Today’s Special: Shout It Loud and Clear
Posted on June 22, 2007 @ 11:12 am
Does anyone else remember a children’s show called Daily Special that aired on Nickelodeon back in the early 1980s? The series was set in a department store and starred Jeff, a mannequin who came to life each night when someone placed an enchanted hat on his head and said the magic words “Hocus pocus alimagocus!” Other major characters included Jodie (a store display designer with a penchant for unflattering pantsuits), Muffy (a mouse who spoke in rhyme), and Sam (the dimwitted security guard). Maybe the show’s rainbowtastic intro sequence will jog your memory.
Looking back, the whole “living mannequin” thing really creeped me out as a kid (this was before Kim Cattrall took the motif mainstream in 1987’s Mannequin, after all). What disturbed me most about Today’s Special was the fact that Jeff reverted back to being a mannequin whenever he removed his hat. And believe you me, Jeff lost his hat at least once an episode! In fact, I think at least three episodes during the series’ run were devoted entirely to Jeff being turned back into a mannequin just because he politely doffed his hat to a friend. If a brown plaid hat is the only thing keeping you alive, you’d think you could remember not to do that.
I’m pretty sure Today’s Special was supposed to teach kids about sharing, friendship, and all that good stuff, but the only thing it taught me was not to trust men wearing hats. For all I know, they could be department store golems animated by some sorcerer’s dark magicks. Thanks, Nickelodeon.
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Pop Culture |
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I remember that show… I think it was on after Three! Two! One! Contact! or whatever that show was called.
Looking at the picture, they’re all kinda creepy looking, aren’t they?
I remember that show well. I thought 3-2-1 Contact was on PBS and Today’s Special was on Nick, though. I think that Jeff was the only character I liked and thought it was a shame that he was gimped by that stupid hat. On a side note, I don’t suggest hiring puppets as security guards.
This show rocked my childhood, as did Pinwheel.
Hey, that whole magical hat premise sounds familiar. Oh yeah, they ripped it off from the Frosty the Snowman cartoon special.
Heee! The Boyfriend and I always sing the theme song to that. It’s catchy!
I was a big Pinwheel fan, too. Loved me some Nick!
Well, crap. Now I feel about 117 years old. Thanks.
That’s just scary. Must’ve spawned the Mannequin movies.
An early distrust of men in hats, perhaps how your nemesis was able to form the perfect alias?
I totally forgot about this show. Wasn’t it one of those typical formula things where at least once per episode Jeff would bend over to pick something up and his hat would fall off leaving him frozen in an awkward state? Amazing that I never noticed such repetitive themes when I was younger…
I absolutely remember this: a mouse with scary hair, a mannequin who froze, Frosty-like, without his hat, and a pretty useless security guard. Oh, but I loved this show. And it was on right after Pinwheel here, I think. (Although, I now have the 3-2-1 Contact song stuck in my head, thanks very much.) And we wonder about some of the shows that are on now…
GOOD LORD I thought that my little sister and I were the only ones that remembered that show! This is why you’re my pop-culture twin.
OMG! i loved that show!!! and i saw it on PBS. i seriously coveted jodie’s pink pantsuit and muffy’s house. that was one great show… and 321 Contact, a show about Math detectives?! that was genius!
More time-wasting, time travel goodness - http://johnnorrisbrown.com/classic-nick/
I’m sensing a theme, here…scary be-hatted men! What could it all mean?!?
God, I loved this show, Mr. Wizard, and pinwheel. Oh, and the great space coaster (woa oh oh)
Thanks for posting this, I do remember really enjoying this show as a child. I’ve asked many people about this show, and No one ever really remembered this show.
Oh my God I haven’t thought about this show in ages! Thanks for the reminder. I wish they’d make a retro network already. I know of at least two people who’d be in to it! Oh and happy belated bday to you too. It figures we’re the same age given our interests!:)
Oh, dude. You just opened Pandora’s Box there. Now I’m remembering all kinds of things from a period of my life I had no memory of until today.
