The prompt for Week 6 of 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History is Radio and Television:
What was your favorite radio or television show from your childhood? What was the program about and who was in it?
I remember two local Houston children's television shows from my childhood: Kitirik and Cadet Don. Probably just about anybody who grew up in Houston in the 1960s remembers these two shows, both on ABC affiliate KTRK Channel 13:
Kitirik was on in the afternoons from 1954 through 1971. The station's logo featured a black cat (since they were the unlucky number 13) and a contest came up with her clever name by putting i's between the station's call letters. It had a live audience full of birthday parties and Scout troops. Bunny Orsak played Kitirik.
Capitalizing on Houston's identification with NASA and the space program, Cadet Don was on in the mornings from 1959 through 1968. He had a puppet buddy named Seymour ("see more") from the planet of Katark (there's those call letters again!). This show was a little more educational, with frequent appearances by John Werler, then director of Houston's Hermann Park Zoo, with various animals. Don Travis (real name Al Eisenmann Sr.) even did a couple of albums that I owned, Don & Seymour (pictured below) and a folk album called Don & Mac.
What was your favorite radio or television show from your childhood? What was the program about and who was in it?
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| photo from Gary Hunt, ThisIsIt2 on flickr.com |
Capitalizing on Houston's identification with NASA and the space program, Cadet Don was on in the mornings from 1959 through 1968. He had a puppet buddy named Seymour ("see more") from the planet of Katark (there's those call letters again!). This show was a little more educational, with frequent appearances by John Werler, then director of Houston's Hermann Park Zoo, with various animals. Don Travis (real name Al Eisenmann Sr.) even did a couple of albums that I owned, Don & Seymour (pictured below) and a folk album called Don & Mac.
I don't remember a whole lot about either show, but a lot of people out there do. There are fan groups for both shows on Facebook! Click all of the links above and links within those links for more info, pictures, and nostaglia.
As for radio, I didn't listen to it a whole lot as a child, more so as a teen though, and always when alone in my car up until five years ago, when I got a car with a CD and cassette player. I do remember the summer of 1972, listening to just about every Houston Astros game on the radio, even while in the hospital recovering from an appendectomy. I was a big fan of third baseman Doug Rader, thanks to the Houston Chronicle's Straight A Student program that gave me two free tickets to three Astros games each season for my six years of middle and high school.
© Amanda Pape - 2011 - click here to e-mail me.
Thank you for this info! {Sob} I loved Kitirik and have wonderful after school memories of this show!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, Stacy!
DeleteGumby and Pokie on Cadet Don. Left the Houston area in 1968 for Fort Worth where I was introduced to Icky Twerp on Slam Bang Theater. Both by gone classics.
ReplyDeleteKitirik at Palm Center Shopping Center, giving out Hostess cupcakes with silver dollars in some and serving hot Dr. Pepper, it was winter in Houston, went on the show for my birthday and won a doll, will never forget the show, my younger brother was on the Cadet Don show for his birthday, was a great time to be a kid and to have children in Houston, thank you for the great memories.
ReplyDeleteThanks to both Anonymous commenters!
ReplyDeletethis is the very picture i got when i was on the show - that seems so very long ago!!
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty long ago, now! Thanks for commenting, Cindy!
DeleteDidn't Cadet Don have a chimp called Chatter? I believe it was a video he showed in the mornings. And remember when he used to sing "There's a hole in the bucket, dear Seymour..."?
ReplyDeleteAnd Flying Purple People Eater.
DeleteI loved "Space Angel" and "Clutch Cargo"!!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, Clutch Cargo and Space Angel both "employed the Syncro-Vox technique by superimposing live-action human lips over limited-motion animation or even motionless animation cels" per Wikipedia. It always looked so weird! Thank you for commenting, faith!
DeleteCadet Don used to host Houton Police officers regularly. One wore a patch over one eye. He also performed at NASA and played his guitar for a huge audience of children - most who had a father working for NASA. He had a great singing voice and lots of charm and charisma with children.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting, Anonymous!
DeleteThat was Officer Garnett! I vividly remember his visits on Cadet Don, and the eyepatch!
DeleteDo you remember the theme song to Cadet Don? It was actually a classic piece of music called Frolics of the Early Days by Eugene Ormandy..it brings back very early memories of childhood the instant you hear the music.
ReplyDeleteI had to go find the song and listen to it! I don't remember the theme song for Cadet Don, but this piece is totally appropriate. Thanks for commenting!
DeleteThe police officer with the patch was indeed Officer Ken Garnett. Lost the use of his eye in a traffic accident while he was directing traffic. He was a big part of the show after that. Another name from the past: Johnny Quest, and his faithful dog paddle foot. Johnny's dad was a scientist of sorts. Race Bannon, an older guy, kind of looked after Johnny. Johnny had a friend....from the Indian sub-continent....turban and all. I can't remember that kid's name.
ReplyDelete