A Few Minutes With Captain Chesapeake

John House provides a long-lost interview with George Lewis, host of Baltimore kids' favorite "Captain Chesapeake", including brief show footage with Mondy the Sea Monster and personal appearances. A typical program open is seen at the end of this clip.

Captain Chesapeake was a morning and afternoon children's show in Baltimore, hosted by George A. Lewis (born: 24 Nov 1926 - died: 18 Dec 2000). The show aired from April 12,1971 - 1990. Lewis hosted a similar show, Captain Pitt on channel 22 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Lewis began his career as the children's host of the Steamboat Bill and Mr. Cartoon shows in Huntington, West Virginia from 1957 until 1970. Lewis also acted as Ghost Host on a late night horror movie show, and did news prior to 1988.

Children in Baltimore could become "crew members" on the show.

The Captain Chesapeake show began with the ditty "A shipwrecked sailor found himself in a plight. Lost at sea he was really a sight. He swam and swam 'til he thought he'd die, when a wondrous sight appeared to his eye. A derelict boat that saved his life and put an end to his watery strife."

The theme song was the Bob Crosby Tune "Stumbling" by The Three Suns.

Please contact me if you have ANY old tapes of Captain Chesapeake (or any other Baltimore originated kid shows.)

Want more Baltimore kid show memories? Visit Gary Helton's site:

http://s93943464.onlinehome.us/CrabCityKidsTV/index.htm

Did you grow-up around Washington DC? Visit http://KaptainKidshow.com

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• George
• Lewis
• Captain
• Chesapeake
• Mondy
• Baltimore
• TV
• kids

[JTKiser1022]

HMMM...April 7, 1971 was on a Wednesday...

[CrabCityKidsTV]

Mr. Lewis misspoke...

According to page A-28 of Broadcasting (Magazine) Yearbook 1972, WBFF TV45 debuted on Sunday, April 11, 1971.

[Inkyabyss]

This is a great find for those of us who grew up along the Chesapeake Bay in the 1970s. I was especially fond of Ghost Host, which--cheesy as the static opening and cardboard sets were--helped indoctrinate me into a love of vintage horror cinema. I can still hear George's intro:

"Good evening. This IS your Ghost Host, inviting you to watch IF YOU DARE...."

Nice memories and a super share. Many thanks.

[CrabCityKidsTV]

Thanks for the kind words...

You can view three clips of George Lewis as "Ghost Host" on YouTube. Simply look for them among the "Related Videos" along the right-hand column, or put the name "robatsea2008" in the YouTube search box.

[Nadav34]

Can someone tell me where I can find ghost host and captain chesapeake re-runs or programs? Also, I am interested in known why WBFF-45 decided to change their logo from the TV logo with 45 WBFF-TV BALTIMORE to a Fox logo? Also, does anyone have any info on who the announcer was who did the sign off of WBFF-45 back then after Ghost Host?

[CrabCityKidsTV]

Except for a few "snippets" that were preserved on home viewers' VHS recorders, all of the Ghost Host inserts were lost. Each week's inserts were erased by the TV station in order to use the same tape again. (Tapes were expensive, so this was the normal procedure for TV stations.)

Independent WBFF-TV became Fox45 in 1987.

The original WBFF-TV sign-off voice was the late Bill LeFevre.

Contact me if you learn of ANY surviving tapes of WBFF45 shows or Baltimore or DC originated kid shows.

[megatron0357]

God Bless Capt. Chesapeake. He helped make my childhood special. I loved watching him...amd bruce the bird..and mony the sea monster..wonderful memories

[htime2007]

Captain Chesapeake took me back to my childhood. Wow, what great memories! That man is still cool.

[Mrbrbusby]

Someday RFKJ is going to remember Capt. Chesapeake and our beloved Maryland, and we are going to have a Republic of laws again. Long live Ft. McHenry and dear old Baltimore.

[yinzjagoffs]

I'm pretty sure this was the same guy back in the early 80's who did a show in Pittsburgh called Captain Pitt.

[chuckclose1]

@turnertalking i fondly remember those days when the world seemed to go to sleep with ya!

[chuckclose1]

does anyone remember what years this program run from in baltimore?

[chuckclose1]

wow this brings back some memories of cartoons in baltimore

[turnertalking]

Channel 45 WBFF and Channel 20 WDCA were GREAT ! I sort of miss when they would shut off the channel as well. GO FIGURE.

[mplumes]

He was a wonderful man. My mom worked with his wife and I was honored to have met him. What a memory and he came to my classroom to talk with my kids and taught me a trick with corks. I still can do it. Thank you so much, Captain Chesapeake!

[BetamaxBabe]

AHOOOOOY CREW MEMBERS! God, the memories! If it hasn't happened already, I'm surprised some ironic hipster hasn't co-opted the Capt. Chesapeake opening yet.

[ArianWhite]

I grew up in Howard County in the 60's- early 70's before we moved to the Deep South and I remember Captain Chesapeake on Ch.45 and Captain 20 (WDCA?) Drink-Me Pop, Esskay hotdogs, TastyKakes... What a magical time!

[AgdrAgon999]

@megatron0357 - those were the days when television was still somewhat wholesome, when men like Capt. Chesapeake still had control over the content. Since then it's devolved by such a large degree that it's all (television in general) begun to remind me of that Mike Judge film, Idiocracy :(

And yes, God bless Capt. Chesapeake. I wish there had been more men like him around when all of us were growing up.