View source for Captain Kangaroo

{{Short description|American children's television series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Captain kangaroo 1976.JPG
| image_size           = 230
| caption              = Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan), left,<br>with [[Nipsey Russell]] in 1976
<!-- | rating   = -->| runtime              = 60 minutes / 30 minutes
| creator              = [[Bob Keeshan]]
| writer               = Howard Friedlander
| starring             = Bob Keeshan<br>[[Hugh Brannum]]
| open_theme           = {{Plain list|
* "Puffin' Billy" {{small|(The Captain Kangaroo Theme)}} (1955–1974)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fiftiesweb.com/tv/captain-kangaroo/ |title=Classic TV Shows: Captain Kangaroo |publisher=Fifties Web |date=December 8, 1984 |access-date=January 6, 2020}}</ref>
* "Good Morning, Captain" (1974–1984)
}}
| location             = [[CBS Broadcast Center]]
| company              = Robert Keeshan Associates<br>Marvin Josephson Associates
| country              = United States
| network              = [[CBS]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1955|10|3}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1984|12|8}}
| num_seasons          = 29
| num_episodes         = 6,090
| list_episodes        = 
}}

'''''Captain Kangaroo''''' is an American [[children's television series]] that aired weekday mornings on the American television network [[CBS]] for 29 years, from 1955 to 1984, making it the longest-running children's program on a commercial network.<ref>"Bob Keeshan". ''Encyclopædia Britannica Online''. Retrieved January 2, 2010.</ref><ref>"Keeshan, Robert James". ''The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives''. Ed. Arnold Markoe, Karen Markoe, and Kenneth T. Jackson. Vol. 7: 2003–2005. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2010.</ref> In 1986, the American Program Service (now [[American Public Television]], Boston) integrated some newly produced segments into [[reruns]] of past episodes, distributing the newer version of the series to [[PBS]] and independent public stations until 1993.

== Conception ==
The show was conceived by [[Bob Keeshan]], who also played the title character "Captain Kangaroo", and who based the show on "the warm relationship between grandparents and children". Keeshan had portrayed the original [[Clarabell the Clown]] on [[NBC]]'s ''The [[Howdy Doody]] Show'' during the network's early years.

== Show structure ==
''Captain Kangaroo'' had a loose structure, built around life in the "Treasure House" where the Captain (the name "kangaroo" came from the bigger pockets in his coat) would perform [[storytelling]], meet guests, and indulge in silly stunts with regular characters, both humans and puppets. Keeshan performed as the Captain more than 9,000 times over the nearly 30-year run of the show.<ref name=NYTKeeshanObit>{{cite news |last1=Severo |first1=Richard |title=Bob Keeshan, Creator and Star of TV's 'Captain Kangaroo,' Is Dead at 76 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/24/arts/bob-keeshan-creator-and-star-of-tv-s-captain-kangaroo-is-dead-at-76.html |access-date=August 6, 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 24, 2004}}</ref>

== Changes in setting and duration ==
The May 17, 1971, episode had two major changes on the show: The Treasure House was renovated and renamed "The Captain's Place" and the Captain replaced his navy blue coat with a red coat. In September 1981, CBS shortened the hour-long show to a half-hour, briefly retitled it ''Wake Up with the Captain'', and moved it to an earlier time slot;<ref name=trmka>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=efdLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z-4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5910%2C2958826 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=CBS trims 'Kangaroo' |date=March 23, 1981 |page=15}}</ref> it&nbsp;was moved to weekends in September 1982, and returned to an hour-long format. CBS canceled ''Captain Kangaroo'' at the end of 1984.

== Longevity record ==
''Captain Kangaroo'' was the longest-running American network children's television show until 1997 when it was surpassed by ''[[Mister Rogers' Neighborhood]]'', which itself was surpassed by ''[[Sesame Street]]'' in 2003. ''Captain Kangaroo'' is still far and away the longest running children's TV series by episode count with 6,090 episodes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Dave|date=2024-12-10 |title=Do You Spend Time As A Child Watching This TV Show? |url=https://river967.com/do-you-spend-time-as-a-child-watching-this-tv-show/ |access-date=2025-07-11 |website=96.7 The River |language=en}}</ref>  When one counts the 65 edited versions (severely altered re-runs) that aired on PBS the episode count goes up to 6,155. Second-place holder ''Sesame Street'' has aired 4,731 episodes till now.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063951/episodes/?season=1 |title=Sesame Street (TV Series 1969– ) - Episode list - IMDb |language=en-US |access-date=2025-07-11 |via=www.imdb.com}}</ref>

