When the Kids Were the Stars: the DMV’s Homegrown Children’s TV

For much of the 1950s through the 1980s, children in Montgomery County didn’t need cable, streaming apps, or Hollywood studios to feel connected to television magic. The stars of their after-school and Saturday-morning worlds lived right here, just across the D.C. line in studios along Wisconsin Avenue, Connecticut Avenue, and Georgia Avenue. The Washington metro area once teemed with live-action children’s shows that mixed homespun charm, community spirit, and a touch of early television experimentation.

Sam and Friends (1955–1961, WRC-TV Channel 4)

Jerry Juhl, Jim Henson, and Jane Henson with the cast of Sam and Friends.

Before Sesame Street or The Muppet Show, there was Sam and Friends, broadcast from NBC’s Washington affiliate WRC-TV. Created by University of Maryland graduate Jim Henson and his wife, Jane Nebel, the five-minute puppet sketches aired nightly at 11:25 p.m. This was a strange slot for a children’s show, but it quickly gained a cult following among kids and adults alike.

It was here that Kermit first appeared, made from Henson’s mother’s discarded coat and ping-pong ball eyes. Many Montgomery County viewers still recall catching the program before bed, never realizing they were watching the birthplace of one of America’s most influential creative empires. The show’s experimental humor and handmade look perfectly reflected mid-century D.C.: clever, resourceful, and on the cusp of something big.

Bozo the Clown – Washington’s Own Big Top Star

Before the era of syndicated cartoons and national cable networks, Washington, D.C. had its very own Bozo the Clown, and for many Montgomery County children, it was their first taste of live television magic. The first local incarnation aired on WRC-TV (Channel 4) in the late 1950s, starring none other than Willard Scott. Long before he became famous on The Today Show, Scott was Washington’s most recognizable clown, tumbling through slapstick routines and introducing cartoons between bursts of honking laughter. Episodes were filmed live in WRC’s studios off Nebraska Avenue, where local school groups, often from Silver Spring and Bethesda, packed the bleachers to cheer, laugh, and occasionally get called onstage to play games.

When the Bozo franchise was revived a decade later on WDCA-TV (Channel 20), a new generation met their own Bozo, this time played by Dick Dyszel, who would later become known to horror fans as Count Gore de Vol. His Bozo’s Circus ran through most of the 1970s, featuring a bright circus set, puppet sidekicks, and a rotating lineup of kid contestants plucked from the studio audience. For many Montgomery County day camps and scout troops, a trip to the Tenleytown studio was a rite of passage. Dyszel’s Bozo routinely made appearances at parades, school fairs, and charity events across the county, blurring the line between local celebrity and beloved neighbor.

One of the show’s enduring charms was how deeply it was woven into everyday life. Kids mailed in hand-drawn birthday cards, parents tuned in from their kitchen tables, and Bozo often slipped in plugs for community fundraisers or local toy drives. Though the clown’s oversized shoes have long been retired, the Washington Bozo remains one of the most fondly remembered figures from the golden age of local children’s television, a reminder that even amid the seriousness of the nation’s capital, laughter and play once ruled the airwaves.

Captain 20 and WOW! (1972–1987, WDCA Channel 20)

For Generation X Washingtonians, Captain 20 was the ultimate after-school friend. Introduced in 1972, the character began as a costumed space traveler who hosted cartoon blocks and later appeared in WOW!, a half-hour kids’ show filmed with a live studio audience. The set was simple, but the energy was pure local TV gold.

 Montgomery County kids mailed in hand-drawn membership cards to join the “Captain 20 Club,” which offered discounts at area movie theaters and the Wheaton Plaza arcade. Dick Dyszel, the man behind the visor, later reinvented himself as “Count Gore de Vol,” hosting late-night horror movies from the same WDCA studio, a quirky dual life that became part of local legend.

Romper Room (1953–1994, Various Stations including WMAL/WJLA Channel 7)

Though Romper Room became a national franchise, Washington was one of its first and longest-running local productions. Hosted by “Miss Connie,” “Miss Nancy,” and later “Miss Sally,” the show was filmed at WMAL’s studios on Connecticut Avenue and featured local preschoolers sitting in its famous circle, reciting pledges of kindness and playing simple games.

Montgomery County parents clamored to get their children onto the program’s “Do Bee” list, earning a coveted seat on the carpeted set and a chance to hear the host “see” them through the Magic Mirror. The show regularly partnered with area schools and charities to promote safety campaigns and toy drives, turning its gentle lessons in manners into a genuine community project. For decades, the phrase “I see Tommy, and I see Susan” carried special weight for local families, proof that even a preschool show could make a child feel seen on Washington’s big little screen.

The Pick Temple Giant Ranch (1948–1961, WTOP-TV Channel 9)

Years before Henson’s puppets took off, Washington children tuned in to The Pick Temple Giant Ranch, a live, western-themed program sponsored by Giant Food. Lafayette “Pick” Temple, already a local radio personality, welcomed children known as the “Giant Rangers” into a studio set designed as a cowboy ranch.

