Ho Ho the Clown did not start out as the star attraction at KOCO. In the early days of television, it was a cameraman, Art Johnson, who reluctantly agreed to play seafarer ââ¬ÅCaptain Art.â⬠The show is forgotten by most people today, but it did launch the career of Ed Birthallââ¬â¢s ââ¬ÅHo Ho the Clown.â⬠Birchall, a former accountant for Aero-Commander Aircraft, had always dreamed of entertaining children. He got his chance in 1957, substituting for Johnson while ââ¬ÅCaptain Artâ⬠enjoyed a vacation.
The ââ¬ÅCaptain Artâ⬠show soon met its demise. Within a year ââ¬ÅHo Hoâ⬠was on the air.
With his sock puppet sidekick Pokey at his side, Ho Ho entertained three generations of Oklahomans. The show featured a KOCO news anchors, firefighters, police officers, zoo animals and visiting circus clowns. In the 1960s, Ho Ho was on the air six days a week. Some longtime viewers have special memories attached to Henry Manciniââ¬â¢s theme from ââ¬ÅThe Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm,â⬠which doubled as Ho Hoââ¬â¢s theme song for many years.
The show continued through the 1980s and in its final years it aired without commercials as a way to meet the stationââ¬â¢s public service programming obligation.
Perhaps it was how accessible Ho Ho was that made him so beloved. He did plenty of childrenââ¬â¢s parties (Yes, that’s my autographed photo from Ho Ho and Pokey above from a party I attended) and was also a regular visitor at childrenââ¬â¢s hospital wards. It wasnââ¬â¢t unusual to find him involved in local parades, fundraisers and popping up at area restaurants. When he died in 1988 from a heart attack, multiple funerals were held to accommodate all the mourners. The four local television stations broadcast the funeral. July 3, 1988 was the day that childrenââ¬â¢s programming in Oklahoma City met its end.
– ââ¬ÅHi There Boys and Girls!: Americaââ¬â¢s Local Childrenââ¬â¢s TV Shows,â⬠by Tim Hollis, 2001
– Ho Ho: Stateââ¬â¢s Friend Dies After Short Illness, by Julie Ellsworth, The Oklahoman, July 4, 1988
