Just a great kids show that ran in the 60's and 70's on Chicago's WGN. Nothing was better than hearing Ray read the name of your school on a snow day. Ray would pin notes to himself on his clothes (this was before post-it notes!)and announce the next cartoon or feature. I doubt that many kids who grew up in Chicagoland during this period did not love Ray. If you missed yesterday's Cub highlights (this was before ESPN), Ray would show them. If you needed your 'Diver Dan' fix, Ray had them. When Ray cried on air during his last show, thousands of people of all ages cried with him. Heard Ray wound up in New Mexico after his long run at WGN.
4 Reviews
Growing Up With Ray
JohnLipton28 August 2023
As a Boomer growing up in suburban Chicago, I fondly remember Ray Rayner and Friends (and Bozo, Cookie, Romper Room, etc. ). Sure, he was goofy but I ate it up as a kid. Cartoons, "terrible" arts and crafts, reading letters from viewers, the Zoo segment (the Unicorn song!), the duck and more all kept me entertained. The show was certainly low on "polish" but I enjoyed it's DIY look.
As another reviewer stated, hearing your school's name called on a snow day was the ultimate day off!
I'm sure people watching videos of it today don't get it/like it. For me, it will always be a great memory growing up in Chicagoland.
As another reviewer stated, hearing your school's name called on a snow day was the ultimate day off!
I'm sure people watching videos of it today don't get it/like it. For me, it will always be a great memory growing up in Chicagoland.
Ray Rayner and variety show
kayeohio19477 January 2019
I remember Ray Rayner sometimes hosted a talk show on WGN that featured a female vocalist and co-hostess named Mina Cole. She supposedly was a dark brunette Caucasian woman, but she resembled vocalist Lena Horne very much. I remember this lady being on the show, but I cannot find anything about her on the internet. I would like to hear from other baby-boomers who remember her.
Awful
justinboggan22 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
So, with a name like "Ray Rayner and His Friends", you think you might have some kind of comedy show, talk show, or at least a kids show along the lines of something on PBS. No. Think again.
What is the "Ray Rayner and His Friends" show? Well, it consists of Ray Rayner standing in a horribly cheap one-room set by himself talking about local events. In a pink shirt. Yes, there's an episode on youtube to be stunned by.
Behind him a painting of poorly done animated TV series characters and for some reason, Batman. Don't know why, doesn't mesh with the other drawings, just Batman. You could say maybe it was that Super Friends show, but no -- this Batman looks nothing like that iteration, while all the others look like their series iterations.
The show begins with out-right theft of the Looney Tunes theme music and a compilation of stills grabbed from various episodes, for no apparent reason other than to get kids' attentions.
He blah blahs on and then at one point opens a book and decides to sing. How appropriate that during that singing, the camera a cuts to the painting, focusing on a scared animal who looks terrified at what he is hearing. Then randomly during that song, it cuts to this Japanese(?)/Chinese(?) woman with a headset singing with him. No clue who she is, she's not introduced, and she's never seen again (not even credited). Just cuts to her. Might has well have cut to a urinal cake -- makes just as much sense.
And in case you are wondering who Ray Rayner's friends are, well, keep wondering -- none of them are seen. I guess the Eastern woman was one, but not enough of a friend to name, see again, or even say good-bye to. Maybe his "friends" were his pink shirt, chalk board, bad painting, and other items around him. Who knows.
And before and after the show, the show gets confused and calls itself "The Ray Raynor Show" as well, showcasing two different names for one show during the show.
After the torturous run, you're treated to not only more theft of the Looney Tunes theme, but the most interesting thing of the show: a couple of the Looney Tunes drawings in the end credits. There were others, but two stood out: one of Bugs Bunny where he looks like he's probably in his late 50's, groggy and perhaps a little drunk, looking at an alarm clock like he's just woken up from a daze and dreading going to work (that's where the assistant director credit went). And how appropriate that Ray Rayner's executive producer credit goes next to the second creepy image: one of Elmer Fudd looking like he's just downed 50 Viagra pills and he's out on the prowl. Or dazed and confused. Either one is particularly bad. During that a cartoonization of what I guess is one of Rayner's friends, that we don't see on screen, shoved in amongst the rest of the Looney Tunes characters, misleading children watching this no doubt. The the "show" goes out on another low by reusing the first image that began the end credits, a second time. Yay.
It's like a really bad local access show.
What is the "Ray Rayner and His Friends" show? Well, it consists of Ray Rayner standing in a horribly cheap one-room set by himself talking about local events. In a pink shirt. Yes, there's an episode on youtube to be stunned by.
Behind him a painting of poorly done animated TV series characters and for some reason, Batman. Don't know why, doesn't mesh with the other drawings, just Batman. You could say maybe it was that Super Friends show, but no -- this Batman looks nothing like that iteration, while all the others look like their series iterations.
The show begins with out-right theft of the Looney Tunes theme music and a compilation of stills grabbed from various episodes, for no apparent reason other than to get kids' attentions.
He blah blahs on and then at one point opens a book and decides to sing. How appropriate that during that singing, the camera a cuts to the painting, focusing on a scared animal who looks terrified at what he is hearing. Then randomly during that song, it cuts to this Japanese(?)/Chinese(?) woman with a headset singing with him. No clue who she is, she's not introduced, and she's never seen again (not even credited). Just cuts to her. Might has well have cut to a urinal cake -- makes just as much sense.
And in case you are wondering who Ray Rayner's friends are, well, keep wondering -- none of them are seen. I guess the Eastern woman was one, but not enough of a friend to name, see again, or even say good-bye to. Maybe his "friends" were his pink shirt, chalk board, bad painting, and other items around him. Who knows.
And before and after the show, the show gets confused and calls itself "The Ray Raynor Show" as well, showcasing two different names for one show during the show.
After the torturous run, you're treated to not only more theft of the Looney Tunes theme, but the most interesting thing of the show: a couple of the Looney Tunes drawings in the end credits. There were others, but two stood out: one of Bugs Bunny where he looks like he's probably in his late 50's, groggy and perhaps a little drunk, looking at an alarm clock like he's just woken up from a daze and dreading going to work (that's where the assistant director credit went). And how appropriate that Ray Rayner's executive producer credit goes next to the second creepy image: one of Elmer Fudd looking like he's just downed 50 Viagra pills and he's out on the prowl. Or dazed and confused. Either one is particularly bad. During that a cartoonization of what I guess is one of Rayner's friends, that we don't see on screen, shoved in amongst the rest of the Looney Tunes characters, misleading children watching this no doubt. The the "show" goes out on another low by reusing the first image that began the end credits, a second time. Yay.
It's like a really bad local access show.
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