Early Career and Radio Roots
Sonny Fox’s most successful stint in radio began in 1950 when he became a United Nations correspondent for the Voice of America, where he interviewed diplomats at the UN. In the summer of 1952, he served as a war correspondent in Korea, interviewing international military personnel and local civilians. Before returning to the U.S., Sonny met and later married Gloria Benson.
Upon returning to the States, Sonny hoped CBS would place him in its news division as an anchor. Though Ted Church, then head of the network’s news department, recommended him, the position never materialized.
Television Breakthrough: "The Finder"
While in St. Louis, Sonny was approached by local educational station KETC, which was launching a children’s series called The Finder, a show introducing young viewers to the city's cultural and historical highlights. Initially reluctant due to his background in news and radio, he accepted after being encouraged—and with the help of a local entertainer who taught him to play guitar and introduced him to a bird puppet named “Henry the Hummingbird.”
Sonny won the audition and became the host of The Finder, one of the first children’s news and travelogue shows. With a car provided by the Corvette company, the show explored Missouri—from spelunking in caves to the history of the Tocobaga tribe and the legacy of Charles Lindbergh. A live broadcast from the Lindbergh Museum even led to a Newsweek article that caught the eye of CBS’s vice president of public affairs, Irving Gitlin.
"Let’s Take a Trip" on CBS
Gitlin invited Sonny back to New York to audition for a new Sunday afternoon children’s travelogue. Impressed with his resume and on-camera ease, Gitlin hired him to host Let’s Take a Trip, which premiered on April 17, 1955. Unlike The Finder, this show sent Sonny and two kids—initially Ginger MacManus and Brian “Pud” Flanagan—on real adventures beyond New York. They visited places like President Truman’s home in Independence, Missouri, the American Ballet Theatre (meeting George Balanchine), Ebbets Field with Casey Stengel, and the puppet studios of Bil Baird.
When MacManus outgrew the show, she and Flanagan were replaced by Joan Terrace and Jimmy Walsh. Let’s Take a Trip aired until February 23, 1958.
Game Shows and Early Setbacks
During his time on Let’s Take a Trip, Sonny was offered the role of host for The $64,000 Challenge, a spin-off of the popular quiz show The $64,000 Question. Nervous and unpolished as a game show emcee, he was quickly replaced by Ralph Story. Ironically, this turned out to be a blessing: the quiz show scandals of 1958 soon followed.
Despite this, producers like Mark Goodson and Bill Todman invited him back as a substitute host for The Price is Right, Beat the Clock, and To Tell the Truth.
"Wonderama" and a New Kind of Kids’ TV
Around this time, WNEW (Channel 5, NYC) needed a new host for Wonderama, a popular kids’ variety show. The station’s new owner, John Kluge, wanted to pivot from comedy to educational content. Though Sonny was initially hesitant, he accepted the offer.
The early episodes focused on subjects like rockets, classical music, dog training, and Einstein’s theory of relativity—too sophisticated for young viewers. Executives warned him, “We didn’t hire you to lose the audience. Do two to three minutes live, then cut to a cartoon.”
Sonny soon found his rhythm. During cartoons, he played Simon Says with the studio audience, let kids tell jokes, perform tongue twisters, and participate in unscripted conversations. He made the kids the true stars of the show.
Segments like “Kidsmercials,” “Teacher of the Week,” and youth-reported news were added. He even revived his travelogue concept with pre-recorded segments from Denmark, France, Israel, and Portugal.
Guests included NYC Mayor John Lindsay, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Adam West and Burt Ward (Batman and Robin), ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson, magician The Amazing Randi, and fellow TV hosts Soupy Sales, Sandy Becker, and Chuck McCann.
Creation of "Just For Fun"
In 1959, Sonny asked for a raise. Metromedia refused but offered him the chance to create another show. Recalling “Color Wars” from summer camp, he pitched Just For Fun, a Saturday morning competition show with physical stunts and games like “The Mystery Chest” and “The Mystery Guest.” It premiered on October 3, 1959, and became a hit.
"On Your Mark" and Career Crossroads
He later created On Your Mark for ABC—a game show where kids demonstrated knowledge of their dream careers. But Sonny’s WNEW contract conflicted with national distribution. A compromise was reached: ABC aired the show nationally, except in NYC, where it aired on WNEW. Despite strong ideas, some ambitions—like one child’s dream of becoming a philanthropist—were difficult to translate. The show ended on December 30, 1961.
Sonny continued hosting Just For Fun until July 31, 1965, after which “Uncle Fred” Scott took over. He also briefly hosted the teen panel show Speak Out! and several holiday cartoon specials.
Return to Prime Time and the Final Kids’ Shows
Sonny co-produced a children’s fantasy musical, The Cowboy and the Tiger, which aired in late 1963. He left Wonderama in 1967 to co-host a short-lived adult talk show, The New Yorkers. Bob McAllister replaced him on Wonderama.
He briefly hosted the ABC game show The Movie Game in 1969 but was replaced by Larry Blyden after a disappointing run.
In 1976, he returned to children’s TV with Way Out Games, filmed at Magic Mountain and aired on CBS. High school gym teams competed in stunts to win scholarships and prizes. Though creative, the show was overshadowed by ABC’s Saturday lineup and was canceled in 1977.
Executive Work and Preservation Efforts
After Way Out Games, Sonny became NBC’s VP of Children’s Programming, developing shows like The Red Hand Gang and The First National Kids Quiz, hosted by Michael Landon. Despite thoughtful content, the programs didn’t outperform cartoons in ratings.
After leaving NBC, Sonny moved to California, joined the Tomorrow show as associate producer, and later worked with Alan Landsburg Productions. He founded his own production company, preserving kinescopes of 1950s dramas like Marty, 12 Angry Men, and Requiem for a Heavyweight for PBS’s Golden Age of Television series.
Honors, Memoirs, and Legacy
He partnered with Alan Jay Lerner on a stage musical and later hosted documentaries for CBS Cable Arts. He helped produce Chuck McCann’s Fun Stuff in 1989 and made a brief comedic appearance as a pompous snake charmer in one sketch.
In 1984, Sonny appeared in 40 Years of Fine Tuning, a tribute to WNEW. In 1987, he was featured in Newsday, and in 1994 he joined fellow pioneers for The First Kids on the Block at the Museum of Broadcasting (now the Paley Center for Media).
He was interviewed by Al Roker for Live at Five and Sunday Today in New York, and later joined Population Communications International, promoting responsible media overseas.
Sonny collaborated with Randy Bucknoff to build a website celebrating his career and published his memoir, But You Made the Front Page! Wonderama, Wars, and a Whole Bunch of Life. He promoted it at the Paley Center with Whoopi Goldberg hosting the event.
Though health issues forced him into retirement, Sonny’s influence endured. He passed away on January 24, 2021.
Legacy
Sonny Fox’s contributions to broadcasting were profound. He was a trailblazer who combined fun with thoughtfulness, respect with spontaneity, and who believed that children deserved not just to be entertained—but to be heard.
“If you can respect children—really respect them—and remember that you were once one of them, they’ll let you in. And once you’re in… you better have something worth saying.” —Sonny Fox
