The Mickey Mouse Club is a long-running
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
varietyA variety show or variety entertainment is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and comedy skits, and normally introduced by a compère or host. The variety format made its way from Victorian era stage to radio to television...
television show that began in 1955, produced by
Walt Disney ProductionsThe Walt Disney Company , often simply known as Disney, is the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world, known for its family-friendly products...
and televised by the
American Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
, featuring a regular but ever-changing cast of teenage performers.
The Mickey Mouse Club was created by
Walt DisneyWalter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon and philanthropist. Disney is famous for his influence in the field of entertainment during the twentieth century. As the co-founder Walter Elias...
. The series was revived, reformatted and reimagined several times since its initial 1955–1959 run on
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
.
The 1950s series
The Mickey Mouse Club was Walt Disney's second venture into producing a television series, the first being the Walt Disney anthology television series, initially titled
Disneyland. Disney used both shows to help finance and promote the building of the
DisneylandDisneyland is an American theme park in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of The Walt Disney Company. It was dedicated with a press preview on July 17, 1955, and opened to the general public July 18, 1955...
theme park. Being busy with these projects and others, Disney turned
The Mickey Mouse Club over to
Bill WalshBill Walsh was a film producer and screenwriter who primarily worked on live-action films for Walt Disney Productions...
to create and develop the format, initially aided by Hal Adelquist.
The result was a
variety showA variety show or variety entertainment is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and comedy skits, and normally introduced by a compère or host. The variety format made its way from Victorian era stage to radio to television...
for children, with such regular features as a newsreel, a cartoon, and a serial, as well as music, talent and comedy segments. One unique feature of the show was the Mouseketeer Roll Call, in which many (but not all) of that day's line-up of regular performers would introduce themselves by name to the television audience. In the serials, teens faced challenges in everyday situations, often overcome by their common sense or through recourse to the advice of respected elders.
Cast
Mickey Mouse Club was hosted by
Jimmie DoddJames Wesley Dodd was best known as the MC of the popular 1950s Disney TV show, The Mickey Mouse Club, as well as the writer of its well-known theme song, The Mickey Mouse Club March. A slowed-down version of this march, with different lyrics, became the very beautiful "Alma Mater" that closed the...
, a songwriter and the "Head Mouseketeer", who provided leadership both on and off screen. In addition to his other contributions, he often provided short segments encouraging young viewers to make the right
moralMorality has three principal meanings.In its first, descriptive usage, morality means a code of conduct or belief concerning matters of what is moral or immoral...
choices. These little
homiliesA homily is a commentary that follows a reading of scripture. In Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a homily is usually given during Mass at the end of the Liturgy of the Word...
became known as "Doddisms".
Roy WilliamsRoy Williams was an artist and entertainer for The Walt Disney Studios, perhaps best known as "Big Roy," the adult mouseketeer for four seasons on the Mickey Mouse Club television series....
, a staff artist at Disney, also appeared in the show as the "Big Mooseketeer". Roy suggested the
Mickey MouseMickey Mouse is a comic animal cartoon character who has become an icon for The Walt Disney Company. Mickey Mouse was created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks and voiced by Walt Disney. The Walt Disney Company celebrates his birth as November 18, 1928 upon the release of Steamboat Willie...
ears ("Mouseke-ears" or "Mouseket-ears") worn by the cast members, which he helped create, along with Chuck Keehne, Hal Adelquist, and Bill Walsh.
The main cast members were called "Mouseketeers," and they performed in a variety of
musicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
al and dance numbers, as well as some informational segments. The most popular of the Mouseketeers constituted the so-called "Red Team," which consisted of:
- Annette Funicello
Annette Joanne Funicello is an American singer and actress. She was Walt Disney's most popular main cast member of The Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to appear in a series of beach party films.-Early life and early stardom:...
- Tommy Cole
Tommy Cole is an American make-up artist, a former actor and singer who is still best known for having been a Mouseketeer.-Early life:...
- Darlene Gillespie
Darlene Faye Gillespie is a former child actor. She is best known for having been a singer and dancer on the original Mickey Mouse Club television show from 1955 to 1958. Her Irish father and French-Canadian mother were a former vaudeville dance team...
- Cheryl Holdridge
Cheryl Holdridge was an American actress, best known as a cast member of the original Mickey Mouse Club.-Early life:Holdridge was born Cheryl Lynn Phelps in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her mother, Julie A...
(joined in second year)
- Bobby Burgess
Robert Wilkie "Bobby" Burgess is an American dancer and singer.Growing up in Southern California, Burgess first started performing at age five, which included dancing, singing and playing the accordion...
- Doreen Tracey
- Cubby O'Brien
Carl Patrick O'Brien , who generally goes by the nickname of "Cubby", is a professional American drummer, and a former child actor, who is best known for having been a Mouseketeer.-Early life:...
- Karen Pendleton
Karen Pendleton was born August 1, 1946 in North Hollywood, California. She was an original Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer on ABC television from 1955-1958. She left show business, married in 1970, had a daughter, and divorced...
