John Rovick, Beloved Los Angeles Children's Host Sheriff John
As Sheriff John, Rovick was a fixture on L.A. television during the 1950s and ’60s.
John Rovick, the beloved Los Angeles children’s television show host known for years as "Sheriff John," died October 6, 2012, in Boise Idaho. He was 93.
A native of Toledo, Ohio, Rovick got his start in radio before being hired as a staff announcer at Los Angeles TV station KTTV when it first went on the air in 1949.
In 1952, KTTV acquired a quantity of old cartoons and was searching for someone to host a daily cartoon show for children at 5:30 p.m. Rovick came up with the character of Sheriff John, a kind-natured law-enforcement officer who introduced the cartoons, talked to his young viewers about the importance of safety and cultivating good manners, and sang songs, including "Laugh and Be Happy" and "The Birthday Polka."
Cartoon Time with Sheriff John was a hit with young viewers, and in 1953 Rovick won a Primetime Emmy Award or outstanding children’s program.
KTTV also added a midday show, Sheriff John’s Lunch Brigade, which aired until 1970.
Read more about Rovick's life and career at: