Children's Television Shows

Airing from 1947 to 1960, Howdy Doody was one of the first television shows geared toward children. Mixing human and puppet characters, the show was extremely popular during the early 1950s. Howdy Doody was also a pioneer in the television industry as a whole — from its early adoption of color technology to the licensing of its characters for marketing toys and games, like this board game based on the show.

In the winter of 1954-1955, Walt Disney developed three episodes of his Disneyland anthology series about the life of Davy Crockett. The episodes were a hit, especially with children, and a Davy Crockett fad swept both America and the United Kingdom. Coonskin caps like this one — modeled after the one worn by actor Fess Parker in the series — were sold at a rate of thousands per day at the peak of the Crockett craze.

In 1955, Walt Disney introduced The Mickey Mouse Club, the first show he had ever designed expressly for children. The daily variety show was wildly popular with both children and adults. Its first run lasted until 1959, and it was later revived three times (airing from 1977 to 1979, and 1989 to 1996, and as a web-show from 2017 to 2018).

This mug depicts Fred Flintstone from the animated sitcom The Flintstones, which aired on prime time from 1960 to 1966. A parody of modern suburban life, the show offered a family-friendly version of Jackie Gleason's gritty Honeymooners TV series that aired from 1955 to 1956. Although not originally aimed at children, it soon became popular with them, and in subsequent years was rebroadcast on kids’ cartoon channels.

Ventriloquist Shari Lewis's successful appearances on the 1950s children's television program Captain Kangaroo led to her own show, The Shari Lewis Show. The show aired on NBC from 1960 until 1963 and featured puppets, including her sidekick Lamb Chop. Lewis would later develop Lamb Chop’s Play Along!, which aired from 1992 until 1995, with the goal of getting kids up off the couch and moving along with the program.

Fred Rogers believed television programs could be a powerful conduit for empathy. Airing from 1968 to 2001, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood became known for using imagination, exploration, and education to help children and families deal with difficult topics. Each episode included a trip to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, where puppets like Daniel Tiger dealt with feelings and issues similar to those young viewers might also experience.

Sesame Street, introduced in 1969, integrated new research on early childhood learning into its program, capturing children's attention and keeping them entertained. The groundbreaking show — featuring Muppets created by the legendary Jim Henson — blended learning and fun, and from its inception sought to portray diverse characters whom children could relate to. Running for over 50 years, the show has proven a resounding success.

From 1983 until 2006, Reading Rainbow — hosted and produced by LeVar Burton — aimed to encourage a love of books and reading in children. The show won over 250 awards, including 26 Emmys, and earned the title of the most-watched PBS program in classrooms. Even after leaving the air, the show remained so beloved that in 2014 an online fundraiser to develop an app version raised over $1,000,000 in just 11 hours.

Thomas and Friends — based on The Railway Series books and chronicling the adventures of Thomas the Tank Engine and his locomotive friends — first aired in the United Kingdom in 1984. The show soon crossed the Atlantic, first airing in the United States in 1989. Each episode delivered a lesson about good conduct, with the message presented in the natural course of a story, rather than as an overtly stated theme.

Pee-Wee's Playhouse, airing from 1986 to 1990, featured Paul Reubens as Pee-Wee Herman in a child-friendly version of The Pee-Wee Herman Show. The show took an artistic approach to entertainment and education, and featured many notable cast members, including members of the Groundlings improv-comedy troupe. Inspired by Howdy Doody and The Mickey Mouse Club, the show was popular with children and adults alike.

Based on a Scholastic book series, The Magic School Bus — airing from 1994 to 1997 — featured the zany Ms. Frizzle and her students going on field trips on the titular Magic School Bus. Known for its comedic yet educational approach and voice cast that included Lily Tomlin and other A-list actors, celebrities, and comedians, The Magic School Bus encouraged viewers to “take chances, make mistakes, and get messy” to learn.

Blue’s Clues first premiered on Nickelodeon in 1996. Much like Sesame Street, the creators of Blue’s Clues relied heavily on research into early childhood development to develop all aspects of the show, including its repetition-based format and colorful visuals. The show’s popularity — critical to the early success of the Nickelodeon network — has endured through three hosts and a revival series.

Created by the BBC in 1997, Teletubbies — a show about the adventures of the colorful, television-in-their-tummies Tinky Winky (purple), Dipsy (green), Laa-Laa (yellow), and Po (red) — was designed to captivate television’s youngest viewers: one- to four-year-olds. The show aimed to encourage activity in toddlers, so kept its episode segments short and playful. Although originally a UK show, it found worldwide success.