Bob Keeshan, who achieved television immortality as beloved children's show host Captain Kangaroo, has died. He was 76.
Keeshan, whose mustachioed mug was on air for nearly four decades, passed away Friday in Vermont after battling a long illness, according to a statement from his family.
Captain Kangaroo debuted on CBS in 1955 and ran for 30 years before moving to PBS for six more, before ending in 1993. The popular kiddie program won six Emmy Awards, three Gabriels and three Peabody Awards.
"Bob Keeshan was a true pioneer in children's television whose legacy goes unmatched," said CBS chairman Leslie Moonves in a statement. "Throughout Captain Kangaroo's historic 29-year run on CBS, Bob entertained millions of children across the country. He was a great entertainer, showman and innovator and he will always hold a special place in the history of CBS and the hearts of television viewers. Our condolences go out to his family and friends."
As the Captain, Keeshan would engage in banter with his Treasure House friends Mr. Green Jeans, the wise-cracking Mr. Moose, Grandfather Clock and the perpetually carrot-chomping Bunny Rabbit.
The entertainer, who got his name from the large kangaroo-like pockets in his jacket, balanced the show's humor with gentle touches of faith and morality, as well as mild educational pointers.
Even after the show ended its run, Keeshan continued to lobby on behalf of quality programming for kids, penning a column about the subject for McCall's magazine. He also authored several books for the underage set and released a series of records to introduce children to classical and jazz music.
"Television is a wonderful tool," he once said. "It can teach, it can educate, it can be a great cultural influence on our young people."
Born in New York City in 1927, Keeshan served as a page at NBC while still in high school. His boob-tube debut came while he worked as a receptionist at the Peacock network in the late '40s.
He played a few small parts on NBC's Triple B Ranch before becoming a special assistant on the Howdy Doody Show, which led to a prominent onscreen role as Clarabell the (mute) clown.
Later, Keeshan successfully pitched his idea for the educational yet entertaining Captain Kangaroo series to CBS. The series first aired in October 1955 and continued on the Eye network until 1985, making it the longest-running children's series in network television.
In 1993, Keeshan sold the rights to his show to the talent agency ICM, which in turn peddled them to Saban Entertainment in partnership with Busch Entertainment, the theme park arm of the Anheuser-Busch beer company. Saban creates much children's programming, including the action-packed Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and the FCC-friendly animated show Why Why Family, for younger children.
After a nationwide search, John McDonough was introduced as the new Captain in 1997 for a 26-show run. Keeshan, who was a vocal critic of the current state of children's programming, was not involved in the resuscitated series.
In recent years, Keeshan reportedly suffered from heart trouble and shied away from the spotlight to spend time with his children and grandchildren.
His wife, Jeanne, died in 1990. He's survived by three children.