On Saturday morning, Ron ‘Buckshot’ Barge and his sidekicks Clyde the Owl, Rodney the Rodent and, most famously, Benny the Bear reunited to the delight of Calgarians young at heart.
The cast of The Buckshot Show, which hit the CFCN airways in March of 1967, gathered at the Lake Bonavista Shopping Centre for a sendoff show.
The Buckshot Show, a staple of Calgary television for 30 seasons, left the air in 1996. At the time, it was the longest running children’s show in Canada and the longest running live broadcast television show in the world.
Since the show left the airwaves, Buckshot and his cast of characters have been entertaining audiences with a live version of the show.
Jim Lewis has performed alongside Buckshot since Day 1, but it’s Lewis’ voice, not his appearance, which grabs the attention of those who grew up in Calgary.
Lewis provides the voice for all of the show’s puppets including Benny the Bear. The puppeteer credits the show’s respect for the intelligence of children as contributing to its longevity.
"Right from the very beginning, we made the decision to be different from other kids shows we’ve seen,” said Lewis. “We didn't talk down to the kids. We knew it was a family show so we made it for the family.”
As a result, all of the Buckshot shows, even Saturday’s final performance, resonate with an audience spanning generations.
Most of the adults at the final show grew up with Buck and Benny and hold fond memories of their televised visits.
“We were important to Buckshot,” said Pam Barlow, “He came to us every day and we were important to him. He made us feel like we mattered and he made sure we were okay.”
“It's just good entertainment,” said Cathy McKenzie. “It's very innocent and I love that about it.”
Breena Whillans has an even closer childhood tie to the show.
“My friends would call the house and they’d say ‘Benny the Bear just answered the phone!!!”
Breena was in the audience during the final performance by Buckshot and Jim Lewis, her father. She says the camaraderie between the characters would be tough to replicate.
"There's something about the way that the show is and the fact Benny and Buckshot have such a wonderful relationship,” said Breena. “It’s not just the fact that they’re like best friends but they’re almost like brothers.”
While the performers have announced their decision to stop performing, some of their fans are unwilling to accept a future without The Buckshot Show.
The manager of the Lake Bonavista Shopping Centre says she's already attempting to coax Jim Lewis out of retirement for another performance next Christmas
With files from CTV's Kevin Green
