Jump Jump and the Ice Queen

Jump Jump and the Ice Queen is a delightful 25-part Christmas radio serial that first aired in 1948. The story follows a young orphan boy named Tim who sets out to find Santa Claus and make sure he doesn’t forget the children at the orphanage. Along the way, Tim meets the mischievous elf Jump Jump, who lives at Holiday House with Mary Holiday - Santa’s personal secretary.

The series has a charming, fantasy-filled premise. In addition to Tim and Jump Jump, the cast of characters includes a lazy lion named Sleepy Slim, a clown named Achi Paggli whose hair changes color to match his mood, and a poet who speaks only in rhyme. Together, this eclectic group embarks on a quest to save Christmas after the wicked Ice Queen kidnaps Santa’s reindeer.

The series was created and written by Mary McConnell and Harry Hickox, who also provided the voices for most of the characters.

The unique sound of Jump Jump’s high-pitched, hard-to-understand voice was achieved by recording the actor at a slower speed and playing it back at a faster pace.

The Stars

The main characters of Jump Jump and the Ice Queen are:

Tim: The young orphan boy who sets out to find Santa and make sure the orphanage isn’t forgotten at Christmas. Jump Jump: The mischievous, three-inch tall elf who becomes Tim’s guide and companion on the adventure. His fast-paced, hard-to-understand speech is a key part of the show’s charm. Mary Holiday: Santa’s personal secretary, who lives at the magical Holiday House where every day is a holiday.

Key Dates

• Jump Jump and the Ice Queen was first broadcast on November 22nd, 1948, with episodes airing daily leading up to Christmas.
• Final episode aired on December 24th, 1948.
• The series was designed to be aired on a five-days-per-week basis, with local stations able to line up their own sponsors.

Other Information

In addition to the radio serial, the Jump Jump character and stories were also adapted into a line of merchandise in the late 1940s. Entrepreneur Samson R. Diamond created a franchise deal with the show’s producers to produce hand-made dolls of the characters, which were manufactured by the newly incorporated Mattel Toy Company. The dolls were packaged in decorative boxes designed to look like the Holiday House setting from the radio show.

While Jump Jump and the Ice Queen may invite comparisons to the better-known Cinnamon Bear series, the two shows are quite different in their production and execution. Jump Jump is a smaller, more intimate affair relying on the talents of a small cast, while Cinnamon Bear had a full orchestra and large ensemble. But both series share a charming, fantasy-driven approach that has delighted generations of listeners.