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''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to
social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social me ...
in 2017. Created by
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
and produced by
Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...
, the program was first televised for four seasons, from 1955 to 1959, by ABC. This original run featured a regular, but ever-changing cast of mostly teen performers. ABC broadcast reruns weekday afternoons during the 1958–1959 season, airing right after ''
American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pr ...
''. The show was revived three times after its initial 1955–1959 run on ABC, first from 1977 to 1979 for first-run syndication as ''The New Mickey Mouse Club'', then from 1989 to 1996 as ''The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'' (also known to fans as ''MMC'' from 1993 to 1996) airing exclusively on
cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...
's The Disney Channel, and again in 2017 with the moniker ''Club Mickey Mouse'' airing exclusively on internet social media. It ended in 2018. The character of Mickey Mouse appeared in every show, not only in vintage cartoons originally made for theatrical release, but also in the opening, interstitial, and closing segments made especially for the show. In both the vintage cartoons and new animated segments, Mickey was voiced by his creator
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
(Disney had previously voiced the character theatrically from 1928 to 1947 before being replaced by
sound effects A sound effect (or audio effect) is an artificially created or enhanced sound, or sound process used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media. Traditi ...
artist Jimmy MacDonald).


Before the TV series

The first official theater-based Mickey Mouse Club began on January 11, 1930, at the Fox Dome Theater in Ocean Park,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
, with 60 theaters hosting clubs by March 31. The Club released its first issue of the ''Official Bulletin of the Mickey Mouse Club'' on April 15, 1930. By 1932, the club had one million members, and in 1933 its first UK club opened at
Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington under ...
’s Arcade Cinema. In 1935, Disney began to phase out the club.