- Lonnie Burr
Lonnie Burr was born on May 31, 1943, in Dayton, Kentucky. He is an American actor, dancer/choreographer, singer, director and author of Danish, French, Scots-Irish and German descent, best known for having been a star on the original Mickey Mouse Club television show from 1955 to 1959...
- Sharon Baird
Sharon Baird is an American actress and dancer who is best known for having been a Mouseketeer.-Early life:Sharon Baird was born in Seattle, Washington to Eldon Baird, an aerospace worker, and Nikki Marcus, a future talent agent. She has one younger brother, Jimmy Baird, also a former child actor...
(Cubby and Karen were initially "Meeseketeers".)
The remaining Mouseketeers were Nancy Abbate, Don Agrati (later known as
Don GradyDon Agrati , better known as Don Grady, is an American composer, musician and actor. He is remembered both as one of Mickey Mouse's original Mouseketeers, and as Robbie Douglas, from My Three Sons. His sister was also an actress, billed as Lani O'Grady...
when starring as "Robbie" on the long running sitcom
My Three SonsMy Three Sons is a situation comedy about a Scots/Irish-American family , that ran from September 29, 1960, to August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of an aeronautical engineer and widower Steve Douglas, played by Fred MacMurray, and his three sons. The series was a cornerstone of the...
),
Sherry AlberoniSherry Alberoni is an American actress and voice artist. Alberoni got her start as a Mouseketeer on the weekday ABC television program The Mickey Mouse Club. As an adult, she became a voice artist for Hanna-Barbera Productions...
, Billie Jean Beanblossom,
Johnny CrawfordJohnny "John" Ernest Crawford is an American prolific character actor of stage, singer, and musician. At 12, Crawford arosed to fame for playing Chuck Connors's son, Mark McCain, in The Rifleman . He also got his start as one of the Mouseketeers.-Biography:Johnny Crawford was born in Los Angeles,...
, Dennis Day, Eileen Diamond, Dickie Dodd (not related to Jimmy Dodd), Mary Espinosa, Bonnie Lynn Fields, Judy Harriet, Linda Hughes, Dallas Johann, John Lee Johann, Bonni Lou Kern, Charlie Laney, Larry Larsen,
Paul PetersenThis is about the American actor. For the Norwegian gymnast, see Paul Pedersen.Paul Petersen is an American movie actor, singer, novelist, and activist...
, Lynn Ready,
Mickey Rooney Jr.Mickey Rooney, Jr. is a retired American actor and the eldest son of the actor Mickey Rooney. He operates the Rooney Entertainment Group, a movie and TV production company.-Early life:...
,
Tim RooneyTimothy Hayes Rooney was an American actor and voice actor. He was the second son of actor Mickey Rooney and suffered from a muscle disease known as dermatomyositisHe was born in Birmingham, Alabama...
, Mary Lynn Sartori, Bronson Scott, Michael Smith, Jay-Jay Solari, Margene Storey, Ronnie Steiner, Mark Sutherland and Don Underhill. Dennis Day was a Mouseketeer for two seasons; the others served for shorter periods. Larry Larsen, on only for the 1956-57 season, was the oldest Mouseketeer, being born in 1939. Among the thousands who auditioned but didn't make the cut were future vocalist/songwriter
Paul WilliamsPaul Hamilton Williams, Jr. is an American musician, composer, songwriter and actor.-Musical career:Williams is responsible for a number of enduring pop hits from the 1970s, including a number of hits for Three Dog Night , Helen Reddy , and The...
and future actress
Candice BergenCandice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model, best known for her starring role on the television situation comedy Murphy Brown. She won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards as Best Actress in a TV Comedy for that role...
.
Other notable non-Mouseketeer performers appeared in various dramatic segments:
- Tim Considine
Timothy Daniel "Tim" Considine is a former American child actor and young adult actor who was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s...
- Tommy Kirk
Thomas Lee "Tommy" Kirk is a former American actor, and later a businessman.-Disney years:...
- Roberta Shore
Roberta Jymme Schourop , better known as Roberta Shore, is an American actress and performer, most famous for her youthful television and movie roles in the 1950s and early 1960s....
a.k.a. Jymme Shore
- Steve Stevens, (not to be confused with musician of same name)
- David Stollery
David John Stollery, III , is a former American child actor and, as an adult, a noted industrial designer. He appeared in numerous Disney movies and television programs in the 1950s...
- Judy Nugent
Judy Ann Nugent is an American actress.-Early life:Nugent was born in Los Angeles, California, daughter of Lucille and Carl Nugent...
- Kevin Corcoran
Kevin Anthony "Moochie" Corcoran is an American director, producer, and former child actor. He appeared in numerous Disney projects between 1957 and 1963, frequently as an irrepressible character with the nickname Moochie...
a.k.a. "Moochie"
- J. Pat O'Malley
James Patrick O'Malley , was an English singer and character actor, who appeared in many American films and television programs during the 1940s–1970s, using the stage name J. Pat O'Malley...
