"Say kids, What time is it?"

Ask that question to anybody who was a young television viewer in the 50s and without hesitation they will gleefully proclaim “It’s Howdy Doody Time!” For an astounding 2,343 episodes, Buffalo Bob, his puppet pal Howdy, a mischievous mute clown, and a herd of hyperactive kids who made up the “peanut gallery” delighted NBC viewers in what is certainly one of the most fondly remembered children’s shows of all time.

Buffalo Bob Smith, dressed in a cowboy outfit, acted as host of the show and provided the voice of the smiling freckle-faced marionette named Howdy Doody. They were joined by a plethora of colorful characters that included Chief Thunderthud (“Kowabonga!”), Sam the Wrestler, Pierre the chef, Oil Well Willie, and many others. But the character that everyone remembers most vividly (besides Howdy) is Clarabell, a clown that communicated solely through the honking of two horns, one of which meant “yes” and the other which meant “no.” When he wasn’t squeezing the horns, he was often wielding a seltzer bottle that he delighted in spraying Buffalo Bob with.

There were also an assortment of puppet friends of Howdy that inhabited the fictional town of Doodyville. These residents included Princess Sumerfall Winterspring of the Tinka Tonka tribe, the ruthless Phineas T. Bluster and his cohort Dilly Dally, Howdy’s perpetually confused pet Flubadub, and sister Heidi Doody.

Bob Smith was hosting a radio show on NBC called The Triple B Ranch Show in 1947 when he was first approached to host a new children’s show called Puppet Playhouse. He had intended to include a character he devised called Howdy Doody but there was a small problem - there was no Howdy yet, as designer Frank Paris had not yet finished working on the puppet. And so, Bob instead talked to a voice inside a box. It mattered little as kids almost immediately voiced their overwhelming approval for the new show. Finally, in 1948, work on Howdy was completed and his made his first appearance, controlled by puppeteer Rhoda Mann.

Within a year, Paris would try to secure merchandising rights to the Howdy character from NBC who flat-out refused, causing him (and the original Howdy) to walk from the series (which was now called The Howdy Doody Show.) His puppet would take on a new persona as Peter Pixie on a local station but the move proved unsuccessful for Paris. Meanwhile, a new friendlier-looking Howdy was created (which is the puppet that most people remember.) If there was any question as to whether kids would warm to the new Howdy, those fears were put to rest shortly after a campaign was created called “Howdy Doody for President of the Kids.” The result was that almost 60,000 kids wrote in requesting campaign buttons. Howdy Doody was a certified hit. Shortly thereafter, Howdy and Buffalo Bob made a personal appearance at Macy’s in New York City. The result was an astounding 10,000 puppets purchased by eager fans of the show. Howdy’s star was on the rise.

The same year, producers enlisted a relatively unknown actor at the time named Bob Keeshan to portray the lovable but devious practical joker named Clarabell the Clown. He would play Clarabell until 1952, when he left the show following a salary dispute (His next role on television lasted just a tad longer, 29 years to be exact, as the star of Captain Kangaroo.) Bob Nicholson was added to the cast to take over the role of Clarabell and handle other assorted duties on the show. He wasn’t very well liked by other cast members, however, and many of them subsequently left the show. Soon producers were scrambling for new puppeteers and voice over talent. But perhaps the biggest change to the lineup occurred in 1954, when Buffalo Bob suffered a heart attack and was briefly replaced by Bison Bill and Gabby Hayes.

When 1955 came around, Buffalo Bob was back - along with a new Clarabelle, played by jazz musician Lew Anderson (who would play the clown for the remainder of the show.)  Another significant alteration was that the show was now  broadcast in color. Unfortunately, change was on the horizon. Not only was the peanut gallery growing up but another show had caught the attention of youngsters everywhere called The Mickey Mouse Club. As the ratings declined, Howdy’s long-held weekly slot ended and the show was moved to Saturdays. In 1957, NBC decided to pull the plug on The Howdy Doody Show. An attempt was made to revive the series in 1976, now dubbed The New Howdy Doody Show. Kids simply had too many viewing options, however, and a puppet show just couldn’t compete in this new era.

The Howdy Doody Show will always be fondly remembered for it’s simplistic charm and lovable characters but it also holds a bit of notable historical significance as well. Not only was it one of the first shows to ever be broadcast in color (which resulted in tons of color television sales,) but it was the first television show to ever utilize a split-screen broadcast of two coasts simultaneously. And perhaps most remarkable, it was the first television show ever to surpass a thousand episodes.  

And when it came time for Howdy Doody to call it quits, a very touching bit of television history was made in the final moments of the last show. For the first time ever, and to the surprise of children everywhere, Clarabell finally found his voice and uttered his only words. With tears in his eyes and a breaking voice, he looked at the camera and said “Goodbye, kids.” It was the end of an era but certainly not the end of the fond recollections that people still have today for the freckle-faced puppet named Howdy Doody.