Results: In the Neighborhood

Disclaimer: there were/are more of these than can be counted which is why Other is listed as a possible response. No nagging or getting offended if your favorite is missing. Please play nice. And I am aware that J. Fred Muggs really doesn't belong on a list of kids shows, but how could I resist listing the chimp who helped host the news? Which - if any- of these did you watch as a child?

I like Mr. Rogers. I do. But, I was more a Captain Kangaroo kind of kid. He sang about a Lollipop Tree. He read "Make Way for Ducklings" to me. The Captain had the coolest friends. Well, maybe not Bunny Rabbit. Bunny Rabbit kind of bugged me, but I loved Mr. Moose and Grandfather Clock. Don't tell anyone, but Mr. Green Jeans was my first real crush. Did you ever have a crush on someone totally out of your reach?

My kids didn't like Sesame Street; my daughter claims it's because she had an actual attention span (true), and my son's fleeting fascination with Teletubbies ended (he says) because the show made no sense to him. (No, we are not going to discuss Tinky Winky's fashion sense or lack thereof) But I do have to ask- if you ever watched, could you explain to me what exactly Teletubbies was about?

In addition to syndicated shows like Mr. Rogers and Captain Kangaroo, there were also franchised series such as Bozo the Clown where local markets had their own Bozos. (That didn't come out quite right, but you know what I mean) One of our local stations had a Bozo (this really does sound wrong) which I watched only for the cartoons. Are you afraid of clowns?

Some stations also had their own locally produced kids' shows. Wichita had one called "Uncle Billy Reads the Funnies" and by golly that makes me wish I had grown up in Kansas- and that is not not not meant to be snarky. Still, I had access to two- count 'em! two local shows. The Uncle Orrie Show featured a gruff old coot who seemed to actively dislike kids, but it did show great cartoons. The Uncle Al and Captain Windy show on the other hand, totally rocked. Captain Windy could fly like Superman. Uncle Al played the accordion. Kids in the studio audience got to help do the local commercials. No wonder it ran for more than three decades. I know I always wanted to be in that audience. Have you ever been in the live audience of a television show?