| Kids are People Too | |
|---|---|
Kiss introducing newest member on Kids Are People Too |
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| Genre | Variety show Talk show |
| Created by | Bob McAllister |
| Written by | Ray Reese |
| Directed by | Don Roy King |
| Presented by | Bob McAllister (1978) Michael Young (1978-1982) Randy Hamilton (1981-1982) |
| Opening theme | Kids Are People Too |
| Ending theme | Kids Are People Too |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Original run | September 10, 1978 – September 5, 1982 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Wonderama |
Kids Are People Too was a television series that ran on Sunday mornings from 1978 to 1982 on ABC. The series was a variety/news-magazine show oriented towards kids with the intention of recognizing them as people.[1] During its four year run, the series was nominated for five Emmy Awards and won the 1978 Emmy for Outstanding Children's Entertainment Series. The series included celebrity interviews, cartoons, music, and other information that appealed to kids.[2]
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Bob McAllister had hosted a popular children's TV series, Wonderama, for over a decade when the series was taken off the air in 1977. As the host, McAllister sang the closing theme song Kids Are People Too.[3] Shortly after that series was taken off the air, ABC offered him another series that tried to capitalize on Wonderama's 20 plus year record of children's entertainment by using the song's name as the new series name.[4]
But the show that he was hired to emcee on ABC was aimed at teens, not the younger children McAllister preferred, and this led to creative disputes with the producers and network executives over the portrayal of violence.[5] In November 1978, Bob McAllister was fired from Kids Are People Too and he was replaced by Michael Young and later by Randy Hamilton as the program's hosts.[4]
There was later a weekly syndicated version of the series hosted by Michael Young in 1986-87.[6]
The series was a variety/news magazine show for kids.[7] Every week it would have a celebrity guest who the host would interview, occasionally a psychologist would speak about the challenges of growing up, and there would be comedy or musical routines.
The series attracted guests such as Bill Cosby, Billy Dee Williams, Cheap Trick, Patti Smith and Brooke Shields. Just like CBS's Kids Say the Darndest Things, the show often got unexpected results when the host would ask the audience questions. When KISS replaced drummer Peter Criss, they introduced their new drummer, Eric Carr, on a July 1980 episode of Kids Are People Too[8] Prior to the band's coming out on stage, the host asked an audience member, "Who's your favorite band member?" The youth responded, "Peter Criss. Er, um, I mean... Ace Frehley"[8]