The transformative power of the magic door

Open the magic door and step into a world filled with wonder and enchantment. Behind this door lies a realm where dreams come true and anything is possible. It is a place where imagination runs wild and creativity knows no bounds. As you step through the magic door, you are greeted by a kaleidoscope of colors and a symphony of sounds. Each corner of this mystical world is adorned with fantastical creatures and breathtaking landscapes. You find yourself in a land where unicorns roam freely and dragons soar through the sky.

I learned values, how to think on my feet and how to be a professional by being on this show. It was great fun.

I started out being a live actor and then did voices when it changed to puppets Nathaniel Bowditch the inventor of the American System of navigation for one. There was a prop cabinet for the show and I remember the crew drawing a line on the door for my height when I was about 10 all the way up to age 16 in high school.

You find yourself in a land where unicorns roam freely and dragons soar through the sky. In this realm, the laws of physics and reality are suspended, allowing you to do things that were once unimaginable. You can fly with the birds or swim with the dolphins.

User Reviews

I remember Magic Door also. I would go to 6:30 Mass with my parents on Sunday mornings and watch Tiny Tov with my brothers and sisters after that. It is a favorite childhood memory, so safe and calming. It helped me understand how Christianity evolved from such a rich tradition and also made me admire the Jewish people. It was a very fine contribution that helped provide a bridge of understanding.

I did not realize it ran until 1982 either. I wonder if there are DVD copies available of it? My children are too old for it, but I would love the warm fuzzies I get when I think of it. Just hearing the song would spark a memory when the world didn't turn so fast and childhood was an easy, happy place.

Thank you to all for posting your comments. I, too, was Catholic watching this show in the south suburbs of Chicago. The song has never left me. I couldn't wait for it to come on, and I loved Davy and Goliath. The New Testament was taught in Catholic school, but the Old Testament was virtually a mystery and Tiny Tov gave me a wonderful look into the rich history of Christianity. We knew who the bible heroes were, but we weren't taught why they were significant (at least I don't remember being taught that - I wasn't an over achiever. ) I now live in the Milwaukee area and no one here knows what I am talking about and they think I am crazy when I wax nostalgic and sing the song! Anyone know where Tiny Tov is now? Is he still around? It would be interesting to see what the show meant to him and what he has heard throughout the years regarding the impact the show had on the Jewish community and Christians alike.

I do remember seeing this as a child in Chicago, & from what I can remember, Tiny Tov was just that - tiny. He lived in a mushroom, I believe, & if I'm not mistaken this was a Jewish children's program & he taught Hebrew words and phrases. I have not seen a show that unique in a long time, & if someone else out there remembers it, please add what you know!

I certainly do remember this show. Tiny Tov lived in an Acorn, and flew on a feather, and chanted "a room zoom zoom a room zoom zoom, gily gily gily gily gily asa sah, come through this magic door with me, come through this door and wondrous things you'll see." Then they had old testament stories, and a character named Booby Beaver! I was (and am) Catholic, and enjoyed it though it was clearly directed at Jewish kids. I think it was on Sunday morning. I remember a Moses puppet and an Aaron puppet. It clearly was a local show in Chicago, but I am not sure what station it was on. I am surprised to see that it ran for 20 years, from 1962 to 1982, from before I started Kindergarten in 1963 to when I was a second year law student! Anyone else remember any more details?

I really enjoyed "Magic DOOR" while growing up in Chicago. I remember gathering together with my brother and sisters in front of the TV weekly just to watch Magic DOOR and Tiny Tov. It was one of our favorite programs.

When I returned to Chicago after serving in the military from 1969-1973, my first job was at CBS in Chicago where I worked as a cameraman. So, guess what?

I had the special privilege to videotape Magic Door every week at WBBM Channel 2 Studios on McClurg Court in Chicago. So, I want to give a BIG THANKS to all of you who remember watching this program and am happy to hear you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed filming it. Shalom to all of you who remember this program.

