Major Astro
Encyclopedia
Major Astro was a local afternoon children's television show in Wichita, Kansas
, played by Tom Leahy, Jr. as "Major Astro".
It consisted of lead-ins to blocks of popular cartoons of the time, with Leahy introducing them himself in his space suit, on a set designed to look like a base station on another planet.
Major Astro started out on KARD-TV
and the Kansas State Network, airing from 1960-1973, and later moved to KSAS-TV
in the late 80s, before ending altogether around 1989. Through the Kansas State Network, local TV stations in Great Bend, Kan., Garden City, Kan., and Oberlin, Kan.-McCook, Neb., aired the program.
In the mid-1960s Major Astro aired Astro Boy, the first anime
syndicated for broadcast in the U.S..
Leahy ended each day's show by saying "Join me next time when everything will be a-okay, and all systems will be go. Happy orbits, boys and girls. I'll see you tomorrow". He would then put on his space suit helmet, and walk out the door of his base station, presumably to his waiting space ship,which could be seen during the program through a "window" at the rear of the base station. During the 80's, Major Astro used a space shuttle set.
Tom Leahy died June 18, 2010 at the age of 87.
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, played by Tom Leahy, Jr. as "Major Astro".
It consisted of lead-ins to blocks of popular cartoons of the time, with Leahy introducing them himself in his space suit, on a set designed to look like a base station on another planet.
Major Astro started out on KARD-TV
KSNW
KSNW, digital channel 45 , is a NBC affiliate television station based in Wichita, Kansas. It is owned by the New Vision Television group. KSNW is also the flagship station of the Kansas State Network , a chain of NBC affiliates serving the western three-fourths of the state. KSNW's transmitter is...
and the Kansas State Network, airing from 1960-1973, and later moved to KSAS-TV
KSAS-TV
KSAS-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Wichita, Kansas. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 26 from a transmitter in Colwich. The station can also be seen on Cox channel 4 and in high definition on digital channel 2004...
in the late 80s, before ending altogether around 1989. Through the Kansas State Network, local TV stations in Great Bend, Kan., Garden City, Kan., and Oberlin, Kan.-McCook, Neb., aired the program.
In the mid-1960s Major Astro aired Astro Boy, the first anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
syndicated for broadcast in the U.S..
Leahy ended each day's show by saying "Join me next time when everything will be a-okay, and all systems will be go. Happy orbits, boys and girls. I'll see you tomorrow". He would then put on his space suit helmet, and walk out the door of his base station, presumably to his waiting space ship,which could be seen during the program through a "window" at the rear of the base station. During the 80's, Major Astro used a space shuttle set.
Tom Leahy died June 18, 2010 at the age of 87.