Here is a concise summary of the story:
**Title:** The Mysterious Children's Show Club
**Summary:**
A man recounts a terrifying childhood experience. He and his friends participated in a contest supposedly run by a popular 1970s children's TV show, "News U Review Show" on CBS. After sending in answers, they received membership cards and regular mailings, culminating in an announcement that the show's bus would visit their town. However, when the bus arrived, it left with some children, including the narrator's best friend, under the guise of filming an episode. The bus never returned, and the show denied ever running the contest. Months later, the missing girl's parents received a gold membership card and a disturbing video showing their daughter, apparently happy, with someone in a costume, leaving the family with more questions than answers.
Here are the extracted key facts, each numbered and in short sentences, excluding opinions:
1. The story is based on an event alleged to have occurred in the 1970s.
2. The event involves a children's TV show called "News U Review Show" that aired on CBS from 1972 to 1977.
3. A contest related to the show was supposedly published in a girls' magazine.
4. The contest promised a trip to Disney as a prize, along with a special membership card.
5. A boy (the narrator) and his best friend participated in the contest with help from the boy's older sister.
6. They submitted their answers via mail using stamped envelopes.
7. After a period of not hearing back, both the boy and his friend received a welcome packet to a fan club.
8. The packet included a membership card with the show's logo and the child's name.
9. For several months, the children received regular mailings with show content (drawings, jokes, educational material).
10. A letter announced the show's bus would visit their city, with an opportunity to meet characters and win a "gold card" for elite membership.
11. The boy's best friend was among a few children who boarded the bus under the promise of filming a show episode.
12. The bus left with the children but without their parents, promising more buses would arrive for the adults.
13. No additional buses arrived; instead, police patrols appeared after an hour.
14. The next day, the TV show aired with an unusual message asking children to have their parents watch, denying any contests or membership clubs.
15. The parents of the boy's best friend were distraught and cried, with the full implications not understood by the boy until years later.
16. Months later, the missing girl's parents received an envelope with a gold membership card and a Super 8 film showing their daughter with someone in a rabbit suit.