Anchorage Kid's TV Shows
Remember Mother Moose, KoKo the KENI Klown, the Buckaroos, HiJinks, and Romper Room?
Our Anchorage, Alaska kid’s TV shows brought us together.
They were shows we could relate to. We enjoyed the hosts, characters, and the cartoons some shows presented. And occasionally, we could see our friends and neighbors on the shows. What fun for Anchorage kids.
Mother Moose
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 (Carol) 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 (third from the right) welcomed us every weekday in the 1960s on KTVA channel 11, for the western themed, Buckaroo Show, featuring 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.
BONUS
The Buckaroo 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.
KoKo the KENI Klown
Pictured above is the 1963 Shrine Circus Queen, Leslie Waldron, with KoKo the KENI Klown. )KoKo is the second person on the right, Chu Chu is on the left).
Weekdays on KENI-TV channel 2, KoKo the KENI Klown, (Dick Randlett) had fun with studio audiences and his Kartoon Karnival.
And kids were glued to their television sets to watch Koko, Chu Chu the clown, 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
photo courtesy of Monica Hall (seated far left)
Carolyn Guess is next to Monica 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 (Miss Neilia) 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.
BONUS
Take a look at these fun “Anchorage Romper Room Memories” 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 and Mary
Anchorage Memories Club.
My father, Ralph Walker, was an engineer who helped to build and run many of the radio stations in Alaska. We lived at KENI and were often available as audience members for KoKo the clowns show.
I don't remember seeing Romper Room on TV in Anchorage. It was something I watched with my cousins whenever we would visit them in the States, along with Captain Kangaroo, Howdy Doody, & The Little Rascals/Our Gang.