Getting Schooled: Ding Dong School (1952)

What started as a regional program for pre-schoolers in Chicago turned into a national phenomenon in due course. Ding Dong School was one of the first hit shows created for children.

Miss Frances (Frances Horwich) was the teacher and the television audience were her students. The series began, as noted, as a local program based out of Chicago before being picked up by NBC. However, the first run lasted about 4 years or so before returning for a syndicated run in 1959, which lasted relatively around the same length of time.

Let's take a look at a sample episode from 1955, courtesy of Internet Archive:

I guess now we know where Elvis Presley got the idea for peanut butter & banana sandwiches becoming his favorite delicacy, according to legend, at the end of his career.

Could Ding Dong School exist today? Not under its old title, certainly.

Rating: B.