Dragons, Wagons and Wax is the perfect title for a medieval-themed kids show. Unfortunately, this show couldn’t be less of a medieval-themed kids show. Fortunately, what it is is pretty unique and pleasant.
This breath of fresh air came out of WCET in Cincinnati in the late 1970s. Shown in schools and distributed to PBS, the beautifully animated show open both grabs your attention and has nothing to do with anything else in the program.
Dragons, Wagons & Wax focuses on basic scientific topics, with hosts Tom and Linda talking through simple subjects like organic life, dinosaurs, or tools. The program flips between scenes of the two hosts in their crunchy ’70s apartment, semi-animated segments that illustrate that week’s subject, and b-roll footage of the subject matter in the real world.
This is 1970s public television at its finest: mellow pace, mellow sets, mellow voices, mellow acoustic guitar soundtracks. WCET produced two seasons of this 15 minute chill session, tricked students and viewers alike with its misleading title well into the 1980s, and floated away on the winds of obscurity.
But really, where is my medieval-themed kids show?
Here’s the first episode.
-ds