The Howdy Doody Show

Howdy Doody
Buffalo Bob Smith and Howdy Doody in 1972
Genre	Children's television series
Created by	E. Roger Muir
Presented by	Buffalo Bob Smith Howdy Doody
Starring	Bob Keeshan Lew Anderson Bobby Nicholson
Country of origin	United States
Production
Producer(s)	E. Roger Muir
Running time	60 minutes (1947–1948) 30 Minutes (1948–1960)
Release
Original network	NBC
Picture format	Black & White (1947–1959) Colour (1959-1960)
Original release	December 27, 1947 – September 24, 1960

Howdy Doody was an American children's television programme (with circus and Western frontier themes) that was created and produced by E. Roger Muir and telecast on the NBC network in the United States from December 27, 1947 until September 24, 1960. It was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows. One of the first television series produced at NBC in Rockefeller Center, in Studio 3A, it was also a pioneer in early colour production as NBC (at the time owned by TV maker RCA) used the show in part to sell colour television sets in the 1950s.

Bob Smith created Howdy Doody during his days as a radio announcer on WNBC. At that time, Howdy Doody was only a voice Smith performed on the radio. When Smith made an appearance on NBC's television program Puppet Playhouse on December 27, 1947, the reception for the character was great enough to begin a demand for a visual character for television. Frank Paris, a puppeteer whose puppets appeared on the program, was asked to create a Howdy Doody puppet.

Bob Smith, the show's host, was dubbed "Buffalo Bob" early in the show's run (a reference both to the historical American frontier character Buffalo Bill and Smith's hometown of Buffalo, N.Y.). At first the set was supposed to be a circus tent, but soon was changed to a western town. Smith wore cowboy garb, as did the puppet. The name of the puppet "star" was derived from the American expression "howdy doody"/"howdy do," a commonplace corruption of the phrase "How do you do?" used in the western United States (The straightforward use of that expression was also in the theme song's lyrics.) Smith, who had gotten his start as a singing radio personality in Buffalo, frequently used music in the program. Cast members Lew Anderson and Robert "Nick" Nicholson both were experienced jazz musicians.