Linn Sheldon (September 20, 1919 – April 23, 2006) was a
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...
children's television
Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...
host and actor, best known for his character "Barnaby," which was seen in Cleveland for over 30 years.
Early life
Linn Richard Sheldon was born in
Norwalk, Ohio
Norwalk is a city in Huron County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 17,068 at the 2020 census. The city is the center of the Norwalk micropolitan area and part of the Cleveland–Akron–Canton combined statistical ...
. He spent the majority of his childhood either homeless or in
foster care
Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home ( residential child care community or treatment centre), or private home of a state- certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent", or with a family mem ...
.
Career
He served in the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, returning to his hometown and working as a nightclub act, later starting on Cleveland, Ohio television in 1948. He became a well-known local radio and television personality in the Cleveland market, especially as the host of the children's show ''Barnaby''.
Barnaby
The character "Barnaby" was originally an
elf
An elf (: elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic peoples, Germanic folklore. Elves appear especially in Norse mythology, North Germanic mythology, being mentioned in the Icelandic ''Poetic Edda'' and the ''Prose Edda'' ...
with pointy ears, with a straw hat who lived in the "Enchanted Forest" and showed cartoons (mostly "
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Woodrow the Woodsman" - became popular in his own right and was spun off into his own series).
"Barnaby" aired on Cleveland
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
affiliate KYW (now WKYC) channel 3 from 1957 to 1967. Sheldon would then reprise the character on then upstart independent Cleveland station
WUAB
WUAB (channel 43) is a television station licensed to Lorain, Ohio, United States, serving the Cleveland area as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by Gray Media alongside CBS affiliate WOIO (channel 19), Telemundo affiliate WTCL-LD (channel 6) ...
channel 43 (which is now Cleveland's CW affiliate).
"Barnaby" aired on channel 43 from 1969 until 1990. The character was modified a bit in this new incarnation. He went from being an elf to more of a kindly older gentleman, who wore his trademark straw hat, an
ascot
Ascot, Ascott or Askot may refer to:
Places Australia
* Ascot, Queensland, suburb of Brisbane
* Ascot, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a locality
* Ascot Park, South Australia, suburb of Adelaide
* Ascot (Ballarat), town near Ballarat in Victoria ...
, a blue blazer, and khaki slacks. The program also switched from taking place in the "Enchanted Forest" to Barnaby's cottage (and towards the end, "Barnaby Park", which resembled a typical suburban park complete with park benches).
"
Casper the Friendly Ghost
Casper the Friendly Ghost is a fictional character who serves as the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. He is a translucent ghost who is pleasant and personable, but often criticized by his thr ...
" cartoons became a fixture during Barnaby's WUAB tenure, as well as puppet characters such as:
* "Long John" - the world's only invisible parrot (an empty birdcage which Sheldon supplied a voice for)
* "Clyde" - a little fellow who idolized Barnaby and wore a straw hat and sunglasses
* "O.T. the Other Terrestrial" - an alien character that was created in the early '80s due to the popularity of the film ''
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (or simply ''E.T.'') is a 1982 American science fiction film, science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott Taylor, Elliott, a boy w ...
''
* "Ranger Rupert" - a dog puppet who was the park ranger at Barnaby Park.
The theme music for "Barnaby" was "A La Claire Fontaine," an arrangement by
Robert Farnon
Robert Joseph Farnon CM (24 July 191723 April 2005) was a Canadian-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player. As well as being a composer of original works (often in the light music genre), he was commissioned by film and ...
of an old French lullaby.
Sheldon would famously end the show with: "If anybody calls, tell them Barnaby said hello. And tell them that I think you are the nicest person in the whole world... Just you." As a result, the character is remembered for the
catchphrase
A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
"Tell them Barnaby said Hello."
During his entire time as "Barnaby," Sheldon would frequently make personal appearances, especially in hospitals, to entertain and cheer up sick children.
Sheldon ended his run as "Barnaby" in 1990 and went into retirement.
Other work
During the '70s and into the early 1980s, Sheldon (while also doing ''Barnaby'') co-hosted a daily morning talk show, ''43 A.M.'', which was WUAB's version of the popular '' Morning Exchange'' airing on rival
WEWS
WEWS-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, affiliated with ABC. It has been owned by the E. W. Scripps Company since its inception in 1946, making it one of three stations that have been built and signed on ...
(Cleveland's
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
Sheldon made headlines in 1975 when he sought treatment for
alcoholism
Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
.
He released his memoir ''Barnaby and Me'' in 2003 and died in
Lakewood, Ohio
Lakewood is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, on the southern shore of Lake Erie. Established in 1889, it is one of Cleveland's historical streetcar suburbs and part of the Greater Cleveland, Cleveland metropolitan area. The popula ...
on April 23, 2006.
References
Further reading
Sheldon, Linn (2004). ''Barnaby and Me''. Cleveland, OH: Gray & Company, Publishers.
Cinécraft Productions
Cinécraft Productions, Inc. is a privately held American sponsored film and Television studio, video production studio in Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio.
The studio is said to be the longest-standing sponsored film and video production house in th ...