Customer Reviews

Say Kids! What Time is It? Notes From the Peanut Gallery

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fun, factual and no-holds-barred. Not only does this book trace the history, creation, long run and bittersweet ending of the Howdy Doody Show but it goes into behind the scenes politics, personality problems, and sometimes adult-oriented rehearsals. There are lots of valentine-like books about this wonderful baby-boomer show (which still is FUNNY on videotape if you can get the right episodes!). But those usually gloss over the time the show fired most of its cast, the frustrations of some cast members, and the extent to which the show became a corporate money-machine for NBC. In the end it's demise had little to do with ratings or show quality but production costs. If you liked Howdy Doody, are interested in the show from a nostalgic standpoint, a show biz standpoint, a puppetry standpoint, or are simply interested in solid show biz history this is a CRUCIAL book since you won't find a lot of this info elswhere. Yes, it's lovingly written in parts...but it doesn't cover the warts. And it's a GREAT read!

Everything you ever wanted to know about the back stage activities of the Howdy Doody show.

Well written, entertaining and authoritative. This book is a MUST if you want to know about the program.

It's THE definitive, honest look at the operation. A thorough trip through the show's run and the personalities involved. My only criticism, which pales in insignifcance, is that I would have liked a lot more photos.

One even less important event the author missed was the day the Princess Summerfallwinterspring puppet changed *poof* into a real person and was introduced to the whole Doodyville cast, including the cameramen.

Buffalo Bob had that rare ability to look through the camera, past the picture tube and right into your eyes. When I buy toothpaste, it's still Colgate. I think that ability comes through in this book.

I'm still ticked off that the Buffalo backtimed the show so well that we didn't know until Monday what he unveiled in front of the Peanut Gallery on Friday: There was a new circus. I complained to my mother about that and I'm still right. But in my later years as a broadcaster, I still marvel at how he timed it out right to the second. Bob Keeshan makes reference to that ability near the back of the book.

I got this book through the library. I thought it would be a very quick read, but I was pleasantly surprised. I remember Howdy Doody as a kid, but forget the exact years when I watched it. When HD first came on the air in NY television was in its infancy and added affililates as the years progressed. HD's demise was ultimately due to the Mickey Mouse show.

To read about the characters protrayed in the show was very interesting especially Buffalo Bob, Clarabell, and Princess Summerfall Winterspring. The author had a crush on the Princess. The Princess wasn't a choir girl by any means and had a mouth that would make a sailor blush. I vaguely remember the Princess and was of course way too young to appreciate her aesthetic values. She died at just 23 three days after completing the movie Jailhouse Rock with Elvis.

It was interesting to read about the Buffalo (as the author calls him). He was quite talented. The Buffalo had a severe heart attack at age 36 due to the stress of working three shows. He was most probably an alcoholic, as he owned a liquor store in Winchester County after he retired from the show. Later in his post Doody years the Buffalo split time between the sticks in upstate Maine near New Brunswick and Ft. Lauderdale, where he owned an apartment building.

If you watched the show as a kid, it is well worth your time to read the book.

I would suggest anyone that watched the Howdy Doody show on tv purchase this book. The book brought back fond memories of the times of watching the show on particular saturday mornings. Couldn't put down the book once opened it up. It held my interest that I read the book completely through the first night.