1950s Kids TV Shows

A variety show, with the main feature being the serialized adventures of the two title characters, the anthropomorphic moose Bullwinkle and flying squirrel Rocky. The main adversaries in most of their adventures are the Russian-like spies Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale. Supporting segments include Dudley Do-Right, Peabody's Improbable History, and Fractured Fairy Tales, among others.

The Quick Draw McGraw Show is the third cartoon television production created by Hanna-Barbera, starring an anthropomorphic cartoon horse named Quick Draw McGraw. The series featured 3 cartoons per episode, one each by Quick Draw McGraw & Baba Looey, father and son dog duo Augie Doggie & Doggie Daddy, and cat and mouse detectives Snooper & Blabber.

Created by Czech director and animator Zdeněk Miler in 1956, Krtek, or The Mole in English, was an international hit with children. Because the cartoons were presented with no dialogue, Krtek was held to no national boundaries. Milers daughter voiced the noises and grunts that Krtek made, and gave Miler the feedback from a child's perspective he needed to keep his stories focus on his young fans.

The Sooty Show is a British children's Puppet series which aired on the BBC from 1955 to 1967 and ITV from 1968 to 1992. It follows the adventures and comedic day to day life of puppets Sooty, Sweep and Soo with their owner Harry Corbett, and in later years, his son Matthew.

The Huckleberry Hound Show is a 1958 syndicated animated series and the second from Hanna-Barbera following The Ruff & Reddy Show, sponsored by Kellogg's. Three segments were included in the program: one featuring Huckleberry Hound; another starring Yogi Bear and his sidekick Boo Boo; and a third with Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks, two mice who in each short found a new way to outwit the cat Mr. Jinks.

Snooper and Blabber is one of the three sequences from The Quick Draw McGraw Show. This show was produced by Hanna-Barbera between September 19, 1959 and October 20, 1962, and consists of 45 episodes.

The adventures of privateer Captain Dan Tempest and his crew of former pirates as they make their way across the seven seas in The Sultana.

Innovative "Claymation" adventures of Gumby and his horse Pokey.

Felix the Cat follows the offbeat adventures of that curious feline, Felix. Although he was quickly overshadowed by Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse, America's favorite cat still remains a classic.

Pixie & Dixie and Mr. Jinks is a Hanna-Barbera cartoon that featured as a regular segment of the television series The Huckleberry Hound Show from 1958 to 1961.

A variety show featuring a cast of child performers.

Playbox was a British children's television show that ran on BBC from 1955 to 1964. Presenters who appeared on it included Eamonn Andrews, Rolf Harris, Tony Hart, Cliff Michelmore and Johnny Morris

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Walt Disney Productions has produced an anthology television series under several different titles since 1954. The original version of the series premiered on ABC, Wednesday night, October 27, 1954. The show, which was hosted by Walt Disney until his death and then from 1996 to 2002 by then-CEO Michael Eisner (with one-off hosts or no hosts during other periods) has since aired continually as either a weekly program or an irregular series of specials on several networks and streaming services, most recently on ABC and Disney+. The show is the second longest showing prime-time program on American television, behind its rival, Hallmark Hall of Fame. However, Hallmark Hall of Fame was a weekly program only during its first five seasons, while Disney remained a weekly program for more than forty years.

Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy are Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters who debuted on The Quick Draw McGraw Show and appeared in their own segment of that show.

Marty Markham, a rich orphan, attends summer camp at a dude ranch where he gradually learns to love outdoor life and becomes best friends with the popular Spin Evans.

The Bozo Show is a locally produced children's television program that aired on WGN-TV in Chicago and nationally on what is now WGN America. The series is a local version of the internationally franchised Bozo the Clown format and is also the longest-running in the franchise. Recognized as the most popular and successful locally produced children's program in the history of television, it only aired under this title for 14 of its 40+ years: other titles were Bozo, Bozo's Circus, and The Bozo Super Sunday Show.

Captain Kangaroo was an American children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running nationally broadcast children's television program of its day. In 1986, the American Program Service integrated some newly produced segments into reruns of past episodes, distributing the newer version of the series until 1993. The show was conceived and the title character played by Bob Keeshan, who based the show on "the warm relationship between grandparents and children." Keeshan had portrayed the original Clarabell the Clown on The Howdy Doody Show when it aired on NBC. Captain Kangaroo had a loose structure, built around life in the "Treasure House" where the Captain would tell stories, meet guests, and indulge in silly stunts with regular characters, both humans and puppets. The show was telecast live to the East Coast and the Midwest for its first four years and broadcast on kinescope for the West Coast, as Keeshan would not perform the show live three times a day, and was in black-and-white until 1966. The May 17, 1971 episode saw two major changes on the show: The Treasure House was renovated and renamed "The Captain's Place" and the Captain replaced his navy blue coat with a red coat. In September 1981, CBS shortened the hour-long show to a half-hour, briefly retitled it Wake Up with the Captain, and moved it to an earlier time slot; it was later moved to weekends in September 1982, and returned to an hour-long format. It was canceled by CBS at the end of 1984.

