What's on TV? Tuesday, January 14, 1958

Matinee Theater was an attempt by NBC to present a quality, five-days a week daytime dramatic anthology series; it was the first hour-long daytime series on television. NBC spared no expense in the effort, spending nearly $75,000 per week on the program, which was broadcast live and in color and was heavily promoted; ultimately, the cost became prohibitive, and NBC would cancel the program in June of this year. Today's production, "The Makropoulos Secret," is an example of the diverse programming the network was trying to establish. Based on the 1922 Czech play by Karel Čapek, it's likely more people today are familiar with it because of the opera by Leoš Janáček, which premiered in 1926. Matinee Theater was a bold experiment even during the Golden Age of Television; imagine trying something like it today. The listings are from the New York State edition, which clearly does not include New York City.

This week in TV Guide: January 11, 1958

There's a part of me that views the headline on this week's cover—"What Time Has Done to Shirley Temple"—in the same light as one of those clickbait headings you see on the sidebar of just about every website around. (Not this one, of course!) It implies ravages of some sort or other, the kind of thing that you'd expect if the headline had asked What Time Has Done to Judy Garland.

But in fact what the last twenty years have done to Shirley Temple is to change her from an adorable curly-haired moppet who just happened to be one of the biggest movie stars in the world and was known as America's Sweetheart, to a beautiful and charming young woman of 29, wife of executive Charles Black and devoted mother of three, and, thanks to her parents putting her money in trust funds, "if she isn't a millionaire in her own right, she's close enough to it to be called one." We should all be so lucky to have time do that to us, and perhaps it has for you, but don't include me in that company.

And so thus contented, Shirley had made no moves to return to the business, despite repeated offers, until Bill Phillipson came long. He's the executive producer for Henry Jaffe Enterprises, and approached her with an idea for an hour-long series of fairy tales, which she would narrate and in which she would occasionally star. "I'm a pushover for fairy tales," she explained. "I've long felt there is a need for more shows that would appeal to the entire family, and certainly this series was designed with just that kind of family appeal in mind. So here I am." 

And here is Shirley Temple's Storybook, which debuts on Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. (ET) on NBC with a live broadcast, in color, of "Beauty and the Beast," starring Claire Bloom as Beauty, Charlton Heston as The Beast, and a supporting cast including E.G. Marshall, June Lockhart, and Barbara Baxley. It confirms Shirley's determination for her series to be "something better than just another batch of children's shows." "They must have quality," she says, and several of them will be in color. "I still can't understand why they don't do them all in color," she says with a touch of the famous Shirley Temple pout. 

Shirley Temple's Storybook airs on an occasional basis throughout 1958, and then returns as a weekly series in 1960-61; in all, 41 episodes are produced, and many of them are available on YouTube—although, alas, not "Beauty and the Beast." It's a warm family show, with none of the postmodern cynicism that one might see were such a series revived today. And, of course, any episode that gives us a chance to see Shirley acting is a treat. 

So what, if we were to flip ahead another twenty years, would time have done to Shirley Temple Black? Well, by any measure, she has to have had one of the most successful post-acting careers of any child star, including service on the boards of several major corporations (including the Walt Disney Company; what would she think of Disney today?), a lifelong involvement in politics (including an unsuccessful run for Congress), and a diplomatic career that featured serving as U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia, membership on the U.S. delegation to the United Nations, and becoming the first female U.S. Chief of Protocol. 

Throughout it all, she is a shining symbol of the greatness that was Hollywood, lending her name to a famous drink (ginger ale and a splash of grenadine) and her image to a famous doll owned by millions of little girls (including my mother-in-law), and remains a much-loved figure until her death in 2014. If time was good to Shirley Temple, it seems that she was pretty good in return. 

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There's a story behind every story. These are just some of them.

The ad says, "If you like the PERRY MASON show, you'll love DICK AND THE DUCHESS, at 8:30 on the same station." The day is Saturday, the network is CBS, and the series is one of the first to be filmed in the United Kingdom for broadcast in America. Dick and the Duchess stars Patrick O'Neal as an insurance investigator, and Hazel Court as his wife, a duchess by birth, who always seems to get involved in his investigations. Years later, sound editor Robert Winter discussed the show's use of a laugh track; the challenge in writing for audiences in two different nations, Winter explained, was determining  "what was or was not funny to a British audience, as well as the important criteria for an American audience for whom it was principally made." Under such circumstances, the laugh track was used to prompt laughter among viewers, especially in situations where the humor (or humour, if you prefer) might not be as obvious. The show runs for 26 episodes, which apparently disproves the adage in the ad, seeing as how Perry Mason still has eight seasons to run.

