While trying to verify my decades old memory of Pick Temple, I stumbled upon your wonderful site and explored it for a couple of hours!  It sure brought back wonderful childhood memories!    There was plenty about Pick Temple, but there also were many other programs I have not thought about in years.  Your site triggered memories of Miss Connie from Romper Room both from when she was on TV and again when I was in High School and I boxed a lacy blouse she bought at Phillipsborn, where I worked during the Christmas shopping season. I am sure I have not thought of Ranger Hal in decades, but a flood of memories came back when I visited that site.  I also have fond memories of Willard Scott as both Bozo and Ronald McDonald.  I thought my memory was incorrect and that he must have only played one of those clowns, but was delighted to learn that my memory of him in both roles was accurate.

I particularly enjoyed reading about Claire & Co Co and Grandpa's Place, both of which I was on as a child.  I also enjoyed Pick Temple, although I was never on that show, but my brother was.  I remember playing Winnie the Pooh in a pantomime that appeared on Claire & Co Co sometime around 1965.  I was taking some community acting class for some reason while I was in about 5th grade, and a few of us in the class were invited to perform for a holiday show.  I can not remember if it was Thanksgiving or Christmas, but I believe it was the latter since the pantomime was called “Pooh discovers the North Pole.”  It was great fun, but I was very disappointed when I met the dog.  The dog was unfriendly, powdered, and had painted toenails. I can not remember if the color was red or black, although it did not really matter since our TVs were in black and white. 

I managed to appear on Grandpa's Place one day quite by accident. I was about 4, making it around 1958.  My brother had been selected to appear on Pick Temple, so my mother packed up my brother and I and a neighbor to watch me while my mom and brother were sitting in audience of Pick Temple.  While they were waiting to go on, I sat in the waiting room (something like a Green Room) with our neighbor.  All of a sudden someone came dashing into the room and said “Little Girl, would you like to be on TV?”  I was shy and said “no” but when the person explained that the child to be featured on the show that day had gotten sick, our neighbor said “of course she would.”  So I was taken to the set of Grandpa's Place.  I sat in a big rocking chair and Grandpa talked to me about all kinds of things, between introducing cartoons. Grandpa asked me repeatedly to shake my head so everyone could hear my bells that were attached to the bands holding up my pony tails.  One time while I was shaking my bells, I turned my head and noticed a picture behind and above the chair where I was seated.  The picture was of a view through a window.  I remember saying “Hey!  Now I know why you always have such good weather when we don’t at home.  Your window is only a picture!”  At that point, Grandpa shoved a Hostess Cupcake into my mouth and introduced a commercial for Hostess cupcakes.  He then told me “We don’t say things like that!”  I also remember they were demonstrating different breeds of dogs.  That day they were up to the Ws so they showcased a Weimaraner.  The dog was very well behaved and held by a trainer, but I was still so frightened by that dog that I hid behind the chair and cried.  I was told that the cameramen could not resist filming me and my tears. 

Until reading your site, I never knew that Grandpa and Cap'n Tugg were played by the same person.  I was also a big fan of Cap'n Tugg!

I have emailed my parents and brother with a reference to your site.  I know they will enjoy it, too.  Thanks for making my day!

Kathy Kurke

I just bookmarked your website, and I think it's awesome!

I was just feeling a little nostalgic this afternoon doing search engines for Sam & Friends and came across your site. That old show (one of Henson's very first) I understand is probably long gone now. Do you own copies of it per chance?

I remember seeing the actual puppets on display the Science Center in Seattle several years back and what a thrill it would be to go through a time tour to see them again. Heck, I wish Muppet Show Season Ones would air with their original opening. Maybe they'll all be out on DVD soon.

Again great job, email me anytime!

Michael J. Chrush

Do you know anything about a crafts program for children that aired on WTTG,  probably in the '50s or '60s? It would have been hosted by Margaret (I think that was her first name) Doran, who once worked as a hand and foot model.

Any information you have would be greatly appreciated.

