List of local children's television series (United States)

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The following is a list of local children's television shows in the United States. These were locally produced commercial television programs intended for the child audience with unique hosts and themes. This type of programming began in the late 1940s and continued into the late 1970s; some shows continued into the 1990s. Author Tim Hollis documented about 1,400 local children's shows in a 2002 book, Hi There, Boys and Girls![1][2]

The television programs typically aired in the weekday mornings before school or afternoons after school, as well as on weekends (to a lesser degree). There were different formats. Almost all shows had a colorful host who assumed a persona, such as a cowboy/cowgirl, captain/skipper/commodore/admiral, jungle explorer, astronaut, king, princess, clown, sheriff/deputy/trooper, cop, firefighter, hobo/tramp, railroad engineer, magician, "cousin", "grandfather" or "uncle", whose role was not only to be the "DJ" for syndicated material (typically cartoons, although Westerns were more popular earlier on) but also to entertain, often with a live television studio audience of kids, during breaks.

Early program fare included cartoon favorites, such as Koko the Clown, Daffy Duck, Crusader Rabbit, Dick Tracy, Popeye, Bugs Bunny, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Mighty Mouse, Porky Pig, Deputy Dawg, Hergé's Adventures of Tintin, Mel-O-Toons, Woody Woodpecker, The Funny Company, Mr. Magoo, Space Angel and Clutch Cargo, as well as movie shorts, such as Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang/The Little Rascals and The Three Stooges, as well as animated versions of Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello and The Three Stooges, and live action shorts, such as Diver Dan. Some included educational segments like the portraits of wildlife in Nature's Window.

Television broadcast markets[edit]

Alabama[edit]

Anniston[edit]

Birmingham[edit]

Dothan[edit]

Florence[edit]

Huntsville/Decatur[edit]

Mobile[edit]

Montgomery[edit]

Alaska[edit]

Anchorage[edit]

Fairbanks[edit]

Arizona[edit]

Phoenix[edit]

Tucson[edit]

Yuma[edit]

Arkansas[edit]

El Dorado/Monroe[edit]

Fort Smith[edit]

Little Rock[edit]

California[edit]

Bakersfield[edit]

Fresno[edit]

  • KMPH: Uncle Woody Show (with Woody Bryant)
  • KAIL: Leebo The Clown (with Leland Harris)
  • KFSN: Fun Time (with Al Radka)
  • KMJ: Miss Pat's Playroom

Glendale[edit]

Los Angeles[edit]

Oakland[edit]

Sacramento/Stockton[edit]

San Diego[edit]

San Francisco[edit]

San Jose[edit]

Visalia[edit]

  • KMPH-TV: Uncle Woody (with Woody Bryant)

Colorado[edit]

Colorado Springs[edit]

Denver[edit]

Connecticut[edit]

Hartford[edit]

New Haven[edit]

Delaware[edit]

(see Pennsylvania, Maryland, and District of Columbia markets)

District of Columbia[edit]

Washington[edit]

Florida[edit]

Fort Myers[edit]

Jacksonville[edit]

  • WMFJ: Here's How, (1962-1963) (with Virginia Atter and a clown known as Clark Winchester). They visited manufacturers each week to see how things are made.
  • WFGA: Romper Room
  • WFGA: Bozo and Skipper Ed Show, (1961–1966) Saturday mornings.[clarification needed]
  • WFGA: Popeye & Pals with Skipper Ed, weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings.[clarification needed]

Miami[edit]

Orlando[edit]

St. Petersburg[edit]

Tallahassee[edit]

Tampa[edit]

  • WFTS-TV: David D TV (1994-2000, Saturday mornings[6])
  • WTVT: Romper Room ("Miss Colleen"; Weekdays 9:00-9:30am from October 1955 until January 1959)
  • WFLA: Romper Room ("Miss Kay", "Miss June", "Miss Alice") (Kay's version aired at 9:00–9:30am each weekday from January 19, 1959 until Spring 1961. June's WFLA version aired at 10:00-10:30am each weekday from March 31, 1975 until May 30, 1980, and Alice's version aired 10:00-10:30am each weekday from October 1980 until February 1982).

