7 Things You Didn’t Know about Captain Kangaroo

Longevity

The show premiered on CBS on Oct. 3, 1955 and original programming ran for 29 Years until 1984, more than 9,000 performances

A.K.A.

His full name is Robert James “Bob” Keeshan

Clowning Around

He played the original Clarabell the Clown on The Howdy Doody Show

Think Green!

Keeshan was often joined by Mr. Green Jeans (actor Hugh “Lumpy” Brannum)

Puttin’ On The Hits

He made recordings for both Golden Records and Columbia Records, in which he introduced children to all kinds of music.

Product Placement

Shortly after it was invented, The Captain Kangaroo Show featured Play-Doh three times weekly, helping propel the toy to become an overwhelming success.

Bring In The Red

When the show originally debuted, Captain Kangaroo wore a black jacket. It was changed to a red jacket beginning the week of May 17, 1971.