Marya Place

Nov 2003 Remember the 15 minute (or less) afternoon weather show "TOP OF DE VEDDER", sponsored by Tops Drive-Inn and hosted by "Professor Felix Von Topshnak"? This white-haired guy in rimless trifocals dressed in a morning coat and smashed-up top hat had a crude, hand-drawn map of the USA on which he'd chart the weather. All performed by the professor in this wild burlesque of German-accented English. Pretty funny at the time.... I think it was on in the late '50s. Will Ravenel

Hank Jacobs adds: "...He hosted the 3 stooges show and broke in every so often for a commercial. He'd show a hand drawn outline of the U.S. (one simple curved line - very crude) and say "Und now here's a look at duh veddah!  Up in Alaska, it's cold! Down in Florida, It's hot.  Und dare, vee haff a look at duh veddah!" A few days later, he said (I'm sure intentionally) "Up in Alaska it's hot! Down in Florida it's cold!"  I think I  was in 5th grade... school year 1960-1961.  He advertised for Tops Drive-Inn and there was one on Wisconsin Ave in Bethesda - near Old Georgetown Rd and East-West Highway."

Last night I ran into some guys from D.C. and we started talking about old local TV shows. We all live in NYC now and we spent hours talking about Captain 20, Creature Feature and others. One guy actually admitted that he was on WOW! I have a vague recollection of being on Romper Room, but that may just have been a childhood fantasy. Anyway, thanks again for the website.

Ben Silverman
Columnist, The New York Post - http://www.nypost.com
Columnist, PR Fuel - http://www.prfuel.com

Imagine my surprise when talking to my coworkers about my childhood... telling them that I used to be the talent for two local DC TV shows, The Beth and Bower Half Hour and Stuff, and then doing a cursory search of the Internet and finding your site????

How funny!

Beth Arnold

Just came across your website.  OUTSTANDING!

Do you know where I can get any videos or memorabilia on any of the old DC shows?

Greg Laxton 

Can't believe there's no mention on your excellent site about why I watched Ranger Hal: the serial cartoon he ran called "The Space Explorers." http://www.astronautix.com/articles/theorers.htm

More about it here http://www.cartoonresearch.com/faqx.html

Been giving it a lot of thought and I think it HAD to have aired in the Summertime, (otherwise I'da been in school) and it was either '62 or '63. 

The internet needs a Weile's page!

RL

Kap notes: A new website named www.TheSpaceExplorers.com has emerged as of March 2004.

I don't remember if this was the same program or several programs.

There was a host who showed cartoons or as he called them "film funnies" and he had a small projector that he would pretend to be cranking by hand to show the cartoons. Do you know what program this might have been? Another program had a host and two puppets, Reggie and Ginzie whose voices were done by slowing down and speeding up recordings. I'm from Baltimore so these could have been local Baltimore programs too, but I remember we watched the DC stations also. Channels 5, 7, and 9. Thank you. 

Larry Hale

... As a film and video reviewer and entertainment reporter for Westwood One radio, I'd been in touch with the Henson organization and was told (since I'd asked) that there were no commercially available videos of Jim Henson's early work like Sam & Friends.  Have you ever heard anything different?  I remember the show well enough to be pretty sure that it was eventually preserved on video tape (and probably in color) somewhere, since they reran a lot of the same bits. ...

One of my memories of Channel 14: they signed off (about 11 p.m., I think) with a still photo of Mahalia Jackson accompanied by a recording of her singing  "The Lord's Prayer."  And, come to think of it, they used a similar slide-with-audio presentation for Elijah Muhammad's (weekly?) Temple of Islam speeches. And at least initially, when they signed on (maybe 5 p.m.) they showed cartoons (presumably inexpensively obtained or public domain) from the silent era.  Nowadays I'd love to get my hands on as many of those historic gems as possible, but at the time I thought they were proof of how cheap and crummy WOOK-TV was.

And does anyone know whether one of Teenarama Dance Party's sponsors, Miles Long Sandwich Shops, still exists?

Best wishes, and thanks for the site.
Chuck Rich

I grew up in the DC area and am spending the weekend with my old friends in Ocean City (first visit since I graduated Northwood H.S. in '65).  We grew up together since we were 5, and my brother sent the website knowing we would especially enjoy it this weekend.

