About The Big World of Little Adam


As a “Sputnik Baby” in the early 1960’s, there were many influences that guided me towards “thinking” in general and towards “science” (my first intellectual passion) in particular.

One of those influences was a short-lived and now-obscure cartoon,  The Big World of Little Adam . As the website Toonarific describes it:

Back in the days of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo, nothing got a kid’s heart pumping faster than the Space Race. Astronauts and NASA engineers were the golden boys of the moment, as rocket launches became the talk of not only the evening news, but also the schoolyard.

Capitalizing on the phenomenon, producer Fred Ladd secured the rights to a series of NASA color documentaries about space, technology and all things futuristic, packaging them together into half-hour bundles as The Big World of Little Adam .

All told, 110 five-minute segments were made and bundled together, and in 1964 the show debuted in syndication.

The show’s title came from its cartoon host, a curious lad named Little Adam. Rather than simply present the documentaries as they were, Ladd created a pair of animated siblings to help explain things to the kids at home. Adam and his freckled kid brother Wilbur appeared in limited animation wraparounds, setting the scene for the series’ showcase of NASA innovation and hopes for the future.

Of course, given Little Adam’s red hair, kid brother, and obvious know-it-all brilliance …

… I thought it was all about me.  Embarassed

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The Big World of Little Adam Theme Song

Big World, Little Adam!
Big World, Little Adam!

Big World, Little Adam,
Big World, Little Adam,
Big World, Little Adam,
Big World, Little Adam.

Oh it’s the Big World of Little Adam,
The finest planet of Little Adam.
We’re casting off.
We’re blasting off.
It’s the Big World of Little Adam.

Big World, Little Adam,
Big World, Little Adam,
Big World, Little Adam,
Big World, Little Adam.

Oh it’s the Big World of Little Adam
The sea and live world of little Adam.
We’re off in space,
We’re everyplace.
It’s the Big World of Little Adam.


The Voice of Little Adam

The voice of Little Adam was played by John Megna, who is better known for his role as “Dill” Harris in the 1962 film  To Kill a Mockingbird.

To some, John Megna is also memorable for his small role in the 1966 Star Trek episode “Miri” in which he played one of the “Onlies”.

But to me, John Megna (who died in 1995 at the age of 42) will always be the voice that helped launch a lifetime …

Thanks, John!


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