It's Howdy Doody Time!

The first network kids show to air five days a week, first show on air each day, first television show ever broadcast in color, first show ever to air more than 1,000 continuous episodes was the Howdy Doody Show. Buffalo Bob and Howdy and friends entertained us (American children) back in the 40's & 50's.

I recall my parents getting us our first television. We use to go next door and use the neighbor's television before we were able to afford one of our own. My brother and I would sit on the floor directly in front of our television set and wait for Buffalo Bob's greeting - "Say, kids. What time is it?" We would join in from our living room with the aprroximately 40 kids that squeezed each day into the studio's "peanut gallery" and shout out: "It's Howdy Doody Time."

That little puppet dressed up in a cowboy shirt, blue jeans, gloves and bandana would grin at us and we would laugh out loud and rock back and forth on our folded legs. His blue eyes, red hair, big ears, and freckles kept you focused the whole time he was talking. Of course, as I look back, Buffalo Bob (ventriloquist) was not bad looking either.

Today, while shopping, I came across a DVD of 20 original episodes of the Howdy Doody Show. I was so happy to be able to buy this collection intended to reintroduce America's most beloved children's show to kids young and old. And I only paid $5.00 for it. I couldn't help but feel very proud of this part of my childhood, when I saw on the DVD case "IT'S YOUR DODDY" on top of Howdy's picture and underneath his picture "VOTE". Probably back then, we weren't too interested in voting, but they planted the seeds whenever and however they could.

I want to share with you, words of a poem by Henry Holcomb Bennett:
Sign of a nation, great and strong
To ward her people from foreign wrong:
Pride and glory and honor,---all
Live in the colors to stand or fall.

Hats off!
Along the street there comes
A blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums;
And loyal hearts are beating high:
Hats off!
The flag is passing by!