''Kids and Company'' is an American
children's TV show that aired on the now-defunct
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network (also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, simply DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS for the distinction of being ...
on Saturday mornings from September 1, 1951 to May 2, 1953 and was hosted by
Johnny Olson
John Leonard Olson (May 22, 1910 – October 12, 1985) was an American radio personality and television announcer. Olson is perhaps best known for his work as an announcer for game shows, particularly the work he did for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman P ...
(billed as "Johnny Olsen" in the credits) and
Ham Fisher
Hammond Edward "Ham" Fisher (September 24, 1900 (some sources indicate 1901) – December 27, 1955) was an American comic strip writer and cartoonist. He is best known for his long, popular run on '' Joe Palooka'', which was launched in 1930 and ...
.
/ref> The series was primarily sponsored by Red Goose Shoes.
This was Olson's third series for DuMont, previously hosting the talent show ''Doorway to Fame
''Doorway to Fame'' is an American talent show broadcast on the now defunct DuMont Television Network. The series ran from May 2, 1947, to July 11, 1949.
Overview
The series used early television scene-blending technology to project the performer ...
'' and daytime variety series '' Johnny Olson's Rumpus Room''.
Episode status
The season one finale on May 24, 1952 is held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Also a nonprofit exhibition venue, the archiv ...
. In that episode, Olson stated that the show would return for another season on August 9, 1952 after a ten-week hiatus, marking the anticipated changeover by leading the cast in "Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" (: note "s" rather than "z") is a popular song, particularly in the English-speaking world. Traditionally, it is sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. By extension, it is also often ...
," noting that a time had not been decided and that viewers would have to consult their newspapers. Other episodes are held by the Paley Center for Media
The Paley Center for Media, formerly the Museum of Television & Radio (MT&R) and the Museum of Broadcasting, founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, is an American cultural institution in New York City, New York with a branch office in Los Angeles, ...
and the Museum of Broadcast Communications
The Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC) is an American museum, the stated mission of which is "to collect, preserve, and present historic and contemporary radio and television content as well as educate, inform and entertain through our archi ...
.
See also
*List of programs broadcast by the DuMont Television Network
This is a list of programs broadcast by the DuMont Television Network, which operated in the United States from 1942 to 1956. All regularly scheduled programs which were aired on the DuMont network are listed below, regardless of whether they orig ...
*List of surviving DuMont Television Network broadcasts
The DuMont Television Network was launched in 1946 and ceased broadcasting in 1956. Allen DuMont, who created the network, preserved most of what it produced in kinescope format. By 1958, however, much of the library had been destroyed to recover ...
*List of local children's television series
The following is a list of local children's television shows in the United States. These were locally produced commercial television programs intended for the child audience with unique hosts and themes. This type of programming began in the late ...
*'' The Magic Cottage'' (1949-1952), DuMont daytime children's series
*'' All About Baby'' (1953–55, originated from WGN-TV
WGN-TV (channel 9) is an Independent station (North America), independent television station in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, it is sister station, sister to the company's sole radio property, talk ra ...
in Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
)
*''Happy's Party
''Happy's Party'' was a children's TV program originating at WDTV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and broadcast for one season on the DuMont Television Network.
The show debuted locally on March 1, 1951, and appears to have had its last telecast on A ...
'' (1952–53, originated from WDTV
WDTV (channel 5) is a television station licensed to Weston, West Virginia, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for North-Central West Virginia. It is owned by Gray Television alongside Clarksburg-licensed dual Fox/ CW+ affiliate WVFX ...
in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
)
*''The Most Important People
''The Most Important People'' (also known as ''Mr. and Mrs. Carroll'') was a 15-minute musical variety show on the now-defunct DuMont Television Network, hosted by orchestra leader Jimmy Carroll (1913–1972) and his wife Rita Carroll. The show air ...
'' (1950–51, sponsored by Gerber's Baby Food)
*'' Playroom'' (1948)
References
Bibliography
* David Weinstein, ''The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television'' (Philadelphia: Temple University Press
Temple University Press is a university press founded in 1969 that is part of Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). It is one of thirteen publishers to participate in the Knowledge Unlatched pilot, a global library consortium approach t ...
, 2004)
* Alex McNeil, ''Total Television'', Fourth edition (New York: Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.[Ballantine Books
Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann in 1998 and remains ...]
, 1964)
External links
* {{IMDb title, 0310478
DuMont historical website
''Kids and Company'' finale on the Internet Archive
DuMont Television Network original programming
1951 American television series debuts
1953 American television series endings
1950s American children's television series
Black-and-white American television shows
English-language television shows