# Kid's TV when you were a kid. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 30, 2015, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366 "2015-08-30T02:26:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/61 "2015-09-01T21:48:58Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Does anybody else remember [TV Powww](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_Powww)? One lucky kid would get the chance to play a crappy primitive video game from home by yelling “pow!” over the telephone while watching the game on television. If I hadn’t found the Wikipedia page, I would doubt my memory that this was really a thing. Yep. We were in the NYC market by then so we got the WPIX version. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/62 "2015-09-01T22:11:24Z")
One thing that added some after-school confusion to my life was reruns of the Mickey Mouse Club played immediately before or after American Bandstand, which was then broadcast from Philly. Because on one, Annette was a girl and on the other she was a teenager. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/63 "2015-09-01T23:38:32Z")
[QUOTE=zoid] Are you seriously telling me I’m the only one who remembers [Gigglesnort Hotel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEUl127RspM&list=PL284F8A1AC62B3F2D)? [/QUOTE] Main lobby! How about [Marlo and the Magic Movie Machine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvnHVuDFIt8)? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/64 "2015-09-01T23:46:15Z")
Oooh, oooh-- How could I have forgotten Magic Garden and New Zoo Revue (coming right at you!). Someone upthread mentioned Magic Garden and it didn’t strike a cord. Probably because in my head Magic Garden and New Zoo Revue occupied the same universe since they came on one after the other and I can’t think of one without the other. I liked the Giggle Patch. And Henrietta on her cream puff diet. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/65 "2015-09-02T03:00:59Z")
I learned about Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, reaction time and braking distance, and that most brain cells don’t regenerate from the Disney Channel. Before I was six. And that’s not even starting what I got from Mr. Wizard’s World, PBS, or those educational PSA shorts they stuck on toy commercial cartoons to appease the FCC. 80s kids’ TV, man. A preparation for a refined life. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/66 "2015-09-02T11:25:19Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > How about [Marlo and the Magic Movie Machine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvnHVuDFIt8)? Ah, thank you! I was trying to remember the name of that to post here. That’s about how I picture IT departments now. ---
**Author:** ![MickNickMaggies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@MickNickMaggies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MickNickMaggies)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/67 "2015-09-02T12:22:40Z")
We sent our pictures to dear old Captain Noah and told jokes we didn’t really understand on Al Albert’s showcase. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/68 "2015-09-02T14:21:34Z")
My coming of age was during the 80’s, the Golden Age of Saturday Morning cartoons. I won’t even attempt to list all that glory here. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/69 "2015-09-02T16:48:16Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > The Banana Splits > The Bugaloos > The Land Of The Lost > Josie and the Pussycats > Sigmund and the Sea Monsters > The Electric Company > Lost In Space > New Zoo Review > [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Kukla, Fran and Ollie > Captain Kangeroo > Mr Rogers > Sesame Street > Zoom > Julia Child > [@silenus](#): > > Romper Room > Sheriff John > Captain Kangaroo > > and whatever soaps my grandmother would watch while my parents were at work. > [@aceplace57](#): > > Romper Room when I was preschool. Electric Company in elementary school. Capt Kangaroo occasionally. But it was always my least favorite show. > > School house rock videos were fun and I learned a lot from them. One of the best educational tools ever broadcast. imho They taught kids a lot in those catchy song videos. > [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > I remember many of those already mentioned from the 50s and 60s. Two more: > > Winky Dink and You [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5TdRhNLOPk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5TdRhNLOPk) > > Susan’s Show [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i08fCLurn-g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i08fCLurn-g) I am SO reliving my childhood here. Wonderama brought back so many memories. I had completely forgotten the songs, but when I read them I could sing along with “Excercise, Excercise, come on everybody, do your excercise!” and “Kids are People, Too (Wackadoo wackadoo wackadoo)” or “Does Anybody Here Have an Aardvark?” Wow. Sheriff John wished me a happy birthday when I was 4. My Romper Room lady was “Miss Marianne.” Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood & Dusty’s Treehouse were on PBS. I was never allowed a Winky Dink kit. Parents were afraid I’d draw directly on the TV screen. Like the neighbors did. “Write ZOOM, zee double-oh em! Box 3-5-0, Boston, Mass, Oh, Two One, Three Four! Send it to ZOOM!” ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/70 "2015-09-02T17:12:15Z")