I remember "The Magic Door", too; it was on WBBM-TV2 immediately preceding "Project Head Start", a "Romper Room" sort of show for inner-city kids hosted by Miss Felice Mooney. Another thing I remember about "The Magic Door": every Hanukkah, Tiny Tov would appear in costume, but not miniaturized, and would play his guitar and lead the boys and girls in songs about the Festival of Lights. The highlight of the show would be the reading of the Hanukkah story from the Talmud. Sunday mornings weren't too bad, TV-wise, at least in the late 60's; WMAQ-TV5 had the early "Astroboy" cartoons followed by "By Gemini", set aboard a lunar module (it was the Christian equivalent of "The Magic Door"), WBKB/WLS TV7 (via the ABC network feed) aired Saturday-morning "weak sisters" like "The Smokey Bear Show" and "Curiosity Shop", then the evergreen "Bullwinkle Show" and the public-affairs show "Discovery"; while WGN aired "Superman" and "Flash Gordon" reruns. It didn't beat weekdays on WGN, WFLD and WCIU, but they served rather well. Chicago kids had so much to watch in those days!

I think "Booby Beaver" was supposed to be "Bubi Beaver," but kinda came out Booby after awhile. (Bubi is Yiddish a term of endearment.) I loved The Magic Door--and I'm not Jewish either. First, there was nothing else on TV for kids on Sunday morning in 1964--unless you could pull in Channel 4 from Milwaukee with its reruns of Davey and Goliath.

Tiny Tov flew back to the days of the Old Testament(Sp?)in the Feather Ship. There were crude pre-CG effects. He sat inside a bump on the quill end of the feather and would sometimes look over his shoulder to chat with us while working the controls. The puppets were simple plaster head and cloth body arrangements. No moving mouths or eyes. The show was produced by the Jewish Federation of Chicago, I think. The director/producer was a man named Henry Mamet. He was married to my third grade teacher Mrs. Mamet. I've often wondered if they were related to the play-write David Mamet. That's what I remember about The Magic Door.

I remember this show! I think it was on Sunday mornings on WGN, channel 9. I remember the song, and a little man dressed like an elf dancing around a big tree singing that song and that's about all. I didn't know it was a Jewish-based show, not that it matters. But I do remember watching it as a last resort because there was nothing else on so early. I also remember watching, "BJ And Dirty Dragon", and "Davy and Goliath". These shows sort of fell into the category of not much on. I hated Sunday morning TV, there just wasn't a lot on. Saturday mornings were the best though!! Scooby-Doo and Looney Toons! Josie & The PussyCats, Tom and Jerry!

I found the Magic Door on DVD; it's via Cragslist. $8 buys you a Walter E Smith sponsored "Magic Door" & "Kukla, Fran & Ollie" DVD. The link is: http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/emd/509105184.html

I used to watch it as well and still have that crazy song (which means nothing to me--I'm Catholic) in my head at age 42. We would watch it because, like the other poster said, there was nothing on besides Bert Weinman Ford commercials and The Cisco Kid on Sunday mornings. The pseudo CGI little man appealed to every kid, and it is proof that good entertainment is good entertainment, regardless of the roots of the subject.

Chicago TV had a lot of classic stuff to watch, and now as an adult working outside of the Chicago area I often tell people stories about some of the crazy traditional shows. "Hardrock, Coco & Joe" & "Frosty the Snowman" (the old black and white version) were terrific to watch.

I was actually on this show in the 90's! I was 11 years old and I filmed an episode in Chicago where I grew up. I played a girl at a carnival who learned the value of spending quality time with family as opposed to spending money on material goods such as toys, ice cream, candy, prizes, etc. My brother on the show and I traded our money for a jar of beans. The man who sold it to us told us that the beans were as good as money and that we could spend them on anything at the carnival. The catch was that we had to use ALL of the beans before sunset or we had to give all of our "goods" back. It was very cute and while it had no "Jewish theme", it did send a very good message to children. I'm not sure when the Jewish stories and puppets left the show, but I do know the morally themes episodes entertained children till at least 1993 when I was on the show.

I was lucky enough to be on the show (on and off) for about 10 years. We taped it at CBS every week. The show had to be 28 minutes long and the scripts were often shorter so we made the rest up. I started out being a 'live' actor and then did voices when it changed to puppets (Nathaniel Bowditch the inventor of the American System of navigation for one). Irv Kaplan was Tiny Tov when I was on it.