Sunday's highlight is half-sporting event, half-entertainment special. Billed as Bing Crosby and His Friends, it's the final round of one of golf's glamor tournaments, the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, also known as the Crosby Clambake, from one of America's greatest golf courses, Pebble Beach in California (5:30 p.m., CBS). It's the first time the tournament has been broadcast nationally, and as an indication of the event's hybrid status, the emcee is John Daly—no, not the golfer John Daly, the newsman and What's My Line? host John Daly. Bing and his wife Kathryn are hosts, and in addition to coverage of the tournament's final two holes, the broadcast includes highlights of the previous three days, plus songs and sketches from some of Bing's show business buddies, including Bob Hope and Phil Harris. Oh, and let's not forget the golf; Billy Casper takes the first of his two Crosby titles, defeating Dave Marr by four shots and winning $4,000 in the process.

On Monday, it's the debut of the daytime serial Kitty Foyle (2:30 p.m, NBC), which surely must have one of the more distinguished pedigrees of any soap opera. It begins with the 1939 best-seller by Christopher Morley, which tells the story of a white-collar girl who falls in love with a young socialite, and includes such touchy subjects as out-of-wedlock pregnancy and abortion. This was adapted into a 1940 movie (toning down some of the book's racier parts), which won a Best Actress Oscar for Ginger Rogers (and created a fashion trend called the "Kitty Foyle Dress"), and then a 1942-44 radio serialization created by soap opera giant Irna Phillips. In was inevitable that it would eventually make it to television, which it does here, becoming NBC's first half-hour soap. Strangely enough, the TV version of Kitty Foyle doesn't do too well; soap opera historian Ron Lackmann speculates that "perhaps the story was too familiar, or perhaps once the basic story was told, there was nothing else to say about Kitty and her problems." The series ends after only five months. 

Omnibus, usually seen on Sunday afternoon, makes a rare prime-time appearance on Tuesday (8:00 p.m., NBC) in a musical variety hour, "The Suburban Review," with Alistair Cooke welcoming veteran comic Bert Lahr, musical comedy star Pat Stanley, and the young comedy team of Mike Nichols and Elaine May; the show's theme contrasts the suburban life of the 1920s with today's contemporary Suburbia. Lahr, of course, was famous for The Wizard of Oz, as well as his long career in burlesque and vaudeville; meanwhile, Stanley won a Tony for Goldilocks, and co-starred in The Pajama Game. Nichols and May, however, were less-well known nationally, although they were popular in the Village and at New York's famed Blue Angel, and they'd made their television debut with Steve Allen just the previous month. However, the audience for Omnibus is in the tens of millions, and they are given 15 unedited minutes to perform; by Tuesday, Nichols and May are famous. You can see those skits here and here.

Wednesday on Kraft Theatre (9:00 p.m, NBC), Walter Matthau, Nancy Walker, Robert Middleton, Barton MacLane, and Nancy Gates star in "The Code of the Corner," a gritty story of crime on the city streets, written by Jack Klugman. Yes, that Jack Klugman! It's one of two scripts he wrote for Kraft Theatre, the other being "Big Break." Klugman was already an established actor at this point in his career; 12 Angry Men had come out the previous year, so this isn't a case of an actor turning to writing while waiting for his own big break, so to speak. I never knew this before; I guess the old saying is right that you learn something new every day. (Well, of course it's right, otherwise it wouldn't be an old saying—it would be a forgotten saying, which is something completely different.) At any rate, you can watch Klugman talking about acting and writing for Kraft Theatre in this interview for the Television Academy.

On Thursday, it's the premiere of a new adventure series: Sea Hunt, starring Lloyd Bridges as Mike Nelson, ex-Navy frogman turned undersea investigator (7:00 p.m., WHEN in Syracuse). Sea Hunt was created by Ivan Tors; he was unable to sell the series to any of the three networks (Oops!), and so wound up entering into a deal with Ziv Television Productions. According to the always-reliable Wikipedia, "The show attracted half of the viewing audience in 50 major cities and averaged 59 percent of audiences in New York City." The show will run for four successful seasons and 155 episodes, which I suspect any network would have been pleased with. Bridges himself was a natural athlete who took to scuba immediately, and wound up doing all but the most dangerous stunts himself.

