Captain Kirk on Storybook Squares

On Saturday mornings in 1969, TV viewers were treated to a brief run of STORYBOOK SQUARES, a kids’ version of the popular daytime game show HOLLYWOOD SQUARES featuring famous literary characters played by the usual celebrities. The format featuring children playing the giant Tic-Tac-Toe game proved popular enough that it was revived a number of times during the regular program even after the cancellation of the Saturday series. Along with guest stars dressed as fairy tale or historical characters, the show would often present actors re-creating famous TV roles of their own. Carolyn Jones appeared as THE ADDAMS FAMILY’S Morticia, Bob Crane as Colonel Hogan of HOGAN’S HEROES and Jim Backus as GILLIGAN’S ISLAND’s Thuston Howell the Third. The photo seen here, from host Peter Marshall’s book, BACKSTAGE WITH THE ORIGINAL HOLLYWOOD SQUARE, comes from the mid-seventies. It offers one of my favorite actors, Roddy McDowell, as Sherlock Holmes surrounded by THE TONIGHT SHOW’s Doc Severinson as the Angel Gabriel, ONE DAY AT A TIME’s Bonnie Franklin as Peter Pan and Julie McWhirter (later Julie Dees and one of my favorite voiceover artists!) as THE WIZARD OF OZ’s Dorothy, all chatting with, of all people, William Shatner as a decidedly different-looking (it’s the wig) Captain Kirk! One can just imagine that this is what Kirk would have looked like during the missing years between year three of the famous five year mission and the V’Ger experience. Sigh. Supposedly they wanted Nimoy, too, but he was busy NOT being Spock at the time and they wouldn’t take him without the pointy ears.