1955–1959 show


Members

''The Mickey Mouse Club'' was hosted by Jimmie Dodd, a songwriter and the Head Mouseketeer, who provided leadership both on and off the screen. In addition to his other contributions, he often provided short segments which encouraged younger viewers to make the right moral choices. These little homilies became known as "Doddisms". Roy Williams, a staff artist at Disney, also appeared in the show as the Big Mouseketeer. Williams suggested that the Mickey and
Minnie Mouse Minnie Mouse is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. As the longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a bow, polka-dotted dress, white bloomers, and low-heeled shoes occasionally ...
ears should be worn by the show's cast members. He helped create these ears, along with Chuck Keehne, Hal Adelquist, and Bill Walsh. The main cast members were called Mouseketeers, and they performed in a variety of musical and dance numbers, as well as some informational segments. The most popular of the Mouseketeers constituted the so-called Red Team, which was kept under contract for the entire run of the show (1955–1959), and its members included: *
Sharon Baird Sharon Baird is an American actress, voice actress, singer, dancer and puppeteer who is best known for having been a Mouseketeer. Early life Baird was born August 16, 1943 Seattle, Washington to Eldon Baird, an aerospace worker, and Nikki Mar ...
*
Bobby Burgess Robert Wilkie Burgess (born May 19, 1941) is an American dancer and singer. He was one of the original Mouseketeers. Later, he was a regular on '' The Lawrence Welk Show''. Early life Growing up in Southern California, Burgess started perform ...
*
Lonnie Burr Lonnie Burr (born May 31, 1943) is an American entertainer and writer best known as one of nine of the original thirty-nine Mouseketeers who remained under a seven-year contract for the complete filming (1955–1959) of Walt Disney’s children ...
* Tommy Cole * Annette Funicello * Darlene Gillespie * Cubby O'Brien * Karen Pendleton * Doreen Tracey Other Mouseketeers who were Red Team members but did not star on the show for all three seasons included: * Cheryl Holdridge (second and third year) * Nancy Abbate (only first year) * Johnny Crawford (only first year) *
Dennis Day Dennis Day (born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty; May 21, 1916 – June 22, 1988) was an American actor, comedian, and singer. He was of Irish descent. Early life Day was born and raised in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx, New York City, the ...
(first and second year; was in the blue team for most of the first year, but he moved to the red team at the end of the first year) * Mike Smith (only first year) * Jay-Jay Solari (only second year) * Don Underhill (only first year; joined the blue team by the end of the first year) The remaining Mouseketeers, who were members of the White or Blue Teams, were Don Agrati (who was later known as
Don Grady Don Louis Agrati (June 8, 1944 – June 27, 2012), also known as Don Grady, was an American actor, composer, and musician. He was known foremost as one of the Mickey Mouse Mouseketeers and as Robbie Douglas on the long-running ABCCBS televis ...
when he starred as "Robbie" on '' My Three Sons''), Sherry Alberoni, Billie Jean Beanblossom, Eileen Diamond, Dickie Dodd (not related to Jimmie Dodd), Mary Espinosa,
Bonnie Lynn Fields Bonnie Lynn Fields (July 18, 1944 – November 17, 2012) was an American actress and Mouseketeer on ''The Mickey Mouse Club'', beginning with the show's third season. Her film credits included roles in ''Angel in My Pocket'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' ...
, Judy Harriet, Linda Hughes, Dallas Johann, John Lee Johann, Bonni Lou Kern, Charlie Laney, Larry Larsen, Paul Petersen, Lynn Ready,
Mickey Rooney Jr. Mickey Rooney Jr. (July 3, 1945 – July 16, 2022) was an American actor. He was the eldest son of the actor Mickey Rooney, and operated the Rooney Entertainment Group, a film and television production company. He was a born-again Christian wh ...
, Tim Rooney, Mary Sartori, Bronson Scott, Margene Storey, Ronnie Steiner, and Mark Sutherland. Larry Larsen, on only for the 1956–57 season, was the oldest Mouseketeer, being born in 1939, and Bronson Scott, on only the 1955–56 season, was the youngest Mouseketeer, being born in July 1947. Among the thousands who auditioned but did not make the cut were future Oscar-winning vocalist/songwriter
Paul Williams Paul Williams may refer to: Authors * Paul O. Williams (1935–2009), American science-fiction author and poet * Paul L. Williams (author) (born 1944), FBI consultant, journalist * Paul Williams (journalist) (1948–2013), American founder of mu ...
and future
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
-winning actress Candice Bergen. The 39 Mouseketeers and the seasons in which they were featured (with the team color which they belonged to are listed for each season): Notes: Cole and Day were originally Blue Team members, but were drafted to the Red Team later in the first season. Johann, Petersen, and the Rooney brothers were all let go early in the first season. Dallas's brother John Lee replaced him, while Dodd and Steiner were hired as replacements for the Rooney brothers. For the show's fourth season, only a small amount of new footage was filmed and was interspliced with material from previous seasons. It is believed that only six of the Mouseketeers—Funicello, Gillespie, Tracey, Burgess, Pendleton, and O'Brien—were called back for the filming of new material, while Cole and Baird were merely used for some publicity material.


Adult co-hosts

* Jimmie Dodd * Roy Williams * Bob Amsberry Other notable non-Mouseketeer performers appeared in several dramatic segments: * Tim Considine * Tommy Kirk * Roberta Shore (Jymme Shore) * David Stollery * Judy Nugent *
Kevin Corcoran Kevin Anthony "Moochie" Corcoran (June 10, 1949 – October 6, 2015) was an American child actor, director and producer. He appeared in numerous Disney projects between 1957 and 1963, leading him to be honored as a Disney Legend in 2006. Hi ...
, a.k.a. Moochie *
J. Pat O'Malley James Rudolph O'Malley (15 March 1904 – 27 February 1985) was an English character actor and singer who appeared in many American films and television programmes from the 1940s to 1982, using the stage name J. Pat O'Malley. He also appeared on ...
* Sammy Ogg * Alvy Moore * Julius Sumner Miller as "Professor Wonderful" These non-Mouseketeers primarily appeared in several original serials filmed for the series, only some of which have appeared in reruns. Other Mouseketeers were also featured in some of the serials, particularly Annette Funicello and Darlene Gillespie.


