TVSquad

Growing up outside Pittsburgh PA in the 60's, I probably watched Paul Shannon's "Adventure Time" every day after school. Oh the days of children's programming that wasn't a front for a toy or fast food company.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_Time

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There was one here in Canada called "Zig-Zag". Sometimes I wonder if it really existed since I seem to be the only one the remebers it. Everyone seems to remember "You Can't do that on televison" but never "Zig Zag". What I rememeber from the show was that it was VERY cheaply produced and I remember two hand puppets named Biff and Bart who would answer viewer mail. It was kind of a kids sketch comedey show. Please some one from Canada remember this show so I don't feel like I'm losing my mind!

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Wow, I used to watch The Uncle Al show in Cincinnati, OH in the 60's.

http://www.cincinnatichamber.com/news_b.aspx?id=375

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In the Yakima valley in Washington state, we had "Uncle Jimmy's Clubhouse." When I was 5 or 6, I even got to be on the show. Typical of most kids shows - live studio stuff, puppets, and cartoons. Thing I remember most is getting the free cups of creamsicle ice cream.

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In the Chicago area we had Ray Raynor and Garfield Goose. Also, we had the Bozo Show. Ahhhhhh...the memories!!!

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I remember some cowboy named "Rex Trailer", and I can still remember the sound of his voice, but I don't think I could tell you what the show was about. I do know that in the center of a local town there is a "Rex Trailer Productions" which always makes me think of him, even though he's probably long gone by now.

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i grew up, in northeast ohio, an i can remember watching ''romper room'', an ''capt. kangaroo''..everyday before school[k].

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If you grew up in Arizona, The Wallace and Ladmo Show was THE children's show on KPHO-TV5 in Phoenix from 1954 to 1989.

In the 70's, I watched a couple of different variations on this homegrown favorite every morning and every afternoon. Ladmo's Clubhouse ran each weekday morning where Ladmo would introduce our favorite cartoons and bring in Officer Harry from the Phoenix Police Department to discuss bike safety. After school we raced home to catch The Wallace and Ladmo Show at 3:30p with recurring characters Captain Super, Marshall Good, Aunt Maude, Boffo the Clown and the rich and bratty, Gerald. All five of these characters were played by legendary Phoenix broadcaster, Pat McMahon.

The Holy Grail of a Phoenix-raised kid in those years was the much coveted 'Ladmo Bag' filled with Clover Club Chips, Hostess Twinkies, and bottles of pop from The Good Guys at Kalil. (I’m now 38 and am still in search of ‘my’ Ladmo Bag.)

I’ll include a quote often used to explain The Wallace and Ladmo Show, “If you are from Arizona no explanation is needed, if not, it is impossible to explain.”

Thank you, Wallace (Bill Thompson) and Ladmo (Ladimir Kwiatkowski) for many years of smiles. You are both missed very, very much!

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Steampipe Alley with Mario Cantone was funny especially since you could tell he hated the kids.

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I grew up watching "Storyland" with Buckskin Bill. The show aired in Baton Rouge LA on WAFB and was hugely popular. Buckskin decided that the new zoo in town needed an Elephant and started a drive on his show asking children to donate pennies to buy the elephant. Every day kids would march through the studio dumping their pennies and before you knew it, there was enough money to buy "Penny" the first elephant at the Baton Rouge zoo.

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Talk about a blast from the past! Betty Lou and Floppy were must sees in my house. I had a cousin that was yanked from the Floppy show mid joke. I can't repeat the joke, but it wasn't why did the man put the car in the oven!

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There was a show out of NYC called "The Magic Garden" with these 2 ladies who played guitar and sang. (They were 2 folksy-hippy types.) I remember the "Chuckle Patch" which was a bunch of flowers where they would read jokes from and the flowers would laugh. I think it may have eventually gone syndicated but not positive.

