Childrens' TV of the 1960s

Before senility robs me of these memories, I have assembled this list of lesser-known childrens' TV shows and short serials in the New York metropolitan area during the early 1960s.  In alphabetical  order:

• Bozo the Clown - made a friend of mine cry as a guest on his show
• Clutch Cargo - got a few seconds of screen time in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction
• Ding Dong School - for the very young

• Diver Dan - never managed to hook up with Miss Minerva

• The Magic Land of Allakazam - blonde magician's assistant rode around on a toy train in tights and high heels
• Officer Joe Bolton -  always ended the show with "It's time for all good little boys and girls to go to bed"

• Romper Room - with Mr. Do Bee

• Soupy Sales - before he was a game show guest
• Sandy Becker - Norton Nork and Hambone characters were downright weird
• Shenanigans - with Stubby Kaye, who had quite a career before and after 
• Space Angel - I liked his sidekick Taurus 
• Tommy Seven - "your favorite TV clown" had a magic nose
• Wonderama - host Sonny Fox went on to become a producer in film and TV

This list would not be complete without these highlights from the original Mickey Mouse Club show. Although it doesn't fit my "lesser-known" criteria, it was definitely my favorite, in part due to: 

• Mouseketeer Darlene Gillespie, my very first crush - I would have died of embarrassment if anyone suspected back then, but now it can be told.
• The serials, especially The Adventures of Spin and Marty, The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure and Annette

Mouseketeer Darlene Gillespie

It was my fondness for these shows that lead my parents to impose restrictive "TV watching hours." The rules were taped to the television set in the basement. But that is another story. 

Links

These two web sites are simply outstanding, comprising the deepest dive into their subjects I've ever seen. 

New York City Local TV Shows Roundup

The Original Micky Mouse Club Show