List of local children's television series (United States) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of local children's television series (United States)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following is a list of local children's television shows.

Local children's television series were locally produced television shows intended for the child audience with unique hosts and programming. This type of programming began in the late 1940's and continued into the 1970s. Tim Hollis documented about 1,400 local children's shows in a 2002 book called Hi There, Boys and Girls![1][2]

The programs typically aired in the weekday mornings before school, or afternoons after school, as well as on weekends (to a lesser degree). There were several different formats. Almost all shows had a colorful host, who assumed a persona such as a cowboy/cowgirl, captain, princess, clown, sheriff, magician, or "uncle", whose role was to not only to be the "DJ" for syndicated material (typically cartoons, although westerns were more popular earlier on), but also entertain the kids, often with a live studio audience of kids, during breaks. Early program fare included cartoon favorites such as Crusader Rabbit, Dink, the Little Dinosaur, Popeye, Bugs Bunny, Rocky and Bullwinkle,Mighty Mouse, and Porky Pig, as well as movie shorts such as Our Gang/The Little Rascals and The Three Stooges. Some included educational segments like the portraits of wildlife in Nature's Window. The popular hosts usually became local "celebrities" in the eyes of children and their parents, and were known to make public appearances at amusement parks and benefit fund raisers. Befitting the small staffs many stations had in the early days of television, some hosts did double-duty as announcer or handled administrative functions, like Program Director. Some even hosted adult fare such the daily movie with such titles as Million Dollar Movie or were weatherman on the newscast. Although most of the shows were unique to a given market, there were a few franchised shows, most notably, Romper Room and Bozo the Clown, which became extremely popular nationwide.

The eventual decline of the local children's television series market was attributable to a variety of causes, including parental concern over the effect of violence depicted in shows on their children and sponsor "brainwashing" of children via commercials. Also lucrative syndicated programming such as The Mike Douglas Show, Merv Griffin Show and Donahue plus re-runs of old network series began to fill available airtime. By the late 1970s, local children's programming had all but disappeared from the airwaves, although a few continued well into the 1990s. And for many they are a fond memory to this day, an indeliable part of their childhood.

[edit] Television Broadcast Markets

 This list may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please help improve this list. It may be poorly defined, unverified or indiscriminate. (December 2006)

Contents

[edit] Alabama

[edit] Anniston

  • WAPI-TV: The Cousin Cliff Show (Cliff Holman)

[edit] Birmingham

[edit] Dothan

  • Miss Becky, Bugs Bunny, and Friends (Becky Copeland)

[edit] Florence

[edit] Huntsville

  • WAAY-TV: 31 Funtime (Johnny Evans)
  • WAAY-TV: The Benny Carle Show (Benny Carle)
  • Captain Barney and Popeye (Johnny Evans)
  • Junior Auction (Johnny Evans)
  • Kiddie Circus (Bill Sykes)
  • Romper Room
  • Through the Looking Glass
  • Western Theatre (Johnny Evans)

[edit] Mobile

  • Aunt Beka (Rebecca Horton)
  • Bunnyville USA ("Barney Bunny")
  • WALA-TV: Camp Walabear
  • Captain Mal
  • Captain Supreme (Earl Hutto)
  • Cartoonerville ("Chuck Wagon" Charlie)
  • Fun and Games (Marcia Wanaker, Rosie Seaman)
  • Junior Auction
  • WEAR-TV: The Lynn Toney Show (Lynn Toney)
  • Popeye Cartoon Theatre ("Captain Hank")
  • Romper Room ("Miss Skeeter" Diehl)
  • Rosie's Place (Rosie Seaman)
  • Jungle Bob
  • Scuba Bob

[edit] Montgomery

  • Cactus Cal (Calvin Ruff)
  • Captain Zoomar (Walter Bamberg)
  • Cartoon Carl (Carl Stephens)
  • Junior Auction (Curt "Pop" Blair)
  • Kartoon Karnival (Billy Morgan, Martha Sadler)
  • Popeye Theatre (Curt "Pop" Blair)
  • Princess Pat's Storybook Castle (Pat Barnes)
  • Romper Room ("Miss Bobbi" Dunaway, "Miss Sue" Weeks)
  • Western Theatre (Bob Underwood)
  • Willie the Clown (Bill Smith)
  • Young World (Marge Payne)