Later on Thursday, we have another big-name lineup. This time, it's Playhouse 90 (9:30 p.m., CBS), and the story "The 80 Yard Run," starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, with Darryl Hickman and Robert Simon. It's the story of a former football hero who lost his fortune during the Depression and now faces the prospect of his wife, who works at a fashion magazine, succeeding where he fails. (Can you say A Star is Born?) The teleplay is by David Shaw, based on the 1941 short story by his brother, best-selling author Irwin Shaw, which was published in Esquire. If you're curious, you can read that short story here, and an in-depth analysis of the story's meaning here. I wonder if Playhouse 90 tried to give the story a happy ending?

Friday night, it's the final holiday special of the Christmas season: Bob Hope's USO tour of the Pacific (8:00 p.m., NBC). Bob's troupe includes Jayne Mansfield, singers Erin O'Brien and Carol Jarvis, Hope regular Jerry Colonna, columnist Hedda Hopper, dancer Arthur Duncan, and Jayne's fiancée, former Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay (who is no actor, according to TV Guide's Frank DeBlois, who accompanied the crew). The tour covered ten days and 16,000 miles, and included stops in Hawaii, Wake Island, Okinawa, Korea, Tokyo, and Guam. The show rolled into Korea on Christmas Eve, where Hope gave four shows that night, then two more in sub-freezing weather on Christmas Day—just 500 yards from the North Korean border—where 10,000 troops waited four hours in the snow to see him. You can see a clip from it here.

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Frank DeBlois is a busy man; not only did he accompany Bob Hope on his tour of the Pacific, he's also taking a look at how the first half of the television season has measured up. More of us are watching TV than ever before, with 41,200,000 homes having at least one television—that's a three percent increase over last year. 

DeBlois reports on some surprises: ABC's Maverick outpointed CBS's Ed Sullivan Show several times during the season while "something called The Real McCoys" bested both Climax! and Dragnet. (Hint to Frank: The Real McCoys, which debuted in 1957, will run for six successful seasons before leaving the airwaves in 1963, only to spend several more years in reruns during the daytime.) Frank Sinatra's return to television, with his eponymous drama/variety show, showed "less than spectacular success." Gunsmoke, now in its third season, appears headed for the number one spot in the ratings. 

In fact, Westerns scored strongly in the first half of the season, despite complaints from critics that there were too many of them on television. In addition to Gunsmoke and Maverick, Wyatt Earp, Cheyenne, Zorro, and Wagon Train were big winners. Singers had it rough; besides Sinatra, shows hosted by Polly Bergen and Gisele MacKenzie (who graces the cover this week) "consistently wooed mediocrity," and even stars such as Dinah Shore, Pat Boone, and Eddie Fisher had their troubles. As far as specials, The Edsel Show, with Sinatra and Bing Crosby, the General Motors anniversary program, NBC's presentation of the opera Dialogues of the Carmelites, and The Prince and the Pauper, being notable successes. 

Comedians seem to be coming back, with Danny Thomas and Jack Paar scoring strongly, along with Bob Hope, Red Skelton, and Jack Benny. Hallmark Hall of Fame continues to be consistently good (as opposed to today's version), and Playhouse 90 appears to be overcoming a weak start. The Eve Arden Show and Leave It to Beaver are among the better sitcoms, while DeBlois finds McCoys and Dick and the Duchess to be middling. CBS lead the way with some fine documentary series, including The Twentieth Century and The Seven Lively Arts, while NBC offered Omnibus and Project 20, and ABC made its mark with Mike Wallace's dominating interviews. 

The point, DeBlois says, is that there's this feeling that television is starting to turn away from "the tired old worn-out formats and cliches" of last year; there's a feeling of revolt, of something new. And it's good to have it back.

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Boris Karloff is going through something of a career renaissance, with Frankenstein now thrilling a second generation of Americans through its regular showings on television. The character of Frankenstein's monster is the role with which he's most identified; he revived the character in two sequels, and after than embarked on a series of "mad scientist" movies, which tend to overwhelm the great body of work he's done throughout his career, first in movies and then on television, where he's appeared in "practically every live dramatic show and filmed anthology series that has ever gone on the air." But, unlike some stars who resent the typecasting that can result from such a famous creation, Karloff has nothing but affection for the monster.

"It's a lovely film, a great film, and I'm devoted to the monster," he tells Joe Morhaim. "He's the best friend I ever had. He changed the course of my entire life." It may be natural that he'd feel that way about the role that made him a star, but he has a deeper point he wants to make. "That monster is one of the most sympathetic characters ever created in the world of English letters," he says. "He was a big, lumbering, awkward, inarticulate figure, completely childlike and helpless in spite of his enormous strength. He became savage only when he was frightened and he was frightened only by the ignorance and fear of human beings." 

