We all dream of running away from parental oppression and endless pro-broccoli propaganda to join the wonderful, carefree world of the circus. Trained animals, acrobats, clowns (if you’re into that sort of thing) make for a recurring escapist fantasy when you’re young. Circus Boy told of the trials and tribulations of a boy whose home was actually a circus, leaving the rest of us seething with jealousy.

The titular character, Corky, lost his parents in a high-wire tragedy. Joey the clown quickly stepped up to adopt the boy so he could remain in the familiar circus environs. The performers raised Corky collectively and gave him a job watering Bimbo, a baby elephant. Corky and Bimbo developed a deep bond of friendship and the boy often rode on the elephant’s back. The plot centered on the daily life of the circus and Corky’s own adolescent problems. When your best friend is a pachyderm named Bimbo, you better believe you’ll have problems.

Other  characters in the series included Big Tim Champion, the owner of the circus, Pete and Little Tom. Corky frequently helped out Big Tim with the adult problems of running a successful circus and keeping it afloat financially. Bimbo helped by ferrying Corky around, spraying water out of his trunk and being very cute indeed.

The show ran on NBC from 1956 to 1957, then switched to ABC for its second and last season. Reruns continued to air for many years after that on Saturday mornings and there are still fans out there who appreciated the serious drama interspersed with comedy that was Circus Boy’s usual fare. Mickey Braddock, the young star of the show, eventually shed his stage name and achieved everlasting fame under his real last name, Dolenz. Mickey was part of the super popular pop group The Monkees; Bimbo must have been so proud.