I just came upon your site after typing "Bozo", "Ronald McDonald", "Willard Scott" into the Google search engine.

Like Pick Temple, I made a Washington to Philadelphia move, but I remember my favorite kids' shows from the late 1950s and early 1960s (plus ones that my sisters watched later).  I had forgotten that Willard also hosted the Mickey Mouse Club re-runs, which I also remembered watching around 1962.  (The original shows were on when I was just barely old enough to be aware of them.) ...

... I'm tired of hearing about Sally Starr, Gene London, Chief Halftown, Pixanne, and the other ones that the people who grew up in Philadelphia always talk about.  I want to remember Willard Scott (not as a Today Show weatherman but as Bozo and Ronald), Captain Tugg, Ranger Hal, and Pick Temple.

And by the way, I've only met one person in Philadelphia who remembers Pick's short-lived show on Channel 6. ...

... I met a celebrity for the first time (at Four Corners in Silver Spring.)  My parents took me to see Miss Barbara from "Romper Room" at the Peoples Drug Store there. I noticed on your web site that you did not know the name of the "Romper Room" teacher from Fall 1955 until 1957, and you were guessing that it was Miss Nancy. Miss Barbara probably was the teacher whose name you are missing...

Later, I waited in line with some friends and family members to meet Ranger Hal outside the Grand Union in Langley Park. This was a special treat because most of the interesting stuff I would hear about on T.V. would take place downtown or in Virginia or some other place in Maryland (Rockville, Bethesda, Oxon Hill) that was hard to get to in those pre-Beltway, pre-Metro days.

Regina Litman
Former resident of Silver Spring with no "s" at the end, MD
Current resident of Huntingdon Valley with a "d", PA

Thanks for finally proving me not crazy. For decades I've harbored the memory of SPACE EXPLORERS and found NOBODY with any idea what I was talking about (and I travel in some well-heeled Sf and animation circles). Finding your mention of it, and Jerry Beck's explanation of its history,  I'm just floored... also with your marvelous site on DC kids' shows.

I have some other memories of Cap'n Tugg and his ever-failing automatic spy-traps that I should write up for you.

JVDL
(another veteran of appearances on DC TV with Ranger Hal and Willard 'BOZO' Scott)

Hi... what a great website... My sisters and I each appeared on the Pick Temple Giant Ranch.  I was chosen to ride the pony, one sister shot the snake. Are there any pictures/films to be had from those shows? The little loaf of Giant Bread was great, as well as the ice cream. Can't remember off hand too much other stuff, but it was great seeing this stuff again.

Growing up in Arlington was interesting. Jimmy Dean was our neighbor, and I baby sat for his kids. I got to meet Roy Clark, Patsy Cline, and others in JD's band.

My mom was terminally ill last year, and one of my brothers got in touch with Jimmy Dean, who promptly called my mom to talk about the old days.  That was really sweet of him.  It was a thrill for her to have him remember, and she "bragged" to her friends for days. We have pictures of he and mom talking over the fence, it had appeared in an article about him...

Thanks,
Pat Burchett

Love your webpage! My name is Gene Crowell and I was born in Prince George's County, Maryland in 1969. I was fortunate enough to live in an area that received BOTH Washington, DC and Baltimore stations. So I grew up on two very creative and wonder kid shows. Captain 20 on WDCA TV-20 and Captain Chesapeake on WBFF TV-45

Although both were different, I loved each show for what it was. Aside form the usual good stuff like, Speed Racer cartoons, Lost in Space, etc. Captain 20 was a very hands on show. He allowed us to send in artwork for the "Space Gallery" and participate in many wonderful games via phone calls.  Captain Chesapeake was cool because he was on a boat and had a talking sea monster "Mondy".

The great thing about each of these timeless shows was the fact that they each promoted self esteem, confidence and ethical behavior. Captain 20's club card states on the back the oath of: 'As a member of the Channel 20 club, I will strive to believe in myself and stand proud. For when I believe in me, then others will too. I will always listen and learn with my mind and my heart. Knowing that when I like myself, I can care for others. I AM PROUD AND I CARE.'

Captain Chesapeake would always say in each show, 'Be somebody important, be yourself!'

Stuff like that sinks in and lasts a life time. In the early 1990's I had the pleasure of meeting each of these great kid show icons. I interviewed George Lewis "Captain Chesapeake" for Scary Monsters Magazine for his late night horror host persona "The Ghost Host" and later met Dick Dyszel "Captain-20" at a local film convention in Baltimore called Fanex presents Nastalgia-Vision.

As a staff employee of Fanex, I then got to moderate the children's show panel and the horror host panel as well. I was friendships with both gentlemen over the last 10 years.  Dick is still very active with convention appearances and his website: www.countgore.com and I get to see him at least twice a year. I periodically stayed in contact with George until his passing in December, 2000. 

