classicsoncall The first time I ever saw a photo of the Sixties pop band The Monkees, I just knew that Micky Dolenz had to be that kid Corky from "Circus Boy". Dolenz has the kind of face that didn't change appearance drastically as he aged, and even today at the age of seventy two (as I write this), it's easy to see the resemblance between present day Dolenz and his early TV character. The main difference is the blond hair as a kid, and of course, the use of the stage name Micky Braddock when he appeared in the series."Circus Boy" had an interesting broadcast history. It aired on the NBC television network from September, 1956 to September 1957 with a full run of thirty six episodes, and then the series closed out with thirteen more programs on ABC the following season through September, 1958. As a kid, I caught these shows on a Saturday morning lineup that included a whole host of kid shows and TV Westerns. This one had all the ingredients I would have looked for in a program, wild animals to be sure, and a principal character who would have been close to my own age. That's why I always tuned in for stuff like 'Lassie, 'Rin Tin Tin', 'My Friend Flicka', 'Fury', and of course, 'Circus Boy'.The young boy Corky was introduced in the series as the adopted son of the Burke and Walsh traveling circus owned by Big Tim Champion (Robert Lowery). His job with the circus was a water boy for Bimbo the Elephant who he rode into town in the show's opening sequence, along with Noah Beery Jr.'s Joey the Clown. All three appeared in every episode of the show, while another regular, Big Boy Guinn Williams, appeared in thirty five stories as the principal circus roustabout and jack-of-all trades. The show took place around an undefined turn of the century, and even though you might not consider the show a Western, it does merit inclusion in the 'Television Westerns Episode Guide, 1949 - 1996' by Harris Lentz III. In fact, virtually all the guest stars that showed up were B Western regulars like Andy Clyde (3x's), Ray Hatton, Kenne Duncan, Stanley Andrews, Slim Pickens, Ray Teal and Leo Gordon. A notable exception would have been Russell Johnson, the future Professor on 'Gilligan's Island', who appeared in the story 'Corky and The Circus Doctor' as a veterinarian hired to replace the regular vet (Stanley Andrews), but that didn't work out as the story proceeded.With an admission price to the circus of twenty five cents for adults and one thin dime for kids, it's hard to imagine today how the traveling circus could ever have stayed in business. The late 1890's was a simpler time of course and money went a whole lot further back then. Heck, even in the Fifties you could get into a circus for less than a buck, which goes to show you how long this reviewer has been around. I like to take in these kinds of shows every now and then as a memory of a less hectic time and a return to old fashioned values that don't ever really go out of style. It's just that in the modern era, you have to look a lot farther for them.

lonwall Yeah, I had never heard of this one either until it showed up on Me TV (or one of those). And I'm an old TV show fanatic.To take issue with another poster - Yeah it's corny, broadly written etc etc. BUT IT'S A KIDS SHOW FROM THE 1950'S - What did you expect it to be? They're also showing Rin Tin (can) Tin and it's just as weak but is a famous show. Ever watch Howdy Doody or the Lone Ranger?"They should up their game"? No they shouldn't. I watch these shows because of nostalgia and they are meant to be exactly what they are - nothing more nothing less.If I want to watch s different kind of western I'll watch my boxed set of Deadwood. But trashing Circus Boy is to deny a different time.Lon

linda-64 Circus Boy was a typical example of a 50s show that was perfect for us at that time, but would be unlikely today. As such, it's wonderfully nostalgic for those of us who were kids then.In the 50s we saw a rash of shows with the same basic theme--a boy loses his parents and is adopted by someone who is kind and also cool and the kid gets to live with men and have all kinds of adventures.We had Fury (a boy on a ranch), Circus Boy, Rin Tin Tin (a boy wit the cavalry), and Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion (though in this case the boy's father is present, but not his mother. I include it because the kid gets to live with the men and have the adventures, so it had a similar feel.) They all seem to be inspired by the movie Captains Courageous, even though they were on TV 20 years later. Back in the 50s, kids couldn't wait to be grownups and this kind of show fed their fantasies. Parents liked the shows because they encouraged kids to grow up to be responsible adults.Note that we never had any shows where an orphan gets adopted by a bunch of women and gets to hang out baking pies and cleaning carpets. That wouldn't be much of a fantasy. Mothers were normally home all day, while fathers were gone to a mysterious job all day. So men had a cachet that housewives didn't have. (Things are different now.) As a girl, I ate up all these shows and daydreamed of being in the same situation (I was usually adopted by firemen and I lived at the firehouse).

PATHOW I watched this when I was 16 years old never knowing this little boy would grow up to be later on the monkeys a musical program.I also remember Noah Berry Jr. in this show who later would be James Garners father in Rockford files.I learned to know him on this show and saw him a lot more shows in years to come to always enjoy his acting. I remember this show Circus Boy and wondered who this little boy was. If I remember correctly this was on Saturday morning I'm not sure tho.It was a good show as I remember I always enjoyed it I watched it every week faithfully.It is good to have these websites to enjoy these old shows over again and to find out thing about them. Thanks a lot for the info.