Major serials

Major serials included: * '' Spin and Marty'' starring Tim Considine and David Stollery * '' The Hardy Boys'' starring Tim Considine and Tommy Kirk * ''Corky and White Shadow'', starring Darlene Gillespie * '' Walt Disney Presents: Annette'', starring Annette Funicello * ''
Adventure in Dairyland ''Adventure in Dairyland'' is a television serial that aired in 1956 on ABC as part of the second season of '' The Mickey Mouse Club''. The serial starred Mouseketeer Annette Funicello and Sammy Ogg of Spin and Marty and featured Kevin Corcoran ...
'', featuring Annette Funicello and Sammy Ogg, and introducing Kevin Corcoran as Moochie * '' Jiminy Cricket educational serials'' (four animated shorts educating kids on different topics) * ''
The Adventures of Clint and Mac ''The Adventures of Clint and Mac'' is a 1957 television serial that aired on ABC as part of the third season of ''The Mickey Mouse Club''. It was filmed on location in London, England. Plot Clint is an American boy living in London while his fat ...
'' (starring Neil Wolfe as Clint Rogers and Jonathan Bailey as Alastair "Mac" MacIntosh) * ''Boys of the Western Sea'' (English-dubbed Danish film divided into nine 10-minute segments)


Music

The opening theme, "The Mickey Mouse March", 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 throughout the series.


Show themes

Each day of the week had a special show theme, which was reflected in the several segments. The themes were: * Monday – Fun with Music Day * Tuesday – Guest Star Day * Wednesday – Anything Can Happen Day * Thursday – Circus Day * Friday – Talent Round-up Day


Scheduling and air times

The series ran on ABC Television for an hour each weekday in the 1955 and the 1956 seasons (from 5:00 - 6:00 pm ET), and only a half-hour weekdays in 1957, the final season to feature new programming. Although the show returned for a 1958 season and these programs were repeats from the first two seasons, recut into a half-hour format. ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' was featured on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and ''Walt Disney's Adventure Time'', featuring reruns of ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' serials and several re-edited segments from ''
Disneyland Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envisi ...
'' and '' Walt Disney Presents'', appeared on Tuesdays and Thursdays.


Cancellation

Although the show remained popular, ABC decided to cancel it after its fourth season ended, because Disney and the ABC network could not come to terms for its renewal. The cancellation of the show in September 1959 was attributed to several factors: the Disney studios did not explain high profit margins from merchandise sales, sponsors were uninterested in educational programming for children, and many commercials were needed 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, the following year; however, he had to agree that both the ''Mickey Mouse Club'' and ''
Zorro Zorro ( Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilant ...
'' could not be aired on any major network. This left ''Walt Disney Presents'' (initially titled ''Disneyland'', later retitled '' Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color'' when it moved to NBC) as the only Disney series which was left on
prime time Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
until 1972 when '' The Mouse Factory'' went on the air. The prohibition which prevented major U.S. broadcast networks from airing the original ''Mickey Mouse Club'' (or any later version of it) was disputed when Disney acquired ABC in 1996. Although it would not air on ABC again, Disney ran it on the Disney Channel's "Vault Disney" block from 1998 to 2002.


Australian tour

Although the series had been ended in America, 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 matured and in some cases, bore little resemblance to the cast of youths with whom Australians were so familiar. Mainstream television did not reach Australia until 1956, so the series screened well into the 1960s when the back catalog expired.


Syndication

In response to continuing audience demand, the original ''Mickey Mouse Club'' went into edited syndicated half-hour reruns that 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'' or "Professor Wonderful" (with scientist Julius Sumner Miller) and ''Marvelous Marvin'' in the 1964–1965 season; Jimmie Dodd appeared in several of these new segments before his death in November 1964. Several markets expanded the program back to an hour's daily run time during the 1960s repeat cycle by adding locally produced and hosted portions involving educational subjects and live audience participation of local children, in a manner not unlike '' Romper Room''. In response to an upsurge in demand from
baby boomers Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the Western demographic cohort following the Silent Generation and preceding Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964, during the mid-20th century baby boom. ...
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 United States and
Family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
in Canada. The original ''Mickey Mouse Club'' films aired five days a week on The Disney Channel 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 Disney Channel's ''Vault Disney'' from 1997 to September 2002. During the baseball seasons in 1975 and 1976, WGN-TV in Chicago, Illinois, aired the show on a delayed basis due to Cubs baseball coverages.