You probably have received communications from my two younger brothers by now, and I also passed on the website to other old friends. My youngest brother was especially interested in WOOK-TV kids programs, and I vividly remember the moment when they came on the air and their signage was upside down.  They had a Milt Grant type show which I recall and better music (in my opinion) than Milt Grant.

THANKS - do you have any info on Sam & Friends (the first Jim Henson TV show) and ASK IT BASKET (I appeared on the show)? 

... and remember, "WHAT"S HAPPENING AT WOOK?  EVERYTHING IN THE BOOK".

Julian Rich
Swampscott, MA

Love the DC area kidshow site!!  Brought a tear. Great work. 

I am a Silver Spring boy, born in '56. 

Any chance you could post anything on programming from Channel 14 (WOOK TV) in the '60s? I recall "Aunt Mary's Birthday Party" may have been a title - sound familiar? Needless to say, if I find anything I will share. ...

Steve Rich
Dexter, Michigan

Just wanted to drop you a line to mention the 1957 animated series called The Space Explorers.  I believe that it also aired in Los Angeles on the 'Pancake Man' show starring Hal Smith and sponsored by the International House of Pancakes.  I do not have a copy of The Space Explorers, but I would love to see it again. ...

Patrick Spann, Ph.D.

Your Forgotten Kid Show website is incredible and a fabulous mind-bender for restoring forgotten tid-bits of my happy childhood.  It reminded me of the program Clown Corner, which ran on WMAL-TV 7 back in the 1950s.  There were two clowns featured on the show - the regular anchor/host whose clown-name was Oji (pronounced Oh-gee), [Kap notes: George Crawford was Oji] and his (fill-in partner) clown "cousin" Ouiji (pronounced Wee-gee). 

Wonderful, late DC radio legend Jackson Weaver, also an MAL-TV booth announcer at the time, played Ouiji. Weaver also played Santa on the station's daily Santa Claus kid's show every Christmas season in the '50s -- I sat on Jackson's lap on the show when I was 4 or 5 years old. (It was the second TV show I appeared on--Pick Temple was the first, --and Ranger Hal was the third.) 

I think they showed Crusader Rabbit cartoons on Clown Corner -- a formidable precursor to the Rocky and Bullwinkle series.  And every day, Channel 7 and the Clowns advertised a mail order toy called the "Wonder Mouse".  Through the magic of television, the clowns and an authoritative announcer succeeded in creating the illusion that this 2-inch rubber mouse could glide across someone's arm and transport itself all around the house.  Little did we 6-year-olds know (until we bought the darn kit) that the mouse had a concealed copper wire attached to its belly pulling the rodent on its way. (Welcome, kiddies, to the world of American consumerism!  Who could resist being hoodwinked into believing in such an amazing product, especially after one got suckered into buying it.) 

Howard
 

The Wonder Mouse? My father found a small brown envelope in his mother's house from the 1950s with a printed return address reading: MOUSE,  WMAL TV WASHINGTON 8, DC Inside is a small plastic greenish mouse with brown tail. We couldn't figure out what it is, why our Grandma had it and the story behind it. If if you know anyone who'd like to purchase this item, we're interested. (Write: kaptainkidshow@yahoo.com  ) "Susie Moose" Madd Mother Moose

I was in those S.T.A.G.E. shows Pete Jamerson spearheaded in the late '60s.  The acronym stood for "Summer Theatre And Good Entertainment."  Pete and his wife, Cornelia, were great to all us kids.  I dated his stepson, then known as Sandy Jamerson.  Sandy's legal name is Alexander Chadwick, better known now as Alex Chadwick of NPR and National Geographic.  It's interesting to read about some of Pete's earlier and later work.  I, too, am sorry to hear he passed away. 

Karen Callen. 

For the record:

Jim Henson, Jane and Russ were hired to cover records on Saturday, the show's name. It ran from March through August, not three weeks. Jim Kovachs' name is misspelled.

Saturday was a spinoff to "Roy Meachum in the Morning." Billy Johnson recorded the promo song on his trusty guitar. That show ran from June 1953 to March 1954 when it was replaced by Walter Cronkite's first New York show; he left Washington for the job. We remained friends.

