Vanished Chicagoland: Vintage Chicago Children's Television Programs

This video showcases TV shows that geared to children growing up in Chicago back in the day. The list of songs in the video are: Time For The Kids by Muzzy Marcellino, Swinging On A Star by Mark Murphy, We're Off To See The Wizard by Martin Denny, Farmer In The Dell by Nelson Riddle, Put On A Happy Face by Matt Munro, High Hopes by The Jonah Jones Quartet, theme songs from Garfield Goose and Friends and Bozo's Circus.

[@devoradamaris]

🤲👑🤲 I LOVED BEING A KID. THANK YOU FOR POSTING. Still my home CHICAGO🫂Sharing 2024

[@kuvasz93]

Oh what happy childhood memories!! Thank you for the trip down memory lane ❤

[@MsMadmax1]

I remember watching these shows on an old black and white Zenith Console Television. No remotes back then. If you wanted to change the channel you had to get up and turn the dial. We didn't get a color television set until I was 12 in 1973. We only had channels 2,5,7,9, 11 and channels 26 & 44 were the Spanish stations and channel 32 was brand new.

[@macwyll]

I was born in Chicago in 1962 and watched TV a whole lot! Most of these I remember, and it's great to see these again. I thank you for giving me this gift of nostalgia.

[@cindysalter1665]

Wow I Was 8Years Old... I WATCHED EVERY MORNING!!! NOW 58yrs. 😘❤️

[@karenlawton2549]

this is awesome..great memories...I was surprised at the number of things I had never heard of!!!

[@williamvernola6628]

These were great kid's shows! Thanks for the memories.

[@jamessawyer4493]

I couldn’t begin to tell you what stuff I remember as a kid back in the sixties watching WGN, WFLD, the stuff that I recall on the 2 networks what a time, what a decade

[@barbarasweda3726]

I'm old enough to remember some of the earliest of Chicago children's programming. A trip down memory lane. Also, I never knew there were SO many iterations of Ray Rayner characters!

[@dmswan3172]

I remember some of these shows - Bugs Bunny, Garfield Goose, Bozo’s Circus, Dick Tracy and Miss Frances’s Ding Dong School so well! Delighted to see the beautiful,color photo of the Blue Fairy - the part where she made her entrance flying in on wires was so magical for me!💕💙🧡

[@SheFishes22]

THE STORYTELLER !!!!!!! My favorite! Thank you for finding this !!!! Making this!!!! MAGIC!

[@jolenemudra4971]

So many of these shows jogged my memory. I had completely forgotten a lot of them until I saw them on this vlog! I literally went back to my childhood! Thank you so much for sharing this! It is so precious.

[@amb2745]

The picture at 2:34 was what WGN used for requests for Garfield Goose and Friends photos. I sent a letter to WGN for one, and this was what they sent me. It was like an oversized postcard.

[@Fiddlesticks62]

I still have my 8X10 autographed Ringmaster Ned photo. What a great time & city to grow up in.

[@lindamills7017]

I was born in 1961. Seeing these again, ....Thank you. The Bozo the clown show was an everyday thing. Clutch cargo, only moved his bottom jaw, every Christmas, we waited for Suzy snowflake, hard rock, coco and Joe, frosty the snowman, Garfield goose, the only sound that goose made was smacking his bill. And the last tune, if I remember correctly we fractured fairy tales. Oh! Creature features, that was the best. Frasier Thomas, always came on Sunday afternoons. All the best classics there. To this day, I'm still looking to buy a copy of the original "Tobor" remember that one? Can't find it anywhere.

[@Mark.G475]

I was born in 1965, lived in La grange and later Hinsdale. Good times!

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

*Tobor the Great* (1954) is available here on KZbin. Just search for it by the title.

[@roberthill799]

I think a Tobor cartoon followed the movie. I believe it was Japanese-made though I’m not sure.

[@waitn4theharpazo]

Wow I forgot all about The Funny Company until just now. I use to watch that show.

[@richardranke3158]

Buzzer Belle,Jasper National Park,Dr.Todd Goodheart,Mary Twitter,Polly and of course Shrinking Violet.:-)

[@richardranke3158]

Broken Feather and Super-Chief

[@fayekramer8314]

I wish I could have watched these shows when I was little (I lived near Pittsburgh PA). WJAC from Johnstown, PA showed "Suzy Snowflake", " Hardrock, Coco and Joe", and "Frosty the Snowman", and I still enjoy those videos. Thanks for this stroll down memory lane!

[@maureencora1]

Good Shows 1960s I was 3 - 13 Thanks for the Memories.