==Cast==
*[[Bob Keeshan]] as Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Pennywhistle, Mr. Doodle, Wally and the Town Clown
*[[Hugh Brannum|Hugh "Lumpy" Brannum]] as Mr. Green Jeans, the New Old Folk Singer, Percy, Uncle Backwards, Mr. McGregor, and Mr. Bainter the Painter
*Cosmo Allegretti appeared as [[Mr. Bunny Rabbit]] and [[Mr. Moose]] (both of which he also created), Dennis the Apprentice, Willy, Miss Frog, Mr. Whispers, Dancing Bear, Grandfather Clock, and Uncle Ralph; he was the voice of [[Aniforms]] puppet TV Fred (a [[live-action]] on-screen puppet that appeared behind the blackboard in the Treasure House), and was the artist behind the Magic Drawing Board<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.toontracker.com/kangaroo/fred.htm |title=Toon Tracker's Fred From Channel One Page |publisher=Toontracker.com |access-date=November 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621062201/http://www.toontracker.com/kangaroo/fred.htm |archive-date=June 21, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=Allegretti2>{{cite news |last1=Collins |first1=Scott |title='Captain Kangaroo' character actor Cosmo Allegretti dies at 86 |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-captain-kangaroo-character-actor-cosmo-allegretti-dies-at-86-20130807-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=August 7, 2013}}</ref>
[[File:Captain Kangaroo promotional postcard 1961.JPG|thumb|From left: Dancing Bear, Bunny Rabbit, Captain Kangaroo, Grandfather Clock, Mr. Moose, and Mr. Green Jeans]] 
* Sam Levine as [[The Banana Man]]; the character was created for [[vaudeville]] by Adolph Proper<ref>{{cite web |url=http://facweb.furman.edu/~rbryson/BananaMan/index.html |title=The Banana Man |publisher=Facweb.furman.edu |date=November 24, 2003 |access-date=November 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511163151/http://facweb.furman.edu/%7Erbryson/BananaMan/index.html |archive-date=May 11, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.charliethejugglingclown.com/BananaMan.htm |title=A. Robins -- The Original Banana Man |first=Bruce "Charlie" |last=Johnson |access-date=November 12, 2012 |website=Charlie the Juggling Clown |archive-date=December 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121229102435/http://www.charliethejugglingclown.com/BananaMan.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Bill Cosby]] as himself, the host of the ''[[Picture Pages]]'' segment (1980–1984)
* [[Debbie Weems]] appeared as Debbie (1973–1978); the voice for the puppet character Baby Duck
* [[James Wall (actor)|James Wall]] as Mr. Baxter (1968–1978); was also the stage manager<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg716AjpNbw Academy of American TV: "James Wall on joining 'Captain Kangaroo']</ref>
* [[Carolyn Mignini]] as Kathy and other female roles (1981–1983)
* [[Kevin Clash]] as the puppet character Artie (1980–1984) and as himself, acting in many of the sketches
* [[John Burstein]] as [[Slim Goodbody]] (1978–1981)
* [[Bill McCutcheon]] as Mr. Homan (1965–1968)
* [[Jane Connell]] as Mrs. Homan (1965–1968)
* [[Joyce Brothers|Dr. Joyce Brothers]] as herself for three seasons

==Format==
[[Image:MisterMoose.jpg|thumb|right|Mr. Moose and the Captain's original navy blue jacket at the [[Smithsonian Institution]]]]
The show takes place in and around the Treasure House, later called the Captain's Place, where the Captain would interact with puppets, guests, and other members of the cast. Even the opening sequence changed.

Each episode began with the theme music playing, then the Captain makes his entrance to the studio by unlocking and opening the doors of the Treasure House from the inside, where viewers would catch their first glimpse of him. Then he puts the Treasure House keys on a nail, and the music ends. On rare occasions, the Captain could not get the keys to stay on the nail, and when they fell off, the theme song plays again. One never knew exactly what would happen from one episode to the next, although at certain times of the year, such as the Christmas season, paper cutout versions of such stories as ''The Littlest Snowman'' would be shown.

