Beginnings During a brief stint in 1951 at radio station
KDLM in
Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Awsumb developed a Casey Jones children's show that became the basis of television career. Awsumb returned to the
Twin Cities in 1952 and transitioned from radio to television. He began making on-air appearances as a railroad engineer named “Casey Jones” in 1954 on
WMIN-TV with the character and concept quickly evolving into its own show. His noon-hour show featured jokes, skits, songs, and cartoons, with non-actor children joining Awsumb and other characters live on set for the fun. Awsumb is most remembered for playing the ukulele and singing "The Happy Birthday Song" during each show. It's disputed whether he or musician Jim Hobbins wrote the tune. Awsumb and his supporting cast filled up an hour-long block of television air time each weekday with mostly original content. Despite airing thousands of shows over its run, only a few recordings of
Lunch With Casey exist today as each episode was broadcast live; any shows that were recorded were mostly not retained because videotape was expensive and often reused.
New era of children's television WTCN-TV first attempted to drop the
Lunch With Casey show in 1960 in favor of national programming. But the station rehired the cast after receiving 10,000 protest letters from parents and children. Awsumb and pioneering children's television hosts of his era were further overshadowed by the arrival of nationally syndicated shows such as
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and
Sesame Street beginning in the late 1960s.
Lunch With Caseys ratings faltered in the early 1970s, with fewer children going home from school for lunch, and it was later cancelled by a national media conglomerate that acquired the host station. Awsumb cited the backlash against children's television personalities endorsing products aimed at children for the wider cancellation in the early 1970s of local children's TV shows.
After Lunch With Casey Cancellation of his show on channel 11 was not the end of Awsumb's Casey Jones persona as the host station did not own the characters. The album contained songs and jokes from the popular television show. Awsumb is credited with writing "The Happy Train" song. Awsumb continued to make public appearances as Casey Jones. However, attempts by Awsumb and other characters to reboot the Casey Jones concept and spin off new TV shows, including a short-lived show on
channel 29, failed. Awsumb pursued other business ventures, including a pizza restaurant, automobile sales, and a bicycle and ski shop. == Legacy ==