[@timrobinson8548]

You did some digging here on this one the classics I remember real well but you had tons in here I never heard of must be before my time I am 61 so ones from the early 60's or 50's were lost to me was fun looking though

[@myrnagottlieb]

Thanks for the good memories. My husband who grew up in Hyde Park remembers he was a panelist on The Totem Club. My special memories - my Dad took me to see "Super Circus" and Mary Hartline; and he also took me to see "Comic Capers," a show on which they read the Sunday Funnies in the Sun-Times. (We got the Sun-Times, not the Trib) I also remember Bob Atcher strumming and singing about Meadow Gold Butter, Still remember all the words.Our first black and white TVs were Magnavox and Dumont- purchased from Polk Brothers.

[@hayford75]

Your welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@jackbagley640]

Mary Hartline is still with us! According to Wikipedia, she's 93 and living in Hillsboro, Illinois.

[@kevinm6158]

I remember The Funny Company”. Also I was on Romper Room back in 1970. I think I remember watching it on channel 44.

[@richardranke3158]

I always wanted to be on Romper Room when I was 3 or 4 years old.

[@pascal1947]

I was trying to recall The Mulqueens. Thank you for including. The frame titled Susie's Show, should have been Susan's Show. I know, small difference. I remember most clearly the talking table, Mr Pegasus. Why he was named Pegasus, the same as a mythical flying horse, I never understood. And of course, Susan would return to the world of reality at the end of the show with "Take me home, flying friend, take me home", and be whisked away in her magical chair. One other thank you for including Terry Bennett. Children knew him not only as the host of Jobblewocky Place, but also as Marvin, the host of Shock Theater, where we could watch old horror movie classics, to the dismay our parents.

[@PBryanMcMillin]

Very cool. I remember most of those shows, but some go back even further than I do. One show I didn't see was a Sunday morning show called, The Magic Door. It was a Jewish kids show. I'm not Jewish, but it was a kid's show, so that was good enough to get me watching. It is amazing how many of the people played different characters over the years.

[@francesomeara6602]

Thank you!

[@ul7185]

Bozo, Gar and Ray: WGN TV Classics Only

[@judybouldin9085]

Yes

[@mariocisneros911]

I didnt know there were so much pre my viewing time, 1966>. So my older brothers and sister saw all these in the fabulous 50's and early 60's

[@martywheat9726]

Wonderful memories thank you !

[@keyboardwarrior656]

Where has the time gone, it seems like just yesterday I was watching these programs!!!

[@MsMadmax1]

I was remember watching a number of these shows. I remember the Storyteller was one of my favorites. That's what I loved about Captain Kangaroo--he would always read a story. And it seemed like WGN provided a lot of what would be considered "country" programming. Orion Samuelson would read the farm report in the very early A.M. (around 5 o'clock) because a lot of the audience WGN reached was still very rural. I never missed Ray Rayner, Garfield Goose, Family Classics. My mom would watch Exercise with Gloria and do calisthenics in the living room.

[@phabulous1614]

Awww 🥰 thanks for the memories.

[@luisreyes1963]

Ned Locke sure was the busiest kid's TV host in Chicago. Sure are a lot of obscure shows as well as legendary personalities such as Terry Bennett, Frazier Thomas, Ray Rayner, Bill Jackson & let's not forget the gals, Mary Hartline & Susan Heinkel. Thanks ever so much for the memories. 😊

[@michaelpalmieri7335]

When I saw the name, Terry Bennett, for a moment, I thought it said TONY Bennett! LOL!!! 😂🤣😆

[@judybouldin9085]

Thank you so much for bringing back such fond memories . Every program that you showed I grew up with continue to keep showing these. Programs

[@gregh6719]

Some of these were before my time, but I remember most. Andy Starr and the Odeon theatre, Diver Dan, Funny Company, Bozo, Ray Rayner. Journey to the Center of the Earth..etc. A trip down memory lane. thanks for posting.

[@roberthill799]

@gregh6719 I think Journey To The Center of The Earth was a movie made in the late 50s with the great James Mason and the abysmal Pat Boone.The series on WGN, showed mostly during Garfield Goose, and I think earlier on another WGN show, was the 1955 Czech-made Journey To The Beginning of Time. I loved it,despite -or maybe because of-its dreadful special effects.

[@gregggoldstein3449]

Ahh Fractured Fairy Tales ! A young boy in a toga asking his Greek? Or Roman Mentor a question, and then being retold a story with an analogy with a funny : “And the moral to this story….”

[@Fiddlesticks62]

Big fan of The Glovables; where I fondly remember the bit featuring, "Sweetie Pie" the song with Johnny Ollen. I may have missed Jabberwoky Place if there were a segment. Thank you for the kidshow tribute. I remember many of them as I watched between 1957 & 1963. Pegasis was another I remembered. It was a cute show.

[@gregggoldstein3449]

Wow! Journey to the Beginning of Time! I still hear the eary sounding male voice echoe stirring up a very forgotten memory! And Andy Starr. The gloveables… Mr. Wizzard. Scott McCloud Space Angels verticle take off and landing, just like Elon Musk’s reusable rockets. Diver Dan with the Mermaid Miss “Minerva?” Trigger & Barry? Baracuda. My recall is rather rusted since the first black and white TV shows that aired, I must have been five or six? 64 now. Also remember Terry Toon Present’s Tom Terriffic & dog pal Boerigard? Cool McCool. Crazy Cat. . .