===Cartoons===
Several cartoon shorts were featured over the course of the series' run, including:

A [[cartoon]] starring a funnel-capped [[shapeshifting]] boy named ''[[Tom Terrific]]'' was part of the show in the 1950s and 1960s. Tom had a [[sidekick]] named Mighty Manfred the Wonder Dog, and an [[archenemy]], Crabby Appleton ("I'm rotten to the core!"). Other cartoons included ''Lariat Sam'', who (aided by his loyal horse ''Tippytoes''), confronted his nemesis ''Badlands Meanie'' and his sidekick ''Bushwhack''. ''[[The Adventures of Lariat Sam]]'' was developed by veteran [[game show]] [[announcer]] [[Gene Wood]], then a show staffer (who also sang the cartoon's theme song).<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0219425/
|title=''Lariat Sam'' on IMDB
|website=[[IMDb]]
|access-date=2024-04-17}}</ref>

The [[United Kingdom|British]] cartoon ''[[Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings]]'' appeared in the 1970s, featuring a child with magic chalk who could create all sorts of short-lived creations in short adventures. The original version featured a British narrator, [[Bernard Cribbins]], but Keeshan's voice was dubbed onto the cartoons for their U.S. airing.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WONkUpsOIPI
|title=Excerpt of 1976 episode on YouTube, containing ''Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings'' redubbed version
|website=[[YouTube]]
|date=June 2, 2011
|access-date=2024-04-17}}</ref>

Another British-produced cartoon, ''[[Ludwig (1977 TV series)|Ludwig]]'', about a magical egg-shaped robot, was also included around the same time as ''Simon''. The cartoon's musical score consisted of selections from the works of [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]].

Also appearing in the 1970s was ''[[The Most Important Person]]'', a series of five-minute segments on the importance of life, and ''[[The Kingdom of Could Be You]]'', a series of five-minute segments on the importance of careers and the work world.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Woolery |first1=George W. |title=Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part 1: Animated Cartoon Series |date=1983 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-1557-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/childrenstelevis0000wool/page/192/mode/2up |accessdate=14 March 2020 |pages=191–192}}</ref>

The cartoon series called ''[[The Toothbrush Family]]'' was based on an [[extended family]] of hygiene utensils, as the name suggests; they would embark on adventures based in the [[bathroom]], like [[water skiing]] in the tub, or rescuing friends caught in the drain. Episodes were generally a few minutes each and basically revolved around teaching children the importance of [[oral hygiene]].

A silent cartoon in the 1970s named ''[[Crystal Tipps and Alistair]]'' featured the adventures of a young girl and her dog. Later reruns were narrated by the voice of Mr. Moose. Another British favorite, ''[[The Wombles]]'', was also featured.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://americansongwriter.com/tales-from-the-uk-a-qa-with-the-wombles-mike-batt/
|title= Tales From The UK: A Q&A With The Wombles' Mike Batt
|last=Schlansky
|first=Evan
|date= July 8, 2011
|access-date=2024-04-17}}</ref>

''[[The Red and the Blue (TV series)|The Red and the Blue]]'' shorts from Italy, as well as ''[[The Undersea Adventures of Captain Nemo]]'', featuring a family of [[sea explorer]]s, were also shown.

==="Good morning, Captain!"===
Starting in 1974, the show opened with different people wishing the Captain "good morning". Many of the openings featured noncelebrities, but some featured stars from TV shows, most of which broadcast over CBS. The montage of "good mornings" always ended with the Captain himself returning the [[greeting]] before the opening sequence.

===Regular features===
Other regular features included ''The Magic Drawing Board'' and the Captain's "Reading Stories" sessions, which introduced kids to stories such as ''[[Curious George]]'', ''[[Make Way for Ducklings]]'', ''[[Stone soup|Stone Soup]]'', ''[[Caps for Sale]]'', and ''[[Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel]].''<ref>{{cite book |last=McMahon |first=Ed |title=When Television Was Young: The Inside Story with Memories by Legends of the Small Screen |location=Nashville |publisher=Thomas Nelson Inc. |date=September 11, 2007 |page=[https://archive.org/details/whentelevisionwa0000mcma/page/230 230] |isbn=978-1401603274 |url=https://archive.org/details/whentelevisionwa0000mcma/page/230 }}</ref> The [[Sweet Pickles]] books were also featured.
[[File:Cosmo allegretti captain kangaroo 1977.JPG|thumb|180px|Puppeteer Cosmo Allegretti (left) with actor Dick Shawn, 1977: Allegretti played many roles on the program.]]