He believes the world has missed the point of Marry Shelley's story, and quarrels with those who classify Frankenstein as just another horror film. "'Horror' connotes revulsion, disgust, recoil. The object is not to turn your stomach—but merely to make your hair stand on end," he says with some passion. "As a matter of fact, I believe the Frankenstein-type story fills a deep-seated human need. One finds it rooted in the folk literature of every race, even in nursery rhymes and fairy tales." He also doesn't believe children are harmed by such stories. "Young people have much more intelligence than we give them credit for. They have the ability to sort things out and put them in their proper relationships." The fan mail he receives from children, asking for a picture of himself as he is, bears out that "they knew it wasn't true, and they knew I knew it wasn't true. As a rule, they expressed a great compassion for the monster." 

It's true that monster movies can be overcooked, he agrees. "Any story can be done in good or bad taste. The important thing is that the story be interesting and that it is done well." He acknowledges that the two Frankenstein sequels left something to be desired; by the third, the monster had been reduced to "a comic prop." But even though other Frankenstein movies have continued to be made, with other actors in the role, people know who the real monster is. "They would get the pay checks and I would get the fan mail," he says, and you almost wonder if the mail isn't more important to him than the checks. He is an educated, gracious, and charming man, respected and admired by his friends and colleagues, and continues to work steadily, even appearing recently on The Dinah Shore Show. He says he'll not do the monster again; "They would change his character today, and I couldn't bear that. I have too much respect for the old boy." And to think, he's got more than a decade to go, and one of his most famous roles—the voice of The Grinch—ahead of him.

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I've been on a lot about stories this week, and it's true that there's a lot of storytelling to be had besides what you see on the screen. We'll finish with the story of Jeanne Carmen, the professional golfer who would be an actress.

She can, according to this brief profile, "hit a golf ball a country mile against the wind or literally off your teeth," and she's been known to parlay her trick shot artistry into several thousand dollars a day, but now she says those days are done. She's no newcomer to the entertainment world; as far back as 1948, she appeared in the chorus line of the aforementioned Bert Lahr's Burlesque, and was in great demand as a model. More recently, she's appeared in the movies (Too Much Too Soon and Born Reckless), and done shows with Bob Hope and George Gobel. As a matter of fact, that picture has the whole story. Just not the most interesting parts.

In addition to her career as a trick-shot artist and Hollywood actress (she even appeared in a Three Stooges short, playing Joe Besser's girlfriend), Jeanne was an "intimate" friend of mobster "Handsome Johnny" Roselli, one-time confederate of Al Capone, who recruited fellow mobsters Sam Giancana and Santo Trafficante Jr. in the CIA attempt to assassinate Fidel Castro, and was thought to have been involved in the assassination of JFK as well. Through Roselli, she became acquainted with Frank Sinatra, who she would see on-and-off over the next few years. (She was also reported to have been involved with Clark Gable and Elvis Presley.) Later, she became a close friend and confidant of Marilyn Monroe; after Monroe's "suicide" (a verdict that Jeanne found dubious), she was warned by Roselli to leave town for her own safety, and lived a quiet and peaceful life thereafter with her third husband, raising three children and never mentioning her past life; she died in December, 2007. She's probably the only person who's been profiled both by The Golf Channel and the E! True Hollywood Story. If you head over to the website dedicated to her life, you can see pictures of her with everyone from Elvis to Donald Trump, and why doesn't that surprise me? And these are just the highlights.

It's quite a remarkable story—but then, so have most of the stories we've read this week. And, when you think about it, almost everyone's life is a remarkable story in one way or another. I may not have had a tenth of the adventures that Jeanne Carmen experienced, and I'm actually glad about that. We may have moved around the country a few times, but at least it hasn't been because someone warned us our lives might be in danger. And I'll be the same is true for you as well. Who knows? Maybe the most exciting lives are better read about than lived. TV  

Around the dial

I think we'll open the scoring this week at the A.V. Club, where Kayleigh Dray makes a plea to return to the 20+ episode season. (And standalone episodes!) This was, of course, the norm in the classic TV era, and there are sensible reasons why it would be a good idea today.

At bare•bones e-zine, the Hitchcock Project turns to the first of two Richard Fielder teleplays for the hour-long edition, the first being "Night of the Owl," based on a novel by Andrew Garve, with Brian Keith, Claudia Cravey, and Patricia Breslin. A novel fits in very well to the hour-long format, as you'll see from Jack's review.

