Cucumber (which stood for Childrens Underground Club of United Moose and Beaver for Enthusiastic Reporters) was a show hosted by a human sized Beaver and Moose. The Moose was a bit dopey, the Beaver was the more intelligent one. The Moose was a guy. The Beaver was always a matter of great debate. Had some male characteristics and had some female characterisitcs. Art work was featured from club members. You could join their club by submitting a story or piece of artwork.
Thanks to Patte Rosebank (http://www.p-rosebank.com) I have now been able to put some screen caps onto this page. She was also kind enough to upload the partial episode she had to youtube. Click here for Part 1 and Part 2 of the show. Thank you Patte!
Moose was played by Alex Laurier
Beaver was performed by Nikki Tilroe
Christopher Edwards was kind enough to provide some images from the Cucumber Magazine:
Alex Laurier also appeared on Polka Dot Door and Uncle
Bobby as both a host and performer
Nikki Tilroe also appeared on the TV show Today's Special and played the mime
on the 'in-between' portions of the show.
John Candy once appeared on the episode entitled "Weatherman".
He was dressed up like a superhero and had on all kinds of weather symbols on
his suit! Also, in this epsiode, Beaver spotted Moose outside standing under
a tree during a thunderstorm, a place where lightning could have struck, and
motioned for him to get back in the clubhouse.
Martin Short played "Smokey the Hare" on episode dealing with Ecology.
(Some pics from the Smokey The Hare episode)
The ecology episode dealt with Moose's ignorance regarding the use of trees for paper and animals, and he ended up having a dream that he was in 1995 (given the fact that this show was recorded in 1975) and that all the trees and animals outside were gone, even Beaver. He turned on the TV news to listen to an anchorman announce this fact.
There was also an episode where I remember a character named Justin Case. As in, Just In Case you need my help.
Thanks to Mike F. for these very interesting facts on the show
and from Nick the theme song lyrics:
Let sing a song about a forest
Let sing a song about a an animal kind
water and wind in the forest seaching for an amimal what we can find
children underground of united moose and bever reporters
James also provides us this information:
This series lasted 2 seasons. It was either 1974 &
75 or 1975 & 76. The exact 2 years for it can be found in the John Candy
biography "Laughing on
the Outside". I don't have this book in my library anymore.
You will be suprised to learn that one of the news segments
on young talented children was done on a young blind guitarist (I think he was
9
years old then) named Jeff Healey.
The adress I remember for the Cucumber club was:
Cucumber
c/o Station Q
2180 Yonge St.
Toronto, Ontario
M4T 2T1
Note: When you sent off a letter to Cucumber, there was
a chance they would send you a badge (with moose and beaver on it) and a membership
letter with
your name on it and a Cucumber letterhead. Both the badge and the membership
letter were green.
The opening theme song I beleive was:
Come and sing a song of the forest
come and sing a song about animal kind
water, trees and land spread out the forest
looking for some things, seeing what we can find
children's underground club of united moose and beaver
for enthusiastic reporters
children's underground club of united moose and beaver for enthusiastic reporters
Here is another take on the theme and additional info (from Galen)
I was always specifically inamoured with all the fantastic
music and wonderful theme songs from these programs. While reading the lyrics
your
readers have posted for CUCUMBER, I began to remember the song quite well (which
amazed me as it spewed forth) and I think I can clarify the lyrics.
Here's what I remember:
Come and sing a song of the forest
let's all sing a song about animal kind
water, air and land spread out before us
searching for some land(?) to see what we can find
Children's underground club of united moose and beaver
for enthusiastic reporters (repeated)
I also seem to remember the acronym being spelled out
in the background by a chorus of children near the end but that part is really
hazy. Sadly, I
remember little else about the show.
Cherly offers this info: One episode i remember vividly had Moose trying to put together a plastic model dinosaur. The child reporter did a story on dinosaur skeletons in Alberta. By the end of the episode, Moose couldn't seem to be able to put the model together (even though there were only about 4 or 5 pieces ... i remember screaming at the teevee screen), but when he and Beaver left the lodge, some spooky music played and we saw a stop-motion sequence of the model putting itself together
This show aired on TVO, TVOntario, TV Ontario
Here is a link from soneone who belonged to the Cucumber club:
http://www.chessthecat.com/fun/cucumber.htm
The people that put together this fine show:
Director: Susan Murgatrody
Production Assistant: John Day
Production Staged by: James Collstro
Writer: Joanne Hauser
Additional Lyrics: Roy Moore, Clive VanderBurgh
Project Lead: Clive VanderBurgh