The ''Commander Tom Show'' was a
children's television series
Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...
that aired weekday afternoons on Channel 7
WKBW-TV
WKBW-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Buffalo, New York, United States, affiliated with ABC. Owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, the station maintains studios at 7 Broadcast Plaza in downtown Buffalo and a transmitter on Center Stree ...
in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
, premiering on December 20, 1965.
The host of the show was
Tom Jolls
Tom Jolls (August 6, 1933 – June 7, 2023) was an American television personality best known for his 34-year tenure at WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York. At WKBW, Jolls hosted "The Weather Outside" segments during ''Eyewitness News'', performed many ...
, who had joined WKBW as a weatherman earlier in 1965. ''Commander Tom'' had replaced ''The Jungle Jay Nelson Show'', a jungle-themed program built around
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer.
Creat ...
films, which had aired in the early 1960s; Nelson was dissatisfied working in television and had used the popularity of his "Jungle Jay" persona in Canada to get work at
CHUM,
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
's preeminent pop music station at the time.
When the show launched, it consisted of