Only later did the Europeans realise the language of the area had different names for each species of kangaroo and that the indigenous people spoke more than 250 different languages at … He lived in constant fear of oversleeping and employed three alarm clocks plus a phone service. This time he was not silent, but talked to the audience of children about all kinds of things. "Throughout Captain Kangaroo's historic 29-year run on CBS, Bob entertained millions of children across the country. But then ABC called him and asked him if he would become Corny the Clown on an afternoon children's program called "Time for Fun." Captain Kangaroo and Bunny Rabbit. That was the beginning of Captain Kangaroo. He was 76. Mr. Keeshan was fired and Clarabelle was taken over by another actor. Bob Keeshan spent almost four decades on the air as the gentle-voiced, grandfatherly figure of Captain Kangaroo. That charm never faded; Captain Kangaroo was one of the most enduring characters television ever produced. In recent years, Keeshan reportedly suffered from heart trouble and shied away from the spotlight to spend time with his children and grandchildren. "It can teach, it can educate, it can be a great cultural influence on our young people.". Mr. Shanley declared that the show literally "charms the toddlers.". Bob Keeshan, who gently entertained and educated generations of children as television's walrus-mustachioed Captain Kangaroo, died Friday at 76. Afterward the show moved to PBS where it ran for six years. “There’s no room to stretch,” Keeshan said in 1993. ", Bob Keeshan, Who Played Captain Kangaroo on TV, Is Dead at 76. Bob Keeshan, 76, who entertained generations of children as the mustachioed star of “Captain Kangaroo,” died Friday morning in Vermont after a long illness, a family friend tells CNN. Among his many awards were the Peabody, the Sylvania and commendations from the National Congress of Parents and Teachers and honorary degrees from Dartmouth, Bucknell, Fordham, Indiana State, Elmira, Mount St. Mary, College of New Rochelle, and many others. “Captain Kangaroo” debuted on Oct. 3, 1955. "We have respect for our audience," he told The Times's Steven V. Roberts in 1965. Updates? Omissions? He said that parents were finding their "weekdays more bearable because of the delightful artistry of a television performer named Bob Keeshan." Keeshan, who died last month at 76, denied it repeatedly when he was alive. "I was the least aggressive Marine in the history of the Marine Corps," Mr. Keeshan later told Lawrence Laurent of The Washington Post. No cause of death was announced, but he had had heart problems since the 1980's. His show premiered … A favorite sketch involved Mister Moose dropping ping-pong balls on the Captain's head. TV's Captain Kangaroo -- who befriended millions of children for more than three decades -- has died. But the show always revolved around Mr. Keeshan, who began to call himself Captain Kangaroo after someone fashioned an outsized jacket for him, a preposterous affair with pockets rivaling the pouches that kangaroos have. Corrections? Captain Kangaroo debuted on CBS in 1955 and ran for 30 years before moving to PBS for six more, before ending in 1993. But the show revolved about the grandfatherly Captain Kangaroo, whose name was inspired by the kangaroo pouch-like pockets of the coat Keeshan wore. Keeshan, whose mustachioed mug was on air for nearly four decades, passed away Friday in Vermont after battling a long illness, according to a statement from his family. He is survived by their three children, Derek M., Laurie M., and Maeve Jeanne, and by six grandchildren. © 2020 E! Keeshan’s wife, Jeanne, died in 1990. He was unemployed for months and had given up his Fordham studies. "Television is a wonderful tool," he once said. If you would like to opt out of browser push notifications, please refer to the following instructions specific to your device and browser: this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.