about making money. The major networks served the public interest in those days.

The girl in the show was also on "Lassie" and on the "Brady Bunch" episode where Jan buys the black wig. I think she was an episode of "The Odd Couple" too.

I Did Not Know Chuck Jones Produced This:, 18 November 2011
Author: In_Correct from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I am a fan of Chuck Jones and also Filmation. I thought I knew everything there is to know about Chuck Jones. I always wondered why he did not produce a full TV show...and why he stopped making Dr. Seuss cartoons. Now I know that I am In-Correct, unfortunately. Chuck Jones executive-produced THIS show.

And to make things worse, I thought I knew everything there is to know about oldschool educational programs, especially on ABC who had tons of them.

This is very old program. It was made in 1971. But don't worry, Chuck Jones's productions are very futuristic. He had me fooled for a very long time about Tom & Jerry cartoons that he produced...I thought those were made in the early 90s.

Many people remember this program, for those that had television and for those that were able to catch it in its one season on the air. And I don't think many people had VHS back then, so I am not sure how they were able to post clips on YouTube. I did more research and there are DVDs available, but they are most likely out of print.

I can actually see a new generation digging this show out of the attic and watching it. The show was kinda weird, and they most likely did that on purpose because that is what made it memorable. They had a 3 eyed 7 legged puppet, which could be interpreted as a parody of children's shows, but kids these days are sure to be fascinated by that. It also had other crazy puppets.

Curiosity Shop was also had a crazy theme song, with crazy animation. This was decades before video editing computer software, and this was made abstract enough to pass as a video edited YouTube clip. Lots of people are putting whatever edit that they can think of in a YouTube clip. (The same thing can be said for "The Bear That Wasn't") Combine the theme with the crazy puppets and the younger generations are bound to love Curiosity Shop. If a show is done well enough, it does not matter how old it is.

I am going to go find more episodes of this show. Have a good day.

I loved this show!, 10 May 2005
Author: timothyhodge from Tennessee, US

I have very fond memories of this show. In fact, I think it had a large influence on my career choice in animation. "The Curiosity Shop" would regularly show animated shorts that had no other venue in the US. There was a talking TV character that would show them on her screen. (She was a grandmother character with a shawl over her console and instead of legs, she sat on rockers like a rocking chair. I don't remember who provided the voice. Many of the animated films presented were from the National Film Board of Canada, Zagreb Yugoslavia and often Oscar nominees and/or winners. I distinctly remember some of the short films by Ryan Larkin, especially his Oscar winning "Walking". Interestingly enough, Larkin was the subject of the Oscar winning animated short film for 2003, "Ryan". I must confess that another reason I had to watch the show was my mild crush on child actress Pamelyn Ferdin. My hat is off to the late Chuck Jones for helping to create such a wonderful and influential show.

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