Songs were a regular part of the show, from "Captain Kangaroo" to many traditional tunes to popular songs interpreted by puppets. [[Carmino Ravosa]] was a songwriter on the show from 1975 to 1977.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Charles |first1=Eleanor |title=WESTCHESTER GUIDE: Productions for Children |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/14/nyregion/westchester-guide-548723.html |access-date=August 18, 2015 |work=The New York Times |date=December 14, 1997}}</ref>

On the first show of every month, the Captain had a [[birthday cake]] for all of the children with birthdays that month.

Keeshan also had a recurring role as the Town Clown, a [[pantomime]] piece that took place in and around the exposed wagon home of a [[tramp]]-like [[circus clown]]. Like the character Clarabelle that he played on ''Howdy Doody'', the Town Clown never spoke.

Favorite characters on the show were Grandfather Clock (voiced by Cosmo Allegretti), Bunny Rabbit, Rollo the Hippo, and Dancing Bear. Dancing Bear was mute and only appeared in short subject features. He often danced [[waltzes]] to background music.

One of the show's long-[[running gags]] was the "Ping-Pong Ball Drop", instigated by the telling of a joke (usually a [[knock-knock joke]]) by Mr. Moose, in which the [[punchline]] included the words "ping-pong balls". At the mention of those three words, a shower of [[ping-pong ball]]s was released from above on the Captain.

The show often had simple [[black light theatre]] segments using paper or cardboard cutouts. A notable recording of a popular song, such as [[Judy Garland]]'s Decca recording of "[[Over the Rainbow]]" (from ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]''), [[Mary Martin]] singing "[[Never Never Land (song)|Never Never Land]]" (from the original cast recording of the musical ''[[Peter Pan (1954 musical)|Peter Pan]]''), or [[Danny Kaye]] singing "[[Inchworm (song)|Inchworm]]" (from the Decca recording of the songs from ''[[Hans Christian Andersen (film)|Hans Christian Andersen]]'') were heard while the cutouts played on the screen, animated by a concealed [[puppeteer]]. On other occasions, full-fledged [[hand puppet]]s "performed" to the song being played (as in the case when a hand puppet dressed in Spanish clothing performed to a recording of tenor [[Allan Jones (actor)|Allan Jones]] singing "[[The Firefly (1937 film)|The Donkey Serenade]]").

Also, about two or three times in an episode, short film clips on certain topics played over a song about that particular topic.

Especially in later seasons, the show also featured a [[running gag]] in selected episodes during which the Captain would try to perform a particular activity three or four times, only to fail in a different way with each attempt.

Familiar props included a mockup of a talking cathedral-style radio that Keeshan simply called Radio. Keeshan would turn the large knobs on Radio to get a conversation going. Reminiscent of the old [[Atwater Kent]] cathedrals, Radio had a rather interesting conversation with a smaller [[transistor radio]] in one show. Also featured was a huge [[Colgate toothpaste]] box with a large windup or clockwork key on the side. Keeshan turned the key to play a [[jingle]] ("Colgate Fluoride M-F-P/Helps Prevent the Cavity/And it Tastes Great, Naturally!") for the show's sponsor, Colgate Toothpaste.

At the end of each episode, the Captain always encouraged parents watching the show to spend some [[quality time]] with their children every day, and he often demonstrated various creative ways in which to do so. In later seasons, that changed to him saying, "Well, what would you like to do today? You know it could be a good day for..." then a song would list many different activities while short film clips of each corresponding activity are presented, then the song ended with the singers saying, "There's so much to do. These things are just a few." Then it would cut back to the Captain, who would sign off with, "So whatever ''you'' do, have a great day!"