[@NeluThat70sKid]

That is Dick Beals, who voiced Ralph Phillips in a couple of 1950's Looney Tunes shorts, "Boyhood Daze" and "From A to Zzzz", as the little kid going "Come to order! Come to order!" @ 1:45 .

[@marcusblackwell2372]

This is a fascinating video

[@hayford75]

Thank you!

[@TheDying1]

I do remember watching in the early 70’s a show called “Inc.” or something like that. It had characters that were objects and one of them was a microphone called “Mr. Mike” but I really don’t recall anything else about the show...anyone else recall such a show?

[@williammendes253]

Anyone remember a kid on a flying brick oven ?

[@suecooper]

I’m from Aurora Il which is 45 sw of Chicago for those that don’t know wkbk is not a Chicago channel that I ever heard of and I think most of these shows were before the the 70’s cuz I never heard them also gigglesnort hotel puppets scared me as a kid

[@paulbervid1610]

Very nice

[@jackbagley640]

A wonderful trip down memory lane!! But did I miss it, or was "Here's Geraldine" in there anywhere?

[@hayford75]

Thank you! Here's Geraldine is there. It's at the 10:34 mark.

[@jackbagley640]

@@hayford75 It snuck right past me. Thanks!

[@avakate7747]

GIGGLE snort hotel was awesome! Open Come Open “The Magic Door “ With Me, with your imagination

[@dominicdibenedetto652]

Love the memories

[@andreasstavrinou6219]

Yep good o'l WGN channel 9 childrens Television morning and Afternoon Block.❤

[@garyconner6151]

It's real and it did happen..

[@charlenevarada--Stargazer]

The ones I remember are: "Winky Dink" & the "Fury" TV series. Why weren't they mentioned?

[@clementjohnson2666]

Who was singing the jazz ?

[@835YT]

Alpena, Michigan, was wear A LOT of this was from also Chicago but a lot was from MI>> WBKB Chicago was WLS channel 7 ABC NETWORK And Chicago's VERY OWN WGN(WORLDS GREATEST NEWSPAPER)

[@johntoobie6]

skip the first full minute to get to the pics

[@danielhylander9535]

♥️👍👍👍

[@minouche5702]

R u going to post more

[@wendymaldovan4886]

4:06 I may be wrong but is that Kookla, Fran and Olie? 5:29 Romper Room! I'd hide behind the couch when she would look through her looking glass (?) "I see Billy and Mary . . etc" Then I'd get upset when she never mentioned my name. . . kid logic. Anyone else have Romper Stompers?

[@renecruz8973]

Romper Room

[@waynewright2886]

Local Chicagoland Cartoons, most of this was On the Air Before i was Born in March of 61. But Others I Remember on Chicago T.V. in the 60's when I was Growing Up & Before I Headed West to L.A. In September of 69. Bozo's Circus, which was a Staple on WGN 9, Mainly when they had the Buckets Lined Up & if You got All The Bucket Hit, you Won the Grand Slam of Prizes! That Most of the Time Happened on a Friday when a Kid Landed the Ball in All the Buckets. Frazier Thomas: Family Values Man on WGN, Ran Garfield Goose, Showed the Flintstones Episode in 2 Parts in the Afternoons Every Day Around 68/69, had his Cast of Characters on his Show Also! Dirty Dragon on WFLD Channel 32 (Now Fox 32), a Dragon Puppet who wore that Damn Band Aid Box on his Head as a Cap! A Cartoon, the Name I Forgot, it had this Clown & Other Characters come out of a Ink Bottle. & That Damn Chimp...Who Had his Fantasy Portraying Characters in Chatters World. Those were the Days of Chicago Kiddie Shows & Cartoons when I was Growing Up in the 60's.

[@luisreyes1963]

Don't forget the surreal Czech serial "Journey To The Beginning Of Time." 🦖

[@brianglade848]

thanks for the book on it Wayne.....

[@michaelpalmieri7335]

The show with the clown and other characters coming out of an ink bottle may have been "Koko The Clown." It was actually a bunch of short subject films that were made around the 1920s through the early to mid-'30s. I think the "Betty Boop" cartoons were featured as well. I used to watch the show when I was a little boy, but not in Chicago, which I have never visited in my life, but in the Bronx in New York City, which is where I was born in 1960. I don't remember if I still watched "Koko The Clown" after we moved to Yonkers in 1965, when I was about four or five years old. I live in Boca Raton, Florida now (my parents and sister have long since passed away).

[@mgmaclamar]

Weak as hell, people will do anything to get hits. You have people thinking they’re going to watch the funny company