T.N.Tatters was KSTP’s popular kids show in the 1950s. Daryl Laub created the clown character of J.P.Patches at channel 11 and later moved to channel 5 and change the name to T.N.Tatters. Like other shows, T.N.Tatters ran a variety of cartoons over the years. In 1956, the program was promoting Terrytoons cartoons featuring largely forgotten […]
Sister Cabrini was featured on WTCN in the late sixties with a program on WTCN-11 call Hi Jerry. She was a ventriloquist and she continued her performances long after her program ended. Jack Kennelly has found some additional information about Mary Cabrini in the years after her show on WTCN Sister Mary Cabrini performs in […]
The popularity of local kids TV hosts was enhanced by their personal appearances around the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota. This clipping from December 1970 promotes appearances by Clancy, Willie, and Carman from WCCO, Grandpa Ken and Romper Room’s Miss Karen from KMSP, and Casey and Roundhouse from WTCN. Thanks to Jack Kennelly for his […]
updated Feb 15, 2025 Romper Room was developed by Bert and Nancy Claster in Baltimore in 1953 and distributed nationally as a franchise. Each broadcast market around the country had it’s own locally produced version of the show. The program endured into the mid-90’s. Each local TV show shared several common elements. Children were encouraged […]
Very little programing form the early days of children’s television has survived. Most shows were broadcast live in the 1950’s and 60’s. Occasionally, programs were preserved on kinescope, with the intention they would be rebroadcast later. A “kinescope” was usually a 16mm film that was photographed off a high resolution TV monitor. The results were […]
Today we look back on one of the first kids show hosts in the Twin Cities. Toby Prin was a popular performer on radio, and later TV from the 1930’s until the late 1950’s. One of the earliest kids shows in the Twin Cities was Toby’s Talent Hunt (also known as Uncle Toby’s Tune Time), […]
In 1990, KARE hosted a reunion of Twin Cities kids show hosts on their Between Friends show, broadcast on November 2, 1990. This vintage video comes to us from the wonderful people at TCMediaNow, who are working to preserve the broadcast history of Minneapolis/St. Paul television. Please visit their YouTube page to see a wonderful […]
I have done a small run of the Casey DVD just in time for Christmas! This video was originally produced by Roger Awsumb and released on VHS back in the 1980’s. We upgraded and added footage for DVD release about 15 years ago. It has been unavailable for the last couple years, so I am […]
Here’s another clipping from my friend Jack Kennelly. This appeared in the Minneapolis Star in August 25, 1961. Dave Lee was scheduled to appear at Donaldsons department store that Saturday, which would have been August 26. The advertisement also promoted Pete the Penguin baseball caps for girls and boys. Does anyone have a Pete the […]
Crossroads Center in St. Cloud opened in April 1966. It was a big event for Minnesota and the grand opening featured appearances by all the popular Minnesota kids TV shows hosts. Casey and Roundhouse, Miss Betty from Romper Room, Clancy and Carmen, and Dave Lee with Pete the Penguin. Here are a few news articles […]
