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.Hey kids...what time is it?
He began as a
character voice on the children's radio show,
The Triple B Ranch Show. Buffalo
Bob Smith ad introduced a character named Elmer...who later came to
be known as the puppet, Howdy Doody. Responding to the children who
adored this show...NBC first introduced Howdy Doody in December of
1947 to the television public on The
Puppet Playhouse. Following some early changing and settling
into form...The Howdy Doody Show
became official in 1949.
Howdy Doody
enjoyed a 13-year run of 2,343 episodes, bringing the adventures of
host Buffalo Bob, a puppet named Howdy, and their pals in Doodyville
into the hearts of children at home and in the live studio
audience—known to the performers as the "Peanut Gallery."
Aside
from Bob and Howdy, the most famous member of the cast was the
silent prankster clown Clarabell, who honked one horn for “yes” and
another for “no,” and would usually spray a seltzer bottle or two at
Buffalo Bob. Other live characters included Ugly Sam the wrestler,
Pierre the chef, Sir Archibald the explorer, Oil Well Willie, Lanky
Lou the cowhand, and Chief Thunderthud, who said, “Kowa-bonga!”
Howdy's marionette associates included the mean Phineas T. Bluster
and his nervous sidekick Dilly Dally, Howdy’s mixed-up pet Flubadub,
Princess Summerfall Winterspring of the Tinka Tonka tribe, Howdy’s
sister Heidi Doody, and Inspector John J. Fadoozle ("Boing!").
Originally a puppet, Winterspring became a real-life girl in 1951.
In 1954,
Buffalo Bob had a heart attack and was temporarily replaced by Bison
Bill and Gabby Hayes. 1955 brought a new Clarabell and Bob returned
to the studio.
The Howdy Doody Show also
reflected America's fascination with technology. Part of the fun and
fantasy of Doodyville were crazy machines such as the
Electromindomizer that read minds and the Honkadoodle that
translated Mother Goose's honks into English. Television's technical
innovations were also incorporated into the show. On 23 June 1949
split-screen capabilities were used to join Howdy in Chicago with
Buffalo Bob in New York, one of the first instances of a
cross-country connection. Howdy also ushered in NBC's daily color
programming in 1955.
The producers recognized the
potential for merchandising. In 1949 the first Howdy Doody comic
book was published by Dell and the first Howdy Doody record was
released, selling 30,000 copies in its first week. There were also
Howdy Doody wind-up toys, a humming lariat, a beanie, and T-shirts,
among other licensed products.
In 1957, Howdy Doody was canceled
due to lack of sponsorship.
The
most famous moment in the history of The Howdy Doody Show
came during the closing seconds of the final show when Clarabell,
who did not speak but communicated through pantomime and honking his
horns, surprised the audience by saying, "Good-bye, kids." The
reality continues to be that the rich, live-action performances that
filled early children's programming are too costly for modern,
commercial television. The show was briefly brought back to
television as The New Howdy Doody Show in August 1976, but
was canceled in January 1977, after only 130 episodes.
 
  
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