Razzle Dazzle

Razzle Dazzle was the title of a Canadian children's program produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation between 1961 and 1966. The series was initially co-hosted by Alan Hamel and Michele Finney who were later replaced by Ray Bellew and Trudy Young. There was also a cast of characters who appeared in every episode, most notably Howard the Turtle, who was considered the star of the show. Howard the Turtle would tell jokes which he called "Groaners". Another highlight of the show was the secret decoder wheel which kids could send in to receive. At the end of each show a secret message was shown on the TV screen. Only those at home with a decoder wheel could decipher the message. Other recurring characters on the show included Percy Q. Kidpester and Mr. Sharpey who was known for saying "A knuckle full of nickels". "Spots and Stripes" was often a feature on the show, where groups of kids competed against each other. Among the regular features in the series was the serialization of a children's adventure series in the final five minutes. Initially shown was an Australian adventure series called The Magic Boomerang. This was replaced by the Canadian-made The Forest Rangers, that ended up as a series of its own.