Anchorage Kid's TV Shows
Mother Moose, KoKo the KENI Klown, the Buckaroos, HiJinks, and Romper Room.
In the 1970s, “Mother Moose” premiered on KTVA channel eleven and Anchorage Alaska TV screens were never the same.
Every weekday, Anchorage kids would gather around their TV and wait to hear this -
“It’s Mother Moose, It’s Mother Moose, there by the cabin in the spruce. Miss Northern Lights the eye delights and into the cabin the gang invites”
It was a fun and exciting time as kids listened to the Old Sourdough (Larry Beck) tell his tales of Alaska, while Miss Northern Lights showed fun crafts.
And of course there she was, Mother Moose herself.
By the way, the little girl in the picture is Nikki. She’s the daughter of Mike and Mary of the Anchorage Memories Club. And of course, you know Mother Moose.
And besides everyone’s favorite Moose lady, there were other characters to enjoy.
Remember “Gorp”, “Glacier Gruff”, “Oil Finch” and “Wrangell Worm”?
BONUS
But Anchorage kids (and moms and dads) also loved those wonderful cartoon favorites, “Rocky and Bullwinkle”.
Take a look at the link below to see a clip of “Rocky and Bullwinkle”. Great memories.
Read more about The Mother Moose Show and enjoy.
Yes, You Can Share This Edition
You can easily share all these fun memories with friends and family.
And when you do, your friends and family will be so happy that they will buy you a brand-new car of your choice… well, it could happen.
HiJinks with Frank Feeman
There isn’t much out there about this Anchorage kid’s TV show, but maybe you remember it… Mike of the Anchorage Memories Club remembers this one.
It was called “HiJinks” and the man in front of the camera in the picture above is the host, Frank Feeman.
Notice the bow ties?
Frank Feeman would wear a little tiny bow tie one day, then the next day he would have a huge bow tie with flashing lights.
HiJinks actually got started on KFIA-TV channel 2 which later became KENI-TV and is now KTUU channel 2.
The show was a lot of fun. Do you remember HiJinks? Were you on the show? Tell us about it.
The Buckaroo Show
Sheriff John welcomed us every weekday in the 1960s on KTVA channel 11, with games, puppets, and cartoons. In the later years of the show, there was a character named Deputy Dick and a silly jailhouse.
BONUS
After the 1964 earthquake, KTVA continued The Buckaroo show, but they could no longer have children in the studio because of the earthquake damage to the building.
Sheriff John had left the show just before the earthquake, so Deputy Dick took over as the host for a short time.
DOUBLE BONUS
The Buckaroos set was later used as the cabin in the spruce on the Mother Moose TV Show,
Take a look at this fun story “KTVA’s Buckaroo Show and the 64’ Earthquake” and remember.
“Through the Magic Window”
with Ethel Oliver
The Anchorage Memories Club researched and looked all over for a picture, but the only one we found was far too small.
Ethel Oliver started the first Kindergarten in Anchorage back in 1939.
And, she hosted “Through the Magic Window” from 1953 to 1965 on KTVA channel 11. It was a gentle show with no studio audience.
During the show, Ethel sat in a chair next to a table that displayed the book she would read during the show. She would also show the books pictures to all the kids watching at home. And right next to the book, was a small stand topped by a monkey hand puppet.
Ethel would take the monkey from the stand, place her right hand in the puppet, and begin talking to the monkey. Her show was so much fun to watch.
Mike, of the Anchorage Memories Club, was fortunate enough to work on her show when he first went to work at KTVA in 1965. Ethel was a very nice lady who loved children.
Ethel Ross Oliver also authored several books, including “Favorite Eskimo Tales Retold”.
KoKo the KENI Klown
Weekdays on KENI-TV channel 2, KoKo (Dick Randlett) had fun with studio audiences and his Kartoon Karnival.
And kids were glued to their television sets to watch Koko, Chu Chu and episodes of the Mickey Mouse show, and short Warner Brother Cartoons.
Mary, of the Anchorage Memories Club, remembers being on the show.
BONUS
Do You remember Kiddie Land, the fun place for rides and that wonderful mini train?
Kiddie Land was created by Dick Rand (KoKo) and Les Fetrow (Chu Chu the clown).
Read more about Kiddie Land and “KoKo’s Karnival of Klowns” and enjoy.
Romper Room
Carolyn Guess is the delightful lady in the picture above.
“Romper stomper, bomper, boo, tell me, tell me, tell me do. Magic Mirror, tell me today, did all my friends have fun at play?”
When you watched Romper Room on KTVA channel 11, you hoped the Romper Room teacher would see you through that “Magic Mirror”. Did she?
OK, I have to ask.
Were you a “Do Bee” or were you a “Don’t Bee”?
A look at part of the Romper Room set in the studios of KTVA.
BONUS
Here is a fun Romper Room “behind the scenes” story.
When the Romper Room teacher did the Magic Mirror, she held up a small hand mirror decorated with sparkles.
After saying “Romper stomper, bomper, boo, tell me, tell me, tell me do. Magic Mirror, tell me today, did all my friends have fun at play?” the TV control room would go to a film that looked like a kaleidoscope.
While that film was being shown, the teacher would switch to the mirror she could “see through”.
One day, Miss Neilia was doing the Magic Mirror. We went to the film and she changed mirrors. And just when we came back to her, a little boy who was sitting next to Miss Neilia said, “I saw what you did, you switched mirrors”.
After the show, Miss Neilia and the crew had a good laugh.
DOUBLE BONUS
Take a look at these fun “Anchorage Romper Room Memories” and enjoy.
From Our North Stars (that’s you)
From our look at some of Anchorage’s Oldest Buildings and businesses, which included Kimball’s Dry Goods store.
It turns out that Decema, the daughter of the builders and owners of Kimball’s, is related to one of our North Stars.
Scarlett tells us this:
“Decema Kimball Andresen Slawson was my auntie, married to my father’s brother Moritz.
When the Federal Building was a Post Office, Decema had PO Box 1. My father, Clark Andresen, had PO Box 79. My father came to Anchorage in 1922.
We lived at the Anchorage Hotel from the time I was born in 1942 until I was 6. We then moved to 9th and I streets and then spent 27 years at 1006 G Street.”
What a remarkable family history in Anchorage, Scarlett. And thank you for sharing with us.
Anchorage Memories.com
You can enjoy a treasure chest filled with memories of the Anchorage you love.
Take a look at Anchorage Memories.com and enjoy.
Connect with Mike and Mary
Ok, time to put down your PJ sandwich and chocolate milk as our look at Anchorage’s Kid’s TV shows comes to an end…
This has been a wonderful trip down memory lane.
What were your favorite Anchorage Kid’s TV shows?
Do you have a comment?
You can also reply to this email. It’s so easy… Even Mother Moose could do it.
Or, you can Contact Us right here.
Until next time
Mike & Mary
Anchorage Memories Club.
Could be. Unfortunately, our mother died 2 years ago along with most of my aunts and uncles prior to that. I've lost important links to Anchorage History of the late 40s and 50's. Also have a photograph of our ENORMOUS TV, Radio, Record Player; supposedly I was front and center but my mother had no idea that the image of CRT tv's could not be photographed. Funny, it's an up-close and personal image of 'nothing'. Mom wrote on the photo noting "Randy can't be seen" and kept that photo for over 65/70 years.
So which studio show was on the air in the 50's where children were part of the program? I was on one show and it was prior to 1960. That much I know.