==Theme song==
The first theme song for ''Captain Kangaroo'' titled "Puffin' Billy" was used from the show's debut in 1955 until 1974. It was an instrumental piece of [[light music]], written by [[Edward White (composer)|Edward G. White]] and recorded by the Melodi Light Orchestra. The track was from a [[Music of the United Kingdom|British]] stock music production library known as the Chappell Recorded Music Library, which was sold through a New York agency called Emil Ascher. The tune's original title referred to a British [[Puffing Billy (locomotive)|steam locomotive]]. The tune was used on various programs on both sides of the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] and was already popular in the United Kingdom: for example, two years before ''Captain Kangaroo'', it served as the wrap-up music for an episode of the radio program ''[[Rocky Fortune]]'' called "Murder Among the Statues". In the United Kingdom, it became famous as the theme to the weekly BBC radio program ''[[Children's Favourites]]'' from 1952 to 1966, and is still widely recognised by the postwar generation. It was later used in the [[Enid Blyton]] parody ''[[Five Go Mad in Dorset]]'' and in a number of British TV advertisements, including a [[Captain Sensible]] spot. The "Puffin' Billy" theme played as the opening of each episode, with the music continuing until the Captain hung his large ring of keys on a nail, which seemed to act as a switch to end the music abruptly. If the Captain's keys ever slipped off the nail, the music plays again. In 1957, lyricist Mary Rogers penned lyrics to the tune, creating a newly titled ''Captain Kangaroo'' song.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://medium.com/winmipodcast/once-upon-mary-rodgers-54c6b448eb18
|title=Once Upon Mary Rodgers - Medium
|last=Jones
|first=Patrick Oliver
|date=2005-03-16
|access-date=2024-04-18}}</ref>

In 1974, a new theme song titled "Good Morning, Captain" was composed for ''Captain Kangaroo,'' written by Robert L. Brush. As the new theme used similar melodic elements from the original theme, Edward G. White's name was added to the song credits. However, due to copyright issues, the song was re-recorded in 1979 without the portion of "Puffin' Billy" featured in the first version.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}} During the brief ''Wake Up With the Captain'' era, a theme titled "Wake Up" was used, but was dropped after the program moved to weekends. For the show's later seasons from 1982 to 1984 and subsequent PBS run, ''[[Schoolhouse Rock]]'' mainstay [[Lynn Ahrens]] (who composed and performed a few ''Captain Kangaroo'' songs herself) wrote a new theme, entitled "Here Comes Captain Kangaroo".<ref>Keeshan, Robert. ''Good Morning Captain: 50 Wonderful Years with Bob Keeshan''.</ref>

The theme song for ''The All New Captain Kangaroo'' used the opening notes and part of the melody of the original theme as its introduction. Bob Keeshan also recorded music for both [[Columbia Records]] and [[Golden Records]], aimed at introducing all kinds of music to children.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Coopee |first1=Todd |title=7 Things You Didn't Know about Captain Kangaroo |url=https://toytales.ca/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-captain-kangaroo/ |website=Toy Tales|date=June 24, 2015 }}</ref>

==Schedule history==
While ''Captain Kangaroo'' was still in planning stages, CBS executives had the idea of hiring Al Lewis, who was hosting a popular kids' show at [[WCPO-TV]] in [[Cincinnati]], to host their program. But when station management refused to release Lewis from his contract, they selected Keeshan to host. Lewis' own program, ''[[Uncle Al Show|The Uncle Al Show]]'', ended its run in Cincinnati a year after ''Captain Kangaroo'' left CBS.

[[File:Bob Keeshan Captain Kangaroo 1970.JPG|thumb|180px|Keeshan and Bunny Rabbit promote an auto seat belt campaign, 1970]]
CBS aired the program on weekday mornings, initially telecast live in the [[Eastern time zone|Eastern]] and [[Central time zone|Central]] time zones at 8:00 am (ET)/7:00 am (CT) for its first four years (it would eventually be scheduled for 8:00 am in all time zones). Same-day episodes would be broadcast on [[kinescope]] for Western audiences, as Keeshan would not perform the show live three times a day. For the first three months, ''Captain Kangaroo'' was only seen on weekday mornings. From December 1955 until 1968, the show was also seen on Saturday mornings, except in the 1964–1965 season, when it was replaced by a Keeshan vehicle called ''Mr. Mayor''. Except for pre-emption by news or special events, notably the four-day continuous coverage which followed the November 22, 1963, [[assassination of John F. Kennedy]], and a few shows that were 45&nbsp;minutes, the show aired a full 60&nbsp;minutes on weekday mornings until 1981.