- Sammy Ogg
- Alvy Moore
Jack Alvin "Alvy" Moore was an American light comic actor best known for his role as scatterbrained county agricultural agent "Hank Kimball" on the television series Green Acres....
- Julius Sumner Miller
Professor Julius Sumner Miller , was an American physicist and television personality. He is best known for his work on children's television programs.-Off-Screen:...
as "Professor Wonderful"
These non-Mouseketeers primarily appeared in numerous original serials filmed for the series, only some of which have appeared in reruns. Certain Mouseketeers were also featured in some of the serials, particularly Annette Funicello and Darlene Gillespie.
Major serials
Major serials included:
- Spin and Marty
Spin and Marty was a popular series of television shorts that aired as part of ABC's Mickey Mouse Club show of the mid-1950s produced by Walt Disney. There were three serials in all, set at the Triple R Ranch, a boys' western-style summer camp. The first series of 25 eleven-minute episodes,...
(three serials, starring Tim ConsidineTimothy Daniel "Tim" Considine is a former American child actor and young adult actor who was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s...
and David StolleryDavid John Stollery, III , is a former American child actor and, as an adult, a noted industrial designer. He appeared in numerous Disney movies and television programs in the 1950s...
in the title roles)
- The Hardy Boys (two serials, starring Tim Considine
Timothy Daniel "Tim" Considine is a former American child actor and young adult actor who was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s...
and Tommy KirkThomas Lee "Tommy" Kirk is a former American actor, and later a businessman.-Disney years:...
)
- Corky and White Shadow, starring Darlene Gillespie
- Walt Disney Presents: Annette
Walt Disney Presents: Annette was a television serial that ran on The Mickey Mouse Club during the show's third season . It starred Annette Funicello as Annette McCloud, a poor, orphaned country girl who moves into town with her upper-class aunt and uncle...
, starring Annette Funicello
- Adventures in Dairyland, also called An Adventure in Dairyland, featuring Funicello and Sammy Ogg, and introducing Kevin Corcoran as Moochie
Music
The opening theme, "The
Mickey Mouse MarchMickey Mouse March , is the opening theme for the The Mickey Mouse Club TV show, broadcast weekday afternoons in the US from October 1955 to 1959, on the ABC television network...
", was written by the show's primary adult host, Jimmie Dodd. It was also reprised at the end of each episode, with the slower "it's time to say goodbye" verse. A shorter version of the opening title was used later in the series, in syndication and on Disney Channel reruns. Dodd also wrote many other songs used in individual segments over the course of the series.
Show themes
Each day of the week had a special show theme, which was reflected in the various segments. The themes were:
- Monday - Fun with Music
- Tuesday - Guest Star
- Wednesday - Anything Can Happen
- Thursday - Circus
- Friday - Talent Round-up
Scheduling and air times
The series ran on ABC Television for an hour each weekday in the 1955–1956 and 1956-1957 seasons (from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. ET), and only a half-hour weekdays (5:30 to 6:00 p.m. ET) in 1957–1958, the final season to feature new programming. Although the show returned for the 1958–1959 season (5:30 to 6:00 p.m. ET), these programs were repeats from the first two seasons, re-cut into a half-hour format.
The Mickey Mouse Club was featured on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and
Walt Disney's Adventure Time, featuring re-runs of
The Mickey Mouse Club serials and several re-edited segments from
Disneyland and
Walt Disney Presents, appeared on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Cancellation
Although the show remained popular, ABC decided to cancel the show after its fourth season, as Disney and the ABC network could not come to terms for renewal. The cancellation in September 1959 was attributable to several factors: The Disney studios did not realize high-profit margins from merchandise sales, the sponsors were uninterested in educational programming for children, and many commercials were needed in order to pay for the show. After canceling The Mickey Mouse Club, ABC also refused to let Disney air the show on another network. Walt Disney filed a lawsuit against ABC, and won the damages in a settlement; however, he had to agree that both the
Mickey Mouse Club and
Zorro could not be aired on any major network. This left
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (later retitled the
Wonderful World of Disney) as the only Disney series left on
prime timePrime time or primetime is the block of programming on television during the middle of the evening.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period, for example, from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm...
until 1972, when
The Mouse FactoryThe Mouse Factory was a television series produced by Walt Disney Productions, that ran from 1971 to 1973. It showed clips from various Disney movies and showed celebrity guests, including Johnny Brown, Charles Nelson Reilly and JoAnne Worley, visiting the Disney studio...
went on the air. The prohibition against major U.S. broadcast network play of the original Mickey Mouse Club (or any later version) became moot when Disney acquired ABC in 1996, but no plans have been announced for an ABC airing of any version of the Mickey Mouse Club produced between 1955 and 1996. or for a new network series.
