Green Screen Adventures- Chicago TV's Grandchild

If green screen technology had been used for Bozo's Circus, Ray Rayner and Friends, Here's Geraldine, Kiddie-A-Go-Go, Dirty Dragon and Kukla, Fran and Ollie, the cost to produce such shows would have been much less. There would have been no need for big backdrops and changes of scenery. The stars of such shows could have effectively traveled the globe without fear of paying for airline tickets and hotels.

Chroma key technology existed in some form, according to Wikipedia, as well as my 1958 Book of Knowledge (let me know if you want to make a hectograph- it contains directions), as far back as the 1930s. The show the Flying Nun used it a great deal.

What's this got to do with raising kids the second time around?

Green Screen Adventures is a home-grown show broadcast on Weigel Broadcasting stations. Kids from second through eighth grades produce artwork, scripts, and creative writing projects. The Green Screen Adventures team accepts submissions, and applies chroma key to worthy submissions, airing them at various times on Weigel stations. There are fourteen Weigel stations, and at least eight of those could utilize Green Screen Adventures effectively.

What makes Green Screen Adventures so great? It involves the kids, instead of allowing them to sit passively watching the show. Say what you will about the hokey sets of Bozo and Garfield Goose, Ray Rayner's battle with Chelveston the Duck, or the lack of craftsmanship when Burr Tillstrom manufactured Kukla. These shows worked not because of Clutch Cargo, Funny Company and Diver Dan cartoons, but because the human actors involved their audience, the kids. It's the same with Green Screen Adventures. The Golden Age of Chicago Television would well recognize her grandchild in Green Screen Adventures.

Weigel Broadcasting has stations in South Bend, Milwaukee and Rockford. WMLW Milwaukee runs Green Screen Adventures, as does South Bend WCWW, and Chicago WCIU, WWME, WMEU and ThisTV. Both Milwaukee and Chicago are large cities that are very close together, with many suburbs that consider themselves a part of both cities. There are students in Catholic and other parochial schools, other public schools, private schools, distance learners, home schoolers who would greatly benefit from Green Screen Adventures.

Yet, WCIU said it only presented Chicago Public School students' work. So I emailed Green Screen Adventures, and got this reply:


Thanks for your interest in Green Screen Adventures and for encouraging your children to write - it is a skill that will last a lifetime.

We accept submissions nationwide. Any school, any child.
Online at www.greenscreenadventures.tv you'll find submission info and parental release forms.

"We began the program working primarily with Chicago Public Schools, but, as we've grown, we have expanded our audience. We now accept work from elementary students from across the country and are now televised nationally on THIStv, in addition to our local channels."

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions

Thanks for your email.

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Associate Producer
Green Screen Adventures
Weigel Broadcasting

Why are you waiting? Get busy! Watch, write something, submit! This is a GREAT show, and great fun, besides! And be sure to watch with those kiddos!