The Legacy of Captain 11: Sioux Falls’ Beloved TV Show Turns 70
All I wanted was the power to control time. I wanted the wisdom of Solomon and the strength of Atlas.
After all, I thought I was kind, fair, and brave enough. I longed to please the council of the Outer Galaxies. But, alas, I never made it to the Captain 11 show in the heart of Sioux Falls.
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Even though we begged as kids in the 70s to go to the show - especially on our birthdays - I guess we always had somewhere we needed to be. Either a Don Knotts film at the K-Cinema or perhaps there was something on sale at the Green Stamps store.
This year (2025), the Captain 11 show hits a milestone. It's been 70 years since it first aired on KELO-TV in Sioux Falls. The show first aired on March 7, 1955.
It ran for an unprecedented 41 seasons before signing off a few days after Christmas in 1996.
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The legendary Dave Dedrick wearing that awesome blue pilot uniform was the show's host, asking kids to grab a toy from the coveted toy chest or play “freeze.”
Some even got to flip a jewel on the set which (we believed) activated the next cartoon.
It was the longest-running children’s TV program in television history
The Captain passed away in Sioux Falls in 2010.
By the way, all was not lost on my birthdays as a kid. I had a pretty good run at Shakey‘s Pizza.
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Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns
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