The Whole Story Of Disney On Television…

On September 24, 1961, “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World Of Color” debuted on NBC. To mark the occasion, of the anniversary, here is that first color broadcast, and the whole story of Disney on TV, which starts at ABC. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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Walt Disney was the first major Hollywood producer to venture into television. His anthology series has graced network TV for 50 years, save for a couple of extended hiatuses, under eight names.

Besides the consistency of quality through the years, one of its most memorable aspects have been the title sequences encompassing a memorable musical accompaniment, rapid-edit clips of all-things Disney and Tinker Bell flying around the screen.

CBS and NBC both rejected the idea of a weekly Disney program, in part because any network airing the show was asked to help finance Walt’s idea for a new kind of amusement park: a clean, family-friendly park consisting of different themed areas. ABC signed on to the idea with the hope Walt could deliver a major success for the struggling network, which could only boast of two moderate hits in the early 1950s: The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

The cost to ABC was significant: a seven year contract valued at $35 million with licensing fees for each episode at $50,000. Additionally, the network would own a 34 percent interest in the park (Disney would buy out ABC’s stake in 1961).Tying in with the soon-to-open theme park in California, Disneyland premiered on Wednesday, October 27, 1954.

As Tinker Bell flew across the screen and the award-winning song “When You Wish Upon a Star” from Pinocchio as the theme, announcer Dick Wesson would briefly describe the four lands, leading up to the episode title: “Each week as you enter this timeless land, one of these many worlds will open to you. FRONTIERLAND– Tall tales and true from the legendary past. TOMMOROWLAND– Promise of things to come. ADVENTURELAND– The wonder world of nature’s own realm. FANTASYLAND– The happiest kingdom of them all.”

The first episode was called “The Disneyland Story” and in the first half-hour millions of viewers saw their first glimpse of the Disneyland theme park as well as previews of upcoming shows. The second half appropriately served as a tribute to Disney’s most famous cartoon character, Mickey Mouse. In fact, an often-used quote of Walt’s comes from this segment: “I only hope we never lose sight of one thing … that it was all started by a mouse.”

It was also in that first show that Fess Parker first performed a song that would soon climb to the top of the music charts and help make the unknown actor a star: The Ballad of Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier.

Those Davy Crockett shows were the most popular episodes of that first year, if not the entire anthology’s run. Considered to be the first television miniseries, the three-part shows were made at a total cost of around $700,000– a large amount for any television show at the time. All the episodes were filmed in color, although broadcast by ABC in black and white.

Their success led the Disney Studios to edit the three episodes into a feature film for theaters in the summer of 1955. Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier grossed a then-impressive $2.5 million. However, this was rather small compared to the estimated total sales of Davy Crockett merchandise: $300 million! Nobody anticipated its success, least of whom Walt himself.

At the end of the third installment, poor Davy was killed (off-screen, of course) at The Alamo. So for the following season, two additional Crockett episodes were filmed chronicling his early exploits. A second feature re-edited from these programs was released in 1956 as Davy Crockett and the River Pirates and was also a success.

Thanks to Davy Crockett, Disney had indeed delivered a hit: Disneyland was #6 in the 1954-55 Nielsen ratings and won the Emmy for Best Variety Series. In its second year, the series would achieve its highest seasonal rating as the #4 show.

By 1958 viewers had obviously become quite familiar with the different lands and a full description was no longer deemed necessary. Although the anthology was renamed Walt Disney Presents, the series itself should have changed its name to simply “Frontierland,” as these made up the bulk of episodes for the next three seasons.

Due almost entirely to the success of Davy Crockett, ABC executives insisted on the Western emphasis. Instead of Mickey and friends, viewers were often treated to the adventures of Texas John Slaughter, Elfego Baca (with Robert Loggia), and Leslie Nielsen as Francis Marion, The Swamp Fox. There was not much Walt could do as he was bind to a seven-year contract. Once that expired in 1961 he was free to change networks if he wished. That is exactly what he did. More importantly, Walt could now do what he could never convince ABC to go along with, and that was to broadcast in full color.

The majority of the ABC episodes had been filmed in color. This hindsight would pay off beginning in the first summer of reruns on NBC. It was that network’s commitment to colorcasting that Walt found most attractive, if not marketable. With sponsorship from RCA (then owner of NBC), Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color premiered at 7:30 PM on Sunday, September 24, 1961.

