Download Full TV Shows!
Get thousands of episodes from your favorite TV series, only 59.85

TV Shows Guide

Back to Section M

Merry Mailman, The



First Aired in 1950

On Monday Evening October

16,1950.

A new inovation in children's

tv programming debut on

WOR TV Ch.9 in NYC.

A series that had a

gentle and caring friend

spend quality time with

young people every day

for a few moments.

The Merry Mailman

was the brilliant inovation

of entertainer and radio/

tv broadcaster:Ray Heatherton.

Who always believed that

a person"Who was not of the

family..but was someone who

was always in a child's life"

could instill good vaules in

a kid's mind and be able to

entertain them.

Donning the uniform

of a happy letter carrier..

The Merry Mailman began

a seven year run.

Providing meaningful

programming for kids and

paving the way for such quality

shows as Captain Kangaroo,

Mr.Rogers and Seasme St.

At the beginning however?

Heatherton did little more

than appear in front of a

curtain in his mailman's

uniform,introducing old

movie cartoons.

Giving the series the

appearance of another

tv cartoon fest.

Seeing that the program

needed to be revamped.

The station execs at

Ch.9 hired tv director Sandy

Howard to change the format.

Howard created a comedy/

variety show..complete with

a studio audience.

Which allowed Heatherton

to relate to his fans and instill

good values and entertain them

in an intimate manner.

Songs,stories,games,

craft making,hobbies and

informational segments

were added to the format.

Along with comedy and

puppet skits performed by

Milt Moss and Chic Darrow

that depended more on

farce than on frantic slap-

stick.

The Merry Mailman was

also one of the first NYC

based kids tv series to

screen The Crusader

Rabbitt tv cartoons.


The show became popular

with NYC's young viewers and

a plethora of Merry Mailman

merchandise filled toy,record

and book stores.

Heatherton and Moss

were soon in demand for

personal appearances.

Working with Sandy

Howard..they created

a stage show that became

a popular attraction at NYC/

NJ and Ct.movie theaters.

Heatherton also appeared

at city hospitals..where he

performed for disabled

and terminally ill children.

A radio version of the

series was heard Monday,

Wednesday and Friday

evenings and Saturday

and Sunday afternoons

on The Mutual Radio

Network during the

1953/1955 season.

Everything seemed to

be working well for the

show..until Heatherton

was wrongly accused

of being a comunist

sympahizer by a crazed

McCarthy fanatic.

The show began to

lose sponsors and ratings.

For the remainder of

it's run..The Merry Mailman

became a sustained kids

tv show.

Heatherton would reappear

as The Merry Mailman on

WOR TV Ch.9 NYC's:Cartoon

Parade and on a short lived

series on WPIX TV Ch.11

in NYC.

If you see any mistakes on this page or if you have more infomation about this show, please submit a comment


No Episodes Found. If you know about them, please submit using a link above.

Unsatisfied? Search for more:


Relevant Links:

Merry Merry Merry Frickin' Christmas (World Champion Red Sox Anthem)

Merry Merry Merry Frickin' Christmas

The Happy Mailman

Merry, Merry Christmas

Have Yourself A Merry Little

Merry Mount


Other Cool Sites:

English Subtitles For DivX Movies

Lyrics Catalogue - Texts of Songs

Cooking Recipes Catalogue

Funny Jokes and Anecdotes.

Computer Games Cheats

Movie Forums Archives

Selected Usenet Archive

Free Web Stats