TV About TV

CAPTAIN PENNY & FRIENDS

For kids with TVs who grew up here in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, “The Good Old Days” is a good way to describe children’s programming.

An even better description is “The Golden Age of Kids TV: Cleveland.” That’s the title of a documentary coming out this month inspired by the book, “From Captain Penny to Superhost” by Janice and Mike Olszewski (NEO Boomer’s pop culture columnist).

The documentary was written by its executive producer Dan O’Shannon, who also co-hosts it with Olszewski. It features rare footage from the golden age of Cleveland kids’ television with Uncle Jake (Gene Carroll), Barnaby (Linn Sheldon), Woodrow the Woodsman (Clay Conroy), Superhost (Marty Sullivan), Franz the Toymaker (Ray Stawiarski), Captain Penny (Ron Penfound) and Romper Room (“Miss Barbara” Plummer).

It also has interviews with Sheldon, Plummer, Sullivan, Uncle Jake’s co-host Candy Lee, Ron Penfound’s kids Tracy and Matt, and the team behind Woodrow’s show, Connie and Dave Little and Tom Grove. Included is recently discovered footage of Sheldon’s Uncle Leslie.

As a bonus, viewers will see the hosts walking into digitally recreated show sets specially created for the documentary. The show airs on WKYC-TV. Watch local TV listings for dates and times.

By the time you read this, you either already have tickets to the upcoming taping of “Antiques Roadshow” at Stan Hywet or you’ll wish you did.

The popular PBS show that separates trash from treasure — and puts a value on it — will get three shows’ worth of appraisals out of their day-long taping on June 6. The deadline to get tickets has passed, but you’ll be able to see what others brought when the shows air next year.

Other stops this spring and summer are the LSU Rural Life Museum in Baton Rouge, LA., the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts and the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage.