Christmas Memories I Will Never Forget

by Jonathan van Bilsen

Christmas always carried its own collection of memories, but there was one which never faded. It went back more than fifty years, to when I was in my early twenties, and somehow found myself hosting a local television talent show, in Peel Region. Our very first taping took place during the first week of Christmas, which already felt like a risky choice.

The show was called Cowboy Pete’s Talent Time, and there I was in a television studio, dressed head to toe in full cowboy attire. Boots, hat, silk shirt, kerchief, the complete outfit. In front of me sat a group of eager children, backed by an even more enthusiastic assortment of parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, all convinced they were witnessing the beginning of something big.

The early days were a little rough. We taped a pilot episode, and to everyone’s surprise, it turned out quite well. Six children appeared on the show, each with their own level of talent and confidence. There was only one issue. The studio audience barely reached twenty people. The applause sounded thin and unconvincing, so the producers went back to the drawing board.

Their solution was bold. Instead of taping one show at a time, they decided we would record an entire month’s worth of episodes, four shows… in a single day. The goal was to fill the studio with a much larger audience. Scheduling was always a challenge, and the chosen date ended up being December 23rd, just two days before Christmas.

When Saturday morning arrived, I was nervous. The decision had been made to tape straight through, without interruptions or retakes, as though the show were live. I arrived early, pulled on my cowboy boots and costume, and spent half an hour in the makeup room. A script was handed to me, filled with introductions, and I tried to memorize them, hoping not to look foolish once the cameras started rolling.

The moment I stepped into the studio, everything changed. No one had done the math. Four shows meant twenty-four children. More importantly, it also meant forty-eight parents, about thirty grandparents, and another couple dozen relatives. The studio, however, had seating for only about sixty people.

The audio crew was in near panic. Parents arrived carrying reel-to-reel tapes, vinyl records, and a few cassettes, which were still fairly new at the time. One parent even brought an eight-track tape (now I feel very old).

The floor director gave us the thirty-minute warning, and I was introduced to the first group of performers. What followed was chaotic, charming, and unforgettable. One young boy dropped his accordion. Another managed to hit himself in the face with his violin bow. A ballerina fell. The children were adorable, and the expressions on the parents’ faces were pure pride.

Somehow, we made it through the first episode. After a short break, we did it again, and again, and again. Against all expectations, it looked good on television. We ended up taping every Saturday, for five months, producing eighty-five episodes. With reruns, the show stayed on the air for just under two years before it was cancelled for a simple reason; we had exhausted all the available talent in Peel Region.

As for Cowboy Pete, earning fifty-two dollars an episode, I eventually tipped my hat, hung up my boots, and went looking for a slightly more rewarding way to make a living. That certainly was not part of the plan.

Jonathan van Bilsen is a television host, award winning photographer, published author, columnist and keynote speaker. Follow his escapades at photosNtravel.com