With an original song by Richard and Robert Sherman, viewers with color sets were mesmerized as flashes of animated red, yellow and blue fireworks burst behind Sleeping Beauty’s castle at Disneyland. Up flew Tinker Bell and with a few waves of her wand filled the screen with more colors blending into a kaleidoscope of Disney characters as a chorus thundered, “COLOR!” This sounded much better than “MONOCHROME!” which is how most viewers that first season saw Wonderful World of Color.

Still sales of color TV’s increased dramatically over the following months and many baby boomers have fond memories of watching Uncle Walt Sunday nights in living color. Like the first episode in 1954, “An Adventure in Color/Mathmagicland” consisted of two main segments. The first half introduced the new format and a new character: Professor Ludwig Von Drake, a relative of Donald Duck.

Disney’s top duck himself took center stage for the second half in a cartoon about mathematics, first released to theaters in 1959. The Von Drake episodes could be considered some of the funniest hours in the anthology series, due in part to Paul Frees’ often-improvised dialogue as the befuddled Professor.

By the mid-1960s Wonderful World of Color had firmly established itself as a top twenty series. Walt’s segments became as anticipated as the presentations themselves. Whether it be a simple introduction, interaction with animals or the cartoon characters or hosting a show from Disneyland, his warm and friendly manner made each episode something special to watch.

During this time a number of multi-part episodes made especially for the series were filmed in Europe and released theatrically there. One notable example is the three-part 1964 miniseries “The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh” which was released to U.S. theaters as Dr. Syn – Alias The Scarecrow twelve years after its initial television airing and European theatrical release. Appearing in the title role was Patrick McGoohan, whom would later star in the cult TV classic, The Prisoner.

Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966. The episode broadcast the following Sunday was “Disneyland Around the Seasons” in which Walt talked about new and upcoming attractions at his beloved park (in its original telecast, a portion of Walt’s narrative was substituted by a brief tribute from Dick Van Dyke and NBC newsman Chet Huntley).

After his final introduction aired on April 2, 1967 there would be no regular host for the remainder of the anthology’s original run. The series continued as Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color for another two years. To many it was still seen as Walt’s Show even though he only turned up in a brief clip during the opening titles and in reruns of course.

The name itself was fast becoming antiquated. In 1969 the anthology became The Wonderful World of Disney. For a new theme, Disney staff composer George Bruns arranged a medley of familiar tunes: “Someday My Prince Will Come” and “Whistle While You Work” from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee” from Mary Poppins, “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” from Song of the South, “Davy Crockett,” and “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” from Cinderella.

During the next decade the arrangement of songs in the opening medley as well as the film clips would change every few years or so to include more recent fare (even the familiar fireworks scene that started each show would change in 1972, shifting to Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World in Florida).

The overall anthology product would also change during the ’70s, although not necessarily for the better. The number of original episodes would gradually dwindle, with an increasing reliance on feature films (generally less successful movies and none of the full-length animated features) and reruns from earlier seasons.

A common criticism of the anthology was that episodes originating from Disneyland or the Walt Disney World Resort were nothing more than glorified commercials. Essentially this was true, but ultimately they became something of historical time capsule pieces. They’re fun to watch now just to see how much things have changed at the Disney parks and resorts through the years.

For a while ratings remained strong, so consistent that NBC gave The Wonderful World of Disney an automatic renewal through 1978. But in 1975 a slow decline began. Moved back to 7 PM and facing new competition from CBS’s 60 Minutes, Disney fell out of the top twenty. Further erosion occurred in early 1977 as ABC successfully launched the teen-oriented drama The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. It was also of no help that audiences were turning away from the Disney product in general, with the exception of the theme parks and merchandising.

Facing a threat of cancellation from NBC- itself having become ratings challenged following ABC’s rise to #1 in the mid 1970s- the anthology underwent a major makeover in 1979. For the first time since the 1960s, an original theme was developed. John Debney and John Klawitter composed a disco-flavored song that welcomed viewers to the new Disney’s Wonderful World.

Bridging the two parts of the theme was a program preview narrated by Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In announcer Gary Owens. Dazzling computer-generated graphics and an abundance of clips – but no fireworks or Tinker Bell – supported the feeling expressed in the lyrics that this was “the friendly old place” with “a happy new face.”

Appropriately, the closing music thanked viewers for watching. In a flashback to the original themed format, many episodes were divided into one of four categories: Fantasy Night, Adventure Night, Comedy Night and Animation Night. Beneath the flashy surface however was more of the same: few original shows, re-treads of theatrical movies, far too many repeats and even frequent preemptions. Ratings did increase slightly and that was enough to give Disney another two years on NBC before executives announced the end of the “world.”

