''Skippy'' was an American children's radio serial based on the popularity of the comic strip ''

Skippy Skippy may refer to: People * Skippy (nickname), a list of people Arts and entertainments * ''Skippy'' (comic strip), an American strip published from 1923 to 1945. ** ''Skippy'' (film), based on the comics strip, released in 1931 and sta ...

''. It was broadcast on

CBS Radio CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broadc ...

from January 11, 1932 to March 29, 1935. ''Skippy'' has been called the first radio serial for children, though the radio serial ''

Little Orphan Annie ''Little Orphan Annie'' is a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray and syndicated by the Tribune Media Services. The strip took its name from the 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley, and it made its debut on Aug ...

'' (1930-...) has also been given that honorific title. In 1931 Franklin W. Adams was chosen to play the part of Skippy. Initially the show ran for 13 weeks locally in Chicago on WBBM Radio before being picked up for 2 years on

NBC Radio The National Broadcasting Company's NBC Radio Network (known as the NBC Red Network prior to 1942) was an American commercial radio network which was in operation from 1926 through 2004. Along with the NBC Blue Network it was one of the first t ...

followed by 2 more years on CBS Radio five days a week coast to coast."Up and Down the Hill" Autobiography of Franklin W. Adams, Self-Published 1973 As the principal player Adams was paid $75 per week at the beginning then raised to $100 per week when the show went national. While on NBC the show was produced at 4:15PM and 5:15 PM in Studio B at Chicago's Merchandise Mart. Later it was produced on CBS in the Wrigley Building "Skippy Day" was celebrated at the Chicago "Century of Progress" World's Fair in 1933. Skippy Franklin Adams and Sooky (Francis Smith) "gave a show at the amphitheater constructed next to the Burnham Lagoon". ''Note; There is a
erroneous ledger reference
online that refers to the character of Skippy as being spoken by Franklin Adams, Jr.. Franklin W. Adams who portrayed Skippy was not a junior. In fact his father's name was Elmer. This was presumably mistyped at the time.''

Concept

'' was a popular gag-a-day comic strip, written and drawn by Percy Crosby. The 1932 radio serial was an audio play based on the adventures of this mischievous little boys. The scripts were written by Robert Hardy Andrews. Production was in hands of Frank Hummert and Anne Hummert. Each episode was 15 minutes long. The series was cancelled in 1935.

Cast

* Skippy: Franklin W. Adams * Sooky: Francis Smith * Jim: St. John Terrell * Announcer: Dwight Weist * Writer: Robert Andrews * Director: David Owen and later Ray Appleby

Sources

{{Reflist American children's radio programs American comedy radio programs 1932 radio programme debuts 1935 radio programme endings Radio programs based on comic strips CBS Radio programs 1930s American radio programs