Gerald, played brilliantly by Pat McMahon, was the ultimate spoiled rich kid — and the character audiences loved to boo. Always 12 years old (no matter how many years went by), Gerald was pompous, arrogant, and desperate to take over The Wallace and Ladmo Show with the help of his "uncle," the station manager.

Kids adored Ladmo for his fun-loving, down-to-earth spirit — and despised Gerald for being the exact opposite. Gerald delighted in boring the audience with poetry readings, pompous speeches, and stiff, awkward dances. His trademark insults, aimed at the "middle-class" kids in the audience ("public school brats" and "tract home-buying twerps"), only made him more infuriating — and more unforgettable.

To back up his threats, Gerald introduced his infamous Monster in the mid-1960s — a furry, hulking creature in a red sweatshirt with ping-pong ball eyes. Played by local heavyweight boxers Bowie Adams and Larry Smith, the Monster was Gerald’s ultimate tool to intimidate the audience, carry off guests, and spread fear with promises of nighttime visits.

No matter how his wardrobe or hairstyle changed over the show’s 30-year run, one thing about Gerald remained the same: he hated anything fun — and the kids loved hating him for it.