Many Pittsburgh area baby boomers, from 1959 to 1975, grew up with a local children’s variety show by the name of “Adventure Time“. The show aired after school on weekdays on WTAE-TV (channel 4) was hosted by Paul Shannon. This made Paul one of the local TV legends.

Adventure time would play such shows as “The 3 Stooges“, “Kimba the White Lion”, and various other film shorts and cartoons. Paul entertained his audience with the antics of “Nosmo King”, the magic of “The Great Mysto“, the music of Joe Negri, Sandy Mason’s ventriloquist acts and Jim Martin’s Puppets. He would perform segments in front of a live studio audience (mostly cub and girl scout packs) such as the “Picture Gallery” and entertain them with games, stories, craft making hobbies, informational segments, interviews with guest performers and personalities. Each Christmas Paul would load letters to Santa into a rocket and sent them to the North Pole to be read later by Santa, himself. It was quite the show for young viewers.

Paul V. Shannon was born on November 11, 1909 in Chartiers Township, Pennsylvania and worked at KDKA radio for years before his move to WTAE. While at KDKA he hosted his own show as the “Dream Weaver”, reading romantic poetry to an accompaniment of an electric organ. In 1975 he retired and moved to Lantana, Florida.

On July 25, 1990, Paul died of brain cancer at the age of 80 years old. In his book, Moe Howard of the Three Stooges credited Paul Shannon with sparking renewed interest in the Stooges and Paul was given the part of “Wild Bill” Hickock in the Stooge’s 1965 film “The Outlaws is Coming”.

So down goes the curtain, and back up again for.. “The Adventure Time Remembrance Group”.