Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Kids TV
    Kids TV TV Shows - 1950s TV Shows - 1960s TV Shows - 1970s TV Shows - 1980s 4 Mins Read

    Captain Kangaroo

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 5 5 – 1 9 8 4 (USA)

    The longest-running network children’s show of all time, Captain Kangaroo left an indelible mark on the minds and hearts of children during its 30 years on television.

    The host, Bob Keeshan, was a gentle man whose jacket had large pockets – much like a kangaroo. He entertained home viewers from his Treasure House with stories and lessons in morality. Other lessons were provided by Mr Green Jeans, a farmer who brought animals to the show and taught kids about their habits.

    The show featured several other regulars, including the mischievous Mr Moose, bespectacled Mr Bunny Rabbit, sleepy Grandfather Clock (who spoke in rhymes), curious Miss Frog, quiet Mr Whispers and Dennis, the bumbling handyman. But perhaps none was more memorable (or surreal) than the clown they called the Banana Man.

    captainkangaroo2

    Clad in a very large coat, the Banana Man entered the set, and the act began. He pulled everything out of his coat, from watermelons to his trademarked bananas, all the while speaking only one word: an extended “wooooww” in a silly voice.

    By the end of his bit, the Banana Man had turned his pockets’ contents into a train, with bananas in every car. Then both the train and the Banana Man left, leaving kids to wonder, “What the heck was that all about?”.

    In addition to the live-action and puppet segments, Captain Kangaroo broadcast several Terrytoons animated shorts, including The Adventures Of Tom Terrific, the continuing saga of a boy who could turn himself into anything, and his partner Mighty Manfred the Wonder Dog.

    captainkangaroo3In the 1970s the characters Mr Baxter and Debby were added to the show. Also at this time, the first-ever cartoons from the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare appeared on the show.

    Titled The Most Important Person, these shorts taught kids about health and happiness. Later in the decade, the show featured an (Australian-produced) animated series on dental hygiene called The Toothbrush Family.

    Throughout the years, the Captain had visits from such celebrity guests as Dick Shawn, Imogene Coca, Alan Arkin, Pearl Bailey, Carol Channing, Marlo Thomas, Andy Williams, Doug Henning and Eli Wallach.

    Beginning in 1980, Bill Cosby became a regular contributor to the programme, and the beloved comedian ended up taking over the Captain’s duties on one of the show’s many popular segments, Picture Pages.

    Originally broadcast live and in black and white on a daily basis, Captain Kangaroo added a sixth day (Saturday) in 1956, lost the sixth day and went to videotape in 1959, and was broadcast in colour by the end of the 1960s. Other than that, very little changed on the show.

    The formula held up for over three decades, and in the end, it was CBS’s pressure to compete with NBC’s The Today Show that doomed Captain Kangaroo.

    The network kept pushing the show to an earlier and earlier slot in the morning and demanded shorter broadcast time in order to accommodate an expanded CBS Morning News.

    captainkangaroo5The show was briefly revived as Wake Up in 1981, airing at 7.00 am.

    In 1982, the show, which had been fiercely defended by parents and educators alike, was moved to weekends (a new show on Saturday and a repeat on Sunday). Two years later, Captain Kangaroo was off the air permanently.

    Bob Keeshan, who played Captain Kangaroo, got his start on children’s television playing Clarabell the Clown on The Howdy Doody Show from 1948-52. After Captain Kangaroo, Keeshan hosted CBS Storybreak before being replaced by Malcolm Jamal Warner.

    A few new Captain Kangaroo segments were edited in with old material for a brief PBS run in the early ’90s, bringing the Captain back for one last reminder of what kids’ TV is really all about.

    Captain Kangaroo 
    Bob Keeshan
    Mr Green Jeans 

    Hugh ‘Lumpy’ Brannum
    Dennis the Handyman

    Cosmo Allegretti
    Mr Moose 

    Cosmo Allegretti
    Mr Bunny Rabbit 

    Cosmo Allegretti
    Grandfather Clock 

    Cosmo Allegretti
    Miss Frog 

    Cosmo Allegretti
    Mr Whispers 

    Cosmo Allegretti
    Word Bird 

    Cosmo Allegretti
    Dancing Bear 

    Cosmo Allegretti
    Mr Baxter 

    Larry Wall
    Debby 

    Debby Weems
    Orville the Dragon 

    Terry Kelly
    Banana Man 

    A. Robbins

    Related Posts

    • Let's Make A Deal
      Let's Make A Deal
      1 9 6 3 - 1 9 7 7  (USA) 1 9 8 4 - 1 9 8 6 (USA) 1…
    • Sesame Street
      Sesame Street
      1 9 6 9 - Current (USA) 4,500+ x 30 minute episodes 35 x TV specials "This show is brought to…
    • Shari Lewis Show, The
      Shari Lewis Show, The
      1 9 6 0 - 1 9 6 3 (USA) Shari Lewis (real name Shari Hurwitz) was a popular ventriloquist on…
    • Enchanted House, The
      Enchanted House, The
      1 9 7 0 - 1 9 7 2 (UK) 39 x 15 minute episodes The 'enchanted house' in the…
    • Lawrence Welk Show, The
      Lawrence Welk Show, The
      1 9 5 5 - 1 9 8 2 (USA) Bandleader Lawrence Welk and his Champagne Music Makers, a popular dance…
    • Ken Murray Show, The (Time To Smile)
      Ken Murray Show, The (Time To Smile)
      1 9 5 0 - 1 9 5 3 (USA) Comedian Ken Murray began his career as a teenager in…
    • Family Feud (USA)
      Family Feud (USA)
      1 9 7 7 - 1 9 8 5 (USA) 1 9 8 8 - 1 9 9 5 (USA) 1 9…
    • Linus The Lionhearted
      Linus The Lionhearted
      1 9 6 4 - 1 9 6 9 (USA) Linus was a lion who ruled the jungle and all of…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleWonderama
    Next Article Hanna-Barbera Cartoons

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Vibes (1988)
      Nick Deezy (Jeff Goldblum) is a ‘psychometrist’ capable of […]
    • Chameleons, The
      This melodic, multi-layered guitar-pop quartet formed in […]
    • Chosen Survivors (1974)
      A group of people who have unknowingly been handpicked by the […]
    • Mastermind
      Nothing to do with the TV show of the same name, […]
    • Really Wild Show, The
      1 9 8 6 – 2 0 0 6 (UK) 300+ x 25 minute episodes The […]
    • One Foot In The Grave
      1 9 9 0 – 1 9 9 7 (UK) 2 0 0 0 (UK) 42 x 30/60 minute […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.