Captain Kangaroo


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

From Wikipedia:

Captain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS from 1955 until 1984. After a year of absence, in 1986 it moved to public television when the American Program Service (now American Public Television, Boston) distributed the program with some newly-produced segments which were integrated into reruns of past episodes. That version of the series ended in 1993.

The show was conceived and the title character played by Bob Keeshan, who based the show on "the warm relationship between grandparents and children." Keeshan was the original Clarabell the Clown on The Howdy Doody Show when it aired on NBC.

It had a loose structure, built around life in the "Treasure House" (later renamed "The Captain's Place"), where the Captain (whose name came from the big pockets in his coat) would tell stories, meet guests and indulge in silly stunts with regular characters, both humans and puppets. The show was live for its first four years, and was in black-and-white until 1968. In 1983, CBS shortened the hour-long show to a half-hour and moved it to an earlier time-slot. It was cancelled by CBS at the end of 1984.

In the TV season of 1997–1998, an All New Captain Kangaroo was attempted by Saban Entertainment. John McDonough played the Captain. It was shot in Tampa, Florida. Keeshan was invited to appear as a special guest called "The Admiral," but after seeing sample episodes, he declined to appear or have any association with the new incarnation. It ran for one season and inspired a spinoff, Mister Moose's Fun Time.

Highlights
Bob Keeshan on the origin of Captain Kangaroo
04:42
Bob Claver on writing early Captain Kangaroo and coming up with ideas for the show
01:03
John Moffitt on finally getting assigned to be a PA, for Captain Kangaroo, just as he got another opportunity to PA for The Ed Sullivan Show
00:46
Joan Ganz Cooney on hiring producers from Captain Kangaroo for Sesame Street
04:10
Who talked about this show

Debbie Allen

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Debbie Allen on working on Captain Kangaroo
00:31

Sam Bobrick

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Sam Bobrick on writing for Captain Kangaroo
02:04

Ernest Borgnine

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Ernest Borgnine on meeting Captain Kangaroo's Bob Keeshan
00:55

Kevin Clash

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Kevin Clash on meeting Kermit Love, and on appearing on Captain Kangaroo
06:03
Kevin Clash on working with Bob Keeshan on Captain Kangaroo
02:42
Kevin Clash on working on Captain Kangaroo, The Great Space Coaster, and Sesame Streetat the same time
04:40
Kevin Clash on the end of Captain Kangaroo
02:04

Bob Claver

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Bob Claver on writing early Captain Kangaroo and coming up with ideas for the show
01:03
Bob Claver on how he came to write Captain Kangaroo
02:27
Bob Claver on the early Captain Kangaroo broadcasts
01:01
Bob Claver on Hugh Brannum as "Mr. Green Jeans" on Captain Kangaroo
00:55
Bob Claver on the puppets of Captain Kangaroo
01:14
Bob Claver on Alan Rafkin, stage manager for Captain Kangaroo
00:44
Bob Claver on a typical work week on Captain Kangaroo
01:45
Bob Claver on the cartoons of Captain Kangaroo
00:59
Bob Claver on Bob Keeshan on the set of Captain Kangaroo
01:20
Bob Claver on the guest stars of Captain Kangaroo
01:47
Bob Claver on the legacy of Captain Kangaroo
01:15
Bob Claver on leaving Captain Kangaroo
01:16

Joan Ganz Cooney

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Joan Ganz Cooney on hiring producers from Captain Kangaroo for Sesame Street
04:10
Joan Ganz Cooney on Mike Dann helping her select executive producers from Captain Kangaroo
02:26

Ane Crabtree

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Ane Crabtree on the first clothing items she ever made -- clogs made out of milk cartons -- thanks to how-to instructions from Captain Kangaroo
01:20

Skitch Henderson

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Lyle "Skitch" Henderson on working on Captain Kangaroo starring Bob Keeshan
02:14

Bob Keeshan

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Bob Keeshan on the origin of Captain Kangaroo
04:42
Bob Keeshan on the pilot of Captain Kangaroo and early critical reaction
03:24
Bob Keeshan on the character of "Captain Kangaroo"
04:20
Bob Keeshan on Hugh Brannum, "Mr. Green Jeans" on Captain Kangaroo
07:14
Bob Keeshan on Cosmo "Gus" Allegretti, who played "Mr. Moose", "Bunny Rabbit", and "Grandfather Clock" on Captain Kangaroo
07:30
Bob Keeshan on the writing of Captain Kangaroo
01:14
Bob Keeshan on the main elements of Captain Kangaroo
03:38
Bob Keeshan on the character of "Tom Terrific" on Captain Kangaroo
01:31
Bob Keeshan on the format of Captain Kangaroo, and reading stories on air to viewers
03:42
Bob Keeshan on the music in Captain Kangaroo
03:39
Bob Keeshan on the sponsorship of Captain Kangaroo
05:55
Bob Keeshan on the network and Captain Kangaroo and the Hollywood Blacklist
03:12
Bob Keeshan on Captain Kangaroo's switch from black and white to color
04:32
Bob Keeshan on how Captain Kangaroo changed over the years
03:03
Bob Keeshan on the end of Captain Kangaroo
04:08
Bob Keeshan on Captain Kangaroo's move to PBS
02:55
Bob Keeshan on the impact of Captain Kangaroo
01:43
Bob Keeshan on the origin of Captain Kangaroo
04:42

Chuck McCann with Emerson College

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Chuck McCann on appearing on Captain Kangaroo, with Bob Keeshan
07:05

John Moffitt

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John Moffitt on finally getting assigned to be a PA, for Captain Kangaroo, just as he got another opportunity to PA for The Ed Sullivan Show
00:46

Robert Mott

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Robert Mott on doing sound effects for Captain Kangaroo with Bob Keeshan 
06:23
Robert Mott on a Captain Kangaroo blooper
02:22
Robert Mott on using the MacKenzie cart machine on Captain Kangaroo
08:18

Loretta Swit

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Loretta Swit on her television debut on Captain Kangaroo and working with Bob Keeshan
01:47

James Wall

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James Wall on the feedback to his character, "Mr. Baxter," on Captain Kangaroo
01:33
James Wall on becoming stage manager on Captain Kangaroo, and on being hired to play a character on the show
04:56
James Wall on playing "Mr. Baxter" on Captain Kangaroo
02:45
James Wall on Bob Keeshan, who played "Captain Kangaroo"
00:56
James Wall on his character, "Mr. Baxter," on Captain Kangaroo
03:06
James Wall on his Captain Kangaroo schedule
02:06
James Wall on working with Captain Kangaroo director Peter Birch
02:48
James Wall on teaching concepts to children on Captain Kangaroo
05:23
James Wall on the technical elements of Captain Kangaroo
09:12
James Wall on how he heard about the shooting of President Kennedy, while working as a stage manager on Captain Kangaroo
01:52

Dan Wilcox

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Dan Wilcox on going to work on Captain Kangaroo
03:42
Dan Wilcox on the writing process on Captain Kangaroo
01:54
Dan Wilcox on writing the characters of Captain Kangaroo
05:22
Dan Wilcox on leaving Captain Kangaroo for Sesame Street
00:51

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