> [@kath94](#): > > I am SO reliving my childhood here. Wonderama brought back so many memories. I had completely forgotten the songs, but when I read them I could sing along with “Excercise, Excercise, come on everybody, do your excercise!” and “Kids are People, Too (Wackadoo wackadoo wackadoo)” or “Does Anybody Here Have an Aardvark?” Wow. > > Sheriff John wished me a happy birthday when I was 4. > My Romper Room lady was “Miss Marianne.” > > Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood & Dusty’s Treehouse were on PBS. > > I was never allowed a Winky Dink kit. Parents were afraid I’d draw directly on the TV screen. Like the neighbors did. > > “Write ZOOM, zee double-oh em! Box 3-5-0, Boston, Mass, Oh, Two One, Three Four! Send it to ZOOM!” If my parents had gotten my the Winky Dink kit, I probably would have used that instead of drawing directly on the TV. It’s funny because I don’t remember drawing on the TV. I remember wanting a kit and thinking about it a lot. The crayon thing had to have been premeditated. But I don’t remember actually drawing on the TV. I remember the crayon tree on the TV and my parents being very angry and upset about it. I was under the age of 5, so I can be excused the wavy memory. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/71 "2015-09-02T17:42:17Z")
The Pittsburgh, Johnstown, and Altoona TV markets all overlapped where I grew up. It was the 60’s and early 70’s, so I watched all the same CBS/NBC/ABC network shows on Saturday as all the rest of you 50-somethings. As far as locally produced shows, Pittsburgh had the best. Actually, WTAE channel 4, specifically, had the best: - **Popeye with Joe and Sandy** which featured [Joe Negri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Negri) - **[Adventure Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_Time_%281959_TV_series%29)** which has been credited with reviving the popularity of The Three Stooges. Paul Shannon was a great entertainer in his own right, as well as just the host. WIIC Channel 11 (now WPXI) had Cartoon Colorama which showed all the old cartoons that weren’t Warner Brothers, it seemed, and often sucked. OTOH, they also had [Chiller Theater](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiller_Theatre_%28Pittsburgh%29) and [Studio Wrestling](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_Wrestling). They might not have been conceived as kid shows specifically, but both were wildly popular with every kid I knew. I don’t remember the Altoona and Johnstown stations (WFBG and WJAC respectively) having a whole lot of locally produced kid shows. WJAC had a locally produced [Romper Room](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romper_room#Johnstown.2C_Pennsylvania), but even when I was a little kid I never cared for that show. WFBG had, IIRC, something called Cartoon Clubhouse, but it showed the really, really low-rent cartoons like “Clutch Cargo”…and they couldn’t even be arsed to show the episodes in order. Cartoon Clubhouse started their video broadcast programming each day. They broadcasted audio-only farm reports and such for a half hour or so first. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/72 "2015-09-02T19:10:10Z")
> [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](#): > > If you were real daring, you could switch to channel 44 for Ultraman and those weird Popeye cartoons where Bluto was known as “Brutus”. There were two then-independent stations in San Francisco in the early 1970s (one is now Fox; the other, CW) that each aired a separate set of Popeye cartoons; one aired the later King Features ones (with Brutus), and the other aired the earlier Fleischer/Parramount ones (with Bluto). > [@bibliophage](#): > > Does anybody else remember TV Powww]? One lucky kid would get the chance to play a crappy primitive video game from home by yelling “pow!” over the telephone while watching the game on television. If I hadn’t found the Wikipedia page, I would doubt my memory that this was really a thing. I saw both the San Francisco and Sacramento versions - they originally used the Fairchild Channel F (the first system that displayed the game “field” on the screen, IIRC, as opposed to Odyssey and its TV screen overlays), then I think they switched to Intellivision. There was also a version where two players could play at the same time. > [@kath94](#): > > I am SO reliving my childhood here. Wonderama