A few weeks ago, Hal started a deeper look at the 1965-66 ratings for F Troop, and now he's back with part two, looking at the 1966-67 season. Did the move to 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday night have an effect on the show's ratings? Is it true that F Troop had better ratings than I Dream of Jeannie, Star Trek, The Wild Wild West, and The Monkees, among others? Tune in and find out.

At Cult TV Blog, John's latest series focuses on the idea that The Prisoner's Number 6 (Patrick McGoohan) was actually a plant, not a prisoner. This week, we see him apply this theory to the episode "The Chimes of Big Ben," one of the series' more puzzling episodes. Does the theory still hold up? 

We don't often talk about "seasons" when it comes to a Saturday morning cartoon; most of them just kept running the same episodes over and over. But Star Trek: The Animated Series wasn't your average Saturday fare, and this week's The View from the Junkyard looks at the second season opener, "The Pirates of Orion."

I was watching an episode of Rawhide on MeTV the other day; it's not a series I usually watch, but I had nothing better to do at the time, and the print was so clear, it was hard to believe that the series is now celebrating its 65th anniversary. Terence looks back at the show's history this week at A Shroud of Thoughts.

Good news from Martin Grams: the second volume of The Lone Ranger: The Radio Years is due for publication this year. Volume one, written with Terry Salomonson and covering the early years (1933-37), came out a few years ago; volume two covers the years 1938-42. Stay tuned for more details.

At The Lucky Strike Papers, Andrew has a story that isn't TV related, but it bears reading nonetheless. A woman named Maureen Flavin Sweeney died December 17th last, aged 100. You've probably never heard of her, but the role she played in D-Day is extraordinary. Read it to find out another of those footnotes that make history so interesting.

Finally, Glynis Johns died last week, also at the age of 100. At Classic Film and TV Corner, Maddy has a look back at her remarkable career in the theater, movies, and television. Quite a career; quite a lady. TV  

The wonderful world of Disney on TV

Today I'm pleased to welcome back Bill Griffiths. Last September, Bill penned a guest essay on his childhood memories of KTVU in Northern California, and now he's back with a look at the history of Disney on TV. As a former cast member at Walt Disney World for fifteen years (!), you can understand that this is a topic near and dear to him; I think this look back will bring back some fond memories for you as well, as it does me! 

by Bill Griffiths

Disney a cartoon tonight?”

This was the question my younger sister would ask each week. Having already read through the current TV Guide, I’d have a ready answer. While we both enjoyed the cartoon episodes best, we would still be guaranteed a fine hour (or two) of entertainment if it was one of the many animal-related stories, a gimmicky comedy (sometimes involving animals) an international and/or period-piece drama, a documentary or a theme park special. Such was The Wonderful World of Disney. It was the beginning of a great interest in the works of Walt Disney and his studio that continue to this day. That would lead by happy circumstance to becoming a Walt Disney World cast member, a role I was privileged to have for 15 years. Being part of the WDW team would also in an indirect way introduce me to my future wife. We would ultimately be married on Disney property although not in any of the parks—too expensive. Even though we no longer work for the Mouse, I still follow company developments.

Not too many years ago, we were visiting some relatives. While their kids were watching a Disney program, I casually remarked how I remembered when Disney was only on television once a week. Suddenly they turned around and one asked, "What? Only once a week?" Indeed it was true. Actually, I could very well be from that last generation that clearly recalls Disney coming on solely Sunday, and later Saturday nights. Now, there was the occasional special showing of an episode or a movie on another evening, and for a period during 1977-78 there was also The New Mickey Mouse Club in syndication (shown locally on KTVU Channel 2… and if you haven’t read my earlier salute to that station, go check it out. Sorry, there is no mention of that version of the Club that was made for you and me). The anthology series aired uninterrupted for an amazing 29 years and has been brought back for extended periods right through to the present day. It has been aired under eight different titles:

• Disneyland (ABC 1954-58) 
• Walt Disney Presents (ABC 1958-61) 
• Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color (NBC 1961-69) 
• The Wonderful World of Disney (NBC 1969-79) 
• Disney’s Wonderful World (NBC 1979-81) 
• Walt Disney (CBS 1981-83) 
• The Disney Sunday Movie (ABC 1986-88) 
• The Magical World of Disney (NBC 1988-90)

ABC revived The Wonderful World of Disney as a weekly series from 1997 until 2006, with occasional showings through 2008. Since 2015, it has again been seen on an irregular basis, "temporarily" returning as a weekly offering due to the writers and actors strikes in 2023. In my humble opinion, Walt Disney was a genius. He had a pretty good instinct for what the public wanted, and his track record is proof of that. He was the first major film producer to see television as an asset—something he could use not only to promote his product, but also generate original material. Once Walt fully entered television with the premiere of the Disneyland series on ABC October 27, 1954, he put more money into the TV productions than what he got out of it, although ultimately the show was quite profitable. For example, the majority of episodes were filmed in color even though ABC could only broadcast in black-and-white. Live-action stories such as the phenomenally successful "Davy Crockett" hours benefited from location shooting in addition to also being in color. 

