“Family Classicsâ€, hosted by Frazier Thomas, was a weekly movie showcase created by Fred Silverman who later became the president of NBC. The show aired on Sunday afternoons on Chicago’s own WGN Channel 9. The program’s films were selections that Frazier Thomas himself edited so they would be appropriate for family viewing.Frazier Thomas is a beloved legend in Chicago. He hosted the children’s shows “Garfield Goose and Friends†and “The Bozo Showâ€. The original Bozo (Bob Bell) referred to Thomas as “Fat, Friendly Frazeâ€, which Thomas called himself on his “Garfield Goose†show.In 1985, Frazier Thomas passed away at the age of 66. Roy Leonard (WGN radio and TV legend) took over the program as host and the show continued sporadically until it was canceled in 2000. Props from the show are on exhibit at the Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications.Words alone cannot express how sorry the fans of Chicago are to lose Frazier Thomas. We will always remember him, sitting there in the WGN studio every Sunday afternoon.