[edit] Alaska

[edit] Anchorage

[edit] Fairbanks

  • School for Fun

[edit] Arizona

[edit] Phoenix

[edit] Tucson

  • KVOA: Cartoon Corral ("Chuck Waggin")
  • KDTU: The Friendship Club (Bob Love)
  • KGUN: Marshal K-Gun (Burt Oien, Bob Love, Jack Jacobson)
  • KZAZ: The Uncle Bob Show (Bob Love)
  • KOLD-TV: Zipo the Clown (Zipo & Friends / Victor Dains Sr.)

[edit] Yuma

  • KIVA: The S.S. KIVA (Don Kenny, Bob Hardy, Elmore Eaton)

[edit] Arkansas

[edit] El Dorado/Monroe

[edit] Fort Smith

[edit] Little Rock

  • KRTV: Betty's Little Rascals (Betty Fowler)
  • KATV: Bozo the Clown (Gary Weir)
  • Candy the Clown (Gary Weir)
  • KARK-TV: Captain KARK (Lloyd Denney)
  • Clowntown USA (Gary Weir)
  • KARK-TV:Lorenzo the Tramp (Gerry Wheeler)
  • Mr. Specs' Cartoon Caravan (Bruce Smith)
  • Romper Room ("Miss Sylvia" Johnson, "Miss Linda" Gladney)
  • Six-Gun Theatre (Volmar "Cactus" Vick)

[edit] California

[edit] Bakersfield

[edit] Fresno

  • KAIL: Leebo The Clown (Leland Harris)
  • KFSN: Fun Time (Al Radtka)

[edit] Glendale

  • KHOF : Black Buffalo's Pow-Wow

[edit] Los Angeles

[edit] Oakland

[edit] Sacramento

[edit] San Diego

  • King Norman's Kingdom of Toys (Norman Rosenburg)

[edit] San Francisco

[edit] San Jose

  • Cosmo's Castle

[edit] Colorado

[edit] Denver

[edit] Connecticut

[edit] Hartford

  • Ranger Andy (Orville Andrews)
  • The Hap Richards Show (Floyd Richards)

[edit] New Haven

  • Captain Solomon C. Whiskers (Mitch Agruss)
  • Flippy the Clown (Ivor Hugh)
  • Happy the Clown (Joey Russell)
  • Mr. Goober (Mike Warren)

[edit] Delaware

see Pennsylvania, Maryland, and District of Columbia markets

[edit] District of Columbia

[edit] Washington

[edit] Florida

[edit] Fort Myers

  • WINK: The Lazy Bar 11 ("Cousin Vern" Vernon Lundquist)
  • WINK: Lazy Bar Club ("Cousin Vern" Vernon Lundquist)

[edit] Jacksonville

  • WFGA: Popeye & Pals with Skipper Ed, weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings

[edit] Miami

  • WTVJ: Popeye Playhouse
  • WTVJ: The Lucky Duck Show (Merv Griffin) and (Chuck Zink)
  • WLBW: Banjo Billy, starring (Dave Herbert)
  • WLBW: Jumpin Jack's 4 O'Clock Club, starring Jack O'Brien
  • WCKT: Fun Club, starring Charlie Baxter & Willie the Moose (puppet)
  • WCKT: Bobsville, starring Bob Clayton (later the announcer on Dick Clark's Pyramid game shows)

[edit] St. Petersburg

[edit] West Palm Beach

  • WJNO (now WPTV): The Sheriff (Bob Green)
  • The Man From GHOST (Global Headquarters for the Organization to Sustain Terror), Ch. 5; a Chiller Theater-type show with a live host, but using humorous drop-ins during the films. A precursor to Mystery Science Theatre 3000. For example, in a scene where the Mad Scientist is writing in his journal, the show would superimpose a kids' book, such as The Little Engine That Could.