Although I have told these great guys how much they meant to me as a kid, I don't think they could ever never really know what they actually did for me and the thousands of  other Maryland children. I just keep thinking if we had these guys back on TV, how much good they could accomplish with today's issues regarding children. I bet they could clean up!

Ahhh, great TV like that is gone forever. That's sad.

Gene Crowell
Laurel, MD

I found your website after visiting the Northern Va. memories. ... I did not live in Northern Virginia, but rather way out in the country on a farm near Colonial Beach.  I grew up watching Pick, Tugg, Bozo, and even a little bit of Milt Grant.

Captain Tugg's Channel Queen was the set for many adventures. I remember two adventures involving Fantail. One time the faithful parrot was sent into space and another time Fantail was sent to the center of the earth in a machine called the "Earthworm". I still remember the sound of the tug and when the good captain wanted to move away from the helm he would drape a small rope (white) around one of the hand prongs of the helm. He would move to the back of the boat to use the radio to call Commander Salamander or converse with Fantail when he was sent into space. The captain also had a telegraph that he would ring when he wanted the engineer to shovel in a little more coal. Lee Reynolds was a poor ventriloquist  however, because you could see his mouth move when he would make Fantail talk. Usually after the Captain Tugg show, there would be a Three Stooges show with one short and one cartoon.

I also can remember a lot about the Pick Temple Show and even have an ex-sister that rode Piccalo the Pony. Remember the song "MY Favorite Bread's Heidi"? How about the shootin'gallery where the Henson like puppet would spit out the caught bullet in a dish. I don't know why I remember this stuff in such detail, but I grew up with those shows. 

... (I also remember) cartoon serials in the summer time around midday.  There were three serials that I can remember; one was about an evil witch, (Sleeping Beautyish), another was a space adventure, but the last one I know I am right about, it was a cartoon serial about Beauty and the Beast.  The Beast was shown at the end and he was an ape like creature.  It seems these serials had about 17 or 18 episodes.  Maybe someone else will remember them.

Remember this off of WPGC?  "Eddie Leonard Sandwich Shop, you should try 'em. For the very best in sandwiches, just buy one. No matter where you are, you'll find that your're not far, from an Eddie Leonard Sandwich Shop."  I even remember the tune that goes with it.  Does anybody out there remember the words to the Milt Grant Show? 

Bart Baker

I was born in 1954 and watched Captain Tugg from 1958-62. One thing I vividly remember was Captain Tugg's radar that was used on Christmas Eve. In the middle of his program, Captain Tugg would head towards the rear of the Channel Queen to announce to his young audience that he would try to pick up Santa leaving the North Pole (it was still about 5PM EST).

Sure enough, a blinking light would suddenly appear on the radar screen that was Santa. However, if I remember correctly, Captain Tugg would tell his young audience that Santa was heading west from the North Pole because it was already nighttime in other countries. However, he told the boys & girls that by the time they got to sleep, Santa would be approaching the East coast. This was one additional thing that ALWAYS got me to bed early. 

Sincerely, Eric Umstead,
Minneapolis, MN.

I'll tell you the good stuff (about my appearance on "Hoppity Skippity"). On the TV screen. it looked like Hoppity was sitting out in the woods.  He sat on a (fake) tree stump; the kids sat on a (fake) tree that had fallen down next to the tree stump.

When I was on, there were three of us, the usual number, give or take one or two.  The back drop was a black and white photograph of the woods.  It was mounted on a piece of wood or something.  Like I said, on TV it looked like Hoppity and the kids were in the woods.  Sitting there, on the show, I realized what this thing really was.  I recollect grabbing the side of it (this big piece of plywood with a photo of the woods), and pulling it toward me.  Oh my goodness!  I quickly let it go and it returned to its original position.

One more recollection.  During the show, Hoppity announced that he was going to be at some store or something on the weekend.  My mother was there in the studio with us, sitting against a wall to the right of us, out of sight of the cameras.  I yelled over, "Can we go?"  She nodded yes, probably a little mortified.

That's all I remember.  Maybe my sister Judy remembers more.  She would have been around eight. 

Steveku

I just found Hoppity Skippity on the Net. That only goes to show you that no matter how obscure something was, or how long ago, you can find something about it by looking on Google. 

When I was five or six (which would have been 1953 or 1954), I appeared on Hoppity Skippity. My mom took me downtown to the WTTG studios, probably on the streetcar. I remember the door having a big "5" on it. From reading your site, I now realize I was at the long-defunct Raleigh Hotel. 

I was crowned (or elected) king for the day. Hoppity gave me a paper crown. I proudly kept it on my bedpost for probably an entire year! It made me feel like a real king, and I hoped I could be one someday. Was I disappointed when my dad told me that our country had a president instead of a king!  Oh well. 

Tom Hoffman