One Of William Shatner's First TV Roles Was On An Iconic '50s Children's Show

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

You know him best as James T. Kirk, captain of the USS Enterprise on "Star Trek." But 12 years before he battled Klingons and became a pop-culture icon, a young William Shatner was hanging out with a freckle-faced puppet and chatting it up with clowns in one of his first-ever TV credits: "The Howdy Doody Show."

But wait, it might not be the same "Howdy Doody" show you're thinking of. TV trivia buffs often overlook a key detail: Shatner didn't star on the original American smash hit that aired on NBC from 1947 to 1960. He actually appeared in "The Canadian Howdy Doody Show," which ran on CBC from 1954 to 1959. While the Canadian counterpart shared most of its U.S. cousin's key ingredients — such as the titular puppet, the "Peanut Gallery" (their name for the live audience of children), and circus-like antics — it was known for having a more educational format. 

It also swapped out American host Buffalo Bob for forest ranger Timber Tom (James Doohan, and later Peter Mews). Whenever Timber Tom needed someone to take the lead, Shatner filled in as Ranger Bob, making occasional guest appearances to help wrangle the puppets.

In his 2008 autobiography, "Up Till Now," Shatner reflected on that whimsical chapter of his career. "I was given the opportunity to create the role of Ranger Bob on the 'Howdy Doody Show,' co-starring with several puppets and a live clown named Clarabell (Alfie Scopp) who rather than speaking honked her answers on a bicycle horn," Shatner wrote. He added with trademark wit, "A good actor responds to whatever emotion is presented to him or her ... although, admittedly, on this show there were times when I wasn't always certain how best to respond to the bevy of honks."

If you can barely remember Shatner's time on "Howdy Doody," don't feel bad: Shatner doesn't remember, either. During a January 2011 interview for Pioneers of Television, the actor confessed he had little to no memory of the project. "I've heard many times that I did 'Howdy Doody,' but the whole experience is wiped out of my head," Shatner quipped, noting that he likely took the gig due to financial necessity. "I must have been striving to survive as a young actor in Canada at that time ... 'Howdy Doody' must have been my survival mode."

Shatner certainly survived. Shortly after his kid-show stint in Doodyville, he broke out on Broadway and then transitioned to primetime TV, guest-starring in shows like "The Twilight Zone," "The Fugitive," and "Gunsmoke." By 1966, he boldly went to outer space as Captain James T. Kirk on "Star Trek" — a role that made him a sci-fi legend.