I really hope to find promos for ABC-TV's "Acrobat Ranch" and "Animal Clinic", TV's first Saturday Morning shows for kids. Those programs debuted in 1951 70 years ago this summer. One complete episode of the former is archived and has surfaced online, while "Animal Clinic" is not listed in a searchable library/archive. So far I have found a promo from a few years later.
(Above) 1953 ABC Saturday Morning Promos - Space Patrol, Sky King, and More"
This slide promo for ABC-TV Saturday Morning programs aired Friday, February 13, 1953 in the opening of the "Tales of Tomorrow" episode "Another Chance" with Leslie Nielsen. The announcer implies that the parents tell their sleeping children not to miss the ABC programs to air the next morning, Valentine's Day 1953. Did the network air a version of this promo earlier in the day that was before a child's bedtime?
This promo includes visual slides for the following programs.
1) "Scouting In Action" - I have not found a lot about this series except that it may have originated in Chicago in Summer of 1951 and aired nationally a year later. It is a forgotten series in the history of children's television. Any info on this program is appreciated.
2) "Rootie Kazootie Show" is a well-documented puppet program with one episode on the Children's Media Archive YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/fPjEC5cqk8A
3) "Space Patrol" was a classic early space opera with Ed Kemmer as Commander Buzz Corey. Of all the 1950s kid's space shows, it is considered the best all-around. Also heard on ABC radio with the same cast.
4) "Sky King" is a fondly remembered aviation/western adventure series with Kirby Grant, Gloria Saunders, and Ron Hagerthy. It was based on an ABC radio series that debuted in 1946.
5) "Hail The Champ" was a 1950s Chicago game show hosted by Howie Roberts and Angel Casey where kids competed in fun athletic games for prizes. Decades before "Double Dare" this was Nickelodeon before Nickelodeon. One episode exists in the UCLA Film/Television Archives.
The search for rare kids' shows, and promos will continue. If you know of a promo for a rare kids TV show from 1941 - 1960, please leave a comment or write to archivebuilder@gmail.com with "TV promo" as the subject heading.
