Captain Daryl on Cartoon Island, starring Daryl Laub, was one of the most popular kid’s shows on Twin Cities television in the late 1950’s. It featured a distinctive, goofy theme which opened and closed the program. Pat Sweeney, one of the leading experts on Minnesota kids shows, has just identified this tune. He was watching […]
Roger Erickson was a Minnesota broadcast legend. For almost 40 years, he was teamed with Charlie Boone on WCCO radio. Boone and Erickson were well known for their humor, storytelling, and interviews. Roger Erickson passed away on October 30, 2017 at the age of 89. Roger Erickson’s long career included playing Bozo the Clown […]
Starting in 1956, the Popeye cartoon series were sold to local television stations around the country and most every market had a Popeye program hosted by a local TV personality. Los Angeles had Skipper Tom Hatten and Miami had Skipper Chuck Zink. New York had Captain Ray Heatherton and Detroit had Captain Jolly. The Officer […]
In August 1959, John Gallos premiered as a new character: Clancy the Cop. This first version of Clancy is now often referred to as Clancy the Keystone Cop, to distinguish him from the later better-known Clancy. Gallos borrowed some of the vocal mannerisms of Bob Hope’s foil Jerry Colonna for this character (“Aahhh, yes!”). This […]
Watercolor illustration copyright by Marc Johnson. (Pssst! Click on the picture to see a whole bunch of Axel photos.) On Thursday August 5, 1954, Axel and His Dog starring Clellan Card premiered on WCCO-TV (Channel 4) in Minneapolis / St. Paul, Minnesota. Axel, a wacky Scandinavian, had been a staple of Clellan’s radio act since […]
Jack Hastings played Johnny .44! from September 1955 until about mid-1958. In 1959, Hastings became the host of Popeye’s Clubhouse (renamed S. S. Popeye), taking over from Dale Woodley. This Johnny .44! “trading card” probably dates from 1955-1957.
Unlike most local children’s television characters, Bozo the Clown was syndicated. He was portrayed by different people in different TV markets. In the Twin Cities, he was played by Roger Erickson, who later became an early morning favorite on WCCO Radio. Bozo the Clown debuted in August 1959. The circus set for the Twin Cities’ […]
On May 8, 1948, the first children’s television show in the Twin Cities aired on KSTP-TV, Channel 5. It was a quiz show for kids that had originated on radio called Riddle Griddle, emceed by KSTP announcer Jimmy Valentine. In an early version of the show, a panel of three children would try to answer […]
Daryl Laub as T.N. Tatters and Rodger Kent as an Indian Daryl Laub originated two children’s TV characters on WTCN, Channel 11 called Skipper Daryl and J.P. Patches. When he went over to KSTP-TV Channel 5 in April 1955, Daryl brought his alter egos with him — albeit in slightly different guise: Skipper Daryl became […]
Captain Daryl was much more sedate than T.N. Tatters, Daryl Laub’s other KSTP character. One of the odd regular features on his show was a toy judge and jury passing judgment on a “case” submitted by one of the young viewers. Cases usually involved issues such as brothers who picked on their younger siblings or […]