Captain Video and His Video Rangers is an American science fiction Television series that aired on the DuMont Television Network and was the first series of its genre on American television.

The series aired between June 27, 1949, and April 1, 1955, originally on Monday through Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, and then Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET. A separate 30-minute spinoff series called The Secret Files of Captain Video aired Saturday mornings, alternating with Tom Corberr, Space Cadet, from September 5, 1953, to May 29, 1954, a total of 20 episodes.

 Sponsors included  Post Cereals, Skippy Peanut Butter, DuMont Brand Televsion sets, and Peter Paul Powerhouse candy bars. Premiums sold via the show included a flying saucer a secret seal ring, there were also cast photos, electronic goggles, a secret gun, a rocket ship ring, a “secret seal” ring, cast photos, electronic goggles, a “secret ray gun”, a  rocket ship, key chain, decoders, membership cards, and a set of 12 plastic spacemen.

The series, set in Earth’s distant future, tracked the adventures of a group of fighters for truth and justice, known as The Video Rangers. They were led by Captain Video (no first name ever was mentioned). The Video Rangers operated from a secret base on a mountaintop whose location was unspecified. Their uniforms resembled U.S. Army Surplus with lighting bolts sewn on.

Captain Video had a teenage companion known only as The Video Ranger. The Captain received his orders from “The Commissioner of Public Safety” (surname Carey), whose responsibilities took in the entire Solar System, as well as human space colonies on exoplanets.

Yes I watched this show on those Saturday morning back in the 1950’s, on our small Dumont Television set, and I recall one early Evening, telling my friend I have to get home soon, Captain Video is coming on! It was so great to watch even though the effects weren’t, but who cared anyway it was fun, something new for us kids to watch, not to mention the western’s like, the Roy Roger’s show, Hop-along Cassidy and the Lone Ranger show. Yea you had to be there! Check out more about this TV program from the early days of the 1950’s Television below!

DuMont Television/photographer: William Kahn, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons