''Time for Timer'' is a series of seven short

public service announcements A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film (PIF); in Hong Kong, ...

broadcast Broadcasting is the distribution (business), distribution of sound, audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio ...

on Saturday mornings on the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

television network A television network or television broadcaster is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, where a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay television providers. Until the mid- ...

starting in 1975. The animated spots feature Timer, a tiny

cartoon character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...

who represents the sense of

time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...

in the human body. Timer was in charge of when a person felt it was time to eat, time to sleep, etc. He carried a large

pocket watch A pocket watch (or pocketwatch) is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed to a wristwatch, which is strapped to the wrist. They were the most common type of watch from their development in the 16th century until wristwatc ...

inside of him that set off an alarm whenever something was about to happen. Usually wearing a

bow tie The bow tie is a type of necktie. A modern bow tie is tied using a common shoelace knot, which is also called the bow knot for that reason. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar of a shirt in a symmetrical manner so that ...

and

top hat A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditionally m ...

, Timer looks like a little yellow meatball with a face and has long slender arms and legs. Timer has limited magical powers, such as teleportation, which he uses to exit his host's body from time to time. A

wisecrack Wit is a form of intelligent humour, the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny. Someone witty is a person who is skilled at making clever and funny remarks. Forms of wit include the quip, repartee, and wisecrack. Form ...

er as well as a song-and-dance man, Timer promotes healthy eating and personal

hygiene Hygiene is a series of practices performed to preserve health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases." Personal hygiene refer ...

for children using clever songs and animation. The series was produced by the cartoon studio DePatie-Freleng Enterprises. Timer first appears in the 1973 ''

ABC Afterschool Special ''ABC Afterschool Special'' is an American television anthology series that aired on ABC from October 4, 1972, to January 23, 1997, usually in the late afternoon on weekdays. Most episodes were dramatically presented situations, often controve ...

'' "The Incredible, Indelible, Magical, Physical Mystery Trip", where he was voiced by Len Maxwell. Except for this 1973 portrayal, Timer's voice was provided by actor

Lennie Weinrib Leonard Weinrib (April 29, 1935 – June 28, 2006) was an American actor, comedian and writer. He is best known for playing the title role in the children's television show ''H.R. Pufnstuf'', Grimace in McDonaldland commercials, the title role in ...

. Timer also appears in the 1974 ''ABC Afterschool Special'' "The Magical Mystery Trip Through Little Red's Head". In "Physical Mystery Trip", he works inside the body of a man named Uncle Carl; in "Little Red", he works inside a teenaged

Red Riding Hood "Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th century European folk tales. The two best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and the Brothe ...

. ''Time for Timer'' ran concurrently and interchangeably until 1992 with ABC's other educational spots, primarily ''The Bod Squad'' and ''

Schoolhouse Rock! ''Schoolhouse Rock!'' is an American interstitial programming series of animated Musical film, musical educational short films (and later, videos) that aired during the Saturday-morning cartoon, Saturday morning children's programming block on the ...

''. They generally appeared during cartoon programs at the end of commercial breaks. The shorts included a Consultant credit for Dr. Roslyn B. Alfin-Slater,

UCLA School of Public Health The UCLA Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health is the graduate school of public health at UCLA, and is located within the Center for Health Sciences building on UCLA's campus in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, Califo ...

Episodes

*"I Hanker Fer a Hunk O Cheese" - Timer, recast as a cowboy with a thick Western accent, suggests "wagon wheels," sandwiches made with cheese slices and crackers, as an easy and nutritious snack. When Timer prepares one on a kitchen counter, he rolls it down the counter on its edge and exclaims, "Look! A wagon wheel!" *"Take Care of Yourself" - Timer shows how to brush teeth to protect them from cavities. *"You Are What You Eat" - Roving reporter Timer is at the digestive system to provide a simplified explanation of nutrients and how the body uses them. *"Have A Carrot" - Timer, channeling

W. C. Fields William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946), better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler, and writer. Fields's comic persona was a misanthropic and hard-drinking egotist who remained a sympathet ...

, assembles some nutritious in-between meal snacks like carrot sticks for a boy. At the end of the short, Timer literally changes the boy into a banana as a gag. *"Eat Some Kind of Breakfast" - Timer shows that if people don't have time for breakfast, their stomach will be empty and angry; leftovers and other premade foods for breakfast is better than none at all. *"Sunshine on a Stick" - Timer suggests making

ice pop An ice pop is a liquid-based frozen snack on a stick. Unlike ice cream or sorbet, which are whipped while freezing to prevent ice crystal formation, an ice pop is "quiescently" frozen—frozen while at rest—and becomes a solid block of ice. T ...

s with fruit juice, an ice tray, and toothpicks. *"Don't Knock It Till You Try" - Timer suggests trying new foods by eating a smorgasbord of smidgens of different foods.

References

External links

* *
Bio of Dr. Roslyn B. Alfin-Slater, UCLA
nutrition professor and consultant to Time for Timer">UCLA">Bio of Dr. Roslyn B. Alfin-Slater, UCLA
nutrition professor and consultant to Time for Timer {{Children's programming on the American Broadcasting Company American Broadcasting Company original programming Interstitial television shows Public service announcements of the United States Television series segments