Almost immediately, CBS came to the rescue promising a renewed commitment to original episodes and a move to Saturday nights. After a summer of extensive promotion, Walt Disney premiered on September 26, 1981 with part one of the 1969 hit The Love Bug. Ironically, this was actually a rerun having previously aired as a two-hour Disney’s Wonderful World presentation! Like the former series the opening graphics were computer-generated, this time featuring still photos and illustrations from the theme parks, films and characters. The sole theme once again was an instrumental version of “When You Wish Upon A Star.”

There was a substantial increase in original episodes that first CBS year as were the overall ratings. Some of the original shows served as pilots for proposed spin-offs; a few of which did make it to limited-run status, but no further. The second CBS year saw another increase in reruns and with that came rumors that the anthology had finally outlived its purpose and would be canceled. The series was even taken off the air for several months following a move to Tuesdays in a futile attempt to increase viewership.

On April 18, 1983 when Walt Disney Productions launched The Disney Channel, thereby focusing nearly all its television resources on the cable service. Shortly thereafter, CBS announced that Walt Disney would only be seen as an occasional special. On September 24, 1983, an important era in television history came to a quiet conclusion with “Walt Disney’s Mickey and Donald,” a compilation of classic cartoons. Or had it?

Following a management shakeup in September 1984, newly installed Chairman Michael Eisner expressed his desire to return Disney programming to network television on a regular basis. A number of individual programs came first, including The Golden Girls produced by the new Touchstone division.

The television flagship would ultimately be an anthology series. ABC had the most interest in reviving the format and amid much fanfare The Disney Sunday Movie premiered on February 2, 1986 hosted by Eisner himself. Again an instrumental version of “When You Wish Upon A Star” was used as the theme and even Tinker Bell came out of retirement to open each week’s show.

For most of its 2 1/2 year run, Sunday Movie aired in a two-hour format. To let viewers know this new series bore a direct kinship to the old, a few classic reruns were seen during the summer of 1986. Nostalgia and ratings were high initially, but both eventually wore down. The old nemesis 60 Minutes was as strong as ever and eventually pushed Sunday Movie back to one hour, then off ABC altogether.

As if history was repeating itself, NBC gladly picked up the series in 1988, re-christening it The Magical World of Disney. A “wheel” format of rotating miniseries was instituted including new Davy Crockett adventures (coincidentally, five episodes were produced– the same number as the original version), an action-adventure series called “Wild Jack” (three episodes made), a remake of “The Absent-Minded Professor” starring Harry Anderson of NBC’s hit sitcom Night Court (only two episodes made) and various special presentations.

This all soon faded back into the venerable (and vulnerable) anthology setting. In the 1989-90 season there was another attempt at miniseries programming in the form of a comedy series starring Barbara Eden called “Brand New Life” which was created by Chris Carter (yes, that Chris Carter of The X Files!). But after two lackluster years, the anthology series was again canceled with The Magical World of Disney name retained until 1996 for The Disney Channel’s weekly showcase of premiere movies and specials.

In 1996 The Walt Disney Company purchased Capital Cities/ABC Inc. for a record $19 billion, and shortly thereafter things seemed to come full-circle. In 1997, the anthology returned to Sundays as … The Wonderful World of Disney. Setting the tone for the weekly two-hour series, the opening show was the 1995 theatrical release Toy Story.

Other Disney animated and live-action blockbusters frequently turn up and there have been some outstanding original productions such as “Oliver Twist” with Richard Dryfuss, “Ruby Bridges,” the Whitney Houston-produced remake of “Cinderella,” “The Shirley Temple Story,” “Eloise at the Plaza,” “Eloise at Christmastime” (both based on the popular children’s books), remakes of “The Miracle Worker,” “Annie” and “The Music Man”; and in 2001 “The Man Behind the Myth,” a documentary about Walt’s life and work co-produced by his daughter Diane Disney Miller.

Until the fall of 2000 there was a mesmerizing (and Emmy-winning) title sequence as Tinker Bell flew across the screen to the music of “When You Wish Upon A Star” and “A Whole New World” from Aladdin. This was replaced by (in this author’s opinion) the worst opening sequence the anthology had ever produced as menacing images show people’s homes magically turning into castles.

Apparently someone or some people at ABC thought so too as a brief “Welcome to The Wonderful World of Disney” announcement is often used instead. In September of 2003, the series was moved from Sundays into yet another familiar time slot– Saturdays at 8 PM alternating with The ABC Saturday Movie of the Week. Classic episodes from the original 1954-83 run aired as part of The Disney Channel’s “Vault Disney” until that programming block was canceled in September 2002. Select episodes such as the original Davy Crockett and Disneyland-themed programs have been released in special DVD sets.

