tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-78092388868855564 2011-01-23T18:40:39-05:00 Memories of Kids’ TV Shows We Grew Up Watching TypePad tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef0148c7ecbb1d970c 2011-01-23T18:40:39-05:00 2011-01-23T18:40:40-05:00

Jonny Quest was an animated action series focused on the globe-trotting adventures of US government scientist, Dr. Benton Quest; his 11-year-old son, Jonny; his adopted Indian son, Hadji; family bodyguard, Roger "Race" Bannon; and their pet, black-masked bulldog, Bandit. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and ran on ABC in primetime on Friday nights for one season, 1964-65.

Jo Holz tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef0147e1dada21970b 2011-01-22T15:54:15-05:00 2011-01-22T15:53:35-05:00

For those of you who are Kukla, Fran, and Ollie fans, as I am, there is good news. Some of the earliest KFO kinescopes have been lovingly restored and are now available in a 2-DVD set, Kukla, Fran, and Ollie, the First Episodes: 1949-54. The first run of these new DVD's sold out quickly, so if you'd like to get this set, I suggest you buy it soon.

Jo Holz tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef0120a5e95eb9970c 2011-01-22T15:41:50-05:00 2011-01-22T15:41:50-05:00

I have only fuzzy memories of Kukla, Fran, and Ollie, a wonderful puppet show that was one of the first kids’ shows on TV. I wish I could remember it more clearly, because from all accounts, it was one of the most creative, sophisticated, and entertaining kids’ shows in TV history...

Jo Holz tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef01348022234a970c 2010-04-25T17:21:24-04:00 2010-04-25T17:13:54-04:00

Fury was a weekly dramatic TV series set in the then contemporary American West, which aired on NBC from 1955-1966 and later in syndication through the 1970's (retitled as Brave Stallion). Fury starred Peter Graves as Jim Newton, the recently-widowed owner of the Broken Wheel Ranch in California, and Bobby Diamond as Jim's adopted son Joey Clark Newton. Fury was a wild stallion that only Joey could ride. Episodes usually revolved around a guest star who would find him or herself in danger, usually due to their own reckless behavior, and Fury and Joey would ride to their rescue.

Jo Holz tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef0120a910d299970b 2010-03-07T17:41:32-05:00 2010-03-07T17:36:06-05:00

Wonderama was a very popular and long-running kids' show that aired from 1955 to 1978. It had a variety show format with a live studio audience and featured a range of segments that included games, contests, interviews, audience participation, musical performances, and cartoons. The show ran three hours long on Sunday mornings...

Jo Holz tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef0120a8c05b91970b 2010-02-27T12:18:36-05:00 2010-02-27T12:16:47-05:00

The Magic Garden was a locally-produced half-hour children's show that aired weekdays on WPIX in New York City from 1972 to 1984 and was also syndicated to other parts of the country. The show starred co-hosts Carole Demas and Paula Janis, who sang and played guitar throughout the program, which took place on a studio set decorated like a "magic garden" ...

Jo Holz tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef0128770a8851970c 2010-01-24T18:30:38-05:00 2010-01-24T18:27:53-05:00

With its debut in 1955, The Mickey Mouse Club quickly became one of the defining children's TV shows of its day. It had a variety show format that featured singing, dancing, guest stars, classic Disney cartoons, and continuing serials like The Hardy Boys and Spin and Marty...

Jo Holz tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef012876c6e42f970c 2010-01-16T18:16:46-05:00 2010-01-16T18:10:49-05:00

From its debut on ABC in October 1954, through its final telecast on Christmas Eve 2008, the Walt Disney anthology television series commonly known as The Wonderful World of Disney (initially called simply Disneyland) appeared on all three broadcast TV channels at various times under a variety of names, becoming the second-longest-running prime-time program on American television...

Jo Holz tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef012876c5e1e1970c 2010-01-11T12:02:57-05:00 2010-01-15T18:45:12-05:00

Art Clokey, the animator who created Gumby, the claymation star of one of my favorite kids' shows in the 1950's, passed away last Friday (see obituary in the New York Times on January 11, 2010). As I noted in my previous post about the Gumby Show, the program was the first extended use of stop-motion animation on television. As a child, I was enchanted by the primitive-looking animation...

Jo Holz tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef0120a7aeb6eb970b 2010-01-06T18:06:03-05:00 2010-01-16T18:24:16-05:00

Clutch Cargo was an animated show produced by Cambria Productions that debuted on March 9, 1959, as a syndicated series available to local stations around the country. What made Clutch Cargo special was its unique style of animation, if you could call it that. In fact, the animation on this series was so limited that it looked more like a series of panels from a comic book...

Jo Holz