Australian tour
Although the series had been killed in the United States, many members of the cast assembled for highly successful tours of Australia in 1959 and 1960. The television series was very successful in Australia and was still running on Australian television. The cast surprised Australian audiences, as by then they had physically developed and in some cases, bore little resemblance to the young cast with whom Australians were so familiar. Television did not reach Australia until 1956 so the series screened well into the sixties when the back catalogue expired.
Syndication
However, in response to continuing audience demand, the original Mickey Mouse Club went into edited syndicated half-hour reruns which enjoyed wide distribution starting in the fall of 1962, achieving strong ratings especially during its first three seasons in syndicated release. (because of its popularity in some markets, a few stations continued to carry it into 1968 before the series was finally withdrawn from syndication). Some new features were added such as
Fun with Science, aka "Professor Wonderful" (with scientist
Julius Sumner MillerProfessor Julius Sumner Miller , was an American physicist and television personality. He is best known for his work on children's television programs.-Off-Screen:...
) and
Marvelous Marvin in the 1964–1965 season; Jimmie Dodd appeared in several of these new segments before his death in November 1964. Many markets stretched the program back to an hour's daily run time during the 1960s rerun cycle by adding locally produced and hosted portions involving educational subjects and live audience participation of local children, in a manner not unlike
Romper RoomRomper Room was a children's television series which ran in the United States from 1953 to 1994 as well as at various times in Australia, Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico, New Zealand and the United Kingdom...
.
In response to an upsurge in demand from baby boomers entering adulthood, the show again went into syndicated reruns from January 20, 1975 until January 14, 1977. It has since been rerun on cable specialty channels Disney in the U.S. and Family in Canada. The original
Mickey Mouse Club films aired five days a week on the
Disney ChannelDisney Channel is a cable television channel specializing in television programming for children through original series and movies as well as third party programming. It is marketed to mostly children; however, in recent years the diversity of viewers has increased with an older audience,...
from its launch in 1983 until the third version of the series began in 1989. The last airing of the edited 1950s material was on the Disney Channel's "Vault Disney" from 1995 to September 2002.
Reunions
Almost all of the original Mouseketeers were reunited for a TV special in 1980, which aired on
Disney's Wonderful WorldThe first incarnation of the Walt Disney anthology television series, commonly called The Wonderful World of Disney, premiered on ABC on Wednesday night, October 27, 1954 under the name Disneyland. The same basic show has since appeared on several networks under a variety of titles...
in November of that year.
Several original Mouseketeers performed together at
DisneylandDisneyland is an American theme park in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of The Walt Disney Company. It was dedicated with a press preview on July 17, 1955, and opened to the general public July 18, 1955...
in the fall of 2005, in observance of Disneyland's 50th birthday, and the 50th anniversary of the TV premiere of
The Mickey Mouse Club.
1970s revival, the All New Mickey Mouse Club
In the 1970s,
Walt Disney ProductionsThe Walt Disney Company , often simply known as Disney, is the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world, known for its family-friendly products...
revived the concept but modernized the show cosmetically, with a
discoDisco is a genre of dance music that that had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, psychedelic and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
re-recording of the theme song and minority cast members. The sets, though colored, were simplistic, lacking the fine artwork of the original. Like the original, nearly each day's episode included a vintage cartoon, though usually color ones from the late 1930s and onward.
Serials
Serials were usually old Disney movies, cut into segments for twice-weekly inclusion. Movies included
Third Man on the MountainThird Man on the Mountain is a 1959 American Walt Disney movie set during the golden age of alpinism about a young Swiss man who conquers the mountain that killed his father. It is based on the novel Banner in the Sky by James Ramsey Ullman, and was televised under this name...
,
The Misadventures of Merlin JonesThe Misadventures of Merlin Jones is a 1964 Walt Disney production starring Tommy Kirk and Annette Funicello. Kirk plays a college student who experiments with mind-reading and hypnotism, leading to run-ins with a local judge...
and its sequel
The Monkey's UncleThe Monkey's Uncle is a 1965 Walt Disney production starring Tommy Kirk as genius college student Merlin Jones and Annette Funicello as Jennifer, his girlfriend. The title refers to a chimpanzee named Stanley, Merlin's legal "nephew" ; Stanley otherwise has little relevance to the plot...
(both starring
Tommy KirkThomas Lee "Tommy" Kirk is a former American actor, and later a businessman.-Disney years:...
),
Emil and the Detectives (retitled
The Three Skrinks),
Tonka (retitled
A Horse Called Comanche),
The Horse Without a Head (about a toy horse), and
Toby TylerToby Tyler is a film released on January 21, 1960 by the Walt Disney Company, based on the 1880 children's book Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus by James Otis Kaler. It was issued on DVD on August 2, 2005...
(starring
Kevin CorcoranKevin Anthony "Moochie" Corcoran is an American director, producer, and former child actor. He appeared in numerous Disney projects between 1957 and 1963, frequently as an irrepressible character with the nickname Moochie...