Crap. I used glue to put up dinosaur pictures on the wall when I was four. Now that’s my oldest memory.
I absolutely remember “Today’s Special”. Seems like it was on Nick somewhere around the same time as Pinwheel, Belle & Sebastian, and the great Danger Mouse. Didn’t realize ’til now, though, how creepy Sam was. Thanks for that.
That show was one of the highlights of my childhood. I’m not sure exactly what it taught me, either. But I remember one episode where they had an entire old style ship in the department store for some reason and they ran all over it singing pirate songs (I think they did. Maybe I’m just imagining that part.). I’m glad to know someone else watched it. : D
Hahahaha… you know, just a few weeks ago, for some reason, I had that song stuck in my head, “Today’s special… it’s for everyone…” Maybe I’d seen a grocery store flyer or something. I felt like my brother and I were the only people on the planet who’d seen this show, but I couldn’t get the song out of my head so I turned to a colleague and asked if she remembered it, and she said, “I TOTALLY remember it” and started talking about it. Isn’t it strange what brings people together?
The other song I can’t get out of my head is the theme to The Edison Twins. But maybe my brother and I really WERE the only 2 people on the planet who watched that one.
Wow, that’s amazing. I didn’t remember this show AT ALL, and then I saw the picture and those memories just came flooding back. Yeah, this and Pinwheel and Land of the Lost and The Great Space Coaster and a bunch of other stuff on various channels that I’d just forgotten somehow. That’s some powerful magic you’re working there.
Oh my gosh, I would have never remembered that show until I watched the intro. Does anyone remember The Polkadot Door?
Wow…so I guess I wasn’t the only person who remembered Today’s Special. Oh, and JP — that bit about hiring puppets as security guards is still cracking me up.
Good god I had completely forgotten this insane, insane show.
I loved The Great Space Coaster! Especially allt he celebrity guest stars that used to appear on the show with the puppet characters like Sally Struthers, Linda Gray of Dallas, Aileen Quinn AKA Annie, and Mary Kathleen Turner. Please sign the bring back the great space coaster online petition @ http://www. petitiononline.com/TGSC because it now has 2,523 signatures. There’s also The Great Space Coaster Homepage @ http://www. great space coaster.com.
Does anyone remember Mr. Fix It? As for Today’s Special - I remember little Muffy’s house, her little bed? so cute! God, no one rememebers this show when I ask them! Mr Fix It was not on too long, but does anyone remember it?
I’m trying to get copies of the two christmas shows. Can anyone help?
I grew up in Oklahoma watching this show!!!! I loved this show! Someone mentioned earlier they remember Pinwheel. No one can ever seem to remember Pinwheel when i ask. Remember Plus & Minus from Pinwheel?
Oh, does anyone remember this cartoon called Maple Town. One of the main cartoon characters was Patty Rabbit. Man, they dont make cartoons like they used to back in our day.
I grew up with this show since it has been on the air in the mid-80’s. Jeff always loses his hat and someone has to put it back on his head and someone has to say the magic words. Muffy Mouse is always rhyming all the time, Sam is always making good attention but he is spoiled. For Jodie (played by Nerene Virgin) has a wonderful singing voice, she is very kind-hearted but somehow, she gets things a little bit to uncomfortable when everything may not go well as she wants it to be. I missed this show, but I would love to see the whole entire show on DVD not just on VHS.
I have been a fan to this show since day 1. What memories that I had with this show. Like Sesame Street has been on the road since it was first aired in 1969. Now that I am 27 now, I still always remember this show Today’s Special. My favorite character on the show is Jodie, played by Nerene Virgin. I love her, because she has wonderful angelic singing voice. I’ll bet she’s sings in the choir at church just like I do. I love Sam, he’s always spoiled, but he also fusses a lot. Muffy, yes always doing her part. And don’t forget to say the magic words to Jeff, Hocus, Pocus, Alamagocus! Jeff comes to life, but he rather stays in the store on where he belongs. Jeff wouldn’t mind that at all. Wouldn’t you agree?