Davy and Goliath: A Nostalgic Look Back

If you grew up in the 1960s or 70s, you probably encountered “Davy and Goliath” at some point, often without even searching for it. Perhaps on a quiet Sunday morning, while flipping through channels aimed at kids, you stumbled upon the slightly awkward clay figure known as Davey Hansen and his cantankerous dog, Goliath.

“But, Darby…” the dog would lament in a low, almost accusatory tone whenever his owner was about to make a foolish decision.

An entire children’s television show focused on two boys eager to receive Holy Communion. It’s interesting to consider how this would be received today.

If you missed the details during the opening credits—like Luther’s rose, the mentions of the Lutheran Church, and the theme music, which included Martin Luther’s “Mighty Fortress is Our God”—you might not have realized you were watching a religious show. Sure, “Davey and Goliath” had a slower atmosphere compared to other children’s programming of the time, and since there were no toys or cereals promoted, lessons were usually learned before the credits turned up. Otherwise, it could easily just blend in as a typical kids’ show.

It is notable that back then, church-funded children’s programming aired alongside commercial shows without much explanation.

The Gospel of Gumby

In 1958, Franklin Clark Frye, who was then the president of the United Lutheran Church of America, allocated an impressive $1 million from church funds for children’s television programming. Initially, the church thought it best to have pastors preach directly to the camera.

Fortunately, Dick Sutcliffe disagreed, believing this wouldn’t translate well into television.

Sutcliffe, a former newspaper reporter involved in church broadcasting, focused on a more engaging approach. As his daughter later recounted, he felt it was good for theology but not suitable for TV.

He pondered what kind of message he would want to convey to his young son, Mike. This led Sutcliffe to develop a series of modern fables and bring in Gumby’s creative team, Art and Ruth Clokey, for production—Ruth being the daughter of a Lutheran minister herself. Sutcliffe wrote the initial screenplay, and in 1960, the pair produced a 15-minute pilot titled “Lost in a Cave.”

“Davey and Goliath” made its debut in syndication the following February, rapidly reaching nearly 200 stations due to its appealing distribution approach that local TV stations found hard to reject. This meant that Lutherans had effectively reached households across America.

By 1973, viewership surveys showed that “Davy and Goliath” attracted around 5.1 million viewers weekly. It’s quite a stretch to think of mainstream Protestantism trying something so bold today.

God Willing

While “Davy and Goliath” wasn’t exactly “VeggieTales,” it did include themes where Davey’s family actively attended church, and God was often referenced.

Christianity wasn’t merely about being nice. In the very first episode titled “I Got Lost in the Cave,” Davey learns the phrase “God willing” from his father and questions its meaning. His father explains that God cares about our lives out of love.

Shortly after, Davey finds himself lost in a cave.

A guide sets out to find the injured boy, ultimately rescuing him. Upon returning to the light, Davey grasps the core lesson—that just like the guide searched for him, God also seeks and cares for us when we feel lost.

Subsequent episodes delve deeper into faith. In “Family of God,” Davey and his buddy Jonathan eagerly prepare for their first communion, while another friend named Cisco shows disinterest, remarking, “Communion? Who cares?”

Throughout the episode, Davey and Jonathan work hard to persuade him otherwise. Meanwhile, Pastor Miller stops by the Hansen home to ensure Davey understands the significance of what he is about to receive, explaining how the bread and wine relate to Jesus’ sacrifice and the unity among Christians as the family of Christ.

An entire children’s show centered around two boys looking forward to their first Holy Communion. It’s certainly a unique concept.

More Than Just “Davey’s Face”

Despite its focus on God, “Davy and Goliath” clearly reflected mainstream Protestant values, which during the early 1960s increasingly associated the Christian mission with the fight against racial injustice. The show addressed topics of race and integration surprisingly early.

One of Davey’s friends, Jonathan, was Black, and another, Cisco, was Hispanic. Jonathan was notably an early example of a Black child simply depicted as a close friend of a white boy. In the episode “Polka Dot Necktie” (1961), the show directly confronted racial bias, and later episodes began to show a more integrated cast in Davey’s life.

Sutcliffe’s daughter offered a succinct perspective on this shift. She explained, “My father would say that if we’re going to talk about how God loves us all, we need to look beyond Davey’s face.”

The social messages stemmed from deep theological beliefs. If God loves everyone, then Davey’s world should reflect that diversity.

Sustainability

“Davy and Goliath” proved to have remarkable longevity. After airing 39 episodes and four specials initially, the Lutheran Church in America financed another 27 episodes and two specials in the 1970s. Even though the last original special debuted in 1975, reruns continued to run on Sunday mornings until the early ’80s.

However, the landscape shifted. Commercial broadcasters figured out that airing free Lutheran clay shows wasn’t as profitable as selling commercial airtime for other religious programs, many produced by more conservative groups. As a result, “Davy and Goliath” gradually faded from mainstream television.

In the meantime, the United Lutheran Church merged into the Lutheran Church in America in 1962. Over time, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was formed as a result.

Along with church assets, they inherited a peculiar piece of intellectual property: “Davy and Goliath.” So, in time, I thought it beneficial to bring Davey back.

A Comeback

The duo made their first unexpected return in 2001 when ELCA released a “Davy and Goliath” commercial for Mountain Dew, which cleverly poked fun at the characters’ old-fashioned demeanor. It worked, likely because audiences still recognized them, and even better, proceeds helped fund a proper revival.

In 2004, nearly three decades after their last new adventure, Davey and his dog returned in an hour-long special, “Davy and Goliath Snowboarding Christmas.”

This time, Davey gained two new friends: Sam, who is Jewish, and Yasmeen, who is Muslim. While engaging in snowboarding, the trio explored the differences between Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan, learning to respect each other’s traditions. ELCA staff consulted with Jewish and Muslim scholars to craft the script.

ELCA Communications Director Eric Shafer described the resulting production as “truly an interfaith show about the unity of the three faces of Abraham.”

Whereas in 1961, Davey dealt with distinctly Christian teachings of God, the Bible, and communion, by 2004, the focus had shifted more towards interfaith understanding and inclusivity. This reflects an important evolution of the church’s dialogue with the broader world.

It seems like a lot to ask from a little clay boy and his talking dog, but “Davy and Goliath” managed to remain in Lutheran possession long enough to become a significant emblem of America’s shifting religious landscape.

In the journey from a cave to a snowboarding slope, “Davy and Goliath” has transitioned from imparting Christian principles to being enveloped in universal themes, all while mirroring the transformations within mainstream American Protestantism.