“Critically praised and financially successful, Welcome Home dominated its Saturday morning time slot with its colorful cast of puppets, entertaining and addictive stories, and lively sets unlike anything ever seen before! Surely a spectacle for all ages!”
Welcome Home was an American children’s television program created and produced by The Playfellow Workshop, and also served as the studio’s only production. Supposedly, its first episode aired on October 11th, 1969, and was broadcast onto an unknown channel until its last estimated air date in 1974.
Welcome Home primarily focused on the neighbors, the show’s inhabitants, who were accompanied by a mixture of animated breaks, puppeteered shenanigans, and illustrated story book segments. The setting itself was a colorful and exaggeratedly designed town named "Home", with unique elements like a post office and a grocery store, as well as brightly colored and fantastical creatures that lived within it.
Episodes usually began with Wally, alongside Home, introducing the focus or theme for the day, before coming across other characters who would join him on his escapades until the end of the day, which would signify the end of the show. All of the characters had notable, recurring segments or activities that were sprinkled throughout the entirety of the show’s run, such as Eddie Dear creating arts and crafts, Sally Starlet performing plays, or Wally Darling painting a picture with the help of other members of the cast. The viewer was often regarded as an additional neighbor, with Wally speaking to them on a regular basis.
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Upon further research, Welcome Home is believed to have had a four year run before both its abrupt pull from television in 1974 and complete silence from its entertainment company, The Playfellow Workshop. Welcome Home’s success seemed to be set in stone amidst other television programs for its visual artistry, captivating stories, remarkable puppetry, and lively characters. However, most footage is presumably lost, as there has yet to be any fully uncovered episodes. However, as of running this website for three years or so, the Welcome Home Restoration Project has since uncovered merchandise, advertisements, vinyl records, and illustrated materials!
What has been revealed has driven us further into uncovering its whereabouts.
Read more about our journey in uncovering this long forgotten puppet show and our mission at the Welcome Home Restoration Project about us page!
