Seattle TV pioneer host of ‘Wunda Wunda’ celebrates 100th birthday

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Wunda Wunda

Ruth Prins, who still lives in Seattle, hosted a KING 5 children’s show from 1952-1972.

by Chris Cashman

King 5 Seattle

October 23, 2020

SEATTLE — If you grew up in Seattle during the 1950s,’60s and ’70s, you likely know and love the name Wunda Wunda.

Today, Ruth Prins, who played Wunda Wunda and many other characters, is still living in Seattle with a passionate fanbase that still shares memories on Facebook. She recently celebrated her 100th birthday.

Ruth Prins was an actor and drama teacher at the University of Washington in 1949 when KING 5 recruited her to help them develop quality children’s programming.

She started with a weekly televised reading class called “Telaventure Tales,” and then hosted the show “Wunda Wunda,” which was also the name of her most memorable character. 

She had a memorable theme song:

Wunda Wunda is my name. Oh boys and girls, I’m glad you came. We’ll have fun as I explain, how we play our Wunda games.

Read More HERE

5 COMMENTS

  1. I loved Wunda Wunda, when I was a little “People Kind” but I must admit for the first several times I saw her show I was afraid to cross in front of the tv if she was on screen, I somehow felt she might get me .

    I get the same scary creepy feeling today if I ever see an image of Nancy Pelosi come on the TV Screen .

    Long Live Wunda Wunda !!

  2. Loved Wunda,, J.P. Patches, and Captain Puget. King, Kiro, and Komo. Thev3″Searle stations we got when I was a kid. Now I get hundreds of channels but none provide the memories like these talented people did.

  3. I was a 5th grader who had the opportunity to be on TELEVENTURE TALES, reviewing a book entitled DWARF LONGNOSE. I don’t recall anything about the book, but had the chance to meet Ruth Prins. This would have been about 1962.

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