Fundamentalist children who were born after 1954 may recognize these words…
“Ranger Bill, Warrior of the Woodland, struggling against extreme odds, traveling dangerous trails, fighting the many enemies of nature. This is the job of the guardian of the forest, Ranger Bill. Pouring rain, freezing cold, blistering heat, snows, floods, bears, rattlesnakes, mountain lions. Yes, all this in exchange for the satisfaction and pride of a job well done.”
Ranger Bill was just one of a host of children’s radio programs that began in the 1950’s and continue to be rebroadcast to the present day. Keys for Kids with Uncle Charlie, Story Time with ‘Aunt B’, Uncle Bob’s Nature Corner…the list goes on and on.
These radio programs taught lessons such as the evils of television, gambling, lying, stealing, and other various and sundry moral ills. All accompanied by the dramatic effects of an electric organ that would do any soap opera proud.
Don’t knock it. For fundy kids, Saturday mornings around the radio were some of the happiest times of the week.
Idiotic. I never heard of any of these. You are a moron.
Oh, since when do you speak for every person everywhere? Just because you didn’t experience these things, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. You should have a little faith!
@JTR, please leave. Your comments are counter-productive to the purpose of this site. If there were a website loaded with content bashing realistic-minded, stable, sane individuals I would most likely stay away from it. Do everyone a favor and have that same courtesy for us. Goodbye.
JTR, you must have grown-up NOWHERE near a Christian radio station. Or else you’re 12.
Sorry about my Ranger Bill comment on the Sugar Creek Gang post – I read this one after I read that one.
i haven’t heard that show in years…and I can still rattle off the opening lines without thinking…
Oh wow… I grew up pentecostal, and I STILL know that intro.
Many of those porgrams you mentioned are still available online on my web page or directly from HisKids Radio. Share some good Christian values and some great adventures and create some unforgetable memories.
And we can’t forget the thrill when Adventures in Odyssey was added. One thing, though: It prepared me for discovering old radio shows in my teens. I could appreciate the classics like Fibber McGee and Molly.
Adventures in Odyssey was BY FAR, the best show. I do recall those glorious Saturday mornings…
Does anyone remember “Unshackled”? Not for kids, though I listened to it as a kid. Also had the organ soundtrack, but was actually very well done as I recall.
I LOVED UNSHACKLED!!!! We would listen to it on Friday Nights on the way to Church… Yeah us Fundy Pentecostals had Church Sunday am, Sunday pm Wednesday pm and Friday pm…
“Ranger Bill, Warrior of the Woodland, struggling against extreme odds, traveling dangerous trails, fighting the many enemies of nature.” Again very neopagan.
So is Al Gore the political equivalent of Ranger Bill? Now I understand.
We loved “Unshackled” – very dramatic organ music to pretty thrilling stories (to a sheltered ten-year-old)! We’d listen to Uncle Charlie too, although Sat. morning was usually devoted to chores and then our biweekly trip to the library. For a while when I was a bit older, we’d listen to Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion, laughing a lot. (We didn’t get a TV until I was 16 years old – 1985.)
Unshackled, yes! I loved that show, I really did. At the time I listened to them I was a young man in my late teens, early twenties.
The downside is the influences such as unshackled led me right into the open throat of fundamentalism. Still good memories listening.
B.R.1
The irony of a program titled “Unshackled” being used to shackle people in other ways is quite rich.
I never exactly loved Unshackled, but I listened eagerly enough a few times. I was spoiled by the likes of Oddyssey and FOTF’s Radio Theater (still some of the best audio drama, I say). Before that we happily listened to Your Story Hour. I kind of hate organ music now, at least the dreary type.
I always wanted to get through the kids’ shows and get to the old-time radio (on Friday nights). Then again, I wasn’t a kid.
I dated a girl who used to sing in Uncle Charlies choir
The Uncle Charlie series (probably in its 2nd or 3rd generation host by now) is still around and still has fairly wide distribution; although usually a 5-minute version with (GASP!) updated intro music. (Well, updated meaning “too contemporary for fundie-run stations to pick up the newer shows”).
I think I must be just young enough to have missed out on those ones, or our nearest Christian radio station was just nowhere near fundie enough (they played CCM after all). But I do remember Adventures in Odyssey well. 5:30 every evening, just perfect for hanging out in the kitchen helping mom make supper. Anyone else remember Jungle Jam? Or did it have too good of music to be deep fundie approved? (I grew up on the fringes of fundy land, our church was about 2 feet away from being fundy but CCM and pants on women were allowed, and we went to lots of home school camps and conventions) Jungle Jam was even better than Odyssey, similar in humor to Veggie Tales (I believe they may have had a few shared writers actually) with maybe just a touch of Monty Python, and their Christmas show is just a classic! (Three Wise Men and a Baby: “Fear not.” “AAAAHHHHH!” “I said, fear not.” “AAAAHHHHH!” “What part of ‘fear not’ are you not understanding? Never mind, listen up. Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be for all people.” “…AAAAAHHHHH!” – oh such joy!)
I don’t remember Ranger Bill, but I do remember Unshackled. My son and I still listen to Odyssey on the way home from school every day.