Reunions

Annette Funicello and Tim Considine were reunited on ''The New Mickey Mouse Club'' in 1977. Darlene Gillespie and Cubby O'Brien were also reunited on another episode of the same series. 31 out of the 39 original Mouseketeers were reunited for a TV special, which aired on ''
Disney's Wonderful World The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The p ...
'' in November 1980. Paul Williams – who hosted the special – and Tim Considine were named Honorary Mousketeers during the special. Cast members Annette Funicello, Bobby Burgess, Tommy Cole, Sharon Baird, Don Grady, and Sherry Alberoni were reunited on the 100th episode of ''The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'', during the show's third season in 1990. Mouseketeers Doreen Tracey, Cubby O'Brien, Sherry Alberoni, Sharon Baird, Don Grady, Cheryl Holdridge, Bobby Burgess, Karen Pendleton, Tommy Cole, and Mary Espinosa performed together at
Disneyland Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envisi ...
in Fall 2005, in observance of Disneyland's 50th birthday, and the 50th anniversary of the television premiere of ''The Mickey Mouse Club''.


Streaming

In early 2020, the first week of the Mickey Mouse Club and the first Spin and Marty serial have been added to Disney's new streaming platform Disney+. For some reason, it is currently missing.


''Talent Roundup'' stars

* Larry Ashurst * Janice Crowe * Peter Lee Palmer * Mark Sutherland * Bo Wagner * Pamela Beaird * Mary Sartori * John F. Smith * Maxine Grossman * Linda Hughes * Cheryl Weinberg * Ronnie Wilson * Riley Wilson * Jimmie Fields * Donna Loren * Ray Little


1977 revival: ''The New Mickey Mouse Club''

In 1977,
Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...
revived the concept, but modernized the show cosmetically, with a disco re-recording of the theme song and a more ethnically diverse group of young cast members. The sets were brightly colored and simpler than the detailed black and white artwork of the original. Like the original, nearly every day's episode included a vintage cartoon, though usually in color from the late 1930s onward. The 1977 Mouseketeers were part of the halftime show of Super Bowl XI on January 9, 1977.


Serials

Serials were usually old Disney movies, cut into segments for twice-weekly inclusion. Movies included '' Third Man on the Mountain'', ''
The Misadventures of Merlin Jones ''The Misadventures of Merlin Jones'' is a 1964 American science-fiction comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney Productions. The film stars Tommy Kirk as a college student who experiments with mind-reading and hyp ...
'' and its sequel '' The Monkey's Uncle'' (both starring Tommy Kirk), ''
Emil and the Detectives ''Emil and the Detectives'' () is a 1929 novel set mainly in Berlin, by the German writer Erich Kästner and illustrated by Walter Trier. It was Kästner's first major success and the only one of his pre-1945 works to escape Nazi censorship. T ...
'' (retitled ''The Three Skrinks''), ''
Tonka Tonka is an American producer of toy trucks. The company is known for making steel toy models of construction type trucks and machinery. Maisto International, which makes diecast vehicles, acquired the rights to use the Tonka name in a line of ...
'' (retitled ''A Horse Called Comanche''), ''The Horse Without a Head'' (about a toy horse), and '' Toby Tyler'' (starring
Kevin Corcoran Kevin Anthony "Moochie" Corcoran (June 10, 1949 – October 6, 2015) was an American child actor, director and producer. He appeared in numerous Disney projects between 1957 and 1963, leading him to be honored as a Disney Legend in 2006. Hi ...
). In addition, one original serial was produced, ''The Mystery of Rustler's Cave'', starring Kim Richards and
Robbie Rist Robbie Rist (born April 4, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for playing Cousin Oliver in '' The Brady Bunch'', Martin in '' Grady'' and "Little John" in ''Big John, Little John''. Rist is also known for voicing assorted characters in ...
. Often shown were scenes from animated Disney films, from ''
Snow White "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as ...
'' to ''
The Jungle Book ''The Jungle Book'' (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, w ...
'' billed as "Mouseka Movie Specials".


