Sonny Fox

Sonny Fox

Photofest

Sonny Fox

Performer, executive
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Sonny Fox

Performer, executive

June 17

Brooklyn, New York

January 24, 2021

Sonny Fox was an American television personality and executive.

Fox was best known as host of the four-hour, New York-based Sunday morning children's program Wonderama from 1959-67, during which time he became one of the most popular "kid show" hosts on television. The show's mix of cartoons, celebrity guests, magic tricks, art lessons, spelling bees and Fox's slapstick humor entertained the kids in the live studio audience as well as TV viewers across the nation.

While hosting Wonderama, Fox created and hosted two other Saturday morning children's shows: On Your Mark, and Just for Fun.

Prior to Wonderama, Fox served as a wartime correspondent for Voice of America, and hosted the game shows The $64,000 Challenge, and The Price Is Right.

After leaving Wonderama, Fox hosted a short-lived talk show in New York. He was executive producer on a number of programs through the 1980s, including 1981's documentary series The Golden Age of Television. He was an early producer of NBC's late-night show Tomorrow (hosted by Tom Snyder), and ran children's programming for NBC.

Fox served as president of the Television Academy.

Fox died January 24, 2021, in Encino, California. He was 95.

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