Sharon, Lois & Bram 1991 Interview: Skinnamarink & Elephant Show

In this heartwarming June 1991 broadcast of The Dini Petty Show, legendary Canadian children’s entertainment trio Sharon, Lois & Bram fill the studio with unparalleled nostalgic joy. At this point in their illustrious careers, the group was operating as an international cultural phenomenon. While their iconic television series The Elephant Show had recently wrapped its definitive production run on the CBC, it was broadcasting daily into millions of households across the United States via Nickelodeon. Visiting host Dini Petty to celebrate the release of their tenth studio album, Sing A to Z, the trio delivers an appearance that perfectly captures the gentle, inclusive magic that defined a generation of childhoods.

The broadcast hits the ground running with an energetic, acoustic live performance, as Sharon Hampson, Lois Lilienstein, and Bram Morrison harmonize flawlessly on a delightful medley of crowd favorites, including “Lollipop,” “Smile,” and “Bingo.” Following the opening songs, they chat with Petty about the organic roots of their partnership, tracing how three independent folk musicians and music educators combined forces in Toronto in 1978 to create high-quality, non-condescending records for families. They reflect on the shifting landscape of youth media, answering Petty’s poignant questions about whether children’s core emotional needs have changed amidst the evolving media landscape of the early 1990s.

The true highlight of the archive arrives halfway through the program, when the traditional talk-show format is completely upended to give control to the live studio audience. A microphone is passed directly to an enthusiastic crowd of children, leading to a delightfully unpredictable and candid Q&A session. The kids challenge the performers with deeply earnest questions, ranging from a curious child asking Lois the deeply personal question of why she chose to have children, to another demanding to know the exact whereabouts of their beloved costumed co-star, Elephant. The appearance naturally concludes with the entire studio standing up to sing their timeless, signature anthem, “Skinnamarink.”

Unseen since its original summer 1991 CTV airing, this pristine master tape has been optimized and preserved via the official archive of The Dini Petty Show, protecting an invaluable milestone in Canadian broadcasting and children’s musical history.