Tom Shales reflects on 'Kukla, Fran and Ollie'

The Washington Post ^ | March 29, 2010 | Tom Shales

[hoagy62]

Up here in the PNW, we had the ‘Kid’s TV Club’ with Stan Boreson, a ‘Scandi-hoovian’ entertainer who played the accordion. He had his cast of characters as well, like his Bassett Hound “No-Mo-Shun” and Pepita the Flea and several others. Anyone in their 40’s or older can remember the theme...

Zero-dockus, mucho crockus
Ala-pa-loosa bub,
That’s the secret password that we use down at the Club
Zero-dockus, mucho crockus
Ala-pa-loosa pan,
Now you are a member of the KING-5 TV Club with Stan!

(Sorry for my indulgence...)

[TBP]

Any New York kids remember Sandy Becker?

[JoeProBono]

[Hillbillary]

Hush Puppy, Charlie Horse, Lamb Chop, and Wing Ding.
My thoughts too. Thanks.

[TBP]

:)

[stylin19a]

I also hated howdy doody, but I loved his evil twin brother, Double Doody

[JoeProBono]

[Hillbillary]

IIRC, Buffalo Bob was a radio DJ or announcer from Buffalo, N.Y. before he got the TV gig.

[JoeProBono]

Born in Buffalo, New York, he attended Masten Park High School. Buffalo Bob got his start in radio as a singer and musician, appearing on many top shows of the time before becoming nationally known for the Howdy Doody Show. The final episode aired in 1960. He made a commercial appearance on July 3, 1998. That was his last appearance before he died on July 30 at age 80.

[JoeProBono]

Born Robert Emil Schmidt November 27, 1917(1917-11-27) Buffalo, New York

Died July 30, 1998 (aged 80) Hendersonville, North Carolina

[TruthConquers]

That was Cecil, the Sea Sick Sea Serpent.

And I didn’t win anything from Engineer Bill, boo hooo. Ah, well, now get your glass of milk ready for green light/ red light. Yep, we had just immigrated to the states from Canada, I must have been around six.

[Kickass Conservative]

They had the original puppet show and then they came out with an animated series if I'm not mistaken.

[stormer]

First off, I didn't realize how many old geezers were hanging here. Second, Shari Lewis happens to be the first woman I was ever in love with (except my mom)...

But most importantly (and actually relating to the original article), Burr Tillstrom was truly an artist; K, F & O was all improv and he was a master. A number of years ago I saw tribute to him and they showed some, I don't know what you would call it, experimental puppetry without the puppets - just his hands - it was like watching a dance. Amazing. I'm a geezer too.

[Kickass Conservative]

I just remembered, I had a Jerry Mahoney dummy! Can't remember what happened to it though.

Some of my brain cells are firing up trying to remember all this stuff.

[Nam Vet]

For those of you in Southern California, we had Engineer Bill on Channel 9 and Sheriff John on Channel 11

Hi from another proud member of the "Lunch Brigade" !

Nam Vet

[Kickass Conservative]

It's too bad the kids nowadays don't have the type of people on Television that we used to look up to.

The innocence is long gone.

[firebrand]

Cecil Bill's language was more like doi-doidoi-data-doi-da-doi-doi etc. My sister, my cousin, and I were experts at it. We were speaking it one day on the playground and a kid wanted to know if we were talking Italian. We can still crack up over that one.

Buffalo Bob did the college circuit for a while with a weed routine. I guess the incongruity made it especially funny. It's all scrubbed from the Net so don't bother looking.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

What a cutie she was!

[saundby]

I had an Oliver J. Dragon and a Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent. Loved them both, and the shows. Ollie and Cecil fought sometimes, so I'd have to step into Fran's role. These shows were great stuff, I wish my kids could have had the same sort of thing. I did the best I could with direct-to-tape newer stuff I bought, but it's just not the same.

[NTHockey]

Tampa Bay area had Captain Mac, who dressed as a safari hunter. The cartoons were Tom Terrific and Mighty Manfred the Wonder Dog.

Also, NY had Ray Heatherton - Joey’s dad - on Channel 11. He was the Merry Mailman and back then, there was no duble entendre.

My favorite was Beany and Cecil. Reception on Channel 13 was horrible.