For Montgomery County families, Giant Ranch was more than entertainment. The show’s sponsor was the same supermarket chain that anchored nearly every neighborhood shopping center. Parents clipped “Ranger cards” from grocery bags so their children could appear on air, and many locals still treasure autographed cowboy hats and black-and-white photos taken at WTOP’s studios downtown. Temple often closed the show with the line, “Be kind to your parents,” a homespun motto that became an unofficial creed for local kids.

Ranger Hal (1957–1969, WTOP/WUSA Channel 9)

When Pick Temple finally rode off into the sunset, Ranger Hal stepped in. Hal Shaw played a friendly forest ranger surrounded by puppet companions like Oswald Rabbit, Eager Beaver, and Dr. Fox. Broadcast live each morning, the show reached thousands of Montgomery County children before school.

Shaw’s “ranger station” set became a virtual clubhouse, and he often read viewers’ letters on air. The program even recorded public-service messages about fire safety and littering, decades before “environmental education” became a formal curriculum. One fascinating local detail: the show’s puppet builder, Mary Ann Burke, lived in Silver Spring and crafted the entire menagerie from her basement workshop using old socks, fabric scraps, and fishing line.

Captain Tugg (1956–1966, WTTG Channel 5)

Sailing the “Channel Queen” along imaginary waterways, Captain Tugg, played by Lee Reynolds, was a beloved weekday fixture for Washington-area children. The set resembled a tugboat wheelhouse, complete with foghorn sound effects and a parrot puppet named Fantail.

Tugg’s adventures often featured local shout-outs: he might “dock” at the Port of Alexandria or rescue a tug near the Key Bridge. Between story segments, the Captain introduced cartoon shorts and read mail from young “crew members.” Many Montgomery County residents recall seeing Reynolds appear at school fairs and parades in full sailor regalia, waving from an actual tugboat on the Potomac during community festivals.

Grandpa’s Place (1956–1959, WTTG Channel 5)

Before he became Captain Tugg, Lee Reynolds hosted Grandpa’s Place, playing an avuncular character who welcomed kids into his TV living room. The show’s gentle humor and sing-along moments made it one of the first Washington programs to use live music. It aired from WTTG’s original studios in the Raleigh Hotel on 12th Street NW, just a short drive for families from Bethesda or Wheaton hoping to see television in action.

Cindy Lou’s Ranch (1950s, WTTG Channel 5)

One of the earliest local shows hosted by a woman, Cindy Lou’s Ranch, sometimes called Melody Ranch, starred singer Cindy Dahl. Her mix of songs, western skits, and children’s interviews was filmed live downtown. In an era when most television cowboys were men, Dahl stood out as a pioneering female figure on Washington TV, beloved by young girls who saw her as proof that they, too, could be the hero of the story.

Hoppity Skippity (mid-1950s, WTTG Channel 5)

Though little footage survives, Hoppity Skippity was remembered for its “Rabbit Rangers,” a children’s club whose members earned badges by sending in drawings and good-deed reports. The show’s producers occasionally hosted meet-ups at Glen Echo Park, turning the amusement park into a local TV carnival ground.

Countdown Carnival (1963–1968, WTTG Channel 5)

Hosted by Bill Gormly, Countdown Carnival reflected the pop-culture optimism of the Space Age. Kids counted down to cartoons like Rocky & Bullwinkle while wearing silver paper “space helmets.” Gormly made frequent visits to local schools, including Montgomery Blair High and Kensington Junior High, to emcee science fairs, bridging classroom curiosity with television fun.

Claire and Co Co and Pete and His Pals (1950s–1960s, WMAL/WJLA Channel 7)

Channel 7’s Claire and Co Co featured host Claire Kress and her puppet sidekick Co Co, while Pete and His Pals showcased Pete Jamerson’s own puppet troupe. Both shows regularly filmed public-service specials with Montgomery County schools, encouraging kids to “buckle up” and “look both ways” on their way to class.

Time for Science (1960s, WTTG Channel 5)

Hosted by Darrell Drummond, Time for Science turned Washington’s proximity to NASA and the Smithsonian into weekly teaching moments. Episodes filmed at the National Air and Space Museum and Goddard Space Flight Center made real science feel accessible to suburban classrooms. It’s often cited as a model for later PBS programs that blended local field trips with national educational goals.

A Legacy That Still Feels Close to Home

These shows may have vanished from the airwaves, replaced by global franchises and endless streaming options, but their echoes remain deep within the local memory. The difference was that these hosts were neighbors, not distant Hollywood figures. They shopped at the same Giant Food stores, waved from the same floats in the Kensington Labor Day Parade, and filmed their shows just a short drive from Rockville or Silver Spring.

In a region defined by the weight of national politics and power, these programs quietly achieved something much gentler: they built an imaginative, homegrown community. They proved that a kid in Montgomery County didn't need a faraway studio to make magic. For the people who grew up here, those TV memories are inseparable from the landscape, as tangible as the old Giant Food jingles and the distinct, nostalgic sound of a streetcar bell that once echoed down Georgia Avenue. They are a beloved chapter of local history, reminding a generation that for a few precious decades, Washington’s biggest stars were the ones who lived right next door.

Editor’s Note: Believe it or not, this is a small sampling of the many locally produced DC-area children’s show of the 1950s-1990s. For a complete list, visit the Kaptain Kidshow website, the source of several photos in this article.