HiYa, Kids!! A ‘50s Saturday Morning

Nostalgia doesn't come any sweeter than this thoroughly delightful boxed set that recaptures a bygone era of children's television. If you are of a certain age, the names alone—Howdy Doody, Lassie, The Cisco Kid, Roy Rogers, Sky King, Flash Gordon—will make you smile (not one of these shows was animated—whatever happened to live-action children's series?). In a simpler time, puppet masters ruled: Burr Tillstrom's Kukla, Fran, and Ollie; The Paul Winchell Show; and Bob Clampett's Time for Beany, featuring the voices of Stan Freberg and Daws “Huckleberry Hound” Butler. One of this set's most interesting obscurities is Juvenile Jury, in which a panel of adolescents rule on actual questions from parents. Speaking of parents, moms and dads are advised not to let their kids watch Winky Dink and You! by themselves, lest they risk defacing their HDTV screens: in the original broadcasts of this interactive series, children were directed to attach a clear vinyl “magic screen” to the front of the sets and trace onscreen objects that played pivotal roles in the story. Picture quality varies from show to show (The Magic Clown—yes, a tad obscure—looks particularly washed-out), but these episodes are mostly of archival interest. One would like to think that today's preschoolers would be engaged by Miss Frances of Ding Dong School, entertained by burlesque clown Pinky Lee, and thrilled by Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. But even if they aren't, their grandparents certainly will be. Highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)