Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Happy Anniversary Captain Kangaroo...
Today, October 3rd, is the 50th anniversary of the start of Captain Kangaroo. Before Sesame Street and the Muppets, before Mister Rogers, even in a Land before Barney, was an educational program with entertainment geared to preschool children.Where various aspects of the adult world are explained to children through cartoons, stories, songs and sketches by such memorable characters as Mr. Moose, Mr. Green Jeans, Bunny Rabbit, and course Captain Kangaroo, among others.
I may be revealing my age, but I can remember watching the Captain getting pelted with hundreds of ping pong balls (This was a simplier time, before people got "slimed"). I can remember the talks with Grandfather Clock and the joys of Dancing Bear, of Mr. Moose's "knock-knock" jokes, and the way Bunny Rabbit was always able to trick the Captain into giving him carrots. I remember the stories on the Magic Drawing Board (I always wanted one of those on my wall) and the Tom Terrific cartoons. This was quality educational programming that made an impression on several generations of children and brought about quality early childhood programming.
Captain Kangaroo taught us good manners, respect and fair play. Mr. Green Jeans taught us to be nice to animals. We learned a lot from that show and had fun doing it.
Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo) first came to attention as Clarabell the Clown on Howdy Doody. He had been a page at NBC in the early days of TV and was asked to do odd jobs on the show. But they decided it looked bad to have a page running about the set, so they gave him a clown costume. He got paid so little that Buffalo Bob Smith used to slip him $5 after every show.
Just as well that he left Clarabell behind because Keeshan was born to be Captain Kangaroo. His easy manner and quiet morality made parents trust him and kids love him. Keeshan had high standards for the show. In a time when advertisers wielded heavy influence, Keeshan stood fast against any ads which he felt were inappropriate for children. No cast members ever delivered commercials and he was one of the first to insert "bumpers", those announcements that separate the show from the ad.
Captain Kangaroo was on the air from 1955 to 1984... over 9000 episodes!
Bob Keeshan died in January of 2001, but he almost single-handedly was a forerunner to all the children's programming that's so acclaimed now and was a true pioneer in children's television whose legacy goes unmatched. He won four Emmys for this program which aired every weekday morning for thirty years!
In later years, Keeshan active as a children's advocate, writing books, lecturing and lobbying on behalf of children's issues. He was critical of today's TV programs for children, saying they were too full of violence. And he spoke wherever he went about the importance of good parenting.
"Parents are the ultimate role models for children," he said. "Every word, movement and action has an effect. No other person or outside force has a greater influence on a child than the parent."
When Fred Rogers, the gentle host of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," died in 2000, Keeshan recalled how they often spoke about the state of children's programming. "I don't think it's any secret that Fred and I were not very happy with the way children's television had gone," Keeshan said.
Keeshan believed children learn more in the first six years of life than at any other time and was a strong advocate of day care that provides emotional, physical and intellectual development for children.
My favorite Keeshan quote: "Play is the work of children. It's very serious stuff. And if it's properly structured in a developmental program, children can blossom."
Yes, Bob "Captain Kangaroo" Keeshan was one of those rare pioneers for early childhood education and had a huge impact on me and the way I care for children...
Today, October 3rd, is the 50th anniversary of the start of Captain Kangaroo. Before Sesame Street and the Muppets, before Mister Rogers, even in a Land before Barney, was an educational program with entertainment geared to preschool children.Where various aspects of the adult world are explained to children through cartoons, stories, songs and sketches by such memorable characters as Mr. Moose, Mr. Green Jeans, Bunny Rabbit, and course Captain Kangaroo, among others.
I may be revealing my age, but I can remember watching the Captain getting pelted with hundreds of ping pong balls (This was a simplier time, before people got "slimed"). I can remember the talks with Grandfather Clock and the joys of Dancing Bear, of Mr. Moose's "knock-knock" jokes, and the way Bunny Rabbit was always able to trick the Captain into giving him carrots. I remember the stories on the Magic Drawing Board (I always wanted one of those on my wall) and the Tom Terrific cartoons. This was quality educational programming that made an impression on several generations of children and brought about quality early childhood programming.
Captain Kangaroo taught us good manners, respect and fair play. Mr. Green Jeans taught us to be nice to animals. We learned a lot from that show and had fun doing it.
Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo) first came to attention as Clarabell the Clown on Howdy Doody. He had been a page at NBC in the early days of TV and was asked to do odd jobs on the show. But they decided it looked bad to have a page running about the set, so they gave him a clown costume. He got paid so little that Buffalo Bob Smith used to slip him $5 after every show.
Just as well that he left Clarabell behind because Keeshan was born to be Captain Kangaroo. His easy manner and quiet morality made parents trust him and kids love him. Keeshan had high standards for the show. In a time when advertisers wielded heavy influence, Keeshan stood fast against any ads which he felt were inappropriate for children. No cast members ever delivered commercials and he was one of the first to insert "bumpers", those announcements that separate the show from the ad.
Captain Kangaroo was on the air from 1955 to 1984... over 9000 episodes!
Bob Keeshan died in January of 2001, but he almost single-handedly was a forerunner to all the children's programming that's so acclaimed now and was a true pioneer in children's television whose legacy goes unmatched. He won four Emmys for this program which aired every weekday morning for thirty years!
In later years, Keeshan active as a children's advocate, writing books, lecturing and lobbying on behalf of children's issues. He was critical of today's TV programs for children, saying they were too full of violence. And he spoke wherever he went about the importance of good parenting.
"Parents are the ultimate role models for children," he said. "Every word, movement and action has an effect. No other person or outside force has a greater influence on a child than the parent."
When Fred Rogers, the gentle host of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," died in 2000, Keeshan recalled how they often spoke about the state of children's programming. "I don't think it's any secret that Fred and I were not very happy with the way children's television had gone," Keeshan said.
Keeshan believed children learn more in the first six years of life than at any other time and was a strong advocate of day care that provides emotional, physical and intellectual development for children.
My favorite Keeshan quote: "Play is the work of children. It's very serious stuff. And if it's properly structured in a developmental program, children can blossom."
Yes, Bob "Captain Kangaroo" Keeshan was one of those rare pioneers for early childhood education and had a huge impact on me and the way I care for children...
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 5:07 PM 
