It's Howdy Doody Time! This is a great way to get your young kids interested in something you may have enjoyed when you were young. Our 8 year old neice was facinated with the entire production. She went home singing the theme song and the Clairabell the Clown song - she also now has the tape and will share it with her younger brother. The quality of the tape was surprisingly good, due to the age of the originals. It was everything I expected and more. Enjoy!
Wayne Edwards
Indianapolis, IN

Howdy Doody was probably the most successful TV show for kids of it's time. From 1948 until 1960 everyone knew when it was Howdy Doody time. In the early 70s, several of Buffalo Bob Smith's fans were in college and nostalgic for Howdy Doody, so Smith made a number of college campus personal appearances. And in 1976 a New Howdy Doody Show appeared as a Monday thru Friday half hour in syndication. But contemporary kids didn't know these characters, and it is doubtful that of their many parents, who saw the original, did more than tune in just to relive some memories. For one thing the Howdy marionette was not the original but an "updated" version with softer features and "real" hair. It is the 1976 series that appears on these tapes. I give the set a high rating because the color and picture are good...people who remember this new series will fondly be pleased!
John Ewaniuk
Los Angeles, CA

It's just great to see the characters in color and in pristine quality. Oddly enough, I never saw the original show when it aired, having been born seven years after it ended. Still, I was a regular viewer of the revival series when it aired in Chicago in the late 1970s. Since then, I've seen tapes of the original series. So, these shows being what they are, the quality is great! I'm glad these shows have been made available...I never thought I'd ever see them again. (It's interesting that this set was released just months after Bob Smith passed away.)
Mark
Chicago, IL

Yesterday afternoon, I visited one of the Grade 6 classes in the building. As I entered the classroom with my laptop in hand, the teacher told me the students had just visited the Doodyville website. The students excitedly shared their experience with the website.  They wanted me to hear the Howdy Doody theme song on the internet; so, I opened my laptop and logged to the website with the students telling me what to key.  Within moments the entire class had gathered around as the website opened. The students directed me through the sites they wished me to visit. Soon, we all were singing the theme song together.

Before moving on, I challenged the class return to the website and return to me with information regarding Buffalo Bob, marionettes, Phineas T. Bluster, Princess Summerfall Winterspring, Flub-A-Dub, Chief Thunderthud, the Peanut Gallery, and Clarabell.  The class listened to my stories about early television, test patterns, and popular programs. Then I gave the class my final challenge. The first person identifying the person who portrayed Clarabell, and that person's next successful position would receive a fabulous prize from me.  One younster returned this morning announcing that Bob Keeshan had played Clarabell; and that he moved on to play Captain Kangaroo.

In summary, it was a fun experience with the Grade 6 students, and a wonderful trip back in time.
Patrick J. Labriola
Principal