Although the “Wonderful World of Disney” premiered in 1954, the television series was going strong in the 1970s and was a time slot for great family films on the weekends. I can remember my family gathering around the television set on Sunday evenings to enjoy the weekly installment of Disney features. Originally hosted by Walt Disney himself, the series presented all types of programing from the studio library, including animated cartoons, documentaries, and educational shorts. Because Walt Disney was such an iconic figure for the Disney Studios, after his death in 1966, the decision was made to drop the hosting segment from the weekly series.
During its heyday, the key to succes for “Wonderful World of Disney” was the variety of programing. The show was continually changing its image to provide fresh, multi-cultural entertainment. I always enjoyed the colorful opening sequence of the show with flashes of different programs and then Tinkerbell tapping her wand on top of the castle. I will always have a fondness in my heart for Tinkerbell.
I can still remember in 1976 when Disney showed the 1961 film “The Parent Trap” on television for the first time, as a two-hour special. I was 13 years old and fascinated by identical twins, I think mainly because my dad has a twin sister. I couldn’t figure out how the film was made using only one girl, Hayley Mills, to play both twins; to me, it was like magic. Of course, in today’s movie world, CGI is a mainstay of productions, but when this film was made, it relied on changing camera angles and splicing films segments to achieve the right look.
Because of falling ratings and stiff competition from “60 Minutes,” the name of the show was changed to “Disney's Wonderful World” in 1979. Eventually, the NBC network canceled the show in 1982, but it did not stay out of the public eye for long. The CBS network picked up the show and changed the time slot to Saturday nights. These changes only kept the series in production for a few years before it was canceled yet again.
Then, in 1983, Walt Disney Productions and Westinghouse Broadcasting launched The Disney Channel, a cable network created to showcase the large library of Disney cartoons, movies, and TV shows. For the first time in television history, there was one cable network to view all things Disney.
In 1986, the Disney studio underwent a change in management and the series was revived on ABC, with new CEO Michael Eisner hosting. His presence couldn't compare with Walt Disney’s and the show moved again to NBC in 1988 before ending in 1990. The series was revived again on ABC in 1997 after Disney purchased ABC where it ran on Sundays until 2003.
For more information on this Disney classic series, check out the book “The Wonderful World of Disney Television” by Bill Cotter.
