History Series / CaptainKangaroo

''Captain Kangaroo'' is a children's television series created and hosted by Bob Keeshan. It ran weekday mornings on Creator/{{CBS}} from 1955 to 1984. The name "Captain Kangaroo" came from the large pockets in Keeshan's signature red jacket. After the show left CBS, it ran until 1990 on Creator/{{PBS}}.

** Beginning in the 1970s, various personalities -- including cast members of CBS shows (''Series/TheBobNewhartShow'', ''Series/{{Maude}}'', ''Series/MatchGame'', ''Series/TheCarolBurnettShow''), random celebs (Eli Wallach, Creator/BetteDavis, Creator/BobHope), and even rival children's show hosts ([[Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood Mister Rogers]]) -- would start the show saying, "Good morning, Captain!"

-->-- '''The Statler Brothers''', "Flowers on the Wall"

->''"Countin' flowers on the wall\\
That don't bother me at all\\
Playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one\\

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/captain_kangaroo_cast_7133.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:The cast circa 1961. Left to right: Dancing Bear, Bunny Rabbit, Captain Kangaroo, Grandfather Clock, Mister Moose, and Mister Green Jeans.]]

-->--'''The Statler Brothers''', "Flowers on the Wall"

Robert James "Bob" Keeshan (June 27, 1927 – January 23, 2004) was the creator and host of this children's series, which ran weekday mornings on Creator/{{CBS}} from 1955 to 1984. The name "Captain Kangaroo" came from the large pockets in Keeshan's signature red jacket. After the show left CBS, it ran until 1990 on Creator/{{PBS}}.

!!Tropes:

Bob Keeshan (1927–2004) was the creator and host of this children's series, which ran weekday mornings on Creator/{{CBS}} from 1955 to 1984. The name "Captain Kangaroo" came from the large pockets in Keeshan's signature red jacket. After the show left CBS, it ran until 1990 on Creator/{{PBS}}.

* AnimatedCreditsOpening: Done with the [[{{Earworm}} "Good Morning, Captain"]] theme song, 1974–84.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Captain Kangaroo became a problem for CBS near the end of its run. The show aired at 8 a.m. in most markets after one hour of CBS news programming. NBC's ''Series/{{Today}}'' and ABC's ''Series/GoodMorningAmerica'' were each two-hour programs and CBS wanted to expand its news program to compete with them. At first, CBS expanded the newscast to 90 minutes and cut Captain Kangaroo to a half-hour at 8:30 before eventually taking the news up to two hours and cancelling C.K. altogether.

** Finally, a theme called "Here Comes Captain Kangaroo" (written by ''SchoolhouseRock'' composer Lynn Ahrens) was used beginning in 1983.

** The original, InstrumentalThemeTune was Edward White's "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtGUaScpSbg Puffin' Billy]]", which [[ThePond Rightpondians]] of a certain age might better associate with [[Creator/TheBBC BBC Radio]]'s ''Children's Favourites'' program.

** The original, InstrumentalThemeTune was Edward White's "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtGUaScpSbg Puffin' Billy]]", which [[ThePond Rightpondians]] of a certain age might better associate with [[Creator/TheBBC BBC Radio]]'s ''Children's Favourites'' program, was also used as the ''Captain Kangaroo'' theme for many years.

* InstrumentalThemeTune: Edward White's "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtGUaScpSbg Puffin' Billy]]", which [[ThePond Rightpondians]] of a certain age might better associate with [[Creator/TheBBC BBC Radio]]'s ''Children's Favourites'' program, was also used as the ''Captain Kangaroo'' theme for many years.
** This was replaced in 1974 with a vocal ThematicThemeTune called "Good Morning, Captain" (although the "Puffin' Billy" melody was subtly woven into the new tune's arrangement).

** This was replaced in 1974 with a vocal theme called "Good Morning, Captain" (although the "Puffin' Billy" melody was subtly woven into the new tune's arrangement).