West Palm Beach[edit]

Georgia[edit]

Atlanta[edit]

Augusta[edit]

  • WATU: Bozo the Clown (weekdays 4:30–5:30 pm, 1970)
  • WJBF: Trooper Terry (weekdays 5-5:30pm; later years 4:30-5pm; featured weatherman Terry Sams; 1960s-70s)
  • WRDW-TV: "Hippity Hop" (weekdays 5:30-5:45; featuring William "Bill" Tennent; 1954-1957)

Columbus[edit]

Macon[edit]

Savannah[edit]

  • WJCL (TV): Bozo the Clown (weekdays 4:30–5:30 pm)
  • WTOC-TV: Happy Dan (weekdays 4-4:30 pm; originally Happy Dan & The Little Rascals, later Happy Dan & Popeye)
  • WTOC-TV: Romper Room (weekdays 9-9:30 am)

Thomasville[edit]

Hawaii[edit]

Honolulu[edit]

KHON (Channel 2):

KGU/KITV/KHVH (now KITV) (Channel 4):

KGMB (Channel 9):

KTRG (now KHNL) (Channel 13):

Idaho[edit]

Boise[edit]

Illinois[edit]

Chicago[edit]

Peoria[edit]

Quad Cities[edit]

(see Quad Cities, Iowa market)

Quincy[edit]

Rockford[edit]

Harrisburg[edit]

Indiana[edit]

Evansville[edit]

Fort Wayne[edit]

Indianapolis[edit]

South Bend[edit]

Terre Haute[edit]

  • WTHI-TV: Captain Jack (hosted by "Captain Jack" Haines) (1978–1982)

Iowa[edit]

Cedar Rapids/Waterloo[edit]

Davenport[edit]

(see Quad Cities market)

Des Moines/Ames[edit]

Mason City/Fort Dodge[edit]

Quad Cities[edit]

Sioux City[edit]

Kansas[edit]

Wichita[edit]

Kentucky[edit]

Bowling Green[edit]

Lexington[edit]

Louisville[edit]

Paducah[edit]

Louisiana[edit]

Baton Rouge[edit]

Monroe[edit]

New Orleans[edit]

Shreveport[edit]

Maine[edit]

Bangor[edit]

Portland[edit]

Maryland[edit]

Baltimore[edit]

Massachusetts[edit]

Boston[edit]

Springfield[edit]

Worcester[edit]

Michigan[edit]

Detroit[edit]

Detroit Area[edit]

Flint[edit]

Grand Rapids[edit]

Kalamazoo[edit]

  • WWMT-TV/WKZO-TV: Channel 3 Clubhouse (with Beanie Brown and Uncle Fred)

Lansing[edit]

  • WJIM-TV: Ranger Jim (with John Kelly then known as Jack Kelin,who then went on to host Kelly and Company with Marilyn Turner

Minnesota[edit]

Austin[edit]

Duluth[edit]

Minneapolis/St. Paul[edit]

Rochester[edit]

Mississippi[edit]

Columbus[edit]

Missouri[edit]

Joplin[edit]

Kansas City[edit]

St. Louis[edit]

Springfield[edit]

Montana[edit]

Billings[edit]

Butte[edit]

Nebraska[edit]

Lincoln[edit]

Scottsbluff[edit]

KSTF: The Wilmer Worm Show (with June Beaman)

Nevada[edit]

Reno

` KAME Space Station 21 { Ricky Price & Jo Anne Buchanan)

Las Vegas[edit]

New Hampshire[edit]

Manchester[edit]

New Jersey[edit]

(see New York and Pennsylvania markets)

New Mexico[edit]

