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KiTiRiK TV Show


jake

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Hey, good stuff! I never made it to Kitirik's carousel but a friend of mine did.

And, yeah, for Houston in the 1960s that cat suit was pretty racy.

I didn't even notice Kitirik was hot at the time, it was watching the kids grabbing all the pennies they could hold that entranced me.

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I didn't even notice Kitirik was hot at the time, it was watching the kids grabbing all the pennies they could hold that entranced me.

In 2nd grade in 1963 or 1964 Kitrick visited my class at Rummel Creek Elementary in spring branch.

She was a very petite woman, but to this 2nd, grader she had the longest legs I have ever seen.

To this day I can still see those legs.

This was the same class that I saw my first teacher cry, she was called out of the class by the principal

who was also in tears, then they both came in to tell us JFK had been shot.

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I remember Kitirik.....there was a story going round many years ago about these 2 little kids on the show.

Don't know if it's true or not but it's funny.

They were waiting in line to say Hi to Kitirik and the first boy was uncontrollably giggling.

She asked him "What's so funny ?"

"Leroy Farted."

Everyone starts cracking up and they break for a commercial.

They come back and everyone is composed.

You can see that the giggler is gone and the little boy who was behind him is now up.

Kitirik asked him "What's your name ?"

With a big grin he answered "Leroy".

Everybody lost it.

Maybe that happened on Kitirik...maybe Art Linkletter's show.....still funny.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...

You've all (y'all) revived great memories....How about Paul Baush and wrestling (Wahoo McDaniel!!!)? Don Mahoney & Jeana Clare? Utah Carl?

And staying up late to watch "Weird" and "The Late Show...first the news and weather then the late show"? I was very sad when Astroworld closed....Live in Central Texas now.....but was crushed when I saw Astroworld was gone!

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  • 4 weeks later...

To David Morris Purdie in the thread after this video on his Facebook Page:

I have no idea who you were seeing and thinking it was a second Kitirik, but there was only ONE Kitirik. Bunny Orsak was the one and only, and when KTRK cancelled her show in 1971 it went away for good, and she was never replaced.

I grew up with that show too, and have worshipped Bunny as Kitirik from afar since the first day I ever saw her in 1955. I was 12 years old then. 26 years later in 1971, I was a grown man pushing 40, but I teared up a little the day I learned she'd been cancelled. Someone warm and loving had disappeared from Houston TV.

I'm not denying that you clearly thought the person you saw was another Kitirik, but KTRK never brought the show or the character back.

Edited by FilioScotia
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Mary Jane's Magic Castle was on KPRC Channel 2 and was in a similar vein to Kitirik. I believe at one time or another, every station in town had a live local kids show. But Cadet Don and Kitirik seem to be the ones mostly associated with these shows.

I am curious about the HPD officer with Kitirik, do you remember who that was? I remember Sgt Ken Garnett. HPD Motorcycle Patrol with the patch over his eye. He was one of the major influeneces for my trying to get into LE work at one time.

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I am curious about the HPD officer with Kitirik, do you remember who that was? I remember Sgt Ken Garnett. HPD Motorcycle Patrol with the patch over his eye. He was one of the major influeneces for my trying to get into LE work at one time.

I remember it as Officer Ken Garnett in the mid 60s, there was a Lt. Kenneth R. Garnett in a 1974 Texas Monthly google entry, so I imagine he got promoted through the years.

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I remember it as Officer Ken Garnett in the mid 60s, there was a Lt. Kenneth R. Garnett in a 1974 Texas Monthly google entry, so I imagine he got promoted through the years.

Yep, that was him. Sadly, he had a terminal illness and took his own life. A lot of guys in that era became Houston cops because of him. He was one of my heroes.

Ken Garnett and Tiny Roman were kind of legends with HPD of that era.

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  • 1 month later...

I have seen the old KTRK logo and had the black cat because 13 and black cat is considered unlucky. This was before the circle 13 that looks like cattle branding, which I remember the most. It is a pity that television stations do not produce their own children's show like they did back than.

My father was hired by Jesse Jones (principle member of the group that bought/started KTRK in 1954) to handle advertising for the nascent station. Dad has advertising proofs hanging on his wall from those days, and they all feature the black cat that was the station's logo at that time. Here are a couple of them...

post-9265-081833500 1277842481_thumb.jpg

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  • 6 months later...
  • 1 month later...

