It was the summer of 1967 when Bob McNea was given the opportunity to produce a brand new children’s show which would air Saturday mornings on NBC to thousands of young viewers living in communities around the Great Lakes. It was the sixties and flower power was sweeping the nation as a national symbol for the hippie era. People were sticking daisy cutouts on the sides of VWs, store windows, garbage cans, you name it. Bob and Frances Kay liked the appeal of the daisy motif because it represented peace, love, and happiness. Grandma Christina Rodka used to say “Uupsy Daisy” whenever she picked little Bobby up for a cuddle. After fooling around with the expression, Oopsy Daisy the Clown was born. Bob already had a makeup design that he had used in the Moppets the Clown days. WWJ-TV colleague and graphic artist Harry Wayne helped Bob create the lime green costume and hat embellished with a daisy theme, taking the design sketches to a well-known theatrical costume shop in Detroit called Hirshfields. Mr. and Mrs. Hirshfield constructed the original jumpsuit and hat, also providing the bright orange wig and green and white checkered boots. The September 1965 television season introduced Oopsy Daisy by creating a split screen effect during a Bozo taping. The story line showed Bozo receiving an invitation to travel with a circus, prompting him to phone his cousin Oopsy Daisy and ask if he would mind looking after his place while he was touring. The transition created quite a buzz with the Bozo fan base! Oopsy Daisy went on to become one of the most popular kids shows ranking #1 for 12 years in the Detroit market.

Welcome to 50 years of the wonderful world of Oopsy Daisy and all his friends in Daisyville!

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This