Lecture in Goodyear to highlight long-running Arizona children's TV show
Posted 5/5/25
A public lecture exploring the history of “The Wallace and Ladmo Show,” one of Arizona’s longest-running children’s television programs, will take place Thursday, May 15 from …
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Entertainment
Lecture in Goodyear to highlight long-running Arizona children's TV show
Submitted photo\City of Goodyear
The Litchfield Heritage Center hosts a lecture May 15 on the history of the "Wallace and Ladmo Show."
Posted
A public lecture exploring the history of “The Wallace and Ladmo Show,” one of Arizona’s longest-running children’s television programs, will take place Thursday, May 15 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Goodyear City Hall.
The event is hosted by the P.W. Litchfield Heritage Center and is free to attend.
The lecture will be presented by Steve Hoza, a Phoenix native, historian, and official caretaker of the show’s archives. Hoza was a personal acquaintance of show creator Bill “Wallace” Thompson and maintains the website WallaceWatchers.com.
“The Wallace and Ladmo Show,” aired on KPHO-TV Channel 5 from 1954 to 1989. It combined comedy sketches, music, and cartoons, and featured a cast that included Thompson, Ladimir “Ladmo” Kwiatkowski, and Pat McMahon. Over its 35-year run, the program reached viewers across Arizona, as well as parts of northern Mexico and border communities in California. It was briefly syndicated in Los Angeles and New York.
In addition to its televised content, the show’s cast made frequent live appearances throughout Arizona. Their community involvement included forming a sports team, the Ladmo Jets, which participated in charitable fundraising events.
Characters such as Gerald, Boffo the Clown, Marshall Good, and Captain Super were recurring figures on the program, which incorporated humor aimed at both children and adults.
The May 15 lecture will include historical context, archival insights, and discussion of the show's regional influence.
The event will be held at Goodyear City Hall, located at 1900 N. Civic Square. For more information, visit PWLHC.org.