Then, there were the segments highlighting Disney’s classic cartoon characters. Specially commissioned animation—again, mostly in color—succinctly tied together the cartoon shorts where it was often difficult to tell what was new and what was older. Some of those animated showcases even had moments of host Walt Disney or other live action performers interacting with the characters, especially in those episodes devoted to Donald Duck. Additionally, at a time when most of the major studios refused to release their films to television, Walt was presenting relatively recent features on his program, albeit edited and sometimes divided over two weeks. These included now-classic movies such as Treasure Island and Alice in Wonderland. All of these efforts would pay off over the years the anthology aired on network television and later in airings on The Disney Channel, syndicated reruns, and VHS and DVD releases.

I should note a point of criticism to some when it came to episodes devoted in whole or in part to upcoming theatrical movies or Disneyland and Walt Disney World. But again the information presented, and the production and entertainment values were so high that it could be easy to forget they were essentially extended commercials! In fact, those theme park episodes can now be viewed as a time capsule, capturing on film or videotape sights and sounds that have passed into history. This “promoting” of the parks even extended into the credit sequences which for most years opened with fireworks above Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle and later Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom Park with Tinker Bell flying around followed by quick scenes encompassing the many facets of Disney. It certainly served its purpose to get viewers excited for the evening’s offering.

My initial exposure to The Wonderful World of Disney was in the mid 1970s into the early 1980s. It was one of four programs that in our household was appointment viewing on the weekends—other programs included Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, The Muppet Show, and The Lawrence Welk Show. What I didn’t realize at the time was that the Disney organization as a whole (with the exception of the theme parks) was experiencing challenges due to the changing nature of the entertainment industry and the company’s reluctance to tamper with the successful formula established with Walt, who had died in 1966. While I certainly didn’t realize it, an increasing amount of episodes consisted of airings of live-action theatrical features (often shown in two parts, sometimes seen in one night) and reruns from earlier seasons. Original live action made for television productions declined to a mere handful per year. 

But in carrying on the standard for quality set by Walt, these episodes shared the same production personnel and even actors that appeared in Disney theatrical films. Still, what had worked well for 25 years gave way to a feeling of complacency by 1979. This also reflected in the Nielsen ratings. Whereas The Wonderful World of Disney was routinely ranked in the top ten or top twenty through 1975, the series had fallen to 55th place by the end of the decade. Of course it didn’t help that NBC was mired in third place.

The same year NBC proclaimed it was "Proud as a Peacock," the Disney anthology made a few changes of its own, shortening the title to Disney’s Wonderful World and, for the first time since The Sherman Brothers memorable Wonderful World of Color title tune of the 1960’s ("The world is a carousel of color/ Wonderful, wonderful color!"), the opening montage of clips was accompanied by a new song announcing "It’s the friendly old place/A happy new face!"  I remember when this happened and while the theme didn’t really catch on, I liked it even if not all the words made complete sense. The actual opening and closing music was fun and contemporary, which was certainly the goal. The composers of the theme song were John Debney and John Klawitter. If Debney’s name sounds familiar, he is one of the most prolific film and television composers having been nominated and won numerous awards in his career. This was his first major musical contribution. Needless to say after one year, the theme went back to the familiar medley of Disney songs that with variations to the arrangements and tempo had opened each episode since 1969…in this case, the version first used during the 1978-79 season.

In a callback to the 1954-61 episodes coming from Adventureland, Fantasyland, Frontierland or Tomorrowland, each week would now be themed Adventure Night, Comedy Night or Fantasy Night. Additionally, a new but familiar voice would be heard: Gary Owens, replacing Dick Tufeld, who had replaced original announcer Dick Wesson. Fun fact: all three men were heard as TV announcers in the 1971 comedy The Barefoot Executive. This movie is a must-see for classic TV fans, not only to spot the many familiar faces including Kurt Russell (Disney films of this era were always well-cast) but also prove that a chimpanzee can program a network just as good if not better than any human!

