# Hot Fudge
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{{Short description|US 1970s children's television series produced in Detroit, Michigan}}
{{about|the American children's television series|the candy|Fudge|the Robbie Williams song|Escapology (album)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| alt_name = '''''The Hot Fudge Show'''''
| genre = [Children's television series](/source/Children's_television_series)
| starring = [Arte Johnson](/source/Arte_Johnson) (season 1)
[Larry Santos](/source/Larry_Santos)
[Ron Coden](/source/Ron_Coden)
Amanda Caruthers
Yolanda Williams
| voices = Bob Elnicky
Larry Santos
Ron Coden
| country = United States
| num_seasons = 4
| producer = Barry Hurd
Bob Elnicky
| runtime = 22–24 minutes
| network = [WXYZ-TV](/source/WXYZ-TV)
[Syndication](/source/television_syndication)
| first_aired = {{start date|1976|9}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1980}}
}}
'''''Hot Fudge''''' (also known as '''''The Hot Fudge Show''''') is an American [children's television series](/source/children's_television_series) that was produced in [Detroit](/source/Detroit%2C_Michigan) by [WXYZ-TV](/source/WXYZ-TV) ([owned and operated](/source/Owned-and-operated_station) at the time by [ABC](/source/American_Broadcasting_Company)) and distributed by the [Lexington Broadcast Services Company](/source/Lexington_Broadcast_Services_Company).[{{Cite web|url=http://www.toonarific.com/show.php?show_id=4535|title=Hot Fudge Show, The @ Toonarific Cartoons|website=www.toonarific.com|accessdate=Apr 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231081927/http://www.toonarific.com/show.php?show_id=4535|archive-date=December 31, 2019|url-status=live}}] Originally airing only in Detroit beginning in [1974](/source/1974_in_television), the show grew in popularity and was [syndicated](/source/television_syndication) nationally from [1976](/source/1976_in_television) to [1980](/source/1980_in_television);[{{cite book |last1=Woolery |first1=George W. |title=Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series |date=1985 |publisher=The Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-1651-2 |pages=228–229}}] a few of WXYZ's sister [ABC-owned stations](/source/ABC_Owned_Television_Stations) (including [KGO](/source/KGO-TV) and [WLS](/source/WLS-TV)) carried the program.
==Overview==
Featuring music, songs, and sketches with live actors and [puppet](/source/puppet)s (known as the "Mits") in a manner similar to ''[Sesame Street](/source/Sesame_Street)'', the show was originally hosted by [Arte Johnson](/source/Arte_Johnson). The duo of the bearded musician '''Larry''' ([Larry Santos](/source/Larry_Santos)) and green, fuzzy, monster-like puppet '''Seymour''' (voiced by producer Bob Elnicky) took over after the first season.
Glenn Denver, a puppet parody of [John Denver](/source/John_Denver), released an album titled ''Glenn Denver Sings Country Songs from the Hot Fudge T.V. Show''. Three other ''Hot Fudge'' albums were released; The Electric Fuzz's ''Rock 'N Roll from the Hot Fudge T.V. Show'', ''Larry and Seymour Sing Songs from the Hot Fudge T.V. Show'', and ''Hooray For Friendship and 9 Other Hits from the Hot Fudge T.V. Show, Plus Nine More''. All of the albums have been released on CD.
A ''Hot Fudge'' episode was submitted to the [University of Georgia](/source/University_of_Georgia) for a [Peabody Award](/source/Peabody_Award) in 1974; though not selected for the award itself, it was retained for the university's Peabody Awards Collection Archives.[{{Cite web|url=http://dbs.galib.uga.edu/cgi-bin/ultimate.cgi?dbs=parc&userid=galileo&action=search&_cc=1|title=Basic Search: Peabody Awards Collection Archives|website=dbs.galib.uga.edu|accessdate=Apr 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811020307/http://dbs.galib.uga.edu/cgi-bin/ultimate.cgi?dbs=parc&userid=galileo&action=search&_cc=1|archive-date=August 11, 2017|url-status=live}}] The show won a Puppeteers of America ACT AWARD in 1976.[{{Cite web |url=http://www.puppetconnection.com/credentials.html |title=Marilyn O'Connor Miller - Credentials, Awards, Honors, and Affiliations |access-date=2007-11-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070914054650/http://www.puppetconnection.com/credentials.html |archive-date=2007-09-14 |url-status=live }}]
==Sketches and characters==
* '''Holy Moley!''': A sketch where a simple-minded man (Ron Coden) tries to outwit problems, but gets socked back.