I just found this site and was intrigued by the current discussion. My father was Captain Bob on KPRC in the late 50's and 60's. He actually had 3 childrens t.v. shows. The first ws Looney Town and that was a rival show that competed in the same time slot as Kitirik. He also had a show on Saturday Mornings called Today is Saturday which was formatted like the Today show on NBC. He had guests like John Wehrler from the Zoo and cartoons and science films. He had another show on Saturdays which someone earlier was confusing. It was called Looney Auction and you did collect looney bucks from Carnation milk and the rainbo Bread company. We used to ride around in the Isetta. He used that for promotions and parades. The picture that was shown was not of his car. His had a big white admiral cap on top big plastic eyes and a smile painted on the front so it looked like a face. I hadn't thought about this in a long time. I used to get kidded at school about all of this but it had its perks. Rodeos circuses concerts parades celebrities. We got to meet every star that came to town for the rodeo or T.V. stars appearing at channel 2. Quite a crazy time.

Hi Bob, I also just found this site. I've been googling my (our) father for over a year now and finally came across this blog/website. I love that there are people out there that remember our fathers show! I have very fond memories of him as well. One of my favorites was when the Astrodome was just built (the Colt 45 stadium was still in the parking lot) and we all went there to basically 'inaugurate' the new Astrodome. Such fun, such memories. It really was quite trippy being the kid of a celebrity. I'm just sorry we all didn't have the opportunity of growing up together b/c we moved out of Houston. I didn't see an email for you, but I'd love to hear from you Bobby! my email address is: eveneve5600@gmail.com

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 4 months later...

I am so glad to have stumbled onto this. I was born in Houston in 1954 and lived there until 1962, and have a vague memory of going to a birthday party at the Captain Bob show that featured that money tree. There was a hole in the side of the tree and it was filled with pennies. My recollection is that you were allowed to grab one handful of pennies. I don't remember if it was just the "birthday boy" or all the kids. Of course, a 6 year-old fist doesn't hold too many pennies, so even in 1960 it didn't set the station back too much. I don't remember anything else about that day except for the money tree. I guess it showed where my mind was at in those days.

Anyway, up until now, I didn't know if the money tree was for real of just a figment of my dreams. Thanks for posting.

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  • 2 years later...

Well, I didn't mean to be gone this long and had a HELL of a time getting that email that they send so you can reset your password.

Took SIX tries over 45 minutes to finally get the email.

 

So I click the link to login with the new temporary password, which I TRIPLE checked.

It Will. Not. Work.

"Username or password incorrect"

No, they were Not.

 

I finally used FB to get in here and mention this.

 

If I can get logged in here without using facebook, I'll be amazed.

I'm not giving up,

 

 

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  • 4 years later...

Sorry to be so "late" on this thread - - but on the earlier reference to KiTiRiK - - there actually were two.  True, Bunny Orsak was the "one and only"....but the part was also played by Tony Burton in a period of Bunny's absence.  In the end, of course, Bunny did return and there was no one else like her.  The references to Ken Garnett are fairly accurate.  While in the "community relations" roll, he was injured in an accident and not expected to live.  He did recover and returned to television (with the 'eye patch').  He did ultimately take his own life - although there was no 'terminal illness' involved.  It would be fair to say that it was an indirect result of the magnitude of his injuries.  Hope that helps!

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  • The title was changed to 1965 Rodeo Ride With Kitirik Home Movie
  • 10 months later...

I lived 60 miles south of Htown in Freeport from 1959-74 and I remember watching Cadet Don and Kittirik on Channel13 religiously.

Okay.Maybe not that religiously but I still  remember watching them before and after school.

I also remember watching "Dailing For Dollars" and the "Million Dollar Movie" on channel 13 as well.

Remember"Doodad and Dooley and Three Stooges Theatre" on KHTV Channel 39??

And who can forget the original "terrible swift sword" himself MAAARRRVIN ZINDLER...EYEWITNESS NEWS!!!!

Although I live in the DFW area now I still have family in the Bayou City area and I visit them at once a year.

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  • The title was changed to Rodeo Ride With Kitirik Home Movie 1965
  • 5 months later...

I was so lucky on my birthday that I got to go on Kitiriks Carousel!! I can’t remember how old I was but I remember the show and my excitement of being on her carousel!!! I used to watch her, Cadet Don & Captain Kangaroo religiously!! I think our childhoods were the best!!! Even if they were in black & white!!

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