More Granny TV Favorites

SKY KING (played by Kirby Grant) brought us adventures from his "Flying Crown Ranch" in Arizona and from the cockpit of his plane, the "Songbird."

Mama was my favorite of favorites, and I still think of it every time I see Dick Van Patten on TV today. A true-to-life tale of a Norwegian American family named Hansen, living in turn-of-the-century San Francisco, it was a forerunner to other family series, such as Ozzie & Harriet, Father Knows Best, and Leave it to Beaver. Peggy Wood, noted for her brilliant stage performances, played the part of Mama. Van Patten was the eldest brother, Nels. I particularly liked his down-to-earth style, wishing that I had a brother just like him.

The opening line each week was narrated by Katrin (Rosemary Rice): "I remember my brother Nels....and my little sister Dagmar...and of course, Papa. But most of all, I remember Mama."

And, remember his sponser? "America's favorite flying cowboy . . . brought to you by America's favorite peanut butter, Peter Pan Peanut Butter."

A little trivia:
The radio role was actually played by Schuyler (Sky) King.

Mama was based on a book, Mama's Bank Account, which was written by a real-life Kathryn (Forbes), and it was so popular that, when CBS announced it would be cancelled, the audiences screamed. So loudly, in fact, that the program was revived for a short time on Sunday afternoons. Unfortunately, the show was telecast live, so there are no archives for us to watch today. All we can do is remember. By the way -- do you remember Mama?

*DISCLAIMER:

Any copyrighted images, words, sounds, logos or company names that appear on this site are the property of their respective owners and are being used for entertainment purposes only.