To answer some questions: Henry Mamet was David Mamets Uncle and he was a very nice person. It was even rumored that David wrote some of the scripts when we were in a bind for ideas. It was Bubi Beaver and there was Granny Goodwitch and Dr. Spillapill too (pronounced Sphill-a-pill). I remember the puppeteer's name as Carol Oppenheimer and I think she was related to the famous PHD of the same name.

There was a prop cabinet for the show and I remember the crew drawing a line on the door for my height when I was about 10 all the way up to age 16 in high school.

The most fun was making up dialog with the other actors. Many (to me anyway) famous people from CBS Chicago would pop in and do a few lines of voices just for fun. I remember Walter Jacobson and other newscasters of the time having a hoot doing the voices. I have some old photo's from the show somewhere.

I learned values, how to think on my feet and how to be a professional by being on this show. It was great fun.

Later on after I grew up and got a Masters from Northwestern I was coaching a High School Tennis team. The boys found out I had been on the Magic Door and before a match the whole team serenaded me with the opening song "A-rumm-zoom-zoom. ". I think we won the match because the visiting team never stopped laughing. It turned out they all watched The Magic Door too.

The modular style of play lent itself to a variety of formats that Jackson would experiment with later, including an audio format called F.I.S.T.
[h=3]Raising the F.I.S.T.[/h]F.I.S.T. was launched in the U.K. in 1988 as a telephone service that narrated a fantasy adventure, allowing the player to interact with it by pressing numbers on their phone. Jackson explains how it worked:

You can visit far-off galaxies and explore the depths of the sea. Anything that your heart desires can become a reality in this magical place. The magic door leads you to encounters with extraordinary beings. Fairies flit through the air, leaving trails of stardust in their wake. Mermaids swim gracefully in crystalline waters, singing melodies that echo throughout the land. Witches and wizards practice their spells, harnessing the power of the elements to create wonders. But the magic door is not just a portal to an enchanted land; it is also a gateway to self-discovery and personal growth. As you wander through this fantastical world, you learn valuable lessons about courage, perseverance, and kindness. You meet characters who inspire you by their bravery and resilience. Through the magic door, you also discover hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Books line the shelves of the grand library, inviting you to explore their secrets. Ancient scrolls and mystical artifacts hold the key to unlocking ancient wisdom and unraveling age-old mysteries. Every adventure through the magic door is unique and unforgettable. Each visit brings new surprises and discoveries. The magic door is always open, inviting you to return time and time again. So, come and open the magic door. Step into a world where dreams come alive and the impossible becomes possible. Let your imagination take flight and embark on a journey of wonder and enchantment. The magic door awaits you, ready to reveal its secrets and ignite your imagination..

Reviews for "Immerse yourself in the magic door's enchanting world"

1. Jane - 2 stars - I was really excited to try "Open the Magic Door" as I've always been a fan of interactive storytelling apps. However, I was left disappointed after using this app. The graphics were outdated and the navigation was clunky. The stories themselves were also underwhelming, lacking depth and creativity. I quickly lost interest and found myself closing the app after just a few minutes. Overall, I would not recommend "Open the Magic Door" as there are much better interactive story apps available.

2. Mike - 1 star - This app was a complete waste of time. The interface was confusing and difficult to navigate. It was unclear how to progress through the stories, and I found myself getting stuck and frustrated. The stories themselves were also poorly written and unengaging. The lack of character development and plot depth made it hard to become invested in the stories. I quickly uninstalled the app and will not be recommending it to anyone.

3. Sarah - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Open the Magic Door" but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The stories were repetitive and lacked originality. The interactive elements were limited and didn't add much to the overall experience. The app also had a lot of bugs and glitches, which made it even more frustrating to use. I was disappointed with the overall quality of this app and would not recommend it to others.

4. Alex - 1 star - "Open the Magic Door" was a huge letdown. The stories were poorly written and lacked any sort of excitement or suspense. The interactive elements were limited and felt forced. The app also had a lot of technical issues, crashing multiple times during my use. Overall, this app was a waste of space on my phone and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging interactive story experience.

Stepping into a world of enchantment: behind the magic door