). In addition, one original serial was produced,
The Mystery of Rustler's Cave, starring
Kim RichardsKimberly "Kim" Richards is an American actress and former child actress.-Career:Richards was born in Mineola, New York, the daughter of Kenneth E. Richards and Kathleen Dugan . The couple separated in 1972 and Kathleen later remarried...
and
Robbie RistRobert Anthony Rist is an American actor and musician.-Acting and voiceover work:As a child, Rist played Cousin Oliver in the final season of The Brady Bunch. It was hoped that, with his Dutch Boy haircut and wire-rimmed glasses, his resemblance to pop singer John Denver and juvenile appeal would...
.
Theme days
Theme days were:
- Monday - Who, What, Why, Where, When and How
- Tuesday - Let's Go
- Wednesday - Surprise
- Thursday - Discovery
- Friday - Showtime (at Disneyland, with performers usually at Plaza Gardens)
Troubled syndication run
The series debuted on January 17, 1977, on only 38 local television stations in the United States, and by June, when the unsuccessful series was discontinued, only about 70 stations in total had picked up the series. Additional stations picked up the canceled program, which continued to run until January 12, 1979; 130 new episodes, with much of the original material repackaged and a bit of new footage added, and a shortened version of the theme song, were produced to start airing September 5, 1977. The series has not had more than token reruns, unlike its 1950s predecessor, and while both the 1950s and 1990s series had DVD releases in July 2005, the 1970s series seems forgotten except by that short generation of youthful viewers for whom it defined "the club."
Cast
The cast had a more diverse ethnic background than the 1950s version. Several 1970s cast members went on to become TV stars and other notable icons.
The show's most notable alumna was
Lisa WhelchelLisa Diane Whelchel is an American actress best known for her role in the television series The Facts of Life as the preppy and wealthy Blair Warner.- Life and career :...
, who later starred in the
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
television sitcom
The Facts of LifeThe Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to September 10, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' original premise focused on the character, Edna Garrett , as she becomes housemother to seven girls at the...
before becoming a well-known Christian author. Mouseketeer
Julie PiekarskiJulie Ann Piekarski is best known for her role on the popular 80s sitcom The Facts of Life....
(born St. Louis, 1964) also appeared with Lisa Whelchel on the first season of
The Facts of Life.
Kelly ParsonsKelly Parsons achieved fame as an American actress and model. She was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 23, 1964. She won the Our Little Miss pageant in 1975...
(born Coral Gables, Fla., 1965) went on to become a
beauty queen"Beauty Queen" is the second song from Roxy Music's second album, For Your Pleasure. The lyrics refer to Ferry's girlfriend, Valerie Leon, one-time UK beauty queen, B-movie actress and model working in the Newcastle area, circa 1973.-Musicians:...
and runner-up to
Miss USAThe Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA.-History:...
. Shawnte Northcutte (born Los Angeles, 1965) appeared once on
Facts of Life. Billy 'Pop' Attmore (born at US military base in Landstuhl, West Germany, 1965) appeared in a few movies before and after the series, a fifth-season episode of
The Brady BunchThe Brady Bunch is an American television sitcom. starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis, which revolves around a large blended family...
("Kelly's Kids"), and as a streetwise hood in the short-lived
EischiedEischied was a short-lived police / crime drama broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1979 to January 20, 1980. It had 13 episodes. It was based on the starring character from the 1978 miniseries "To Kill a Cop", based on the novel by Robert Daley.The series starred Joe Don Baker as tough...
crime drama. Nita Dee appeared at the tail end of an episode of
Fantasy Island This article is about the television series. For the amusement park, see Martin's Fantasy Island or Fantasy Island UKFantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:Before it became a...
.
Other Mouseketeers from the 1970s show:
- Scott Craig — born in Van Nuys, California, in 1964; lived in Las Vegas, died December 30, 2003.
- Nita Dee (Benita DiGiampaolo) — born in Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a large city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific coast. It is situated in Los Angeles County, about south of downtown Los Angeles. Long Beach borders Orange County on its southeast edge....
, 1966
- Mindy Feldman
Mindy Feldman is an American actress and former Mouseketeer. She is the sister of actor Corey Feldman....
— born in Burbank, CaliforniaBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The estimated population in 2007 was 107,921.Burbank is located in two distinct areas, with its downtown, civic center and key neighborhoods nestled on the slopes and foothills that rise to the Verdugo Mountains, and other areas...
, 1968, and sister of Corey FeldmanCorey Scott Feldman is an American film and television actor. He became known during the 1980s, with roles in the Hollywood films The Goonies "The Lost Boys" and Stand by Me.-Early life:...
.
- Angel Florez — born in Stockton, California
Stockton, the county seat of San Joaquin County, is currently the 13th largest city in the U.S. state of California in terms of population and one of the largest in terms of area in the Central Valley. Stockton is located in Northern California south of Sacramento and north of Modesto...
