Captain Noah and His Magical Ark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Captain Noah and His Magical Ark |
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|---|---|
| Genre | Children's television series |
| Starring | W. Carter Merbreier as Captain Noah Patricia Merbreier as Mrs. Noah |
| Opening theme | "Overture" from the 1958 film Windjammer, composed by Morton Gould |
| Ending theme | "I Can Sing a Rainbow" by Arthur Hamilton |
| Composer(s) | Larry Ferrari |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production company(s) | Philadelphia Council of Churches |
| Release | |
| Original network | WPVI |
| Original release | 1967 – 1994 |
Captain Noah and His Magical Ark was a popular children's TV show. It was mostly seen in the Philadelphia area. The show ran for many years, from 1967 to 1994. It was made at the WPVI-TV, Channel 6 studios in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When the show started, the station was called WFIL.
The show was created by W. Carter Merbreier. He was a Lutheran minister and a former police chaplain in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Council of Churches produced the show. It began as a religious program in 1967. In 1970, it changed to a children's show. Carter Merbreier starred as Captain Noah. His real-life wife, Patricia Merbreier, played Mrs. Noah.
At its most popular, Captain Noah and His Magical Ark was shown on 22 television stations. These stations were in different cities across the United States. In the early 1970s, more kids in Philadelphia watched Captain Noah. It was even more popular than Sesame Street and Captain Kangaroo combined!
Contents
What Was Captain Noah's Show About?
Captain Noah and His Magical Ark started as a show about religion. But in 1970, it became a daily children's program. On weekdays, it aired from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. On Sunday mornings, it was on for 30 minutes. It played after ABC's Sunday cartoons.
The show often featured four cartoon shorts each weekday. These included classic cartoons like Gumby and Popeye. It also showed Porky Pig and Bugs Bunny cartoons.
In 1975, ABC started a new morning show called Good Morning America. WPVI-TV chose to keep Captain Noah on instead. Later, in September 1976, WPVI started showing the 7:00 a.m. hour of Good Morning America. Captain Noah then moved to the 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. slot. The show's format stayed the same.
Who Were the Characters?
Captain Noah, played by Carter Merbreier, was the main host. Mrs. Noah, played by Patricia Merbreier, was a puppeteer and a trained singer. Larry Ferrari, a famous entertainer from Philadelphia, played the music.
The show had many beloved puppets. Some of the most popular were Maurice the Mouse, Mumwup the Monster, and Wally the Walrus.
Changes and Special Guests
In 1978, the cartoons on Captain Noah moved to other channels. Because of this, WPVI stopped showing Captain Noah on weekdays. They started showing Good Morning America for its full time.
Captain Noah continued as a weekend show. It was on for an hour on Saturday mornings. On Sunday mornings, it ran for 30 minutes. It played before another show called Kids Are People Too. By 1983, Captain Noah was a 30-minute show on Saturday mornings. It ran this way until 1994. The main parts of the show were the puppets, cartoons, and songs.
The show's theme song was "I Can Sing a Rainbow." Andy Williams sang a version of it. Another well-known song played in every episode was "Send Your Pictures to Dear Old Captain Noah."
Many famous people visited the show. These guests included Elvis Presley, Charles Barkley, and Jon Stewart. Even Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets, was on the show. The Phillie Phanatic, the mascot for the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, first appeared on Captain Noah in 1978.
The End of the Ark and Legacy
Carter and Pat Merbreier decided together to retire in 1994. This meant the show came to an end. Captain and Mrs. Noah were honored in 2001. They were put into the Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame. They were also named "Persons of the Year" by the same group. In 2005, a special 35th anniversary show aired on WPVI. It was filmed at the Please Touch Museum.
The original set from Captain Noah and His Magical Ark is saved. You can see it at the Philadelphia's Please Touch Museum. The museum's new home is at Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park. It opened in 2008.
Sometimes, reruns of the show are still shown. They air on Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. on one of Channel 6's (WPVI) digital channels. These reruns are usually from the last few seasons of the show.
Captain Noah was the grand marshal of a boat parade in Ocean City, NJ, in 2010. Patricia Merbreier passed away in 2011 at age 86. W. Carter Merbreier passed away in 2016 at age 90.
About the Merbreier Family
Carter Merbreier, known as Captain Noah, and Patricia Merbreier had one daughter named Pamela.
In October 2014, Carter Merbreier wrote a book. It was called Captain Noah and His Magical Ark. The book shared his experiences as a children's TV host. He hosted the show on WPVI-ABCTV for over 30 years.