[edit] Georgia

[edit] Atlanta


[edit] Augusta

  • WJBF: Trooper Terry, weekdays 5-5:30pm later years 4:30-5pm featured Terry Sams, the weatherman. 1960s-70's.
  • WATU: Bozo the Clown, weekdays 4:30-5:30pm 1970

[edit] Columbus

  • WTVM: Miss Patsy's Playhouse (Patsy Avery)
  • WRBL: Kiddie Castle Lane - Later named Kid's Corner (Princess Bonnie)
  • WRBL: Blast Off (V-Man--Jim Carlisle)
  • WTVM: unnamed? show with Mr. Play-Like as one of the characters; eventually renamed Mr. Play-Like's Morning Special, when it aired one morning a week.

[edit] Macon

  • WMAZ: Cartoon Club

[edit] Savannah

  • WTOC: Romper Room (30 mins.)weekday 9-9:30AM
  • WTOC: Happy Dan (30 mins.) weekdays 4-4:30PM. Originally Happy Dan & The Little Rascals later Happy Dan & Popeye. Happy Dan was Dwight Bruce who co-hosted Kaleidoscope with Gwen Ferguson weekdays after Romper Room. Happy Dan was later replaced with "Skipper Jack & Popeye".
  • WJCL: Bozo the Clown (60 mins.) weekdays 4:30-5:30PM program was later replaced by Col. Frank - he had a chicken puppet & co-hosted by perhaps his wife, featured birthdays

[edit] Thomasville

[edit] Hawaii

[edit] Honolulu

KHVH (Now KITV) (Ch 4):

  • Captain Honolulu (Sgt Sacto: Bob Smith) 1959 - 1968
  • Billy Boy Moonster (?) 1968
  • Rocketship 4 (Bob Smith)

KGMB (Ch 9):

  • Some Chinese Guy (?) early 60s
  • Bufo the Frog and a Mynah Bird (hand puppets) early 60s
  • Jimmie Dodd's Aloha Club early-mid 60s
  • Sailor Al mid 60s
  • Checkers and Pogo (Pogo Poge: Morgan White; Mr Checkers: Jim Hawthorne, Dave Donnelly, Jim Demarest) 26 May 1967 - 1982

[edit] Idaho

[edit] Illinois

[edit] Chicago

[edit] Peoria

[edit] Quad Cities

see Quad Cities, Iowa market

[edit] Indiana

[edit] Evansville

[edit] Fort Wayne

[edit] Indianapolis

[edit] South Bend=

[edit] Terre Haute

[edit] Iowa

[edit] Cedar Rapids/Waterloo

[edit] Davenport

[edit] Des Moines/Ames

[edit] Mason City/Fort Dodge

  • Bart's Clubhouse (Bart Curran)
  • Uncle Dick's Fun House

[edit] Quad Cities

  • WOC-TV: Cap'n Ernie's Cartoon Showboat[2] (Ernie Mims)
  • WOC-TV: Captain Ken's Cartoon Showboat[3] (Ken Wagner)
  • WOC-TV: Cap'n Don's Cartoon Showboat (Don Warren)
  • WOC-TV: Cap'n Vern's Cartoon Showboat (Vern Geilow)
  • WOC-TV: The Circle 5 Ranch[4] (Walt Reno as Cowboy Whitey)
  • WOC-TV: The Circle 6 Ranch[5] (Wes Holly as Cowboy Wes)

[edit] Sioux City

  • Bingo's Big Top (Dave Madsen)
  • Book Bandwagon
  • Canyon Kid's Corner (Jim Henry)
  • Cartoon Time (Gene Quilleash, Dutch Meyers)
  • Commander Four (John Rickwa, Gene Quilleash)
  • Klarence the Klown (Bill Bass)
  • Pops' (Dave Webber)
  • Puppin's Place (Tim Poppen)

[edit] Kansas

[edit] Wichita

[edit] Kentucky

[edit] Bowling Green

  • Uncle Albert's General Store (George Albert Goldtrap)