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)


Syndication

The series debuted on January 17, 1977, on 38 local
television station A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity, such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio waves directly from a transmitter on the ear ...
s in the United States, and by June of that same year, when the series was discontinued, 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, was produced to start airing September 5, 1977. Since the 1970s, the series has aired only briefly in reruns. Like its 1950s predecessor, the 1989/1990s series had DVD releases of select episodes in July 2005. On November 20, 1977, "The Mouseketeers at Walt Disney World" was shown on ''
The Wonderful World of Disney The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The p ...
''. WGN-TV in Chicago, Illinois, also aired this version on a delayed basis in 1977 and 1978 during the Cubs baseball season due to game coverages.
Action for Children's Television Action for Children's Television (ACT) was founded by Peggy Charren, Lillian Ambrosino, Evelyn Kaye Sarson and Judy Chalfen in Newton, Massachusetts, USA, in 1968 as a grassroots, nonprofit child advocacy group dedicated to improving the quality ...
successfully got the show canceled because of their objections to the types of commercials that aired during the program. It also aired on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's Flagship (broadcasting), flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News ...
in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
from 1978 to 1980.


Cast

The cast of 12 (five boys and seven girls) had a more diverse multiethnic background than the 1950s version. Several 1977–1978 cast members went on to become TV stars and other notable icons. The show's most notable alumnus was Lisa Whelchel (born in 1963, in Littlefield, Texas), who later starred in the NBC television sitcom '' The Facts of Life'' which ran from 1979 to 1988 before becoming a well-known Christian author, and overall runner-up, and winner of the $100,000 viewers' choice award, on the fall 2012 season of the CBS television reality series ''
Survivor Survivor(s) may refer to: Actual survivors * *Last survivors of historical events Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Survivors, characters in the 1997 ''KKnD'' video-game series * ''The Survivors'', or the ''New Survivors Found ...
''. Mouseketeer Julie Piekarski (born in 1963 in St. Louis,
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
.) also appeared with Lisa Whelchel on the first season of ''The Facts of Life''. Kelly Parsons (born in 1964, in
Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables, officially City of Coral Gables, is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city is located southwest of Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 49,248. Coral Gables is known globally as home to the ...
) went on to become a beauty queen and runner-up to
Miss USA Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020, ...
. Other Mouseketeers (from seasons 1–2) from the 1977 show: * William "Billy"/"Pop" Attmore: born at US military base in Landstuhl, West Germany, 1965; appeared in a few movies before and after the series, a final season episode of ''
The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family with six children. The show aired for five seasons and, af ...
'' ("Kelly's Kids"), and as a streetwise hood in the short-lived '' Eischied'' crime drama. * Scott Craig: born in
Van Nuys, California Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909 ...
, in 1964; lived in Las Vegas, Nevada, died December 30, 2003, from a respiratory illness. * Benita "Nita Dee" DiGiampaolo: born in
Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
, in 1966; appeared at the last end of an episode in 1981 of ''
Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo ...
'' as Elena. Nita appeared in ''ABC Family Weekends'' in 1978 as Nita and 1978 as Maria. Nita also starred in Upbeat Aesop (ABC) produced by Ron Miziker (A Disney executive). * Mindy Feldman: born in
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, wh ...
, in 1968; sister of actor Corey Feldman. * Angel Florez: born in Stockton, California, in 1963; died April 25, 1995, from an AIDS-related illness. *
Allison Fonte Allison Fonte (born June 6, 1964) is an American actress and pianist who was a 12- to 13-year-old mousketeer of seasons 5-6 of the television show The ''Mickey Mouse Club'', a 1977 revival of the Disney television show that had originally aired b ...
: born in
Buena Park, California Buena Park (''Buena'', Spanish for "Good") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census its population was 84,034. It is the location of several tourist attractions, namely Knott's Berry Farm. It is about 12 m ...
, in 1964. * Shawnte Northcutte born in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wo ...
, in 1965; appeared on an episode of '' The Facts of Life'', as Madge. * Todd Turquand: born in
Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a metonymy, shorthand reference for the Cinema of the United States, U.S. film industry and the people associated with i ...
, in 1964. * Curtis Wong: born in
Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, Canada in 1962; appeared on an episode of '' Diff'rent Strokes'', as an assistant
karate (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...
instructor under Soon-Tek Oh. Disney
voice actor Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talen ...
and sound effects editor Wayne Allwine voiced Mickey Mouse in the animated lead-ins for the show, replacing Jimmy MacDonald, who in 1947 had replaced Walt Disney as the voice of Mickey for theatrical short cartoons. Walt Disney had been the original voice of Mickey and for the original 1954–1959 run provided the voice for animated introductions to the original TV show but had died in 1966. Allwine kept providing the voice for the character up to his death in 2009. Future rock musician
Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love ( née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence a ...
(wife of
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo. ...
lead singer Kurt Cobain) claims to have auditioned for a part on the show, reading a poem by
Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath (; October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for two of her published collections, '' Th ...
; she was not selected. Former Mouseketeers Annette Funicello and serial star Tim Considine guest-starred in one episode; Former Mouseketeers Darlene Gillespie and Cubby O'Brien were also reunited on another episode.


