It's a shame that kids today don't have friends like a Captain Kangaroo, or a Mr Rogers. They helped us get through some pretty rough times growing up. The "icons" of todays TV hardly hold a candle to those guys. Violence, sex and greed seems to be all kids see on that stupid "idiot box" anymore. James F. Hodgdon Jr. Hodgdon Scale Models
In addition to the ones mentioned, there was Dancing Bear and Grandfather Clock (who always scared me). I might be mistaken, but didn't Tom Terrific (with Manfred his Wonder Dog and the evil Crabby Appleton) air on the Captain's show?
Jim
"> > Who they hell was Captain Kangaroo anyway?
Ah, that explains it. By the time I arrived in Canada, other than selected cartoons, I'd stopped watching kids shows. :-)
-- Cheers Roger T.
Home of the Great Eastern Railway
Yup. And for a while in the 1970s, they imported "Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings" from the UK. I wonder whether "Simon" replaced "Tom"...
I thaink that occasionally they ran pieces of railroad promotional films, too, set to music.
-fm Webmaster, Rails on Wheels, Washtenaw County, Mich.'s HO modular club
Well Put James.
I couldnt agree more, I have a 4 yr old son, and TV is missing lots. There is NOTHING on Australian TV that is a spit on the 60/70/80s for safe clean entertainment... The "CARTOONS" and shows of today, leave a lot to be desired.
Even shows like Andy Griffith, and things, the way things were, SIMPLE, but people were happy....
That explains it.
Every now and then, I have still check out what the kids are watching, I have to keep up with the neices and nephews you know. I don't have any children, I had a son, but lost him when he was 2 years old. My wife cannot have any children, that cancer is a terrible thing. They caught her cancer and she is OK, but no more children.
Where did you grow up and what kids shows did they have?
Sorry to hear about the wife's cancer but I'm glad she's OK now.
UK. Don't really recall what children's shows they had as we never had TV until I was 10 or 12 years old.
-- Cheers Roger T.
Home of the Great Eastern Railway
Yes, Tom Terrific was on the show.
Peter King in NY
You don't know!?!? Oh boy, look out, Spanky-Wanky will take you to his Tickle Trunk (at least if he can find it under his muu-muu).
Over 40 crowd? He was on CBS until 1985 and then on public TV after that. It would be the over 20 crowd wouldn't it?
Why was he called Captain Kangaroo?
You wouldn't have missed much.
What do you reckon was so good about Australian television for kids in the period you mention? The content was mostly imported garbage.
Television now is no different to television then - mostly lowest common denominator garbage.
Because he had huge pockets.
This is on a video that I saw on AOL when they had the headline about his death.
-- Please note; return email address has changed. It is now snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net. Emails to Earthlink will be ignored.
The Gratiot Valley Railroad Club bi-annual train show and sale March 7, 2004, at the Macomb Community College Sports and Expo Center. Macomb County Michigan. Please visit our Web Site at:
Due to his costume, it was sort of a uniform and hence the Captain part. His coat had numerous pockets and he made reference to a kangaroo's pouch.
... because of the large coat with huge multiple pockets he wore...
Calling him Captain Pockets would have been too obvious, eh?
Kangaroo is a funny word.
I guess, who knows what they were thinking in 1955
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required