Humphrey and friends for sale

For almost forty years the character of Humphrey B. Bear was the flagship of the Nine Network’s children’s programming portfolio.

The character of Humphrey and the accompanying television series, Here’s Humphrey, may have been mothballed by Nine some years ago – it was last broadcast in 2008 – but there could still be some life to live in the funny old fellow called Humphrey.

The company that owns the Humphrey trademark, Banksia Productions, ceased trading two years ago and its assets are now being sold off – although unlike other liquidations the only major assets are the intellectual property, including the Humphrey trademark, merchandising and the familiar theme song.

Also up for sale is Banksia’s share of The Curiosity Show, a science program for children that was created as a spin-off from Here’s Humphrey in the 1970s and also ran for many years on the Nine Network.

Seven News reports that liquidators BRI Ferrier would not comment on how much Humphrey and The Curiosity Show were worth, but have said there has already been significant interest from potential buyers.

Penni Hamilton-Smith, a former producer of Here’s Humphrey, says that the character of Humphrey is “ageless” and would love to see him back entertaining children:

"I'd like to see him working with children again, either in a television show or a live show, that would be wonderful.  He's got incredible charm and great charisma.”

"Everyone adores him, he goes around bringing joy and affection into people's hearts.  If he can keep doing that, it would be absolutely wonderful."

The character of Humphrey B. Bear was created by producer Rex Heading at NWS9, Adelaide, in the mid 1960s as a result of the channel’s main children’s character, Bobo the Clown, moving across to rival channel SAS10.

Humphrey made his debut in 1965 on local program The Channel Niners before being given his own show, Here’s Humphrey, which was screened nationally in the Nine Network on a regular basis until 2003 and returned for a brief run in 2007-08.

Interested buyers have until the end of next month to make an offer on Humphrey and his friends.

Source: Seven News

Rex Heading

Rex Heading, the man who created Humphrey B. Bear in the 1960s, has died from cancer at the age of 81.

Heading was working at Adelaide radio station 5KA when he became one of the first staff appointed by the city’s first television station, NWS9 – Rupert Murdoch’s first television station – when it was preparing to launch in 1959. He was the new station’s first program and production manager, overseeing early programs including Adelaide Tonight, The Country And Western Hour and the channel’s big-budget Christmas pantomimes.

When NWS9’s resident children’s character Bobo the Clown moved across to rival channel SAS10 in 1965, Heading needed a new character to take his place:

“I believed what we wanted was some form of three-dimensional cartoon character. I had spent time years earlier drawing cartoons for some not very discerning magazines, and so I sat down with a pad and started to draw. After a lot of sketching based around a human outline, the result was Humphrey B. Bear.”

Humphrey made his debut on NWS9’s The Channel Niners and was so successful he was soon given his own show, Here’s Humphrey. The new program was screened nationally across the Nine Network and many regional stations, creating an iconic children’s brand that has lasted generations and would run on Nine almost continuously for over forty years.

In the 1970s, Heading created a breakfast show featuring Cheryl Mills and characters Winky Dink and Hot Dog – and the success of Here’s Humphrey also led to a spin-off, The Curiosity Show. Heading’s contribution to children’s television led to him being made a foundation member of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal's children's program committee, as well as to the committee that founded the Australian Children's Television Foundation.

His success in production at NWS9 led to him being promoted to general manager and then managing director. He was involved in the establishment of regional television stations in Kalgoorlie, WA, and the Riverland district in South Australia, and spent three years working for the Ten Network. He also worked for Crawford Productions and radio 3AW.

In 1996, Heading co-wrote the book Miracle on Tynte Street: The Channel 9 Story and in 2006 was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to the television industry as a producer and director.

The death of Rex Heading comes only a few months after the passing of Tedd Dunn, the creator of another children’s TV character, Fredd Bear, in 1964.

Source: WA Today, TV Tonight, ABC, Miracle On Tynte Street: The Channel 9 Story.