Say Kids! What Time Is It?

Say Kids! What Time Is It? Notes from the Peanut Gallery by Stephen Davis

I first came across this book while trying to write a short biography of Bob Keeshan, the original Clarabell the Clown, better known as Captain Kangaroo. It was a wealth of knowledge on the early life and career of Bob Keeshan — but it was much more than that.

Stephen Davis has written a backstage view of the filming of the Howdy Doody Show, with an perspective that most people would envy. He was a regular, both in the Peanut Gallery of the Howdy Doody Show and backstage, since his father worked on the show for several years. He also clearly did his homework researching the history of the show, from its’ genesis until its’ eventual demise, including a postmortem and a ‘where are they now’ chapter.

The book is chock-full of anecdotes about the writing, production and casting of the Howdy Doody Show. Be forewarned: many of the cast members of this children’s show were not ‘pure as the driven snow,’ and this book reflects that; it’s not a book for children, but for adults looking back on their childhood.

I found the book both easy to read, and hard to put down once I started. It’s an excellent book, and highly recommended for anyone interested in the topic.