The Captain 11 Show Turned 63 This Week. Cue the Memories in 3 – 2 – 1

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.

Even though we begged as kids in the 70's to go - 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 week, the Captain 11 show hit a milestone. 63 years since it first signed on KELO-TV. 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. 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, not all was lost on my birthdays as a kid. I had a pretty good run at Shakey‘s Pizza.

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