[edit] Louisville

[edit] Paducah

  • WPSD: Romper Room ("Miss Emily" McGuire, "Miss Kay" Roedemeier, "Miss Penny" Lamar, "Miss Betsy" Price)

[edit] Louisiana

[edit] Baton Rouge

  • Buckskin Bill (WAFB-TV)

[edit] Monroe

  • The Happiness Exchange (KNOE-TV)

[edit] New Orleans

[edit] Maine

[edit] Bangor

  • WLBZ-TV: The Eddie Driscoll Show (Mickey Mouse Club)

[edit] Maryland

[edit] Baltimore

[edit] Massachusetts

[edit] Boston

[edit] Springfield

  • The Admiral and Swabby (Gary Garrison & Norm Goyer)
  • The Swabby Show
  • Bozo the Clown
  • Cy's Weather / Elby's Weather

[edit] Worcester

[edit] Michigan

[edit] Detroit

  • Milky The Twin Pines Magic Clown
  • Lunch With Soupy Sales Soupy Sales (1952-1959)
  • Jingles in Boofland
  • Popeye Theater Captain Jolly and Poopdeck Paul
  • Sonny Elliot
  • Oopsy The Clown
  • WXYZ-TV: Hot Fudge
  • WXYZ-TV: Cartoon Fun
  • Sagebrush Shorty (Ted Lloyd)
  • The Auntie Dee Show (Dee Parker)
  • Wixie's Wonderland (Marv Welch)
  • Ricky the Clown (Irv Roming)
  • Milky's Party Time

[edit] Detroit Area

  • KEYS-Kids Injoy Your Selfs With Out Drugs
  • Get Up Get Out (GUGO)

[edit] Grand Rapids

[edit] Kalamazoo

  • WKZO-TV: Channel 3 Clubhouse. (Beanie Brown, Uncle Fred, others.)

[edit] Minnesota

[edit] Duluth

[edit] Minneapolis/St. Paul

[edit] Rochester

[edit] Missouri

[edit] Joplin

[edit] Kansas City

  • Torey and Friends (Torey Southwick)

[edit] St. Louis

[edit] Springfield

[edit] Montana

[edit] Billings

  • KGHL: Happy Herb (Herb McAllister)
  • KGHL: Maury's Carnival (Maury White)
  • KGHL: Pete and Friends (Pete Perlain)

[edit] Butte

  • KXLF: Popeye, Wallaby and Friends
  • KXLF: Tots and Teens (Paul Simitzes)
  • KXLF: XL Corral (Paul Simitzes)

[edit] Nebraska

[edit] Lincoln

KOLN/KGIN: Cartoon Corral

[edit] Scottsbluff

KSTF: The Wilmer Worm Show (June Beaman)

[edit] Nevada

[edit] Las Vegas

  • The Bostick Western Show
  • The Cinderella Show (Merle Bunker)
  • Rascal Rabbitt (Caroll Spinney)
  • Romper Room ("Miss Nancy" Merle Bunker)

[edit] New Hampshire

[edit] Manchester

  • WMUR: Ring-A-Ding The Clown Show[12] (Dwight Damon)

[edit] New Jersey

see New York and Pennsylvania markets

[edit] New Mexico

[edit] New York

[edit] Albany/Schenectady

  • Romper Room ("Miss Diane" Weber)
  • Commander Ralph (Ralph Vartigian)
  • Freddy Freihoffer Show (Jim Fisk)

[edit] Binghamton

[edit] Buffalo

[edit] Elmira/Ithaca

  • Jerry's Playhouse (Jerry White)
  • TV Clubhouse ("Coach" Carl Proper)

[edit] New York

[edit] Rochester

[edit] Syracuse/Auburn

  • Romper Room ("Miss Cathy" Stampalia, "Miss Joan" Connal)
  • Ladybug's Garden (Cathy Stampalia)
  • Magic Toy Shop ("Play Lady" Jean Daugherty, "Miss Merrilee" Marilyn Hubbard, "Eddie FlumNum" Socrates Sampson)
  • Salty Sam (Bill Lape)

