‘The Mickey Mouse Club’ 1955-1960

‘The Mickey Mouse Club’ 1955-1960

The Mickey Mouse Club was was first televised from 1955 till 1960 on ABC, featuring a regular but ever-changing cast of child performers. Reruns were broadcast by ABC on weekday afternoons during the 1960s, right after American Bandstand.

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 pm ET), and only a half-hour weekdays (5:30 to 6:00 pm 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 pm 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.

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 mostly due to ABC’s demand to add more spots to the show which Disney did not approve of. 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 other network.

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22 Comments

  1. Richard Wirth August 27, 2013

    Ah, Annette… sighhhhh…

  2. Richard W Mills August 27, 2013

    Will never forget Annette Funicello and Tim Considine!!!

  3. Regina Butler-Smith August 26, 2013

    Why is Annette the only one that wore deep red lipstick???

  4. Vicki Kleban August 26, 2013

    Ahhhh, my childhood…

  5. Mike Clark August 25, 2013

    adds that Cheryl Holdridge was my favorite. A real “SoCal” beauty who also played Tony Dow’s girlfriend on “Leave It To Beaver.” Like Annette, Cheryl is ‘gone too soon.’

  6. Mike Clark August 25, 2013

    remembers that the comic team of Skiles and Henderson hosted new videotaped intros in the show’s early 60’s syndication.

  7. Bonnie Brannen August 25, 2013

    I just loved that show so much, good memories….

  8. Bobby Saunders August 25, 2013

    Where’s Bobby !!!

  9. Gary Unrue August 25, 2013

    We use to watch it all the time! Loved the cartoon…

  10. Harry Young August 25, 2013

    Actually, the “Big Mooseketeer” in the back is Roy Williams, who was a Disney animator.

  11. Thomas Dooley August 25, 2013

    Always felt a little creepy about Roy Disney, the guy in the very back of this photo.

  12. Michael Krupnick August 25, 2013

    Now Disney OWNS ABC.

  13. Tom Edwards August 25, 2013

    Nice that they put Annette and Darlene down in front. Every young boy’s dreams.

  14. Marion Lyndon August 25, 2013

    I loved the M M club…

  15. Nanci Morris August 25, 2013

    *missed

  16. Nanci Morris August 25, 2013

    never mised it

  17. Michael Apodaca August 25, 2013

    The cousin I never had.

  18. Mark Sudock August 25, 2013

    Never knew the skirts were blue! Wonderful memories.

  19. James M Patterson August 25, 2013

    Loved the serial features, “Hardy Boys”, and “Spin and Marty.” The “new” MMC that came out in the 70s paled in comparison to the original.

  20. Hal Vickery August 25, 2013

    Top left: Tim Considine who has his right hand on the shoulder of Don Grady. Both would appear a few years later on “My Three Sons” as Mike and Robbie Douglas.

  21. Charlie King August 25, 2013

    I was one of hundreds or thousands of boys madly in love with Annette.

  22. David Sherman August 25, 2013

    “Must See TV ” for me, before anyone knew what “Must See TV was…” Circa 1958, I was at the point in my life, where I old enough to remember watching this just about every day, along with the three shows that preceded it…”BEAT THE CLOCK, “WHO DO YOU TRUST?,” and “AMERICAN BANDSTAND.” In ’59, “ROCKY & HIS FRIENDS” (the original title of the show that introduced us to Rocky & Bullwinkle, Mr. Peabody, and “Fractured Fairy Tales” ) was seen Tuesdays & Thursdays. I was in heaven.