Howdy Doody was a popular children's television series on Earth. The title character was a marionette in the form of a freckle-faced, red-headed boy with a large smile.
In 1996, Rain Robinson referred to Tom Paris as "sexy, in a Howdy Doody sort of way." (VOY: "Future's End")
TOS star William Shatner was a regular on this program in 1954, playing the character of "Ranger Bob." His co-star, James Doohan, was a cast member on the Canadian version of the show. The series itself, like the original Star Trek, aired on NBC.