The Children's Hour (TV program) facts for kids
The Children's Hour was a popular American TV show made just for kids! It aired in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas on KXAS-TV, an NBC channel. The show ran for a very long time, from 1970 to 1992, which is 22 years! Bill Kelley was the main host for all those years, and Budd Kneisel was his co-host. They took over from the show's first host, Johnny Hay, in 1970.
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What Was The Children's Hour?
This fun show usually aired on Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. and lasted for one hour. Sometimes, it was even longer, called "The Children's Hour ... and a Half!"
Fun Activities on the Show
During a typical episode, Bill Kelley would do many cool things for the kids watching at home. He often drew cartoons right there on TV! He would also read the Sunday comics page from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper.
The show also featured popular cartoons for kids to watch, like Davey and Goliath or JOT.
Special Guests and Visitors
The Children's Hour often had special guests! People from the Dallas Zoo would visit, bringing animals for kids to learn about. Guests from the Fort Worth Children's Museum also came on the show. This museum later became known as the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.
As the show was about to end each week, Bill Kelley would often say, "Now kids, we just have time for one more cartoon, then it will be time to leave for church." This was a friendly way to let kids know the show was wrapping up.
Why Did The Show End?
Over time, things changed for The Children's Hour. The NBC network started a Sunday morning news show called Today. Because of this, The Children's Hour had to move to a Saturday morning time slot.
Changes and Cancellation
When the show moved to Saturdays, its length was cut down to only 30 minutes. The time slot also kept changing, which made it harder for kids to find the show. Plus, the TV station stopped showing other cartoons on Saturday mornings around The Children's Hour. All these changes made fewer people watch the show.
The Children's Hour was finally cancelled in early 1992. This happened at the same time that Bill Kelley, the beloved host, left the local TV station.
