One of the greatest influences on my childhood (and of thousands of others, I suspect), was TVOntario, the public broadcaster of the Ontario government, which began in the early 1970s.
Not only was it TVOntario (or TVO,as it's now known) that introduced me to Doctor Who, but was also responsible for some of the most amazing educational programming ever put to screen. The 1970s output of TVOntario had a huge impact on me. It helped teach me long division, basic words of french, english grammar...and it was all wrapped up in exceptional, imaginative storylines and wonderful characters. In some respects, TVOntario's children's television far outstrpped PBS' content in the States.
Last night, I discovered a tribute page to TVOntario's 1970s classics, and I poured over it for hours! Logos, pictures, information...fragments of memory came rushing back like a tidal wave. I was a member of the Cucumber club, and I received the button and the membership certificate in the mail (I even recall showing it off in grade 4 show and tell). I can still sing most of the theme from Math Patrol and all of it from Readalong. I remember being transfixed by the rapturous drama of Read All About It.
To be blunt, I was a nostalgic mess last night.
I pity the kids today, who don't have access to such wonderful shows. During the summer, or during days when I was sick at home, watching TVO kept me occupied the entire day. The journeys I was taken on are something I find difficult to quantify today, because words are inadequate to express the sheer joy I had with TVOntario. Even at the tail end of their glory years, when Today's Special began it's half decade run, and I was getting older, I still tuned in, to catch a taste of an innocent magic which has never truly left me. I have a memory vault where characters live forever: Moose and Beaver, Polkaroo, Sydney the math detective ("in a kangaroo suit...the only disguise we had in his size!"), Henry the daydreaming news writer, and the investigative kids of The Herbertville Chronicle.
It was a time where something special and wonderful was broadcast, and left a lasting impression on me. I'm glad I was there to live it, and I'm glad I found this tribute page so I could live it again.
By the way...CUCUMBER stands for Children's Underground Club of United Moose & Beaver, for Enthusiastic Reporters! I couldn't find the theme song, but many others are archived HERE. Go listen, and if you remember any of them, I bet a big smile will spread across your face as you listen. I was smiling so much last night, it began to hurt...but in a good way. 