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. A new rendition of the "Mickey Mouse Club March" was made later on in 1999 by Mannheim Steamroller, a contemporary band, in hopes of connecting new-age children and their parents who watched the'' Mickey Mouse Club.


Distribution

This incarnation was not distributed by Disney only; while Disney did produce the series, it was co-produced and distributed by
SFM Entertainment SFM Entertainment is an American television syndicator, film distributor, production company, and licensing firm established on September 29, 1969.
, which also handled 1970s-era syndication of the original 1950s series (
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
since re-acquired only distribution rights).


1989–1994 revival: ''The All-New Mickey Mouse Club''

Reruns of the original ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' began airing on The Disney Channel with the channel's 1983 launch. While the show was popular with younger audiences, the Disney Channel executives felt it had become dated over the years, particularly as it was aired in black-and-white. Their answer was to create a brand-new version of the club, one targeted at contemporary audiences. Notably, the all-new "club-members" would wear Mouseketeer varsity jackets instead of iconic Mickey Mouse ears. This show was called ''The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'' (also known as "MMC" to fans). This version of the series is notable for featuring a number of cast members who went on to achieve global success in music and acting,
Ryan Gosling Ryan Thomas Gosling (born November 12, 1980) is a Canadian actor. Prominent in independent film, he has also worked in blockbuster films of varying genres, and has accrued a worldwide box office gross of over 1.9 billion USD. He has receive ...
,
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
,
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice o ...
, future NSYNC band members Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, Keri Russell, Deedee Magno, future
En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single ...
member Rhona Bennett, Nikki DeLoach, and Chase Hampton.
Nick Carter Nick or Nicholas Carter may refer to: Athletes * Nick Carter (athlete) (1902–1997), track and field athlete from United States, who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics * Nick Carter (baseball) (1879–1961), Major League Baseball pitcher for t ...
was selected to join the program at the age of 12, however, he decided to join the developing boy band,
Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The ...
. Throughout the run, Fred Newman was the main adult co-host from the beginning of the series until season 6. In the first season, Newman was joined by other co-host Mowava Pryor. She was then replaced by Terri Eoff from the fourth season until the sixth season. By the show's final season, two original members Chase Hampton and
Tiffini Hale The Party is an American pop band. The group was originally composed of Albert Fields, Tiffini Hale, Chase Hampton, Deedee Magno Hall, and Damon Pampolina, all of whom were cast members of ''The All New Mickey Mouse Club'' from 1989 until 1991 ...
became the co-hosts. This was the first version of the club to have any studio audience, though a moderately small group. Former Mouseketeer Don Grady guest-starred in the season 1 finale. Grady, along with fellow Mouseketeers Annette Funicello, Bobby Burgess, Tommy Cole, Sharon Baird, and Sherry Alberoni were reunited on the 100th episode, during the show's third season. Funicello later appeared on the show again, in an interview with the Mouseketeer Lindsey Alley.