brought back so many memories. I had completely forgotten the songs, but when I read them I could sing along with “Excercise, Excercise, come on everybody, do your excercise!” and “Kids are People, Too (Wackadoo wackadoo wackadoo)” or “Does Anybody Here Have an Aardvark?” Wow. I vaguely remember the show, but soon after I discovered it, the station that it was on went out of business and the channel number was assigned to a PBS station. Speaking of “Kids are People Too”, does anybody else remember the short-lived ABC Sunday(?) morning TV series of that name (with the song from _Wonderama_ as the theme)? IIRC, the first episode included Susan Anton (they were demonstrating the first generation Steadicam by having her run up a flight of stairs on the stage, similar to a scene in _Rocky_), and one of the kids asked her a question…about her appearance in a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue where her swimsuit became a little more see-through than planned. > [@kath94](#): > > I was never allowed a Winky Dink kit. Parents were afraid I’d draw directly on the TV screen. Like the neighbors did. Wouldn’t they have been more afraid that you would draw on the screen if you _didn’t_ have the kit? Reportedly, that was the main problem with the show - too many poor families couldn’t afford the kit, but that didn’t stop their kids from drawing right on the screen with a crayon. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/73 "2015-09-02T19:15:40Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > \ > > Wouldn’t they have been more afraid that you would draw on the screen if you _didn’t_ have the kit? Reportedly, that was the main problem with the show - too many poor families couldn’t afford the kit, but that didn’t stop their kids from drawing right on the screen with a crayon. No, **That Don Guy** , without the kit they could keep me from trying to “participate.” WITH the kit, however, I’d have the magic tools but might forget to install the plastic screen cover first. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/74 "2015-09-03T00:56:12Z")
In South Dakota the powerhouse CBS station KELO in Sioux Falls had [Captain 11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe-q7A6WGVY). From 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM he would show old cartoons like Snagglepuss or Quick Draw McDraw or Yogi Bear. The best part is he had local kids on the set, so if it was your birthday you could flip the switch that started the cartoons (or so that’s what he said). The man playing Captain 11 was the local weatherman, and rumors were he was a nasty drunk in real-life and he hated the working with kids. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/75 "2015-09-03T02:14:29Z")
Junior Almost Anything Goes Scooby Doo Sesame Street Flintstone’s Jetson’s Looney Tunes Tom & Jerry ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/76 "2015-09-03T02:25:40Z")
> [@piepiepie](#): > > I grew up with Nick Jr.'s Face who was the host of the block of preschool shows before the big kids stuff came on. I remember watching **Gullah Gullah Island** and **Little Bear** , but not much else. When I was around 7, **Blue’s Clues** came out and I loved it even though I thought I was too old for Nick Jr. At that age I loved dogs, everything blue (I still do), and Blue was a girl like me, so it was nice to watch. I didn’t like **Arthur** or **Sesame Street** , but I did watch **Mr. Rogers** , **Magic School Bus** , and anything with the Kratts. I don’t consider **Rugrats** a little kid show since it’s an original Nicktoon, but I loved it growing up. Wow, it makes me feel old to see a poster who watched a lot of the same shows my kids watched. Also, Arthur ruled. The TV show was way better than the books. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/77 "2015-09-03T17:27:35Z")
If you remember this one…I may well know you. I at least shared a number of experiences with you. “Wallace and Ladmo” ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/78 "2015-09-03T17:32:11Z")
**Fingerbobs** played on our local PBS, I loved that show above all others. “…Always on the brink-a-mouse. Fingermouse, that’s me!” ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/79 "2015-09-03T19:28:18Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Oooh, oooh-- How could I have forgotten Magic Garden and New Zoo Revue (coming right at you!). I was much too old to still be watching kids’ shows when NZR was on the air – but, geez, Emmy Jo was _cute_. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366/80 "2015-09-03T19:39:49Z")
My two favorite shows were Arthur and Cyberchase (yeah, I’m a young’un over here). Before those, I loved Teletubbies and would walk around with my arm attached to my nose pretending to be Noo-noo (the vacuum cleaner). I guess toddlers and potheads have similar TV preferences. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-tv-when-you-were-a-kid/729366.md?page=5)