page_title: Captain Kangaroo
section_title: Format
hierarchical_section_title: Captain Kangaroo / Format
caption_attribution_description: English: Source: Smithsonian Institution original of picture
context_page_description: Captain Kangaroo is an American children's television series that aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for 29 years, from 1955 to 1984, making it the longest-running nationally broadcast children's television program of its day. In 1986, the American Program Service integrated some newly produced segments into reruns of past episodes, distributing the newer version of the series on PBS until 1993.
  The show was conceived by Bob Keeshan, who also played the title character "Captain Kangaroo", and who based the show on "the warm relationship between grandparents and children". Keeshan had portrayed the original Clarabell the Clown on NBC's The Howdy Doody Show during its early years. Captain Kangaroo had a loose structure, built around life in the "Treasure House" where the Captain would tell stories, meet guests, and indulge in silly stunts with regular characters, both humans and puppets. Keeshan performed as the Captain more than 9,000 times over the nearly 30-year run of the show.
context_section_description: The show did not have a strict format, other than the entire program taking place in and around the Treasure House or the Captain's Place, where the Captain would interact with puppets, guests, or other members of the cast.  Even the opening sequence could change.  The show generally began with the theme music starting up, then the Captain would unlock and open the doors of the Treasure House from the inside, and viewers would catch their first glimpse of him.  Then he would put the Treasure House keys on a nail, and the music would stop.  However, sometimes the Captain could not get the keys to stay on the nail, and when they fell off, the theme music would begin playing again.
  One never knew exactly what would happen from one episode to the next, although at certain times of the year, such as the Christmas season, paper cutout versions of such stories as The Littlest Snowman would be shown.
caption: Mr. Moose and the Captain's original navy blue jacket at the Smithsonian Institution
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