...Not very long ago, in the top left-hand corner of Wales, there was a railway. It wasn't a very long railway or a very important railway, but it was called The Merioneth and Llantisilly Rail Traction Company Limited, and it was all there was. And in a shed, in a siding at the end of the railway, lives the Locomotive of the Merioneth and Llantisilly Rail Traction Company Limited, which was a long name for a little engine so his friends just called him Ivor..." ...And that was how it began, back in 1959: one of Oliver Postgate's most loved creations, Ivor the Engine. It was a series about the Welsh adventures of a little green railway engine and his many friends. But Ivor wasn't an ordinary steam engine. He pretty much wished he was a person and ended up doing things like singing in a choir and swimming in the sea! One season of six, 10 minute, Black and White films was made for and screened by Associated-Red.

The sons of the great detective Fenton Hardy, Frank and Joe are eager to impress their father with their mystery solving skills.

Clutch Cargo is an animated television series produced by Cambria Productions and syndicated beginning on March 9, 1959. Notable for its very limited animation, yet imaginative stories, the series was a surprise hit at the time, and could be seen on 65 stations nationwide in 1960. This animated series was broadcast in Italy in syndication in the early 1980s with two different titles: Tre contro tutti and Clutch Cargo.

About a freckle-faced Spin and wealthy city kid Marty at the Triple R Ranch summer camp. Adding to the fun are exclusive interviews with the original cast members and a special tour of the original filming site.

Annette is a television serial that ran on The Mickey Mouse Club during the show's third season. It starred Annette Funicello as Annette McCloud, a poor, orphaned country girl who moves into town with her upper-class aunt and uncle. The serial also starred Richard Deacon as Uncle Archie McCleod, Sylvia Field as Aunt Lila McCleod, Mary Wickes as Katie the housekeeper and prolific Disney child stars Tim Considine, David Stollery and Roberta Shore as Annette's friends. The story was adapted by Lillie Hayward from the book Margaret by Janette Sebring Lowrey. Annette was released to DVD in 2008 as part of the Walt Disney Treasures series.

The boys (and girls) are back for another summer of ranch life.

Features the adventures of marionette puppets, Howdy Doody, his sister, Heidi Doody, with their puppet and human friends. Aired on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Arthur, the angel, cannot rest in heaven, because Peter constantly sends him to earth to take care of people in need. The lovely and hard-working angel gets into trouble again and again and must pass small adventures.

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Rootie Kazootie was the principal character on the 1950s children's television show The Rootie Kazootie Club. The show was the creation of Steve Carlin and featured human actors along with hand puppets.

Andy Pandy is a British children's television series that premiered on BBC TV in June or July 1950. Originally live, a series of 13 filmed programmes was shown until 1970, when a new coloured series was made. The show was the basis for a comic strip of the same name in the children's magazine Robin.

Drawn in a simple style, it features a gee-whiz boy hero, Tom Terrific, who lives in a treehouse and can transform himself into anything he wants thanks to his magic, funnel-shaped "thinking cap," which also enhances his intelligence. He has a comic lazybones of a sidekick, Mighty Manfred the Wonder Dog, and an arch-foe named Crabby Appleton, whose motto is, "I'm rotten to the core!" Other foes include Mr. Instant, the Instant Thing King, Captain Kidney Bean, Sweet Tooth Sam, the Candy Bandit and Isotope Feaney, The Meany.

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The Sandman's everyday life, travels and fantastic adventures. The character often showcased socialist technological achievements, such as the use of awe-inspiring vehicles like futuristic cars and flying devices. Together with his friends, Pittiplatsch, Schnatterinchen, the dog Moppi, Herr Fuchs and Frau Elster. Premiered in DFF on November 22, 1959.

The Flower Pot Men is a British children's programme, produced by BBC television, first transmitted in 1952, and repeated regularly for more than twenty years, which was produced in a new version in 2001. The show was the basis for a comic strip of the same name in the children's magazine Robin.

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The Adventures of Paddy the Pelican is an animated miniseries that first aired on ABC (US) in 1950. The show is notorious for a variety of factors including its unprofessional voice acting, simplistic animation, and inconsistent appearances of the title character.

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Ding Dong School, billed as "the nursery school of the air", was a half-hour children's TV show which began on WNBQ-TV in Chicago, Illinois a few months before its four-year run on NBC. A precursor to both Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, the show was hosted live by Frances Horwich, and at one point was the most popular TV series aimed at preschoolers. The show and its host, Miss Frances, were mentioned in the comic strip Peanuts in 1955 and 1956. The show was revived in 1959 as a syndicated program, now videotaped and distributed by National Telefilm Associates. This iteration ran until 1965. Five NBC kinescoped episodes from 1954-1955 are housed at the Library of Congress, in the J. Fred and Leslie W. MacDonald Collection.