The audience of children could never compete in the ratings with such entertainment/news shows as NBC's ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'', although ''Captain Kangaroo'' won [[Emmy Awards]] three times as Outstanding Children's entertainment series in 1978–1979, 1982–1983, and 1983–1984. In the fall of 1981, to make more room for the expansion of ''[[The Early Show#The 1980s|The CBS Morning News]]'', the Captain was moved to an earlier time slot of 7:00 am and cut to 30&nbsp;minutes, sporting the new title ''Wake Up with the Captain''. The show was moved again in the spring of 1982 to 6:30&nbsp;am, a time when few children (or adults) were awake. In the fall of 1982, it returned to an hour format, but was moved to Saturday mornings at 7:00 am ET and 6:00 am in other time zones. Reruns from the previous season were offered to CBS affiliates to run Sunday morning in place of the cartoon reruns offered before, but most declined. One-third of affiliates no longer ran the show at all after 1982, and it was again reduced to a half-hour in the fall of 1984. Angered over the reduction of his program for the second time, Keeshan chose to step down at the end of 1984, after his contract with CBS expired.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}} After the show ended, [[Children's Television Workshop]] hired some of its staff to work on ''[[Sesame Street]]''.<ref name="Barnes 2023 k421">{{cite web | last=Barnes | first=Mike | title=Lloyd Morrisett, Co-Creator of 'Sesame Street,' Dies at 93 | website=The Hollywood Reporter | date=January 24, 2023 | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/lloyd-morrisett-dead-sesame-street-1235309113/ | access-date=February 28, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Nast Lepore 2020 o912">{{cite magazine | last1=Lepore | first1=Jill | title=How We Got to Sesame Street | magazine=The New Yorker | date=April 29, 2020 | url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/05/11/how-we-got-to-sesame-street | access-date=February 28, 2024}}</ref>

Just over a year later, on September 1, 1986, ''Captain Kangaroo'' returned in reruns on PBS, with funding from [[public television]] stations, School Zone Publishing Company, and the [[John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation]]. [[American Public Television]], then known as the Interregional Program Service, distributed the show, along with Britder Associates (Keeshan's production company).

The original director of the program was Peter Birch, who helmed the program for its first 25&nbsp;years. Producer [[Jimmy Hirschfeld]] took over as director following Birch's heart attack in 1980 and continued directing, as well as producing throughout the rest of the show's run, including the new segments inserted into the PBS reruns, until it went off the air in 1993.

The cast of ''Captain Kangaroo'' also hosted the CBS coverage of the [[Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade]] for several years in the 1960s.

==Schwinn marketing==
From the late 1950s, the [[Schwinn]] Bicycle Company made use of children's television programming to expand its dominance of the child and youth bicycle markets. The company was an early sponsor (from 1958) of ''Captain Kangaroo''. The Captain himself was enlisted to sell Schwinn-brand bicycles to the show's audience, typically six years old and under.<ref name=petty6>{{cite web|author=Petty, Ross D. |title=''Pedaling Schwinn Bicycles: Lessons from the Leading Post-World War II U.S. Bicycle Brand'' |publisher=Babson College, MA (2007), p. 6 |url=http://faculty.quinnipiac.edu/charm/CHARM%20proceedings/CHARM%20article%20archive%20pdf%20format/Volume%2013%202007/170-179_petty.pdf |access-date=November 12, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514091409/http://faculty.quinnipiac.edu/charm/CHARM%20proceedings/CHARM%20article%20archive%20pdf%20format/Volume%2013%202007/170-179_petty.pdf |archive-date=May 14, 2013 |df=mdy }}</ref> At the end of each live Schwinn marketing promotion, Bob Keeshan would intone, "Schwinn bikes—the quality bikes—are best!" and "Prices slightly higher in the South and in the West". The on-air marketing program was deemed successful by Schwinn, and the company increased its market share of child and youth bicycles throughout the 1960s.<ref>Petty, Ross D., ''Pedaling Schwinn Bicycles'', pp. 5–7</ref>

The marketing program continued through the 1971 season, when the [[Federal Trade Commission]]'s Staff Report, ''Guidelines on Advertising to Children'', recommended against Schwinn's on-air marketing practices using the show's host. In response, Schwinn and the show's writers altered the format in 1972. The Captain no longer insisted that his viewers purchase a Schwinn, but instead made regular on-air consultations of a new character, Mr. Schwinn Dealer.<ref name=petty6 /> A 1973 internal company news article concluded that the show's child audience had difficulty separating Schwinn's sales pitch from the regular content of the show.<ref name=petty6 />

