One of the first children's shows in my memory bank is Uncle Bobby. It aired on CFTO, our Toronto CTV affiliate, but it went off the air when I was five.

One of the staples of Uncle Bobby was "Bimbo: The Birthday Clown". Wikipedia describes Bimbo as "a stationary cardboard cut-out who would come out of his closet to the tune of Jim Reeves's Bimbo and a booming laugh as Uncle Bobby announced that day's birthday greetings. Accompanying Bimbo were three puppets on a string, Wilson, Keppel and Betty, named after British music hall performers, who would "dance" to Bimbo's theme."

A friend just sent me to the video below as an example of why many kids grow up afraid of clowns. Personally, I blame Poltergeist, but Scott makes a good point. Bimbo was one frightening mofo. Happy birthday, kids!

Bobby Ash, the imported Uncle Bobby, passed away last year. Here he is, ensuring a generation of Toronto-raised kids grow up afraid of clowns.... and birthdays.