A research blog on the history of radio, film, television and classroom media geared towards children and young audiences through most of the 20th century.
It has been over a year since I posted a feature based on children's media anniversaries. September being the traditional fall season debut month makes it a great time to restart.
A cropped publicity photo of the cast of "Sky King". Image for Wikimedia Commons.
70 Years Ago - September 16, 1951. The television adaptation of radio's "Sky King" debuted on ABC-TV. The aviation western series would make iconic 1950s stars of its leads (above left to right) Kirby Grant Gloria Winters, and Ron Hagerty.
(Above: A 1953 ABC promo for Sky King and other ABC Saturday Morning TV Series)
The TV Version of "Sky King" was to be a replacement for "The Magic Slate", another children's series sponsored by Swift Foods Peter Pan Peanut Butter.
(Above: Radio ad at the end of Mutual's "Sky King" for TV's "The Magic Slate" another program, sponsored by Peter Pan Peanut Butter).
When a classic kid's TV show from the Golden Age of Television is lost or missing, it is hoped that footage or any visual of a program may exist in promos within other broadcasts.
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.