[edit] Utica/Rome

[edit] Watertown

  • Kiddie Karnival (Dan Burgess)

[edit] North Carolina

[edit] Asheville

[edit] Charlotte

  • Romper Room ("Miss Melissa", "Miss Jody", "Miss Carol")
  • Sgt. Mills
  • Ever-Ever Land

[edit] Greenville/New Bern

[edit] Raleigh/Durham

[edit] Winston-Salem/Greensboro

[edit] North Dakota

[edit] Bismarck

[edit] Fargo

[edit] Ohio

[edit] Akron

[edit] Canton

  • WJAN-TV Milton The Milkman
  • WJAN-TV Alfred Alligator

[edit] Cincinnati

[edit] Cleveland

[edit] Columbus

[edit] Dayton

  • Romper Room ("Miss Jo" Corey, "Miss Anne" Shadbolt)
  • Ferdy Fussbudget (Ken Hardin)
  • Uncle Orrie (Joe Rockhold)
  • Nosey the Clown (Jack Jacobson)
  • Charlie Goodtime (Dave Eaton)
  • Toody the Clown

[edit] Lima

  • The Barry Patch (Barry Willis)
  • Charlie's Cartoon Clubhouse (Chuck Osborne)
  • For Kids Only (Sam Fitzsimmons)

[edit] Toledo

  • Captain Cotton and Salty (Jerry Carr)
  • Fun Farm
  • Salty's Cartoon Party

[edit] Youngstown

[edit] Zanesville

[edit] Oklahoma

[edit] Oklahoma City

  • Lunch With Hoho {Hoho the Clown)

[edit] Tulsa


[edit] Oregon

[edit] Eugene

  • KVAL: Red Reynolds, 1954-1957
  • KVAL: Addie Bobkins (Bob Adkins), 1957-1961 [3]
  • KVAL: Captain Shipwreck (Gordon Bussey)
  • Jack's Kartoon Clubhouse
  • KVAL: Mr. Fixit (Tom Stanford, Dave Weinkauf)

[edit] Medford

[edit] Portland

[edit] Pennsylvania

[edit] Erie

  • The Pappy Show (Skip Lecher)

[edit] Harrisburg/Lancaster

  • Cowboy Pete (Paul Baker)
  • Percy Platypus and Friends (aka Per-Ki Place) (Marijane Landis, Jim Freed)
  • Pete McTee's Clubhouse
  • Romper Room ("Miss Marcia" Kaplan)
  • Sunshine Corners (Marijane Landis)
  • Tricky Ricky and Popeye

[edit] Johnstown/Altoona

  • Romper Room ("Miss Sally", "Miss Patty")
  • Sy Seaweed's Popeye Playhouse (Charlie Ritchey)

[edit] Philadelphia

[edit] Pittsburgh

[edit] Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

  • Hatchy Milatchy (Nancy Berg, Judy Burns)
  • Rosco the Clown (Frank LaBarr)
  • Romper Room ("Miss Marion" Conway, "Miss Mary Ruth" Kelly)
  • Showboat (Nancy Berg)
  • The Uncle Ted Show (Ted Raub)
  • Topper's Clubhouse

[edit] Rhode Island

[edit] Providence

  • Commander Jet
  • Cowboy Hank (Hank Bouchard)
  • Draw Podner
  • Hey Wake Up
  • Hippity Hop
  • The Little Circus
  • Romper Room ("Miss Bonnie" Ryker)
  • Salty Brine's Shack (Walter Brine)
  • Salty's Funny Company (Walter Brine)
  • Storytime (Beth Chollar)
  • Sunday Funnies

[edit] South Carolina

[edit] Charleston

  • The Adventure Lady (Anna Lee Smalls)
  • Commodore Moore
  • Happy Raine (Lorraine "Rainey" Evans)
  • Princess Charleen (Charleen Carrel)
  • Uncle Charlie's Playhouse (Charlie Hall)

