Uncle Floyd

Currently appearing in nightclubs, concert venues, and "club dates" as a comedian and pianologist, Floyd Vivino is a legendary New Jersey icon, well-known as the host and creator of television's THE UNCLE FLOYD SHOW.

The Uncle Floyd Show aired in New Jersey and New York from 1974 to 1998. It can be read as a children's show or a parody of a children's show. Much of the humor has a twist aimed at adults, in the style of Soupy Sales and Pee Wee Herman. The show featured character comedy, puppetry, some audience participation, musical guests, and Floyd's piano playing. One of Floyd's puppet sidekicks – actually a ventriloquial figure – was named Oogie. His on-air interaction with off-camera staff and sidekicks is somewhat in the style of what Howard Stern and Chelsea Handler would later do. Local bands such as The Smithereens, The Shades, and R. Stevie Moore, along with such well-known performers as The Ramones, Tiny Tim, Benny Bell, Bon Jovi, Jan and Dean, Peter Tork, Squeeze, David Johansen, Blue Öyster Cult, Joe Jackson, and Cyndi Lauper also appeared on Floyd's program.

The show's first cast members in 1974 included Pat Cupo, and Marc Nathan, the cameraman. Later members were Scott Gordon, Craig "Mugsy" Calam, Richard "Netto" Cornetto, Jim Monaco, Art "Looney Skip" Rooney, Charlie Stoddard, David "Artie Delmar" Burd, and Clark the Wonder Dog. A phonograph album based on the show, The Uncle Floyd Show Album, was released on Mercury Records, and a number of 45 rpm singles on the Bioya label were released around 1979–83. Vivino has also released a few CDs as a solo artist.

In 1982, The Uncle Floyd Show went into a small syndication circuit which included 17 markets, among them WNBC-TV channel 4 in New York, then WTAF-TV channel 29 in Philadelphia, WPWR-TV Channel 60 in Chicago and WSBK-TV Channel 38 in Boston. It aired right after SCTV on WNBC. The national syndication deal was seen as a huge step forward for the show, which up until that point could only be viewed in and around New Jersey and New York City on a single UHF channel and, at times, local cable.

From 1983 to 1986, The Uncle Floyd Show ran on the statewide PBS network, NJN New Jersey Network, which consisted of 4 channels: WNJS (Channel 23, Camden), WNJN (Channel 50, Montclair), WNJB (Channel 58, New Brunswick) and WNJT (Channel 52, Trenton).

Starting in late 1986, The Uncle Floyd Show was then seen on statewide cable channel CTN ("The Cable Television Network Of New Jersey").[2] During this time, the show went through various incarnations with Floyd sometimes hosting a music-only show, showcasing local bands. Floyd also hosted a show called Uncle Floyd's New Jersey, in which he would visit various towns and businesses in the state.

First-run production of The Uncle Floyd Show ended in 1992, with CTN showing repeats until that channel's demise in 1999.

In 1998, production of The Uncle Floyd Show began in the Cablevision studio in Oakland, New Jersey. One hundred shows were produced and aired on Cablevision systems throughout the region. Musical guests included Marky Ramone and The Misfits. Although viewer response was enthusiastic, the show was canceled by Cablevision management after the first cycle of episodes.

Currently, Floyd can be heard every Sunday morning at 9am (8am starting 9/3/2023) Eastern on WFDU-FM 89.1 (wfdu.fm on the net) with long-time collaborator Scott Gordon. He and Scott also host a live-stream watch-party of classic Uncle Floyd Show episodes and segments on-line that can be found at StageIt.com/SGE-Inc every Tuesday evening at 8pm Eastern.