Puppet Playhouse

Back when Howdy Doody was aired at least you had characters that were not done up in costumes that disguise what the actors looked like as they are today.

I grew up during the early stages of children's programming on TV and watched Howdy Doody (Bob Smith), Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan) and The Merry Mailman (Ray Heatherton). Now your children are watching Barney (a supposed stuffed toy who comes to life to play with the children). Does anyone know the actors name or know what he looks like?. You also are letting your children watch Bear in the Big Blue House (again, any idea who that is?). Our children, and in my case grandchildren, are watching Jim Henson-like characters in full body costumes and not seeing realistic characters who imparted the same moral standards (if not more so) on a daily basis!! I feel sorry for the person who thought that the characters on Howdy Doody were grotesque yet lets his children watch the Power Rangers and other shows that depict violence in every episode. At least those grotesque characters never threw lightning bolts, had to kick 15 ninja style characters into oblivion or otherwise teach children that violence is the only way to overcome evil.

Let me go back to the days when a children's TV host was seen as him/herself. I would be much more satisfied seeing the grandchildren learning lessons from a person rather than a purple dinosaur!!

Catchy jingle at the beginning of the end of each episode is sure to have you bounding around the house singing. I like the interaction with the kids in the audience. There's some coaching but often kids give some very creative and funny responses. The old timey movie in the show is some goofy fun thrown into the mix. Puzzles and games provide interactive fun.

There was a bit of showboating the network which seemed awkward, but better than modern TV ads. The theme for the show tends to get a little lost in all the hoopla, but there is an attempt to tie it in and bring the theme back to the point. We can see how this definitely a template for future children's television programming.

This show is a good example of how children have changed since the halcyon haze of the 1950s. Back then, this show and its characters were beloved to seemingly most children, but now, children would be frightened by evil-looking puppets and clowns.

It's hard to believe that a children's show, much less one like this, could endure for nearly 2500 episodes. Oh well. I suppose children's television hasn't changed that much since the 1950s, after all -- Mr. Rogers is still around, as he was in the 50s, and modern children's shows have retained their simple, mindless guile, while at the same time keeping kids glued to their TVs for a few hours each day.

I watched this show everyday when I was a child in the '50s. I was even on the show once as a member of the 'Peanut Gallery'. Kids need more of this type of programming today and less of the pseudo violence and political programming that is labeled as 'kids TV' today. This stirs imagination, which in turn stirs creativity in children. The actors were wholesome people. Bob Keeshan who played 'Clarabell the Clown' for several years, later became successful as 'Captain Kangaroo'. Bob Smith who was also known as 'Buffalo Bob' did a lot of touring and public appearances. He was kind to children, I remember the day that I got to be in the 'Peanut Gallery', I was 8, Buffalo Bob was kind and not at all flustered by a bunch of young children. He seemed to really like kids.

With that greeting came the arrival of Howdy Doody, a marionette boy and leading citizen of Doodyville. Later on that name was the subject of much scatalogical humor.

The show's cast divided between marionette creations and some live players in roles. Chief villain of the show was one Phineas T. Bluster the mayor of Doodyville who probably stuffed the ballot boxes. He was a marionette and looked like a Scrooge character. Bluster had all kinds of nefarious schemes which always came up short. A worthy antagonist for the All American Howdy Doody.

Presiding over all of this was Buffalo Bob Smith who hailed from Buffalo, New York. He did it with grace and tact and never talked down to the kid audience. I remember that he had a real heart attack at one point in the 50s. A guy named Bison Bill came in for a bit and Smith's return was welcomed.

Buffalo Bob was assisted by Clarabelle The Clown played by Bob Keeshan who went straight into Captain Kangaroo when Howdy Doody finished its run of 13 years. Clarabelle the Clown usually ended quarrels with those oldfashioned seltzer bottles with the spritzers.

It was a great kid's show, just about in the boomer generation saw it.