The cosmetic changes didn’t help much. Then came 1981. One day that spring seemingly at random, I was told the Disney series was going to soon be on CBS Saturday nights. The move actually brought a little improvement to the anthology format with an increased emphasis on new episodes and even attempts at separate shows such as Small and Frye, a comic take on the 1950's Zorro series called Zorro and Son, and even two programs based on Disney films: Herbie the Love Bug (The Love Bug movies), and Gun Shy (The Apple Dumpling Gang). None of them lasted longer than a handful of episodes. Much more successful was the network television premiere of one of Walt Disney’s biggest hits—Mary Poppins. Taking over an entire evening’s schedule November 22, 1981, it was one of the first programs recorded on our new VCR. Despite these changes, CBS would end Walt Disney as a weekly series at the end of September 1983. While ratings were a factor, the decision was apparently at the request of Disney management. While ultimately Disney’s presence on television would eventually flourish 24/7, it was the launch of cable’s The Disney Channel in April 1983 that would in the short-term come at the expense of the studio’s broadcast presence. It was with considerable anticipation that we were finally able to access The Disney Channel with the installation of a huge satellite dish in 1984. 

Around that time the channel began scheduling regular airings of The Wonderful World of Disney with most episodes taken from the period with Walt hosting. In earlier network showings, reruns from the 1950’s and 60’s often deleted his introductions. Now they were reinstated, with some being shown in color for the first time. Through these presentations, I came to appreciate Walt. He had a causal, welcoming on-camera presence even providing information to give the viewer a feeling that what they were about to see was indeed special. It was an element that could not be replicated even with later guest hosts that would appear from time to time post-Walt. One exception would be the animated Ludwig Von Drake (voiced by Paul Frees who was known to improvise some of the dialogue), a self-professed expert on everything who headlined some of the funniest hours Disney produced.

Although the anthology format was revived in 1986, I did not watch on a regular basis, having moved on to other programs. Then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner stepped in as the new host. While he largely did a capable job introducing the movies, he never quite captured the warmth and attention to detail of Walt. I do admit Eisner did a good job bringing Disney back onto network television in a big way, especially with hit individual shows through the Touchstone Television division such as The Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Home Improvement, and more. As Walt Disney Productions became The Walt Disney Company, Eisner and his team headed up an expansion far beyond what Walt could have ever imagined. A lot was positive. Other decisions—not so much. Ultimatel, such factors led to Eisner’s departure after 21 years (1984 to 2005) and the ascension of Bob Iger. Wisely, he recognized his on-camera limitations and has not hosted any subsequent versions of the anthology.

2024 will mark 70 years since the debut of Walt Disney's weekly foray into television. Wouldn’t it be WONDERFUL if those anthology episodes made specifically for television appeared complete on Disney Plus? For now, subscribers have to settle for a handful of shows available on the service which are generally accompanied by an unnecessary advisory that the presentation "may contain outdated cultural depictions."  This of course is in keeping with current management's goal of pushing divisive social and political issues that have turned away Disney fans who simply don’t want to be bombarded with messaging that comes off as insulting and disrespectful. Supposedly Iger’s return from temporary retirement was in part to temper this justified criticism. That remains to be seen.

For the time being, there is a better option to watch classic Disney television. One enterprising individual has posted on You Tube hundreds of full episodes and rare clips under the heading "Keeping Walt in Disney." It is a great resource to track the evolution of the series, especially the different names and title sequences over the years. Most of the uploads appear to come from off-air recordings either in their original network runs or Disney Channel showings. Some however are from copies of ABC and NBC film prints that were sent to affiliates that aired the show on a delayed basis. A handful even come from rerun airings on Australian TV. The real treasure is seeing Walt himself happily and informatively present episodes. It is a reminder that Disney is capable of offering solid entertainment. I don’t think that is asking for too much.

I’d like to conclude this essay with some episode recommendations. This is by no means a definitive list of the best ones. But they are some of my favorites and maybe yours too. If you grew up with The Wonderful World of Disney, you probably know of others that bring back fond memories.

The Disneyland Story (October 27, 1954)—This is the premiere of the anthology series. The first half-hour is a preview of Disneyland the park which was under construction as well as upcoming episodes of Disneyland the TV show. The highlight is Fess Parker’s performance of "The Ballad of Davy Crockett," heard for the first time. The Crockett shows and its theme song were soon to become major hits, far exceeding Walt’s or anyone else’s expectations. Those five episodes, first aired between 1954 and 1956, are also highly recommended. The second half-hour is devoted entirely to Mickey Mouse with highlights from his then-25 plus year career. In introducing the beloved character Walt famously says, "I only hope we never lose sight of one thing—that it was all started by a mouse."

