''Mulligan Stew'' is an American children's educational television series, produced and sponsored by the
USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
Extension Service and its youth outreach program,
4-H
4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times i ...
.
Taking its name from the
hobo dish, ''Mulligan Stew'' aired in syndication beginning in the fall of 1972 and continued in reruns on
public television
Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing ...
into the early 80s.
The six-episode series follows the adventures of a group of five school-age musicians and their mentor, all dedicated to teaching others about good nutrition and developing healthier eating habits. The series, along with various educational materials including a companion comic book with additional adventures of the characters, was developed by the
Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service.
Overview
The series centers on the humorous adventures of a group of five school-aged kids who are all members of a rock band called "Mulligan Stew" (also referred to as the "Stews" or the "Mulligan Stew Force").
The band members are:
*Mulligan (Larry Friedman), the leader; occasionally plays guitar
*Maggie (Sherry Wright), identified by her long blond pigtailed hair; keyboards
*Mike (Steven Einbender), an Italian; drums
*Manny (Benjamin Sands), a Black preteen; bass
*Micki (Mi-On Hahm), a young Asian girl; guitar
(Mulligan, Maggie and Micki all sing lead vocals on most of the band's songs while Mike and Manny usually handle backing vocals.) The group's clubhouse is a basement in a brownstone apartment, fully furnished with a kitchen, shortwave radio, home gym, laboratory, and even a small stage where they rehearse their music.
Their grownup advisor and mentor is Wilbur Dooright (Barry Michlin), a bespectacled, bumbling accountant who, in some episodes, gives the kids their assignments "from upstairs", assumed to be a secret governmental organization (paying homage to the spy films and TV shows of the day). Wilbur provides much of the comic relief throughout the series.
"4-4-3-2" balanced diet message
An integral and ubiquitous part of the program's message was the "4-4-3-2" balanced diet program, part of the
standard USDA nutrition guidelines/recommendations promoted during the 1960s and 1970s. The use of dietary supplements was strongly discouraged; it was taught that all nutritional needs, including the proper intake of vitamins, minerals, fats and carbohydrates, could be adequately obtained solely by adhering to a balanced diet, with appropriate servings from the "basic four" food groups. This message was enthusiastically repeated by the children several times per episode. (The "basic four" food groups were updated by USDA in subsequent decades by the 1990s-era "Food Guide Pyramid" and the current "MyPlate" nutritional guidelines program.)
Production and development
''Mulligan Stew'' was developed in early 1971 by the USDA Extension Service, and filmed by the USDA Motion Picture Service (which for many years prior produced educational cinematic films and TV programs for public viewing). ''Mulligan Stew'' was developed based on plan and design proposals by Developmental Committees,
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...
Extension Service 4-H Nutrition Television Programs. The
Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) provided a grant to produce the series. (4-H is the official youth outreach and development program of the land-grant universities' Cooperative Extension Services and USDA.)
The target audience of the program was older elementary school students, fourth through sixth grade.
Eleanor Wilson, the national 4-H TV coordinator at the time, was tapped to be the series' technical advisor. Wilson subcontracted with Iowa State University to develop an outline of educational concepts for the series. USDA Extension then hired Ira Klugerman to direct the series. Klugerman, who came from a background of children's television at
WQED in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, came up with the title and general treatment for the series. V. "Buddy" Renfro was the credited producer.
Production began on location in southeast Washington, DC in 1971 (the opening sequence was filmed at
RFK Stadium). Other filming locations included major production partner Michigan State University's home base of
Lansing, Michigan, and on location for one episode at
Johnson Space Center in Houston. The low budget of the project proved to be a significant challenge, as well as the unique challenges of working with child actors.
The producers wanted the style of the series to reflect trends begun in other popular and innovative TV shows such as ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) ...
'' and ''
Laugh-In
''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Dan ...
''. Puppetry and animation were frequently used. Sometimes one or two of the kids would conduct "man-on-the-street" interviews, asking ordinary citizens about nutrition-related topics. All of the music, including the theme song and the various songs sung by the kids during an episode (many times in musical "romps" reminiscent of the ones seen on ''
The Monkees
The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was con ...
'' TV series), were composed and arranged by Washington, DC musician and recording engineer Paul Brier, and performed by a rock combo credited on screen as "The Eye".
''Mulligan Stew'' premiered on October 4, 1972, during the National 4-H Week at the National 4-H Center in Washington, DC. The program was considered a success, especially by previous standards for television outreach sponsored by 4-H. The series had a moderate impact on kids making better choices in what they ate, and provided 4-H with a sizable marketing, promotional and public relations boost. Thanks in part to the popularity of ''Mulligan Stew'', 4-H membership was boosted to an all-time high in 1974, and continued to air in reruns on public television until 1981.
Episode list
Guest appearances
Several celebrities or future celebrities made uncredited appearances, either as part of the main storyline or in brief segments; among these were
Richard Sanders who later gained fame playing
Les Nessman
Lester "Les" Nessman Jr. is a fictional character on the television situation comedy ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–82) played by Richard Sanders. He reprised his role in the sequel series, '' The New WKRP in Cincinnati''.
Background and appear ...
on ''
WKRP in Cincinnati
''WKRP in Cincinnati'' is an American sitcom television series about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working ...
''. Ordinary citizens were interviewed by the kids in selected segments of some episodes in a "man on the street" format.
*Larry Friedman (Mulligan) performed in the musical ''Rasputin'' with
Ted Neeley
Teddie Joe "Ted" Neeley (born September 20, 1943) is an American singer, actor, musician, composer, and record producer. He is known for portraying the title role in ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' (1973), a role for which he was nominated for two Gol ...
and
John Hurt
Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned over five decades. Hurt was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors. Director David Lynch described him as "simply the greatest actor in t ...
.
*Mion Hahm (Micki) is a realtor in Florida.
*Steve Einbender (Mike) is Senior Manager of Customer Analytics for
The Home Depot
The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the largest home improvement re ...
, in Atlanta, Georgia.
He still plays drums.
*Benjamin Sands (Manny) is a music teacher in the Washington, D.C. area.
*Sherry Wright (Maggie) pursued an acting and singing career while living in Alexandria, Virginia; she died in July 2009.
*Barry Michlin (Wilbur) had a number of minor roles throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and also made recurring appearances in several TV commercials including for
Arm & Hammer
Arm & Hammer is a brand of baking soda-based consumer products marketed by Church & Dwight, a major American manufacturer of household products. The logo of the brand depicts the ancient symbol of a muscular arm holding a hammer inside a red ci ...
Baking Soda with actress
Beverly Sanders. He is a photographer based in Los Angeles.
See also
*
MyPlate for current USDA recommendations (as of 2011)
References
External links
*{{IMDb title, 1191552, Mulligan Stew
Review of "Mulligan Stew" comic book at Stupid Comics"Mulligan Stew"on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
Health education television series
1972 American television series debuts
1981 American television series endings
1970s American children's television series
Michigan State University
Health campaigns
American children's education television series