In an ever-changing and challenging environment both in fiction and in real-life, the Disney anthology series remains a haven for quality programming. It is something that has never wavered and reminds us that the world is still wonderful.To help commemorate 50 years of The Wonderful World of Disney, here is some general information of the show’s history, including some of the awards won over the decades.

Hosts
Walt Disney (October 27, 1954 to April 2, 1967)
Michael Eisner (February 2, 1986 to September 9, 1990– he continues to appear on an occasional basis in the current version)
Announcers*
Dick Wesson (1954-1979)
Dick Tufeld (Alternate Announcer, 1977-1979)
Gary Owens (1979-1981)
Mark Elliot (1981-1983)
Broadcast History
Disneyland (ABC)
October 27, 1954-September 3, 1958: Wednesday, 7:30 PM-8:30 PM
Walt Disney Presents (ABC)
September 12, 1958-September 25, 1959: Friday, 8:00 PM-9:00 PM
October 2, 1959-September 23, 1960: Friday, 7:30 PM-8:30 PM
September 25, 1960-September 17, 1961: Sunday, 6:30 PM-7:30 PM
Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color (NBC)
September 24, 1961-September 7, 1969: Sunday, 7:30 PM-8:30 PM
The Wonderful World of Disney (NBC)
September 14, 1969-August 31, 1975: Sunday, 7:30 PM-8:30 PM
September 14, 1975-October 19, 1975: Sunday, 7:00PM-8:00PM
October 26, 1975-December 7, 1975: Sunday, 7:00PM-9:00PM
December 21, 1975-September 4, 1977: Sunday, 7:00PM-8:00PM
September 11, 1977-October 23, 1977: Sunday, 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
October 30, 1977-September 2, 1979: Sunday, 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
Disney’s Wonderful World (NBC)
September 9, 1979-September 13, 1981: Sunday, 7:00PM-8:00PM
Walt Disney (CBS)
September 26, 1981-January 1, 1983: Saturday, 8:00 PM-9:00 PM
January 4, 1983-February 15, 1983: Tuesday, 8:00 PM-9:00 PM
July 9, 1983-September 24, 1983: Saturday, 8:00 PM-9:00 PM
(two irregularly scheduled airings on Tuesday, May 3, 1983 and Saturday, May 21, 1983)
The Disney Sunday Movie (ABC)
February 2, 1986-September 6, 1987: Sunday, 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
September 13, 1987-September 11, 1988: Sunday, 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
The Magical World of Disney (NBC)
October 9, 1988-July 2, 1989: Sunday, 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
July 9, 1989-July 23, 1989: Sunday, 8:00 PM-9:00 PM
August 6, 1989-February 25, 1990: Sunday, 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
March 4, 1990-April 15, 1990: Sunday, 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
April 22, 1990-May 6, 1990: Sunday, 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
May 27, 1990-July 22, 1990: Sunday, 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
August 5, 1990-September 9, 1990: Sunday, 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
The Wonderful World of Disney (ABC)
September 28, 1997- August 31, 2003: Sunday, 7:00PM-9:00PM
September 27, 2003-Present: Saturday, 8:00PM-10:00PM
Emmy Awards and Special Honors
1955:
-Best Variety Series: Disneyland
-Best Individual Show: “Operation Undersea,” Disneyland
-Best Television Film Editing: “Operation Undersea,” Disneyland
1956:
-Best Producer of Filmed Series: Walt Disney, Disneyland
-Best Action or Adventure Series: “Davy Crockett” on Disneyland
1962:
TV Guide Award for Best Dramatic Program of the Year:
“The Prince and the Pauper,” Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color
1964:
-Outstanding Program Achievements in the Field of Children’s Programming: Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color
-Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction or Set Design:Carroll Clark and Marvin Davis for Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color
1971:
Special Classification of Outstanding Program Achievement:
The Wonderful World of Disney
1981:
Special Certificate of Honor:
“Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life,” Disney’s Wonderful World
1990:
Outstanding Children’s Program:
“A Mother’s Courage: The Mary Thomas Story,” The Magical World of Disney
1998:
-Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program:
Randy Ser, Edward L. Rubin, Julie Kaye Fanton for
“Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” The Wonderful World of Disney
-Main Title Design: The Wonderful World of Disney
April 7, 2003:
The Wonderful World of Disney was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. This was a prestigious honor for television’s longest-running prime time series. Past recipients have included programs such as All in the Family and M*A*S*H, as well as individuals Carol Burnett, Ted Koppel and others.

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