From All of Us to All of You (December 19, 1958)—Jiminy Cricket hosts this collection of Christmas and winter-themed shorts along with "memorable moments" from classic animated features. The order and selection of cartoons would change in subsequent airings. Most showings from 1963 onward offered a "surprise gift" consisting of an extended excerpt of a new Disney animated feature film. This episode is still seen annually in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland where it is ranked as one of the most watched programs each year.

An Adventure in Color / Mathmagic Land (September 24, 1961)—After seven years on ABC in black-and-white, the anthology is now "brought to you in living color on NBC."  Walt previews the new format and then introduces Professor Ludwig Von Drake (Donald Duck’s uncle) who humorously attempts to explain the mechanics of color. One statement in particular is brutally honest: "This whole program is being seen in color. And that’s a lie! You know that’s a lie because only the people with color tv sets are seeing this in color!"” Watch for the spectacular kaleidoscope opening with the classic theme penned by Richard & Robert Sherman, and a not-too-subtle jab at the NBC Peacock. The second half of the episode is the 1959 featurette "Donald in Mathmagic Land," the first Disney cartoon to be shown in its entirety on color television.

Fire on Kelly Mountain (September 30, 1973)—A Forest Service fire lookout spots smoke from a lightning strike and is sent out to investigate while another major fire is raging nearby. He is the only person keeping what is initially a small blaze from turning into one more inferno. Filmed on location, the action is punctuated with frightening wildfire footage (primarily taken from the 1961 docudrama episode "A Fire Called Jeremiah") and an intense music score by longtime Disney composer Buddy Baker. Starring Larry Wilcox, Andrew Duggan and Anne Lockhart (daughter of June).

Three on the Run (January 8, 1978)—Two brothers with three unlikely—and seemingly inept—dogs decide to enter an annual sled race that was once won by their deceased father. The episode is again enhanced by music from Buddy Baker especially during the race sequence. This particular show holds a sentimental element to me. The white dog in this story looked exactly like our German Shepherd that we called Bullet. Yes, our dog was named after the Steve McQueen movie. Starring Denver Pyle, Davey Davision, Peggy Rea and Ron Brown. Brown was an actor in Disney nature stories such as Charlie the Lonesome Cougar and Lefty the Ding-a-ling Lynx. He also served as a co-producer for other animal films made by the studio.

One Hour in Wonderland (December 25, 1950)— I’m including this because this was the first Walt Disney television production. The original format of the anthology series can be traced to this special, which partially serves to promote the 1951 animated feature Alice in Wonderland. It stars Walt Disney and Edgar Bergen, with Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd; also appearing are Kathryn Beaumont (the voice of Alice), Bobby Driscoll, and Walt’s daughters Diane and Sharon Disney. Hans Conried plays the Magic Mirror who also guest hosted several episodes of the anthology. According to the late Disney historian and author Jim Korkis (who passed away in 2023), it was estimated some 20 million viewers tuned in at a time when there were only 10.5 million sets in the United States. The huge success of the special led to another holiday program called "The Walt Disney Christmas Show" in 1951. In February 1953 Ed Sullivan devoted an entire edition of his Toast of the Town to Walt Disney, little knowing Walt’s series would one day air in part opposite Ed’s "really big show."

Thanks again to Mitchell for giving me the opportunity to contribute to Its About TV! TV  

What's on TV? Monday, January 8, 1968

What did I notice in today's listings? Well, radio talk show host Joe Dolan, who's been described as Northern California's version of Joe Pyne, begins his weeknight TV show tonight, with an impressive lineup of guests including New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy, two months out from announcing his presidential bid, and Bay Area columnist Herb Caen. And then there's Danny Thomas's NBC special tonight. Like Bob Hope, Thomas hosted a weekly anthology series after he stepped down from the weekly sitcom grind, and while it didn't have the same success that Hope's did, it still produced some notable programs; tonight's show, "America, I Love You," has a superior guest cast, headed by Andy Williams, Polly Bergen, Van Johnson, and Louis Prima. Finally, William F. Buckley Jr. debates Tennessee Senator Albert Gore tonight—not the inventor of the Internet, but his father, who was also a U.S. senator. Nothing like keeping it all in the family, right? Our listings, as you might have figured, come from Northern California.