>I grew up with copious amounts of television programming aimed at children from Thunder Cats and My Little Pony to 3-2-1 Contact and Reading Rainbow, but I think it's fair to say that Howdy Doody lead the way for as the pioneer children's program.
The show was bringing joy to kids in the peanut gallery and at home for thirteen years. They kept going even when host Bob Smith was ill with guest hosts like William Shatner. When the show finally ended in 1960, Clarabell the clown uttered some of television history's most famous words when, after thirteen years of silence, she said “Goodbye kids”.
If I had been watching I would have definitely cried at least as much as I did when Freaks and Geeks ended.
But what do you think?