JOT (TV series)

JOT

Not only the first Christian animated series, but presumably the first preschool-aimed animated television series, it was created by Ruth Byers, a graduate of Baylor University, and Ted Perry a writer at the RATC. Both had a background connected to the Dallas Theater Center, with Byers having been director of children's productions.^[3] The pair was commissioned by Dr. Paul Stevens, president of the RATC, to develop a television show that would provide simple moral lessons for young children. Keitz & Herndon, an American television production company worked on JOT, alongside animator Tom Young.^[4] Production of the first episodes began in 1959, with the first episode released in 1965. The style of the show was kept deliberately simple, both as a cost-cutting measure (the budget for the early episodes was never more than $25,000, and that amount dropped over time), and to prevent the design from interfering with the delivery of the message.

The main character, JOT, is a white circle with simple facial features (similar to a smiley face), hands and feet. JOT's color and shape would change in response to the struggles presented. This was meant to represent changes in a child's temperament or emotional state, "somewhat like a thermostat," according to one critic.^[3] His hands and feet are only seen when he is still; when he is in motion, they disappear. Jot does not have a nose. Jot would sometimes be accompanied by Tug (voiced by Ed Ruth), a "bad" character who would learn a moral lesson in the end.

The voice of JOT was provided by two different women, Lou Kelly (1965–1967, 1968, and 1981), and Colleen Collins (1967).

The series premiered on