Anchorage Kid's TV Shows

Do you remember the Mother Moose show, KoKo the KENI Klown, the Buckaroos, HiJinks, Romper Room and Through the Magic Window? You'll love this edition.

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 Anchorage Memories. 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.

Click on the following link:

Read more about The Mother Moose Show and enjoy.

Share the Fun

Did you know that you can easily share this edition of Anchorage Memories VIP Newsletter?

It’s so easy to 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.

Click on the following link:

HiJinks with Frank Feeman

There isn’t much out there about this Anchorage kid’s TV show, but maybe you remember it… I do.

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.

Introducing… Our North Stars

Anchorage Memories VIP Club is all about you.

As Alaskans, you know that the North Star is proudly displayed in the upper right of the Alaska state flag

And, the North Star is a big part of the Alaska Flag song.

“Eight stars of gold on a field of blue,
Alaska's flag, may it mean to you,
The blue of the sea, the evening sky,
The mountain lakes and the flowers nearby,
The gold of the early sourdough's dreams,
The precious gold of the hills and streams,
The brilliant stars in the northern sky,
The “Bear,” the “Dipper,” and shining high,
The great North Star with its steady light,
O'er land and sea, a beacon bright,
Alaska's flag to Alaskans dear,
The simple flag of a last frontier.”

Now here’s a great big heart felt “we love our North Stars” from Mike and Mary of the Anchorage Memories VIP Club.

The Buckaroo Show

Sheriff John welcomed us every weekday in the 1960s 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 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

Anchorage Memories 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.

I was fortunate enough to work on her show when I 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.

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).

Click on the following link:

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

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.

“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.”

Scarlett

What a remarkable family history in Anchorage, Scarlett. And thank you for sharing with us

OK Kids

Time to put down your PJ sandwich and chocolate milk as our look at Anchorage’s Kid’s TV shows comes to an end…

As our North Star, we know you’ve thoroughly enjoyed this trip down memory lane.

What were your favorite Anchorage Kid’s TV shows?

Do you have a comment? Just reply to this email. It’s so easy… Even Mother Moose could do it.

Or, you can Contact Us right now. Mike and Mary are actually waiting to hear from our North Stars.

Until next time

Mike & Mary

Anchorage Memories.com