Scheduling and air times

For the first five seasons, the series aired Monday through Friday at 5:30 pm. The show's sixth season aired Monday to Thursday. In its final season, it aired Thursdays only at 7:00 pm (later moved a half hour later, to 7:30 pm). The series premiered Monday, April 24, 1989, ended production in October 1994, and aired its last original episode in 1996. Seasons 3 and 5 had the most episodes at 55 each, with seasons 1, 2, and 7 running about 45 episodes. Seasons 4 and 6 had about 36 episodes each.


Skits

The show was known for its sketch comedy. Some of the sketches played off famous movies, musicals, and even cartoons, as well as holiday-related skits. During the final season, some of the skits showed everyday occurrences in the lives of adolescents.


Music videos

The series featured music videos of the Mouseketeers singing their versions of popular songs in front of a live studio audience or the
Walt Disney World Resort The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...
. This became one of the most popular segments.


Live concerts and performances

A unique feature of the show was the Mouseketeers performing concerts on different days (which were usually taped the day before or in the summer, when the kids had more time). During the final season, the concerts were replaced primarily by live performances that featured singing and dancing in front of the audience.


Theme days

This version maintained the "theme day" format from the previous two versions. When Disney decided to revamp the show for its final season, the show was reduced to a single weekly airing, shown only on Thursdays. Although still produced as a daily series during the final season taping in 1994, The Disney Channel, after canceling the series once season 7 production had ended, decided to air the final season in a weekly format, therefore stretching the first-run episodes into early 1996. The final season premiered in May 1995, almost a year after production had started and more than 6 months after the series finale was taped. 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) * Party Day – Thursdays (seasons 1–4, 6), Fridays (season 5) * Hall of Fame Day – Fridays (seasons 1–4), Thursdays (season 5), Wednesdays (season 6)


Mouseketeer roster

The adult co-hosts for the show were Fred Newman (1989–1993), Mowava Pryor (1989–1990), Terri Misner Eoff (1991–1993),
Tiffini Hale The Party is an American pop band. The group was originally composed of Albert Fields, Tiffini Hale, Chase Hampton, Deedee Magno Hall, and Damon Pampolina, all of whom were cast members of ''The All New Mickey Mouse Club'' from 1989 until 1991 ...
(1994), and Chase Hampton (1994). The 35 Mouseketeers and the seasons in which they were featured are: Note: For the show's fourth season, Albert Fields,
Tiffini Hale The Party is an American pop band. The group was originally composed of Albert Fields, Tiffini Hale, Chase Hampton, Deedee Magno Hall, and Damon Pampolina, all of whom were cast members of ''The All New Mickey Mouse Club'' from 1989 until 1991 ...
, Chase Hampton, Deedee Magno, and Damon Pampolina were featured in segments as " The Party", primarily in footage separate from the rest of the cast.


''Emerald Cove''

During the last three seasons of MMC they had a pre-recorded drama series called ''Emerald Cove'' with the older cast members: *Rhona Bennett *J.C. Chasez *Dale Godboldo *Ricky Luna *Tony Lucca *Ilana Miller *Keri Russell *Marc Worden *Matt Morris *Jennifer McGill *Joshua Ackerman *Nikki Deloach


2017–2018 American revival: ''Club Mickey Mouse''