, 1963; died April 25, 1995.
- Allison Fonte
Allison Fonte was a cast member of the television show The New Mickey Mouse Club, a 1977 revival of the Disney television show that had originally aired between 1955 and 1959....
— born in Anaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of January 1, 2009, the city population was about 348,467, making it the 10th most-populated city in California and ranked 54th in the United States. The city anticipates that the population will surpass 400,000 by 2014 due to rapid development...
, 1964
- Todd Turquand — born in Hollywood, California, 1964
- Curtis Wong
Curtis Wong is an interactive media researcher and creator of Project Tuva and co-creator of the WorldWide Telescope in Microsoft Research in Redmond, WA...
— born in Vancouver, British Columbia, 1962
Theme song and soundtrack
The lyrics of the
Mickey Mouse Club March theme song were slightly different from the original, with two additional lines:
"He's our favorite Mouseketeer, we know you will agree" and "Take some fun and mix in love, our happy recipe."
A soundtrack album was released with the show.
Distribution
This incarnation was not distributed by Disney alone; while Disney did produce the series, it was co-produced and distributed by
SFM EntertainmentSFM Entertainment is an American television syndicator, established in 1968...
, who also handled 1970s-era syndication of the original 1950s series (Disney has since regained sole distribution rights).
1990s revival (MMC)
In 1989, The
Disney ChannelDisney Channel is a cable television channel specializing in television programming for children through original series and movies as well as third party programming. It is marketed to mostly children; however, in recent years the diversity of viewers has increased with an older audience,...
revived the show with a different format, which was very similar to other popular shows of the time like
You Can't Do That on TelevisionYou Can't Do That on Television is a Canadian television program that first aired locally in 1979 before ultimately airing internationally in 1981...
or
Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a weekly late-night sketch comedy and variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975, under a slightly different title. The show features a regular cast of comedy actors, joined by a guest host and musical act...
. The show structure was originally developed by Walt Disney Television in the mid-1980s.
Scheduling and air times
The series aired Monday - Friday, 5:30PM ET during Seasons 1-5. In season 6, the show was on from Monday-Thursday at 5:30PM. In its final season it aired Thursdays only at 7:30PM. The show premiered Monday, April 24, 1989, ended production in 1994, and ran reruns until Thursday, May 31, 1996. The series was also syndicated to local television stations throughout the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Seasons 3, 5 and 7 had the most episodes. Seasons 4 and 6 were shorter, having about 35 episodes each.
Format
The long version of the new show's title was
The All New Mickey Mouse Club, but it was more commonly called
MMC. Recorded before a studio audience at the
Disney-MGM Studios, now
Disney's Hollywood StudiosDisney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
in Lake Buena Vista, FL as it featured teens from all races. The show was a mix of live skits, recorded comedy and songs. The Mouseketeers did their own versions of popular songs live and in music videos.
Emerald Cove was a recurring soap opera type segment starring Mouseketeers and several actors who exclusively appeared on these segments, that aired once a week for 10 minutes.
Cast
Five members of the show (
Damon PampolinaDamon Philip Pampolina is a former actor, singer, and DJ working in the Los Angeles and Houston area of the United States...
,
Tiffini HaleTiffini Talia Hale is an American actress and pop singer. She was a Mousketeer on the The All New Mickey Mouse Club and a member of the pop group The Party....
,
Chase HamptonChasen Cord Hampton is an American actor/ pop singer. He was a Mousketeer on the The All New Mickey Mouse Club and also released five CDs with Hollywood Records as a member of the pop group The Party...
,
Albert FieldsAlbert Jeunepierre Fields is an American actor and pop singer. He was a Mousketeer on the The All New Mickey Mouse Club and a member of the pop group The Party. After The Party disbanded, Albert went under the moniker, "Jeune" and released a solo album in 1995 entitled, Back to Reality...
and
Deedee MagnoDeedee Lynn Magno is an American actress and pop singer. She was a Mousketeer on the The All New Mickey Mouse Club and a member of the pop group The Party. She performed lead vocals on their only Top 40 hit, "In My Dreams"....
) broke off and formed the musical group
The PartyThe Party is an American pop band. The group is composed of Albert Fields, Tiffini Hale, Chase Hampton, Deedee Magno, and Damon Pampolina, all of whom were cast members of The All New Mickey Mouse Club.- History :...
, and released four full length albums:
The Party;
In The Meantime, In Between Time;
Free; and
The Party's Over...Thanks For Coming. They had a radio hit with the
DokkenDokken is an American heavy metal and hard rock band that was formed in 1978. The group accumulated numerous charting singles and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide....
cover of "
In My Dreams"In My Dreams" was the Norwegian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, performed in English by Wig Wam.The song is a glam metal number, in keeping with the band's view that "rock'n'roll is the new schlager"...
."