== 1997 reboot==
In 1997–2000, a rebooted series titled ''The All New Captain Kangaroo'' was produced by [[Saban Entertainment]] in association with TLC Entertainment. Eric S. Rollman, who also served as President of Saban and Fox Family Productions, was executive producer. George Taweel and Rob Loos of TLC produced the series. John McDonough played the Captain on this version, which was shot in [[Tampa, Florida]], and featured animal segments shot at [[Busch Gardens Tampa Bay]] and [[SeaWorld Orlando|Seaworld in Orlando]]. Keeshan was invited to appear as a special guest called "The Admiral", but declined. Thirteen episodes were produced for syndication with an additional twenty-seven episodes serving as the centerpiece for a programming block on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]], [[Fox Kids Network]] (later known as [[Fox Kids]]), and [[History of Freeform (TV channel)|The Family Channel]] (later known as Fox Family Channel) dubbed ''Captain Kangaroo's Treasure House'', from 1997 to 2000; the block also featured reruns of ''[[Thomas and Friends|Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends]]'' and ''[[Magic Adventures of Mumfie]]'', as well a spin-off show, ''Mister Moose's Fun Time'', which included cartoon segments from around the world, as well as clips from [[The Wiggles]]. When [[Disney]] bought Fox Family, the company shelved ''The All New Captain Kangaroo'' and ''Mister Moose's Fun Time'', allegedly due to the fact the reboot advertised [[Busch Gardens]] and [[SeaWorld]], rivals of [[Walt Disney World]].<ref>[https://lostmediawiki.com/The_All_New_Captain_Kangaroo_(partially_found_reboot_of_CBS_children%27s_TV_series;_1997-1998)] Lostmediawiki: "he All New Captain Kangaroo (partially found reboot of CBS children's TV series; 1997-1998)"]</ref> {{Better source needed |reason=lost media wiki is full of unreliable and bogus info and user generated content|date=September 2023}}

== Trademark==
In 2011, the trademark for the Captain Kangaroo name was acquired by the Cashin Comedy Co.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clownlink.com/2011/05/the-new-captain-kangaroo/ |title=The New Captain Kangaroo! |website=Clownlink |date=May 21, 2011 |access-date=November 12, 2012}}</ref> In a blog, the Captain is portrayed by [[Pat Cashin]], an entertainer and professional clown.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://captainkangarooshow.blogspot.com/ |title=Captain Kangaroo |website=Captain Kangaroo Show.blogspot.com |date=February 18, 2013 |access-date=January 6, 2020}}</ref> Cashin died in 2016 at the age of 48, leaving the rights to this version with his estate.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://communityvoices.post-gazette.com/arts-entertainment-living/tuned-in/item/41646-tv-q-a-the-pennsylvania-lottery-commercials-instinct-captain-kangaroo-and-profanity-during-nfl-games |title=TV Q&A: The Pennsylvania Lottery commercials, 'Instinct,' 'Captain Kangaroo' and profanity during NFL games |last=Owen |first=Rob |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=November 7, 2019 |access-date=November 8, 2019 |archive-date=November 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191107080930/http://communityvoices.post-gazette.com/arts-entertainment-living/tuned-in/item/41646-tv-q-a-the-pennsylvania-lottery-commercials-instinct-captain-kangaroo-and-profanity-during-nfl-games |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Creative Artists Agency]], the successor to ''Captain Kangaroo'''s previous rights holders Marvin Josephson Associates and [[ICM Partners]], is the current owner of the series.

==See also==
* ''[[Pee-wee's Playhouse]]''

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{IMDb title|id= 0047718|title=Captain Kangaroo}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110813035916/http://captain-kangaroo.com/ ''Captain Kangaroo''/Cashin Comedy Co. website] (Archived)
*Ingram, Billy. [http://www.tvparty.com/lostterrytoons.html "The Good Captain"], TVParty.com, n.d.
*Zurawik, David. [https://www.baltimoresun.com/2004/01/24/tvs-captain-kangaroo-bob-keeshan-dies-at-76/ "TV's Captain Kangaroo, Bob Keeshan, dies at 76"], ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'', January 24, 2004
*McFadden, Kay. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110622014206/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2001842909_captain24.html "Bob Keeshan, TV pioneer Captain Kangaroo, dies at 76"], ''[[Seattle Times]]'', February 3, 2004
* ''Captain Kangaroo''. [https://theclassictvshows.blogspot.com/2011/09/captain-kangaroo.html], Classic TV
*[http://archives.nypl.org/the/21465 ''Captain Kangaroo'' scripts, 1959-1964], held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, [[New York Public Library for the Performing Arts]]

{{Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Series}}
{{Children's programming on CBS in the 1960s}}
{{Children's programming on CBS in the 1970s}}
{{Children's programming on CBS in the 1980s}}
{{Former PBS Kids original programming}}

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