Henry Novotny The Happy Hour was WTCN’s follow up to the Dave Lee Show starting in 1970. The program was hosted by Henry Novotny as “Uncle Henry” and featured Phil Johnson as Fred and the program’s puppeteer. Warren Martin was the program announcer. Phil Johnson Phil Johnson remembers, “The WTCN days were almost always fun.
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Casey Jones, Axel and Carmen, T.N. Tatters, Clancy and Willie, Joe the Cook and Roo Roo the Kangaroo, Dave Lee and Pete the Penguin, Sheriff Sev, Sgt. Scotty, Boots and Saddles, Rocko Dyne, Horror Incorporated, Roundhouse Rodney, Skipper Darl, J.P. Patches, Romper Room and Miss Betty, Grandpa Ken, Wrangler Steve and Chuck Wagon Chuck, The
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Here’s a clip from a WCCO program called Out & About from July 2002. Ralph John Fritz talks to people that knew and worked with Axel including Don Stoltz (Tallulah). Roger Awsumb (Casey Jones) also appears.
The early days of WMIN, channel 11, featured a number of children’s programs. One of the first, starting in 1954 was Captain 11, which aired on weekday afternoons and featured old movie serials such as Buck Rogers and The Lost Jungle. According to channel 11 director Al DeRusha, the set was made of parts from old pinball machines
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John Gallos is best known to viewers as Clancy the Cop on the long running Clancy and Willie show on WCCO television. His career spanned more than 40 years at WCCO and included news, public affairs, and religious programming, in addition to children’s shows. Gallos was born in 1923 and grew up in Minneapolis. He graduated
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Commodore Cappy featured a rabbit puppet named Bats Bunny. Bats was described as “the younger and less famous brother of Bugs.” John Gallos created the puppet from a stuffed rabbit dressed in a baseball uniform, which belonged to his daughter Nancy. Sources: ”Gallos brought puppets to life” St. Paul Pioneer Press Nov 19, 2005
Jim Lange as Captain 11, Steve Cannon as Wrangler Steve and Roger Awsumb as Casey Jones are shown together here. The three of them appeared together at Excelsior Amusement Park on August 7, 1954. The heavily promoted event was called WMIN-TV Kids Day. The ad below was featured in the Minnesota edition of TV Guide. from
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Steve Cannon is a Minnesota broadcast legend. His career spanned over 40 years, but he is best remembered for his long running program “The Cannon Mess” on WCCO radio. The drive time show ran for 26 years and featured Cannon and his alter-ego creations Morgan Mundane, Ma Linger, and Backlash LaRue. All of the characters were
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Wrangler Steve was one of the early WMIN, channel 11, childern’s programs, debuting in late 1953 or early 1954, along with Casey Jones Noontime Express, and Captain 11. It featured a young Steve Cannon, years before he became known for his radio show on WCCO. The program aired old western movies on Saturdays. The show
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In the mid-1950s, Clellan Card appeared as Olaf the Janitor on the WCCO-TV program The Mel Jass Show to provide comedy relief.