The show would be the starting point for several
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
popPop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer alternative to rock 'n' roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial recording, often orientated towards a youth market, usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs...
superstars and
actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s. The fourth season introduced viewers to JC Chasez and Golden Globe winning television actress
Keri RussellKeri Lynn Russell is an American actress and dancer. After appearing in a number of made-for-television films and series during the mid-1990s, she came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the series Felicity, which ran from 1998 to 2002, and for which she won a Golden Globe...
. The sixth season featured
Grammy AwardThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
winning singers
Justin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician. He has won six Grammy Awards as well as two Emmy Awards. He got his big break when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate...
,
Christina AguileraChristina María Aguilera is an American pop musician. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994. Aguilera signed to RCA Records after...
and
Britney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American singer and entertainer. Born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana, Spears first appeared on national television in 1992 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to...
; and Academy Award nominated actor
Ryan GoslingRyan Thomas Gosling is a Canadian actor and musician. He is best known for his roles in The Notebook, The Believer, Half Nelson and Lars and the Real Girl.-Early life:...
.
Jessica SimpsonJessica Ann Simpson is an American singer, actress, and television personality who rose to fame in the late 1990s. She has achieved seven Billboard Top 40 hits, and has three gold and two multi-platinum RIAA-certified albums. Simpson starred with her then-husband Nick Lachey in the MTV reality...
and
Countess VaughnCountess Danielle Vaughn is an American actress and singer, known for her role as Kim Parker in the television series Moesha and its spin-off The Parkers.-Early life and career:...
were finalists but did not make it onto the show.
The only Mouseketeers who appeared each season from the first until its cancellation in 1994 were
Lindsey AlleyLindsey Erin Alley is an American actress and singer, who for several years lived in New York City and is now residing in Los Angeles....
, Jennifer McGill and Josh Ackerman with
Tiffini HaleTiffini Talia Hale is an American actress and pop singer. She was a Mousketeer on the The All New Mickey Mouse Club and a member of the pop group The Party....
and
Chase HamptonChasen Cord Hampton is an American actor/ pop singer. He was a Mousketeer on the The All New Mickey Mouse Club and also released five CDs with Hollywood Records as a member of the pop group The Party...
back for the final season.
Theme days and other notable episodes
In 1990, as part of Season 3, six former Mouseketeers
Sherry AlberoniSherry Alberoni is an American actress and voice artist. Alberoni got her start as a Mouseketeer on the weekday ABC television program The Mickey Mouse Club. As an adult, she became a voice artist for Hanna-Barbera Productions...
,
Sharon BairdSharon Baird is an American actress and dancer who is best known for having been a Mouseketeer.-Early life:Sharon Baird was born in Seattle, Washington to Eldon Baird, an aerospace worker, and Nikki Marcus, a future talent agent. She has one younger brother, Jimmy Baird, also a former child actor...
,
Bobby BurgessRobert Wilkie "Bobby" Burgess is an American dancer and singer.Growing up in Southern California, Burgess first started performing at age five, which included dancing, singing and playing the accordion...
,
Tommy ColeTommy Cole is an American make-up artist, a former actor and singer who is still best known for having been a Mouseketeer.-Early life:...
,
Don GradyDon Agrati , better known as Don Grady, is an American composer, musician and actor. He is remembered both as one of Mickey Mouse's original Mouseketeers, and as Robbie Douglas, from My Three Sons. His sister was also an actress, billed as Lani O'Grady...
, and
Annette FunicelloAnnette Joanne Funicello is an American singer and actress. She was Walt Disney's most popular main cast member of The Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to appear in a series of beach party films.-Early life and early stardom:...
made a special appearance, actually participating in some skits and a couple of musical numbers. They were presented with 1990s
MMC jackets. Annette thanked everyone very much and told the new Mouseketeers that "the Club is in good hands because of all of you."
MMC celebrated its 200th episode with a show about Racial Unity. It featured Rev. Jesse Jackson,
Tracie SpencerTracie Spencer is a American pop/R&B singer-songwriter, actress, and model.- Biography :Spencer began modeling in pageant competitions at the age of 5 then entered and won the syndicated television talent show Star Search in 1987, singing Whitney Houston's 1986 hit song "How Will I Know".Shortly...
, Young Nation and
Tevin CampbellTevin Jermod Campbell is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Campbell scored a string of R&B chart hits as a teenager in the early to mid-1990s...
.
Theme days were:
- Music Day - Mondays (Seasons 1-5), Tuesdays (Season 6)
- Guest Day - Tuesdays (Seasons 1-5), Mondays (Season 6)
- Anything Can Happen Day! - Wednesdays (seasons 1-5), was not used in Season 6
- Party Day - Thursdays (Seasons 1-4, 6), Fridays (season 5)
- Hall of Fame Day - Fridays (Seasons 1-4), Thursdays (Season 5), Wednesdays (Season 6)
(Note: In Season 7, the show was shown on Thursdays only, therefore, no theme days were used.)
