Captain Midnight is perhaps one of the best-remembered US children’s action-adventure television shows from the 1950s.
First heard as a popular radio serial in the 1940s, Captain Midnight made its television debut in 1954 with Richard Webb starring as the crime-fighting pilot who flew exciting missions for his Secret Squadron in his plane, the Sky King.
Captain Midnight – whose real name was Captain Albright – had been a brave and daring flying ace during World War I, according to the radio show, who returned to his home base precisely at midnight after flying a particularly dangerous mission, which is how he got his name.
Other regular characters in the series were the Captain’s somewhat dim-witted assistant, Ichabod Mudd (nicknamed ‘Ikky’) and an eccentric scientist who worked for the Secret Squadron, Aristotle Jones (called ‘Tut’).
When re-runs of the series went into syndication, the original sponsor of the show, Ovaltine, which owned all the rights to the name “Captain Midnight”, refused to allow the name to be used, so the series was renamed Jet Jackson, Flying Commando.
All references to Captain Midnight were deleted, and the name “Jet Jackson” was dubbed onto the original episodes, which confused and upset many loyal listeners and viewers of the series.
Captain Midnight (Jet Jackson) Richard Webb Ichabod ‘Ikky’ Mudd Sid Melton Aristotle ‘Tut’ Jones
Olan Soulé Chuck Ramsey
Renee Beard Marcia Stanhope
Jan Shepard
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Other regular characters in the series were the Captain’s somewhat dim-witted assistant, Ichabod Mudd (nicknamed ‘Ikky’) and an eccentric scientist who worked for the Secret Squadron, Aristotle Jones (called ‘Tut’).
All references to Captain Midnight were deleted, and the name “Jet Jackson” was dubbed onto the original episodes, which confused and upset many loyal listeners and viewers of the series.
