JOT is a 1965-1974 Americananimatedchildren's television program. The series consisted of 30 four-minute episodes, which were syndicated between 1965 and the 1980s. JOT was produced by the Southern Baptist Radio and Television Commission as a Baptist version of Davey and Goliath. The series 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. 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. 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, 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, 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. 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, a "bad" character who would learn a moral lesson in the end. The voice of JOT was provided by two different women, Lou Kelly, and Colleen Collins. The series premiered on Peppermint Place, a Sunday children's show produced locally at WFAA-TV in Dallas, and later on The Children's Hour on WBAP-TV in Fort Worth. The episodes were eventually syndicated throughout the world, translated into 19 different languages. They were also a favorite of Sunday School programs. The response to the program was a volume of over 175,000 letters from children, requiring a volunteer group from 22 churches to write responses. The series remained in regular production until 1974. Additional episodes were produced for the 1980-1981 season. JOT the Dot later was owned by FamilyNet Television and was utilized as the network's mascot for its "Families on FamilyNet" programming block until 2014. The JOT animation was updated for new television spots and Web promotions, and the original cartoon shorts were formerly available at the Familynet website.
Reception
In Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, George W. Woolery writes, "The abstract messages captivated and inspired children far beyond anticipation, requiring a volunteer group from twenty-two churches to answer the 175,000 letters that the films prompted."
