I revisited my childhood for a minute or so today when I heard Morgan White, former disc jockey in Hawaii and known to thousands of kids from the 60s to the early 80s as Pogo Poge, passed away a couple of days ago.  Pogo was half of the longest running children’s show in Hawai’i, The Checkers & Pogo Show.  Each weekday afternoon from 3:00pm to 5:00pm Checkers and Pogo would play games with children in their live studio audience, pull pranks on each other, hit each other with pies, and introduce cartoons on KGMB-TV (which was owned by the late Cec Heftel).  Jay Hawthorne originated the role of Mr. Checkers.  Dave Donnely, a former newspaper columnist, succeeded him.  However, it was Jim Demarest, who held the role the longest and is more readily remembered as Mr. Checkers.  After Demarest left the show, so did Mr. Checkers.  Nobody replaced the character.  Demarest passed away in 2007.

Morgan White was also cast in a recurring role of the prosecutor on the original Hawai’i Five-O.  At one point White held a world’s record for jumping on a pogo-stick (thus the name Pogo Poge) and also held a record for the longest continuous ride on a Ferris wheel. 

Ask almost anyone who grew up in Hawaii from the 60s to 80s will more than likely fondly remember Mr. Checkers & Pogo Poge…Rest in Peace!

What memories do you have of Checkers & Pogo?????  Some other local celebrities appearing regularly on the show included disc jockey Kim Chee.  His character was Super Spy.  Actor Fred Ball, better known as Professor Fun, mesmorized the kids with his various magic tricks.  The late Freddie Morris and his sidekick ventriolquest dummy (pre-Moku Kahana days) also appeared on the show. 

Added memory:  Do you remember what shows aired on KGMB-TV after Checkers & Pogo ended every weekday?  I recall at 5 o'clock it was The Flintstones follwed by Gilligan's Island.  At 6:00pm, it was news with Bob Sevey.

BTW, if today is NOT your birthday..."A Very Merry UN-Birthday to You!"