Cleveland TV Tales

Book excerpt: Remember when TV was just three channels and the biggest celebrities in Cleveland were an outrageous movie host named Ghoulardi, a gentle elf named Barnaby, and a tough-as-nails newswoman named Dorothy Fuldheim? These pioneering entertainers invented television programming before our very eyes while we watched from our living rooms. Revisit the early days of local TV in these fun and fact-filled stories featuring . . . Paige Palmer, the fitness host who smoked four packs a day . . . Smooth-voiced Captain Penny, who reminded us, “You can’t fool mom” . . . Volatile talk show host Alan Douglas, who pushed guests’ hot buttons—sometimes until they punched back . . . Gene Carroll, longtime king of the amateur hour . . . Woodrow, the Woodsman . . . Romper Room’s Miss Barbara . . . Jungle Larry . . . and many other local favorites.