Albuquerque[edit]

New York[edit]

Albany/Schenectady[edit]

Binghamton[edit]

Buffalo[edit]

Elmira/Ithaca[edit]

New York[edit]

Plattsburgh[edit]

Rochester[edit]

Syracuse/Auburn[edit]

Utica/Rome[edit]

Watertown[edit]

North Carolina[edit]

Asheville[edit]

Charlotte[edit]

Greenville/New Bern[edit]

Raleigh/Durham[edit]

Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem[edit]

North Dakota[edit]

Bismarck[edit]

Fargo[edit]

Ohio[edit]

Akron[edit]

Canton[edit]

Cincinnati[edit]

Cleveland[edit]

Columbus[edit]

Dayton[edit]

Lima[edit]

WIMA-TV:

Springfield[edit]

Steubenville[edit]

  • Creegan and Crow

Toledo[edit]

Youngstown[edit]

Oklahoma[edit]

Oklahoma City[edit]

Tulsa[edit]

Oregon[edit]

Eugene[edit]

Portland[edit]

Pennsylvania[edit]

Erie[edit]

Harrisburg/Lancaster[edit]

Johnstown/Altoona[edit]

Philadelphia[edit]

Pittsburgh[edit]

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre[edit]

Rhode Island[edit]

Providence[edit]

South Carolina[edit]

Charleston[edit]

Columbia[edit]

Florence/Myrtle Beach[edit]

Greenville/Spartanburg[edit]

South Dakota[edit]

Rapid City[edit]

Sioux Falls[edit]

Tennessee[edit]

Chattanooga[edit]

Jackson[edit]

Knoxville[edit]

Memphis[edit]

Nashville[edit]

Texas[edit]

Abilene[edit]

Amarillo[edit]

Austin[edit]

Beaumont/Port Arthur[edit]

Corpus Christi[edit]

Dallas/Fort Worth[edit]

El Paso[edit]

Houston/Galveston[edit]

Lubbock[edit]

Odessa/Midland[edit]

San Antonio[edit]

Howdy Doody 1951 Chester Howard Little Rascals 1951 Chester Howard Roy Rogers 1951. Chester Howard Gene Autry. 1951. Chester Howard

Utah[edit]

Salt Lake City[edit]

Vermont[edit]

Burlington[edit]

Virginia[edit]

Norfolk/Portsmouth[edit]

Richmond[edit]

Roanoke/Lynchburg[edit]

Cactus Joe

Washington, D.C.[edit]

Washington[edit]

Bellingham[edit]

Everett[edit]

  • Channel 3/Everett Cablevision: Jaycee Clown Show (with Crash the Clown (Nik Boldrini) and Captain Fuzz (Richard Boldrin) (1971–72))

Seattle/Tacoma[edit]

Spokane[edit]

Yakima[edit]

West Virginia[edit]

Charleston/Huntington[edit]

Parkersburg[edit]

Wheeling[edit]

Wisconsin[edit]

Eau Claire[edit]

Green Bay[edit]

Madison[edit]

Milwaukee[edit]

Wausau[edit]

  • WSAU-TV: Romper Room ("Miss Maureen", "Miss Elizabeth")
  • WAOW/WAEO: Sesame Street (Despite being shown on NET/PBS stations in the US, the show was aired on WAOW from 1969 until 1972 and on WAEO from 1974 until 1976, due to most of northern Wisconsin not having a NET/PBS affiliated station with the exceptions of Duluth-Superior (due to the area having its own NET/PBS station) and Eau Claire-Chippewa Falls (due to cable systems and over-the-air antennas can easily receive KTCA in the area) until the launch of WHRM-TV in 1976).

