FANS:
MEMORIES:
Woody33 remembers...My all time favorite as a kid was the secret world of Og. I bought the dvd as soon as ... More »
Posted on 07/31/08
PHOTOS:
Cast:
Host...Michael Young (79-81)
Hosts...Willie Tyler and Lester (81-84)
Cap'n O.G. Readmore...Frank Welker
Cap'n O.G. Readmore...Neil Ross
Cap'n O.G. Readmore...Kevin Richardson
Hosts...Willie Tyler and Lester (81-84)
Cap'n O.G. Readmore...Frank Welker
Cap'n O.G. Readmore...Neil Ross
Cap'n O.G. Readmore...Kevin Richardson
Studio:
various
Release History:
1/29/77 - ? ABC
The show went through a few hosts as well: Michael Young was there at the beginning but was soon replaced by Willie Tyler and his sidekick puppet, Lester. In the mid-80s, master and puppet gave way to just a puppet, Cap’n O.G. Readmore, a cat in a naval captain’s outfit. Every Saturday morning, the Cap’n’s gruff voice encouraged kids to read, hopefully whetting their appetite for the classics after presenting the episode.
The ABC Weekend Special on and off for 20 years, though its seasons were irregular and didn’t include a consistent number of episodes. Some of the most popular stories to air in the series were “The Winged Colt,” “The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy,” “Little Lulu,” “The Trouble with Miss Switch,” “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” “The Velveteen Rabbit,” “Pippi Longstocking,” “Runaway Ralph” and “The Magic Flute.” “Runaway Ralph” featured the young ABC star, Fred Savage, while another story, “The Legend of Lochnagar” was written and narrated by Prince Charles—the actual prince, not just a cat puppet in a prince outfit.
The show enjoyed a slow simmer of success, never quite becoming a sensation but still accomplishing its goal of getting young viewers interested in reading.

























