New Zoo Revue Goes Blue.

I enjoyed New Zoo Revue as a kid--that is when I could drag my ass out of bed early enough to catch it. I don't think it was ever on later than six a.m., at least when I was of the age to appreciate it. Each episode featured two people, the dorky Doug and the enchanting Emmy Jo, and their costumed animal pals, Freddie the Frog, Charlie the Owl, and Henrietta the Hippo. I don't recall him, but Chuck Woolery also appeared on occasion as Mr. Dingle, an old postman who looked litigiously similar to Mr. McFeely, Fred Rogers' Speedy Delivery man.

Twenty years ago or so, Mike (Lantern Fishworks) and I rented a generic-looking blooper tape from our local video store. It was called "Take One," and had the usual assortment of Star Trek outtakes and such. The part that really made our jaws drop was a NZR segment where Freddie and Charlie trade curses and insults. "Go fuck yourself, Charlie!," the child-like frog screams. "You're nothing but an old faggot!" The animosity soon turns amorous, however, when Freddie lifts his sweater up, revealing that, like many animal characters, he does not wear pants. Nor is any froggy genitalia evident, but that doesn't stop the lusty old owl from blowing him so vigorously that the set nearly collapses. To the howls and guffaws of the crew, Charlie then throws Freddie onto a table and humps him senseless. Mike and I laughed until we couldn't breathe, and then watched it again and again.

I wish I had stolen that tape, as I have never spotted it anywhere since and the store eventually closed down anyway. I did find another blooper tape with the segment, but it is an abbreviated version without the violent table-fuck.

Here is a crummy vidcap of Freddie offering his non-existent balls to Charlie.

[9/17/17 add: see it here on my YouTube channel, right after some naked Japanese boys.]

I just found a 6 DVD set of the entire 1972 first syndicated season (it began as a local show in 1969) for $6.99. I dubbed off a few eps as I really don't want all 59 shows, just a representation for my collection of 70's video artifacts. It still holds up well. I don't know how today's kiddies would respond to it, but it's pretty well-produced for an obviously low-budget affair. One thing I didn't remember at all was just how hot Emmy Jo was. Played by Emily Peden, who strongly resembles Parker Posey, she often prances around in mini-skirts and go-go boots. When she sings a slow song, she sounds strangely like Willow MacGregor seducing Sergeant Howie through the wall in The Wicker Man. Oocha, and might I add, magoocha.

Emmy Jo and Doug married shortly after the show began, and apparently are still together today, running a production company in Las Vegas. There are scant few pics of her on the web, and these poor vidcaps are the best I can do...