Roy Meachum

this is really strange, i was getting a drink out of the fridge and i started whistling the theme from the Ranger Hal show.  i wondered what ever happenend to him,  then i went to the internet and found your site.  i am turning 53 this month, i dont know anybody who would remember Ranger Hal.  this was really nice reading his story.  he was a part of my childhood. 
 
steve harmon 

I saw your website with the great photos from Ranger Hal!  Do you sell copies of this episode? I'd love to see the show. I have three 16mm films of Captain Kangaroo and would like to purchase a copy of this one for my collection. Television was great when people like Bob Keeshan ruled the airwaves.

Jason Beard

I came upon you website by complete accident-  I am searching for an Astro Float and up came your site because Jeffrey Hass mentions it in his dialogue!  What do I find, everyone is from the D.C. area and about the same age reminising old tv shows that I LOVED! 

I, too, grew up just outside of D.C. -Hyattsville-there now sits a gas station where our house used to stand-Decatur Street and Kenilworth Avenue.  My brother is a bit older, he attended Bladensburg and hung out at the Mighty Mo.

Anyway, I hadn't thought of Pick Temple in ages and it brings back great memories,  Beanie and Cecil-YES!  Ranger Hal-YES!  On and on and on.

Thanks for bringing them back to me!  By the way if anyone knows where I can find an Astro Float or two, please email me at "crckco at aol.com"

Marie Cubero 

You don't know how long I have tried to find the history on the Billy Johnson show.  I've asked people of my age and no one remembers it.  But I do.  Thought I was going crazy.  I watched  Billy Johnson every day and as a kid (I was about 11), I had a very big crush on him.  The three things I remembered most about him was the theme song, 'Up a Lazy River', the guitar, and the plaid shirt.  Thanks for the information.

Jean Manders,
Indian Head, Maryland

First (?) Children's TV Show  On November 6, 1931, the experimental mechanical TV station operated by Charles Francis Jenkins (W3XK) showed a puppet show hosted by Bernard Paul. (Source: Saturday Morning TV by Gary H. Grossman).  Jenkins had a studio at 1519 Conn. Avenue NW (DuPont Circle) in Washington, DC.  That station later moved to Wheaton, MD.

Albert McGilvray
Winchester, VA 

Cartoons on the Claire & Co Co show included Hector Heathcoat, a Revolutionary War character. He had a pet dog, I think, along on many of his adventures. (Maybe it was a pet turkey?)

JRB

When I visited DC relatives on summer holiday around the Beltway back in 1961, I had the awesome experience of watching Pick Temple's Giant Ranch. It was interesting for me to compare a children's program in an area like DC to one in my home of New York. Thanks for your website.

Julia Williams

Once a year when I was very small my mother would haul me into Hecht's at Prince Georges Plaza to buy an Easter hat. The salesclerk there told my mother that she was Cousin Cupcake's mother. I have no idea if the woman was really Bob Porter's mother, but at the time, I was very impressed! ...

Your website brought back a lot of memories--I can see the hat  department near the escalator in my mind right now...

Passed the link on to a couple of friends who grew up in the DC area and are still here and they got a kick out of your site as well.

Cheers!
Dusty Jones

Picked up your site via Count Gore DeVol. What memories they bring back. I was on Cindy Lou's Melody Ranch and Pirate Bill. I really remember Pirate Bill because during each show he would show how to draw something. The one I did was a horse and he held it up because while everyone else did their horse faceing right I did mine faceing left. I do not remember the year this was, but I am 60 now. I have bookmarked this site so I can come back and enjoy the memories.

Peg Richardson
Lusby, Md. 

This is in response to your Forgotten DC TV Kids Shows query on your website....

I was a kid in Bethesda, MD, in the fifties and was in the audience of a WMAL-TV kids show called, as I recall it, "Bill Wells Tells"  (search the net on this name and you'll find at least one other boomer who remembers this name)... I don't recall the title "Pirate Bill," but Bill was indeed a buccaneer or seafaring dude of some sort... The show ran cartoons or short adventure flicks between studio segments. Bill interacted with the kids in the audience, including me. He was given kids' names before the segments, and when he talked with them on the air, he introduced them by name. I remember him mispronouncing my name, and I loudly corrected him on camera...Jim Henson

One thing about the show was very disillusioning to a little kid... "Bill Wells Tells" opened with a shot of a grand pirate ship rolling in storm-tossed seas... We kids in the studio were shocked to see that vessel close up: of course, it was a very small model sailing ship, rocking in a little bowl... 

