In 1987, Keeshan founded Corporate Family Solutions with former Tennessee Republican Governor Lamar Alexander. Keeshan appeared in framing sequences for the animated stories, showcasing the book versions and suggesting similar books for the viewers to seek out.
#CAPTAIN KANGAROO MEMORABILIA TV#
Keeshan's show was given a farewell of sorts with Captain Kangaroo and Friends, a primetime network TV special that aired in 1985.īob Keeshan speaking for United Way at BOK Tower in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in April 1999Īfter Captain Kangaroo ended, Keeshan hosted 1985's CBS Storybreak, which featured animated versions of children's literature. By 1987, repeats of the show were airing daily on many PBS stations. Tired of CBS's constant reductions of his show, Keeshan left Captain Kangaroo when his contract with the network ended in December 1984, just nine months shy of the show's 30th anniversary. In the fall of 1982, CBS installed it as a weekend-only hour offering, and two years later, in the fall of 1984, the show became a Saturday half-hour entry. At the start of 1982, the show was rescheduled to an even earlier slot of 6:30 am. The program was retitled Wake Up with the Captain, and was moved to a new 7:00 am time slot. Despite these accolades, Keeshan's show was shortened from its hour-long format to a half hour in 1981, to make room for the expansion of the CBS Morning News lineup. įollowing the heart attack, Keeshan received three Emmy awards for Outstanding Performer in 1982, 1983, and 1984. Keeshan underwent triple- bypass surgery and received an estimated 5,000 get-well wishes from fans. He had come to the city to accept a children's service award. Keeshan suffered a severe heart attack just moments after stepping off a plane at Toronto International Airport on July 13, 1981, which pushed the start of a revamped version of his show back to at least mid-August. Schwinn Dealer, due to the Federal Trade Commission ruling against children's show hosts directly endorsing their sponsor's products during their programs after 1969.
By 1972, Keeshan had introduced another character on Captain Kangaroo to recommend Schwinn products, Mr. Keeshan, in his role as the central character in both Captain Kangaroo and Mister Mayor, heavily promoted the products of the Schwinn Bicycle Co., a sponsor, directly on-air to his audience. Keeshan also had a Saturday morning show called Mister Mayor during the 1964–65 season. was one of the most enduring characters television ever produced." The New York Times commented: "Captain Kangaroo, a round-faced, pleasant, mustachioed man possessed of an unshakable calm. Green Jeans (played by Hugh "Lumpy" Brannum), Dennis (played by Cosmo Allegretti), and puppets such as Bunny Rabbit and Mr. Recurring characters included his sidekick (and fan favorite) Mr.
Keeshan described his character as based on "the warm relationship between grandparents and children." The show was an immediate success, and he served as its host for nearly three decades.įrom left: Dancing Bear, Bunny Rabbit, Captain Kangaroo, Grandfather Clock, Mr. CBS approved the show, and Keeshan starred as the title character when it premiered on CBS on October 3, 1955. ĭeveloping ideas from Tinker's Workshop, Keeshan and his long-time friend Jack Miller submitted the concept of Captain Kangaroo to the CBS network, which was looking for innovative approaches to children's television programming. Later that same year, in addition to Time for Fun, Keeshan began Tinker's Workshop, a program aimed at preschoolers, with him playing the grandfather-like Tinker. He played Corny the Clown, and this time he spoke. Keeshan gave up the role in 1952, and was replaced.īy September 21, 1953, Keeshan was back on the air on WABC-TV (New York City), in a new children’s show, Time for Fun. Clarabell often sprayed Buffalo Bob Smith with a seltzer bottle and played practical jokes. Debuting on January 3, 1948, Keeshan played Clarabell the Clown, a silent Auguste clown who communicated by honking several horns attached to a belt around his waist. Howdy Doody, an early show which premiered in 1947 on NBC, was one of the first. Network television programs began shortly after the end of the war. He attended Fordham University on the GI Bill and a few years at Hillsdale College. After an early graduation from Forest Hills High School in Queens, New York, in 1945, during World War II, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, but was still in the United States when Japan surrendered.
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