Running shadow children on the TV

August 29, 2008 2:17 AM

1980s kids' television with silhouettes of running/skipping/jumping children?

Did I make this up or what? I used to be haunted at night re-running a clip in my mind, where overlapping children's silhouttes/shadows ran across a plain, light coloured background from left to right. I don't think it was animated, rather more like a shadow play behind a screen with live actors - except with some sort of onion-skinned effect where multiple kids were moving behind the screen, or perhaps they'd overlayed offset takes of the same action.

I seem to associate it with The Electric Company or Sesame Street or something of that era - this was in New Zealand though so maybe there was another program, in the early - mid 1980s.

In my little-girl-insomniac mind, they would fall over repeatedly. But I've never worked out where it came from.

posted by slightlybewildered to media & arts (5 comments total)

I can't identify a specific program right now, but I know what you're talking about so you're not making it up if that's any comfort. I also suspect it was a PBS program, maybe Zoom? I'm in the US.
posted by ZakDaddy at 5:03 AM on August 29, 2008

I remember that and I'm 95% certain it was on Sesame Street, since I only had one TV channel growing up (remote Canada), and Sesame Street was about the only kids show available.
posted by teg at 8:47 AM on August 29, 2008

In hindsight, there was a similarity to Norman McLaren's Pas de Deux animation, so there's a possibility it was his work for Sesame Street.
posted by teg at 8:53 AM on August 29, 2008

La la la la la la...la la la la la la...la la la la la la la....Right?

Sesame Street or Electric Company, but I am 98% certain it was Sesame Street.
posted by acoutu at 10:06 AM on August 29, 2008

Oh, that appears to be the Carpenter's "Sing" that I'm trying to quote. Wasn't that playing at the same time or am I mixing things up?
posted by acoutu at 10:10 AM on August 29, 2008