Huck and the Critics

Parents Should Guide Children's TV
By HARVEY PACK
Educators, psychiatrists and do-gooders have been shouting louder than usual for the past year about bow the younger generation is being breast fed by TV rather than books. The optimists among us, however, are aware that the learned gentlemen assembling all these frightening statistics received their own primary education over the radio perils of Buck Rogers, Tom Mix, Flash Gordon, Omar the Mystic and well-informed criticism from another generation of analysts.
The simple truth is that TV, properly used by a parent, can offer child some delightful entertainment. If the set's prime function, however, is to get the youngster out of the way, the parents never should have had children in the first place. A preschool child would never be sent out on a busy city street alone, and there is no reason why they should be expected to function in the channel-jungle without guidance.
Thanks to an easy-going, heavy-set young man named Bob Keeshan, the young mother's first experience with television is generally quite encouraging. Mr. Keeshan. along with his friends Mr. Green Jeans, and Mr. Moose, conducts the "Captain Kangaroo" show via CBS six mornings a week. At one time the network gave up on "Captain Kangaroo," but a storm of protest, plus the fact that the show was outdrawing Garry Moore's expensive morning variety show, bought Keeshan a new lease on life. Today the Captain is SRO with sponsors and mother knows she has at least 45 minutes every morning when the little one is in good hands.
Bob Keeshan is not a great educator or a child psychologist, but he understands his audience. He appreciates their short attention span and never keeps any. game, song or cartoon running too long, At no time does the Captain talk down to his tittle viewers or does he patronize them. He stimulates their imagination without frighten ing them, and good taste guides his every move. He closes each show by reminding the kids that it's another be-good-to-mother day," and nobody is "gooder" to mom than Captain Kangaroo.
Once the Captain closes up his weekday Treasure House, the television industry chooses to ignore children until around five o'clock. This is a sad mistake, because mother needs more than 45 minutes to finish her chores. In some cases poor, innocent, unsuspecting little ones in the 2-5 age group are left to the mercy of reruns of "The People's Choice,""My Gun" and "The Millionare."
In some communities sandwiched in between the reruns, a channel shows "Ding Dong School" or "The Romper Room." Both of these are a form of nursery school and the former, conducted by Dr. Frances Horvich, is easily the better one. New York City's educational TV service has a kindergarten called "Fun At One," which is so amazingly good that it virtually defies description. This particular show is not presently available for syndication around the country, but any P-T-A anxious to further the cause of children's programing should contact WPIX, New York, for information, and, if possible, exert pressure to obtain tapes of "Fun At One" for your local station.
From 5 to 7:30 in the evening and on Saturday mornings TV caters to kids. Some of the successful shows are little more than old movies shorts which were condemned as harmful to children a generation ago. Among these are "Our Gang,""The Three Stooges," and "Popeye." Actually they are as harmful as they ever were, but kids adore this type of comic violence and, provided they're not permitted to watch it as a steady diet, it's a good bet they'll survive.

But TV has developed its own cartoon empire and can point to the product with pride. Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, who created "Tom and Jerry," have come up with three of the most delightful and entertaining cartoon shows imaginable. They are such superb shows that the parents can laugh hysterically at the antics of the characters while the little ones are spellbound by the adventure.
Many a big city office is deserted early so pop can run home and enjoy "Ruff and Reddy,""Huckleberry Hound," and "Quick Draw McGraw" with his kids. In fact, very little prime evening adult programing matches the Hanna-Barbera shows as entertainment. (Fortunately for all of Hanna-Barbera have agreed to do an adult cartoon show in prime evening time for ABC next season.)
Perhaps "Huckleberry Hound" and his associates are the answer to many of TV's critics. Because they are fun the parents are able to share them with the kids, and the shows are mature and intelligent, thus easing parental con sciences. If pop will learn to turn off the set after "Huck" and spend the balance of the evening being an old-fashioned father, TV will have served a very useful purpose.
Much of the TV fare offered for children is mediocre, but who can say anything better for the evening programs? The fact that mediocrity dominates the scene does not necessarily mean that TV should be forbidden to children and all sets sold to the junk man. Captain Kangaroo,""Ding Dong School" and the Hanna-Barbera snows more than justify TV as an entertainment medium for children. If a parent is selective, there are often special snows and documentaries which may seem a bit advanced for a child, but with a parent to guide him it can be a stimulating and provocative experience: for example, Leonard Bernstein's Young People's concerts.
This has been primarily a comment on TV for children in the 2-7 age group. A youngster in the third grade or higher may want to stay up late and watch many of the so-called adult westerns and detective shows. Of course, this is a problem parents must handle themselves, but with the exception of a superb program like "Leave It to Beaver," or an occasional "Walt Disney Presents," there’s little to recommend.
Try to remember that in moderation TV can help both you and your children. If, however, you're looking for a full time all-purpose electronic baby-sitter, any child of yours if going to have a rough time in this world, with or without television.