Full cast of 1990s Mouseketeers
Listed alphabetically:
- Josh Ackerman (1989-1994)
- Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American pop musician. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994. Aguilera signed to RCA Records after...
(1993-1994)
- Lindsey Alley
Lindsey Erin Alley is an American actress and singer, who for several years lived in New York City and is now residing in Los Angeles....
(1989-1994)
- Rhona Bennett
Rhona Bennett Also known as Miss R&B is an American singer, actress and model. Best known for her recurring role as Nicole on The Jamie Foxx Show. She joined American R&B super-group En Vogue in 2003 until August 2008 she now sings solo. . Bennett started out doing voice overs and industrial...
(1991-1994)
- Nita Booth (1991-1994)
- Mylin Brooks (1990-1992)
- Brandy Brown (1989-1990)
- Jason Blain Carson (1991-1992)
- JC Chasez (1991-1994)
- Braden Danner (1989)
- Tasha Danner (1991-1992)
- Nikki DeLoach
Ashlee Nicole DeLoach is an American actress known as Nikki DeLoach.DeLoach was born in Waycross, Georgia. DeLoach was a member of The Georgia 4-H Performing Arts group, Clovers & Company, from 1991-1994. She then joined the The New Mickey Mouse Club in 1993.In 1998, she became a member of the...
(1993-1994)
- T.J. Fantini (1993-1994)
- Albert Fields
Albert Jeunepierre Fields is an American actor and pop singer. He was a Mousketeer on the The All New Mickey Mouse Club and a member of the pop group The Party. After The Party disbanded, Albert went under the moniker, "Jeune" and released a solo album in 1995 entitled, Back to Reality...
(1989-1990, 1991 as part of The Party)
- Dale Godboldo
Dale Godboldo is an American television and film actor.-Career:Born in Dallas, Texas, Godboldo began his career as a teen on the 1990s revival of The Mickey Mouse Club...
(1991-1994)
- Ryan Gosling
Ryan Thomas Gosling is a Canadian actor and musician. He is best known for his roles in The Notebook, The Believer, Half Nelson and Lars and the Real Girl.-Early life:...
(1993-1994)
- Tiffini Hale
Tiffini Talia Hale is an American actress and pop singer. She was a Mousketeer on the The All New Mickey Mouse Club and a member of the pop group The Party....
(1989-1990, 1991 as part of The Party, 1994)
- Chase Hampton
Chasen Cord Hampton is an American actor/ pop singer. He was a Mousketeer on the The All New Mickey Mouse Club and also released five CDs with Hollywood Records as a member of the pop group The Party...
(1989-1990, 1991 as part of The Party, 1994)
- Raquel "Roqué" Herring (1989)
- David Kater (1989)
- Tony Lucca
Tony Lucca , is an American singer, songwriter, producer and sometime actor, perhaps best known for starting his career on the All New Mickey Mouse Club.-Biography:...
(1991-1994)
- Ricky Luna
Ricky Luna born José Enrique Luna on June 16, 1979 in East Los Angeles, California, is an American entertainer, actor, singer, musician, record producer, DJ, flying trapeze artist and television host....
(1990-1994)
- Tate Lynche (1993-1994)
- Deedee Magno
Deedee Lynn Magno is an American actress and pop singer. She was a Mousketeer on the The All New Mickey Mouse Club and a member of the pop group The Party. She performed lead vocals on their only Top 40 hit, "In My Dreams"....
(1989-1990, 1991 as part of The Party)
- Jennifer McGill (1989-1994)
- Terra McNair (1991-1992)
- Ilana Miller (1990-1994)
- Jason Minor (1990-1992)
- Terri Misner (1991-1993) (Adult co-host)
- Matt Morris
Matthew Burton Morris is an American singer-songwriter. The son of country music star Gary Morris, Morris made his show business debut on stage with his father. He was in the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club from 1991 to 1994...
(1991-1994)
- Fred Newman (1989-1993) (Adult co-host)
- Kevin Osgood (1989-1992)
- Damon Pampolina
Damon Philip Pampolina is a former actor, singer, and DJ working in the Los Angeles and Houston area of the United States...
(1989-1990, 1991 as part of The Party)
- Mowava Pryor (1989-1990) (Adult co-host)
- Keri Russell
Keri Lynn Russell is an American actress and dancer. After appearing in a number of made-for-television films and series during the mid-1990s, she came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the series Felicity, which ran from 1998 to 2002, and for which she won a Golden Globe...
(1991-1993)
- Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American singer and entertainer. Born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana, Spears first appeared on national television in 1992 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to...
(1993-1994)
- Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician. He has won six Grammy Awards as well as two Emmy Awards. He got his big break when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate...
(1993-1994)
- Marc Worden
Marc Worden is a Canadian actor. David Marc Worden was born on the 5 June 1976 in Toronto to Susan and the late David Worden. In 1993 he was nominated for a Young Artist Award...
(1990-1994) |
External links
(1950s version) (1970s version) (1990s version)