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In Connecticut, we had a couple of good options on the various channels. The best two were on the local CBS affiliate - "The Hap Richards Show" and "Ranger Andy". "The Hap Richards Show" was set in Joyville, Ct. and featured Hap as the owner of the general store and postmaster every other day. On the other days, the show was run by Floyd Tibbets, the mayor. (As a little kid, I didn't have a clue they were the same guy!)

He was accompanied by four hand puppets - Dandy Lion, Bolivar Shagnasty (which I think was a ripoff from the name of a Red Skelton character), Orville Robot, and Brian Chuckaberry, an Ollie Dragon type.

Kids wrote in telling what they did to help out around the house and they would then be granted citizenship in Joyville. Over forty years later, and I still have my certificate of citizenship!

In the afternoon, Ranger Andy would invite kids to join him in the Ranger Station "out in the woods" where they would sing songs and watch cartoons. We went in the mid-60s as one big family unit, 10 cousins in all, and it made the local paper as a story. I was so nervous when it came time to say my name that I gave out my cousin's last name as my own!

Also from Connecticut was Mr. Goober, who showed "Clutch Cargo" cartoons from the basement of the ABC local affiliate in New Haven where he was supposedly the janitor. And the NBC affiliate had a guy who told stories through the pictures he drew of very round, plump animals.

Also there's a great book out there all about the local TV kid shows from each state in the Union. It's called "Hi There Boys And Girls" by Tim Hollis, and it's an excellent reference source.

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Local tv is why I got in to pupppetry. I used to watch the Uncle Al Show, The Larry Smith Puppet Show, The Cool Ghoul,Dusty's TreeHouse, Captain Kangaroo, H.R. Puffenstuff, Mr. Rogers and so on. I'd get so excited when I'd see puppets and marionettes featured. From age 8 in the 70's I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Would love to bring that kind of tv back but more updated.

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in cleveland, i grew up religiously watching the local edition of "romper room", as well as "barnaby" with linn sheldon.

http://www.clevelandseniors.com/people/barnaby.htm

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In the greater Seattle area J.P. Patches ruled the airwaves, or as his friends knew him "Julius Pierpont Patches" -- he was the Mayor of the City Dump. He was dressed as a clown, with a clown face. He had a lot of friends but the only one I really remember is Gertrude, who wore a dress and a yarn wig but was actually a guy. I remember being confused on that score. My sister and I were devoted to that show--one of the few didn't argue about watching. He had kids on, usually scout troops, cartoon, sketch comedy (of course I was sick the day my troop was supposed to be on). It is still really familiar to people who were kids in the 1960's.

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In the tri-state Philadelphia area, it was Cartoon Corners with Gene London (3 1/2 cents paid by Mr. Quigley his boss; the magic fleece story telling), Pixanne (fire hoop that could not be extinguished makes the blooper reels nationally) , Chief Halftown, Sally Star, and Wee Willie Weber and his cartoon show. Later on, Captain Noah led the way.

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When I was a kid in Philadelphia it was Noah's Ark and the Al Alberts Showcase. I don't remember much about Captain Noah or his wife. All I do remember is that "Sing a Rainbow" song that is, at the moment, playing in my head. Great, that's totally going to be stuck there all day. While Noah played at the beginning of the Saturday cartoon line-up at 6:30 or 7 am, It was capped off by Al Alberts Showcase at noon. Local kids, no doubt "encouraged" by their parents and coaches, would perform on the show. We loved Al Alberts because occasionally we would know one of the performers. And then tease them mercilessly at school on Monday.

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Yea, Captain Noah! "Send your pictures to dear old Captain Noah; send away, send right away".

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In Buffalo you had Rocketship 7 in the morning with Dave Thomas, Promo the Robot and Biff Beeper (those in the Philly are familiar with Dave Thomas -- he went to Philly and became Dave Roberts). That's where I learned to love all of the Warner Bros. cartoons. In the afternoon you had Commander Tom with Tom Jolls and his furry puppet friends and episodes of Superman were often the order of the day. Both were on channel 7, WKBW.

http://www.commandertomjolls.com/pages/3/index.htm

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