Illustrated, Simplified and Painless Sunday School

I gave it a 10 because I remember it so well and so fondly. I think I watched it every Sunday that I wasn't traveling overseas, where it was never discovered. It was remarkably clever and way ahead of its time. I hated to see it end. Through Marshall I learned about the Ephron family. I met Nora before she became famous and have been a devoted fan ever since. Oh, to be a fly on the wall at the Algonquin. I would dearly love to attend Marshall's Simplified and Painless Sunday School again. A DVD would be ideal. The time is right for it to be brought back and shared with another generation. I wonder how one might go about getting a copy. This show gets a star on my list of treasured TV moments. Lately, I've been recalling the John and Marsha commercials for Crisco (I think it was Crisco). They, too, were gentle and clever and I think we could use a bit more subtlety these days.

I was well into my 30's when I first saw Efron's Sunday School lessons on TV. And I was instantly captivated. I, too, have a great memory of the Solomon segment. The women, Mrs. Harl and Mrs. Ot, named the baby in question respectively: Karl Harl and/or Scott Ot. I had despaired of ever seeing these bits again, but God bless (no pun intended) YouTube. I'll continue to check periodically and perhaps someone will put the Solomon story up. The writing was always clever and ingenious, frequently hilarious--painless indeed. Though some lines may have been over the heads of young children, he never talked down to them. In his various roles Efron, by turns, was charming, rude, bombastic, simple, mean, kindly,wise, unaware, generous, greedy, silly, etc. He was everyone and everything. The only adjective I have never applied to him is unenthusiastic. He just seemed to be having so much fun. I wonder what his 'real life' persona is?

I was a kid when it came out, but it was really funny, corny with low budget props similar to Dr. Who. The only actor was Marshall Efron (who often appeared on PBS's Great American Dream Machine). Each weekly half hour showed two bible stories--one from the Old Testament, one from the New. I remember he was Noah, wearing striped pj's with cutout animals walking onto the ark. He also was Daniel in the Lion's Den, fighting off a giant stuffed lion obviously thrown at him, intercut with footage of a lion attacking a man. At the time it was pretty funny stuff, Marshall always sporting a big handlebar moustache. When he did the Tower of Babel, he went to the UN and showed a list of all current recognized languages, nearly 200 of them, making funny asides and puns. I loved it, but I don't remember that it was on regularly.

This show was on when I was in my late teens, and I loved it. I think it was originally on CBS. My father used to make me go to church, but after his death, I preferred to stay home from church on Sunday mornings and learn from Marshall's bible story show instead. Marshall's humor was great. He played female biblical characters, mustache included, but I didn't find the show sacrilegious. However, I thought he was filmed over and over for the humor, not because of the show's budget. It worked because that's what made the show humorous along with simplified and painless. I could watch in my PJs too. If more churches/preachers would do what Marshall did, their pews wouldn't be empty on Sunday!

A few days ago I was pondering a story for the kids at our church. Somehow I remembered Marshall Efron and his comedic and fun way of telling stories. I was thinking I was just a kid when I saw his show. Imagine my surprise when I looked it up at IMDb and learned I was in my twenties. I always enjoyed the show and came away with some new learning. I would love to incorporate some of the things he did into my stories for the kids. I would love even more to get all of the shows onto DVD. I bet some of the more open minded networks would show them and I would be willing to wager my favorite Boy Scout knife that today's kids would enjoy the show too!

WE should establish a fan club, donate money to it and get the company that has the films to dig them out and get them run onto DVD.