This early TV program ran from 1947 to 1960; it was network TV's first weekday children's show, and NBC's first show broadcast in color. What was it?

The popular children's program starring a freckle-faced marionette and his human host, Buffalo Bob Smith, was a true television pioneer. The show's impressive 13-year run, from 1947 to 1960, established it as a cultural touchstone for the Baby Boomer generation. It holds the distinction of being the first network (Review) television show for children to be broadcast on a weekday schedule, setting a new standard for kids' entertainment.

Broadcast from the fictional town of Doodyville, the show was famous for its live studio audience of children, who were affectionately called the "Peanut Gallery." This term became so iconic that it entered the popular lexicon as a phrase for hecklers or commentators. The program's immense popularity created a blueprint for children's television, complete with extensive merchandising and fan clubs that captivated millions of young viewers across the country.

While it began in black and white, the show was also at the forefront of a major technological shift. In 1955, it became NBC's first regularly scheduled program to be broadcast in compatible color. This made the vibrant world of Doodyville and its cast of characters, including Clarabell the Clown and Phineas T. Bluster, a key part of the network's push to showcase and sell new color television sets to the American public.