Confessions of Pokey the Puppet The Musings of Bill Howard on His Career in Early Television

One of the first people I met was Ho-Ho, whose real name was Ed Birchall. I was impressed. I had never met a real clown before, and I would be working with him every day. Ho-Ho came to me and said, ""Would you like to be the hand puppet on the show?"" I said, ""Ho, I don't think I could do it. It would be very stressful, and I would be very nervous."" Ho-Ho said, ""Bill, don't worry about it. If he dies on the air, that's funny."" So the rest is history. Bill Howard was a pioneer in the early days of live television. He was a camera operator, stage manager, stand-up comic, actor, and an all-around facilitator who helped shape the form and content of television during its formative years from the 1950s to the 1990s. For many people, Bill is best known as Pokey the Puppet, the sarcastic and mischievous side kick to Ho Ho the Clown. For more than twenty years, Pokey and Ho Ho hosted a live children's show with a brand of humor that also appealed to adults with satire, innuendo, and perfect timing. Airing from 1960 to 1988, the show remains one of the longest-running children's TV programs in the United States. In Confessions of Pokey the Puppet, Bill Howard uses his razor-sharp wit to share anecdotes from his eventful and funny life.