Wyoming[edit]

Casper[edit]

Cheyenne[edit]

Guam[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Hollis, Tim (November 2001). Hi There Boys and Girls! America's Local Children's TV Programs. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 1-57806-396-5
  2. ^ NPR episode "A History of Local Children's TV Programs", aired May 22, 2002
  3. ^ Hollis, Tim (2001). Hi There, Boys and Girls!: America's Local Children's TV Shows. University Press of Mississippi. p. 27. ISBN 1-57806-396-5.
  4. ^ "SERENDIPITY: LEARNING FUN FOR THE YOUNG". Los Angeles Times. 1972-07-16. p. 535. Retrieved 2017-04-02. Serendipity, KNBC's Emmy-winning children's series, is offering new shows for the summer (Sundays at 9 a.m. on Channel 4), and this means more televised field trips for the youngsters. Host Rudi Medina takes the children to places like the Music Center, Marine-land, horse ranches, aviaries and aboard the Queen Mary (below). Educational-fun is the primary mission.
  5. ^ http://www.big13.com/Other%20Hosts/capt_mac_1.htm
  6. ^ Spata, Christopher (August 25, 2016) "Throwback Thursday: Local millennials remember Tampa's 'David D TV'" Tampa Bay Times
  7. ^ "Marshal J WMT KPIX KGO Kids Show Host Jay Alexander". Archived from the original on 2008-03-14. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  8. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20160106022354/http://www.captainerniesshowboat.com/bozo. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ^ [1] Archived January 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ . 2011-02-01 https://web.archive.org/web/20110201103550/http://captainerniesshowboat.com/. Archived from the original on 2011-02-01. Retrieved 2012-11-27. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20110929204139/http://www.captainerniesshowboat.com/kenwagner. Archived from the original on September 29, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2016. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ^ "Cowboy Whitey and the Circle 5 Ranch WOC TV 5/6 Davenport, Iowa". Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  13. ^ [2] Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ "Ken Wagner and Pee Wee Comic CutUps WOC Davenport, Iowa". Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  15. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20160115040729/http://www.captainerniesshowboat.com/grandpahappy. Archived from the original on January 15, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ^ "Gene King - Dr. Igor and Jungle Jay - Wqad Tv 8 Moline, Illinois, Kzaz Tv 11, Tucson, Arizona, KWGN Tv 2, Denver Colorado". Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  17. ^ "Romper Room WOC TV 6". Archived from the original on October 29, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  18. ^ "The Major Mudd Show". IMDb.
  19. ^ "Willie Whistle". IMDb.
  20. ^ "Robert 'Uncle Bunky' Williams: A Local Living Legent Reflects on His Storied Career". The Packet. Retrieved 2015-07-30.
  21. ^ Hollis, Tim (2001). Hi There, Boys and Girls!: America's Local Children's TV Shows. University Press of Mississippi. p. 161. ISBN 1-57806-396-5.
  22. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20150923060017/http://www.captainerniesshowboat.com/ringading. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2016. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. ^ "Stm Club". Syracusenostalgia.com. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  24. ^ "Station Information - WKBN - 27 First News - Local News - Youngstown, Warren, Columbiana, Ohio - Sharon, Pennsylvania". WKBN. Archived from the original on 2009-03-12. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
  25. ^ "TribToday.com - News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information". Tribune Chronicle. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
  26. ^ "Portland Radio Message Board: The Original KLIQ". Pdxradio.net. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
  27. ^ "The Addie Bobkins Show". Kptv.home.comcast.net. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
  28. ^ Apichella, Michael (2010-06-20). "Behind the gates of 'Hatchy Milatchy' - News". Standard Speaker. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
  29. ^ Hollis, Tim (2001). Hi There, Boys and Girls!: America's Local Children's TV Shows. University Press of Mississippi. p. 260. ISBN 1-57806-396-5.
  30. ^ Hollis, Tim (2001). Hi There, Boys and Girls!: America's Local Children's TV Shows. University Press of Mississippi. p. 264. ISBN 1-57806-396-5.
  31. ^ "Amarillo philanthropist Allen Shifrin dies at 85".

External links[edit]