* '''Name That Feeling''': Professor Emotion (Ron Coden) hosts a parody of ''[Name That Tune](/source/Name_That_Tune)'' in which there were two versions:
::'''Version 1''' (Seasons 1 & 2): The day's "Secret Feeling" is revealed, the puppet contestant is introduced and Professor Emotion tries to get the contestant to feel the "Secret Feeling" shown under the window of the contestant's "isolation booth"
::'''Version 2''' (Seasons 3 & 4): Puppet contestants watch a video clip of other puppets and try to guess how they feel. This is shown in two parts with an in-show commercial sandwiched in-between.
* '''Write On!''': A segment where many of the puppet characters read jokes or riddles sent in by kids.
* '''Newsreel''': Film footage of various items such as paper being produced would be narrated by various kids in the style of a newsreel.
* '''Unreasonable Report''': News sketches featuring Harry Unreasonable, a parody of news anchor [Harry Reasoner](/source/Harry_Reasoner).
* '''Hot Fudge Gang'''/'''The Mits'''/'''Happening!''': Various sketches featuring children and adults.
* '''Detective Tomato''' (Ron Coden) giving advice to children then leaving through the door behind him, only to have something happen to him when he goes through.
* '''Elton Seymour''': Seymour playing a tune in the guise of [Elton John](/source/Elton_John), usually featured at the beginning of the show.
* '''Mr. Nasty''' (Ron Coden), who loves being booed by his audience, gives tips on how to be as nasty as him...only to have the tables turned on him by his landlady in the end, prompting the audience to applaud.
* '''Amanda Caruthers''' (later replaced by '''Yolanda Williams''') portraying various characters in sketches, often giving kindly advice to the inquiring puppets.
==Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre==
For a short time in 1983, animatronic stage shows featuring the Hot Fudge characters appeared in [Pizza Time Theatre](/source/Pizza_Time_Theatre) restaurants in cases where a new location couldn't receive the Chuck E. Cheese branded band in time. This stage show was removed from all of the locations that had it in 1984.
This stage show was installed in the Clawson, MI, Warren, MI, Okemos, MI, Warwick, RI, Danvers, MA, and Ann Arbor, MI locations. Most locations renamed the characters based on local voting. Seymore was able to be interactive with guests, having a employee puppeteer him from backstage.
==2007 reunion special==
On Wednesday, December 5, 2007, Detroit [PBS](/source/PBS) member station [WTVS](/source/WTVS) presented a 90-minute reunion special, featuring the original cast, including Larry and Seymour. The special featured memories of the program interspersed with clips from the series.[Info from the TV listings at http://www.wtvs.org/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203202156/http://wtvs.org/ |date=2007-12-03 }}] A [rerun](/source/rerun) of the episode was aired on December 14, 2007.
==Discography==
*''Music from the Hot Fudge Show'' - single on S.H.Y. Records (1974)
*''Hooray for Friendship and 9 Other Hits from the Hot Fudge T.V. Show'' (1996)
==References==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|id=0287228}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20161022133229/http://www.hotfudgeshow.com/ Hot Fudge Show.com]
* [http://www.toonarific.com/show.php?show_id=4535 ''The Hot Fudge Show'' at Toonarific.com]
* [http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/screen.php?c=453&m=hot%20fudge%20show&p=1 Hot Fudge Show (Excerpt & Bumper), Courtesy of www.FuzzyMemories.TV - The Museum of Classic Chicago Television.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514110452/http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/screen.php?c=453&m=hot%20fudge%20show&p=1 |date=2008-05-14 }}
Category:1974 American television series debuts
Category:1980 American television series endings
Category:1970s American children's comedy television series
Category:1980s American children's comedy television series
Category:1970s American musical comedy television series
Category:1980s American musical comedy television series
Category:1970s American sketch comedy television series
Category:1980s American sketch comedy television series
Category:1970s American variety television series
Category:1980s American variety television series
Category:American children's education television series
Category:American television shows featuring puppetry
Category:English-language American television shows
Category:First-run syndicated children's television series
Category:Television series by Fremantle (company)
Category:Children's sketch comedy
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hot Fudge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Fudge) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Fudge?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.