Network: CTV Television Network
Broadcast Run: 1976 to 1985
Broadcast Medium: Television
Story Time began in the mid-1970s as a local children’s series on CTV affiliate station CFRN-TV Edmonton, and moved to the Network in 1981. This Saturday morning half-hour children’s series used a group of talented Albertans to tell stories and sing songs for their young audience. Each program usually had two stories and two songs, and utilised interaction between the performers and some hand puppets, along the lines of the format so successfully utilized by CBC’s Friendly Giant.
Anne Anderson was the host and storyteller for the entire network series. Her first co-host was singer Ma Fletcher; he was replaced soon after the start of the series by singer-guitarist Michael Mitchell, and Mitchell and Anderson saw the show through to the end of its run. Mitchell’s songs would usually relate to the subject of the stories; he had earlier contributed material to the Canadian segments that CBC produced for insertion into the Sesame Street programs seen in Canada. Ken Bishop and Grant Cochran provided the puppets.
Story Time entered the CTV schedule on Saturdays at 8:30am in September 1981, and with minor time period changes it stayed as part of the Saturday morning children’s block for four years.
Written by Pip Wedge – June, 2003