''The Mickey Mouse Club'' was rebooted under the name ''Club Mickey Mouse'' with a new set of Mouseketeers in September 2017, and for the first time, the series was made available on
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin ...
and
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
, rather than its original half hour to full hour format on television, and is more like a reality show than a variety show, with about 90% of its content being behind the scenes. This incarnation of ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' featured eight Mouseketeers who ranged in age from 15 to 18: Regan Aliyah, Jenna Alvarez,
Ky Baldwin Ky Baldwin (born 10 April 2001) is an Australian singer, songwriter, dancer and actor. He is known for his music videos on his YouTube channel. Early life Ky Baldwin was born in April 2001 in Sydney, Australia. Although his youth was mainly ...
, Gabe De Guzman, Leanne Tessa Langston, Brianna Mazzola, Sean Oliu, and Will Simmons. The Mouseketeers were also joined by the guest star
Todrick Hall Todrick Hall (born April 4, 1985) is an American singer, choreographer, and YouTuber. He gained national attention on the ninth season of the televised singing competition '' American Idol''. Following this, he amassed a huge following on Yo ...
, who also served as a mentor to the cast during the casting, and Jennifer Chia as the host. The series was produced by Disney Digital Network. No new episodes or music videos have been produced since 2018.


International revivals


2015 Korean revival: ''The Mickey Mouse Club''

A new version of the series debuted on July 23, 2015, on Disney Channel Korea. The format of revival included musical performances, games, and skits, as same as the original one in the US. The series had two pilot episodes and ten regular episodes. The Mouseketeers consisted of nine members of S.M. Entertainment's pre-debut group SM Rookies, including five boys –
Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * F ...
, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, and Jisung – and four girls – Koeun, Hina, Herin, and Lami. The series was hosted by Leeteuk of boy band
Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their promine ...
. The show ended on December 17 the same year.


2017–present Malaysian revival: ''Club Mickey Mouse''

''Club Mickey Mouse'' was created in Malaysia. The format included musical performances, games and comedy sketches. The series was hosted by YouTube personality, Charis Ow, and premiered on Disney Channel Asia on September 15, 2017. The series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on July 6, 2018, and a third season which premiered on June 14, 2019. They also cast as a guest (except Dheena Menon which she had an exam) on Episode 14 ("Friends in Need, Indeed!") on Disney Channel Asia Original Series, Wizards of Warna Walk. Charis and Dheena did not return in the season because Charis was getting married. Disney Channel Asia decided to pick two new Mouseketeers for an audition, revealed to be Eric and Melynna. But due to the shutdown of the channels, the season 4 of ''Club Mickey Mouse'' was aired in 2021 exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar instead. In November 2021, it was reported that the fourth season of this show will be aired on
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...
in selected territories.


Home media


''Walt Disney Treasures: The Mickey Mouse Club'' at UltimateDisney.com



See also

* '' Disney Club'', the name of many television shows associated to Disney productions aired mostly in Europe * '' Mickey Mouse Clubhouse'', a show for preschool-age children with a very different format


References


External links

* * (1950s version) * (1970s version) * (1989–1990s version) {{DEFAULTSORT:Mickey Mouse Club 1955 American television series debuts 1959 American television series endings 1960 American television series debuts 1977 American television series endings 1989 American television series debuts 1996 American television series endings 1950s American children's television series 1960s American children's comedy television series 1970s American children's comedy television series 1980s American children's comedy television series 1990s American children's comedy television series 1950s American music television series 1960s American musical comedy television series 1970s American musical comedy television series 1980s American musical comedy television series 1990s American musical comedy television series 1950s American sketch comedy television series 1960s American sketch comedy television series 1970s American sketch comedy television series 1980s American sketch comedy television series 1990s American sketch comedy television series 1950s American variety television series 1960s American variety television series 1970s American variety television series 1980s American variety television series 1990s American variety television series American Broadcasting Company original programming * American children's musical television series American television series revived after cancellation American television series with live action and animation Black-and-white American television shows Child musical groups Children's sketch comedy Disney Channel original programming Donald Duck television series English-language television shows Mickey Mouse television series Television series about children Television series by Disney Television series created by Walt Disney Television series created by Hal Adelquist