Howdy Doody - Clarabell's Big Surprise aka Clarabell Speaks (found color version of final episode; 1960)

Howdy Doody was an American children's programme. NBC's earliest children's show and long running one, airing from 1947 to 1960. The final episode was Clarabell's Big Surprise (also known as Clarabell Speaks). The 58 minute-long episode was mostly a fond look back at all the highlights of the show's past. Meanwhile, in the midst of it all, Clarabell has what he calls a "big surprise." The rest of the cast attempts to find out the surprise throughout the entire show, with only Mayor Phineas T. Bluster succeeding, and promising to keep it a secret. ("But", he says upon leaving, "it's not gonna be easy to keep a secret like this!")

Finally, in the closing moments, the surprise was disclosed through pantomime to Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doody; as it turned out, Clarabell the mute clown actually could talk. Amazed, Bob frantically told Clarabell to prove it, as this was his last chance. An ominous drum roll began as Clarabell faced the camera as it came in for an extreme closeup. His lips quivered as the drumroll continued. When it stopped, Clarabell simply said softly, "Goodbye, kids." A tear could be seen in his right eye as the picture faded to black.

The show ended quietly with "Auld Lang Syne" playing on a celeste. The credits has a background - a dark, abandoned empty set. Viewers barely heard children crying off-screen during the credits. The ending is now considered one of the memorable moments in television history. It was reported that an unknown amount of children had tears in their eyes during the credits, even after Clarabell said "Goodbye, kids". The color version exists but it was lost

Foundation of the Color Broadcast
In 2013, an anonymous person discovered the version. It was later uploaded in 2017, making Clarabell's Big Surprise available. It's still available today.