The Howdy Doody Show

Howdy Doody went off the air fourteen years before I was born. Until today, I had never seen a single episode. Oh yes, I had seen the clip of Clarabell crying on the last episode, but it was not until today--at age 31--that I saw the show for the first time with my five year-old son.

I can't say that I have ever seen such a quality children's program. Maybe this is because Bob Smith & Co. were trained in radio and live television back in the 1940's, but there was something authentic about their performances. Their diction, their facial expressions, their chemistry, and their interaction with the kids... And then the story lines were not bad either. Plus, after seeing the live commercials, I was expecting my son to ask for Wonder bread.

All you have to do is compare their work product against any children's show today and you will see what I mean. They had a connection with the audience--something the Power Rangers don't have. Frankly, I feel sad for my son's generation, because there is nothing so real on television for him today. Instead of finding role models like Buffalo Bob on TV, all he has are impersonal cartoons; and if, God forbid, he should ever change the channel from these shows, he might find Jerry Springer and Maury Povich.

Back when Howdy Doody was aired at least you had characters that were not done up in costumes that disguise what the actors looked like as they are today.

I grew up during the early stages of children's programming on TV and watched Howdy Doody (Bob Smith), Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan) and The Merry Mailman (Ray Heatherton). Now your children are watching Barney (a supposed stuffed toy who comes to life to play with the children). Does anyone know the actors name or know what he looks like?. You also are letting your children watch Bear in the Big Blue House (again, any idea who that is?). Our children, and in my case grandchildren, are watching Jim Henson-like characters in full body costumes and not seeing realistic characters who imparted the same moral standards (if not more so) on a daily basis!! I feel sorry for the person who thought that the characters on Howdy Doody were grotesque yet lets his children watch the Power Rangers and other shows that depict violence in every episode. At least those grotesque characters never threw lightning bolts, had to kick 15 ninja style characters into oblivion or otherwise teach children that violence is the only way to overcome evil.

Let me go back to the days when a children's TV host was seen as him/herself. I would be much more satisfied seeing the grandchildren learning lessons from a person rather than a purple dinosaur!!

With that greeting came the arrival of Howdy Doody, a marionette boy and leading citizen of Doodyville. Later on that name was the subject of much scatalogical humor.

The show's cast divided between marionette creations and some live players in roles. Chief villain of the show was one Phineas T. Bluster the mayor of Doodyville who probably stuffed the ballot boxes. He was a marionette and looked like a Scrooge character. Bluster had all kinds of nefarious schemes which always came up short. A worthy antagonist for the All American Howdy Doody.

Presiding over all of this was Buffalo Bob Smith who hailed from Buffalo, New York. He did it with grace and tact and never talked down to the kid audience. I remember that he had a real heart attack at one point in the 50s. A guy named Bison Bill came in for a bit and Smith's return was welcomed.

Buffalo Bob was assisted by Clarabelle The Clown played by Bob Keeshan who went straight into Captain Kangaroo when Howdy Doody finished its run of 13 years. Clarabelle the Clown usually ended quarrels with those oldfashioned seltzer bottles with the spritzers.

It was a great kid's show, just about in the boomer generation saw it.

Catchy jingle at the beginning of the end of each episode is sure to have you bounding around the house singing. I like the interaction with the kids in the audience. There's some coaching but often kids give some very creative and funny responses. The old timey movie in the show is some goofy fun thrown into the mix. Puzzles and games provide interactive fun.

There was a bit of showboating the network which seemed awkward, but better than modern TV ads. The theme for the show tends to get a little lost in all the hoopla, but there is an attempt to tie it in and bring the theme back to the point. We can see how this definitely a template for future children's television programming.

I don't think some of those reviewing this show understand that TV was in the process of being born in the late 1940s and early 1950s. You have to take into account that this was the first experiment in kids' TV programming - the very first attempt to do a show that would entertain kids. Radio people, being the only "broadcasters" around, were basically trying to do their thing - but with cameras suddenly on them. Buffalo Bob Smith invented the Howdy Doody character on radio - the puppet we usually see as Howdy was the second version, the first one having been horribly crude. Budgets were next to nothing. When Buffalo Bob asked NBC to add a clown to the show, they turned him down. He hired Bob Keeshan (who later played Captain Kangaroo on his own program) to play Clarabelle the clown and paid him $5 a week out of his own pocket. To appreciate the impact of this show you need to close your eyes and listen to the content. Doodyville is an imperfect world with many surprises. Phineas T. Bluster is the mayor and the authority figure. He frequently does thoughtless things but often comes to see the error of his ways. Watch practically any episode of the hit show NORTHERN EXPOSURE and see the same character interactions! Contrary to several internet posts, Smith was not a ventriloquist. He simply voiced the puppet, Howdy Doody, when he himself was off-camera. At some point, actor Allen Swift took over the voicing of Howdy to facilitate more live interaction between Bob and Howdy. Those who know the reality of the early days of TV recognize Bob Smith as one of TV's founding geniuses for his insight into children's entertainment.