[edit] Columbia

  • Cactus Quave (Mackie Quave)
  • The Jolly Jim Show (Jim O'Shea)
  • Mr. Knozit (Joe Pinner)
  • Princess Pat (Pat Bouknight)
  • Deputy Billy (Allen Sloan)

[edit] Florence/Myrtle Beach

  • Captain Ashby (Ashby Ward)
  • Spaceship C-8 (Dick Taylor)

[edit] Greenville/Spartanburg

  • Captain Jack and Mr. Dutch (Jack Six, Rene Royaards)
  • The Little Rascals (Monty DuPuy)
  • Sunday Island (Jack Six, Rene Royaards)
  • Tim the Squirrel aka Mr. Dutch (Rene Royaards)

[edit] South Dakota

[edit] Rapid City

  • Captain Glenn's Fun Wagon (Glenn Rowell)
  • The Jolly Postman (John Clement)

[edit] Sioux Falls

[edit] Tennessee

[edit] Chattanooga

  • Mr. Chickaroonie (Warren Herring, Mildred Gaither)

[edit] Jackson

  • The Cousin Tuny Show -- (Doris Freeman) as (Cousin Tuny) WDXI (WBBJ)
  • The Sheriff Big Jim Show

[edit] Knoxville

[edit] Memphis

[edit] Nashville

[edit] Tri-Cities

[edit] Antioch

[edit] Texas

[edit] Abilene

[edit] Amarillo

[edit] Austin

The Uncle Jay Show (Jay Hodgson)

[edit] Beaumont/Port Arthur

  • Cowboy John (John Gardener)

[edit] Corpus Christi

[edit] Dallas/Fort Worth

[edit] El Paso

[edit] Houston/Galveston

  • Cadet Don (Al Eisenmann)
  • Happy Hollow (Mary Jane Vandiver)
  • Kitirik (Bunny Orsak) (1954-71)
  • Mary Jane's Magic Castle (Mary Jane Vandiver)
  • Kiddie Troopers (Don Mahoney)

[edit] Lubbock

[edit] Odessa/Midland

[edit] Rio Grande Valley

[edit] San Angelo

[edit] San Antonio

  • Captain Gus (Joe Alston)
  • Johnny's Treehouse (Johnny Dugan)

[edit] Tyler/Longview

[edit] Waco/Temple

[edit] Wichita Falls

[edit] Utah

[edit] Salt Lake City

[edit] Vermont

[edit] Burlington

[edit] Virginia

[edit] Harrisonburg

[edit] Norfolk/Portsmouth

[edit] Richmond

[edit] Roanoke/Lynchburg

[edit] Washington, D.C.

see District of Columbia

[edit] Washington

[edit] Bellingham

KVOS Frisky Frolics (1970s-1980s)

[edit] Everett

  • Channel 3, Everett Cablevision: Jaycee Clown Show (1971-72)

[edit] Seattle/Tacoma

[edit] Spokane

[edit] Yakima

  • KAPP: Mr. Bob’s Cartoon Classics (Bob Ivers)
  • KIMA: Uncle Jimmy's Clubhouse (Jim Nolan)
  • KIMA: Uncle Jimmy's Story Hour (Jim Nolan)

[edit] West Virginia

[edit] Beckley/Bluefield

[edit] Charleston/Huntington

[edit] Morgantown/Clarksburg

[edit] Parkersburg

[edit] Wheeling

[edit] Wisconsin

[edit] Eau Claire

  • The Sheriff Bob Show

[edit] Green Bay

[edit] La Crosse

[edit] Madison

[edit] Milwaukee

[edit] Wausau

[edit] Wyoming

[edit] Casper

  • The Fun Ranch (Jack Slothower)
  • Tumbleweed (Dick Frech)

[edit] Cheyenne

[edit] Guam

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hollis, Tim (November 2001). Hi There Boys and Girls: America's Local Children's TV Programs. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 1578063965
  2. ^ NPR episode "A History of Local Children's TV Programs", aired May 22, 2002
  3. ^ Portland Radio Message Board: The Original KLIQ
  4. ^ The Addie Bobkins Show

[edit] See also