Simon Townsend's first foray into children's television was a pilot episode for a current affairs-style program for kids called The Ripper Report in 1974.

The show had a similar format to Simon Townsend's Wonder World!, however Townsend only produced the show and did not host. Instead, The Ripper Report featured three hosts who were also the roving reporters: Adam Bowen, who appeared in the early episodes of Wonder World!; Leonora Vawn, a presenter from Denmark; and actor, writer and producer Gordon Steel.

The type of stories covered were also similar to Wonder World! in terms of tone and subject matter. In this pilot Adam Bowen meets a woman who is riding a pet donkey around the country, Leonora visits a dog show and Gordon meets a cat who eats from a spoon. There were also jokes and interesting facts in between segments and ad breaks.

The show featured an advice segment for young viewers called 'Dear Toby', a precursor to 'Dear Danni' from Wonder World!.