Would love to hear more about the show and the inimitable Bill Wells...

BOB LEBLING
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Love the site! What a walk down memory lane.  I was sad to see the post on Miss Connie.  I wasn’t able to find out if it was true however I did check the Social Security Death Index and Constance Bohlin born 24 Jan 1932, died Dec 1972.  Such a loss to the DC Community.

Debra Nickens
Manassas, VA

I would love to get streaming audio of the Ranger Hal theme.  It keeps running in my head.  Is it out there somewhere?

J Galgano

In the early 1980's, I had the pleasure of working with Bill Gormly when he was a news anchor at Mutual Radio Networks.  At the time. I was News Supervisor and we had quite an assortment of, shall we say, "eccentrics." 

In spite of the environment, Bill was the consumate professional.  Although it was "radio," Bill was always sharp in his appearance.  He was quiet and stayed in the background of the Newsroom din;  but, he could be counted on to occasional display his dry, sharp wit.

jack dabney
assignments editor
voice of america

I remember when I was about six years old we went to see Hoppity Skippity at the Kay Cee Drugs in Kent Village shopping Center in Landover, Maryland (c.1953).  I was thrilled when he pulled one of my braids.  I also remember when he had a magician on his show who asked him to remove his gloves for a magic trick and he said "I can't do that!"  I was happy that he didn't because he didn't want to dissappoint the kids who believed that he was a "real live rabbit!" 

Carol Marsh

I thoroughly enjoy the website.  I have a like-new set of Wilkins and Wontkins that I ordered when I was 12.  I wouldn't part with them - but I am curious about their value.  Any idea?

Don
Arlington, VA

Your article on Ranger Hal was very truthful and almost complete. I worked with Hal for many years doing outside appeareances on weekends and holidays. I was working in the area doing shows as a ventriloquist.

Hal asked if I could make his puppets talk since he couldn't always use the tape to produce the voices. This started a long and friendly relationship. It also started me on a new venue as a new character "MIKE THE CLOWN". It was a great time and we battled  continually about who did they come to see the personality or the talent. I ended up doing the Ronald McDonald bit after Willard moved on.

Mike Mehalic

I grew up in the DC (born 1957) Area (Connecticut Park Elementary, E Brooke Lee Jr. High, Springbrook High) and was a devoted follower of Cap'n Tugg, Captain Lee, and Uncle Artie on Channel 20.

Much to my delight, Mark Cohen writes of an episode of Uncle Artie where two kids told what was, in those days, a dirty joke!

I too saw that episode. It was actually two kids who seemed a little older than the others. The Batman jokes were in vogue. These two boys had real wise-ass attitudes. When asked their names, they were saying things like “John Johnson,” William Williamson,” “Robert Robertson,” stuff like that. My mom was watching and said those kids are going to get in trouble… you could see Uncle Artie was getting ticked. Finally, they tell the joke. Artie shakes his head.. I remember his quote.. “We don’t tell jokes like that on Uncle Artie.”

Cut to commercial… when they come back, both kids were GONE! But it was ME who got cuffed in the back of the head! My Mom actually nailed ME in the head with a “That’s what you’ll get if YOU EVER ACT LIKE THAT ON A SHOW!”

Ranger Hal, as I recall, used to run film shorts that I can remember. One was about the Railroad, one about the Civil War. Anybody out there remember these? 

Paul Shugrue sent in a reminiscence about Dick Mansfield, an older guy with white hair and a police uniform, I think I saw him at Connecticut Park Elementary School in 1962- 63, first grade? I seem to recall him talking about kids actually “becoming an astronaut”… his way of saying you did something unsafe, got killed and went to heaven… HAHAHA!!!

I remember having to sing this stupid song about “keeping your eye on the ball.. you can get another ball, but you never can get a new leg.” ...

Glenn Powell