For people outside the area, the name “Barnaby” may refer to TV’s Barnaby Jones.
Here, for most people over a certain age, it brings back memories of long-time Cleveland TV kids host Linn Sheldon, better known as the character of that name. Word is out today that Sheldon has passed on at the age of 86.
WTAM/1100’s newscasts noted that Sheldon was seen on “all local TV stations” at some point in his career. But our memories of him, like most people around our age, was on weekends at WUAB/43. “Barnaby” and Marty Sullivan’s “Superhost” provided the then-independent station an identity among young people, long before anyone ever heard of “UPN”.
WKYC/3 reports that Sheldon started at WEWS/5 back in 1948, and started portraying the popular kids’ character on their station in 1957.
This article in the Sun News back in 1999 should bring back a lot of memories for those who grew up with “Barnaby”. It was published on the release of a book Sheldon wrote, called “Barnaby and Me”…published by local book topic specialist Gray and Company.
RIP, Mr. Sheldon…
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