Mulligan Stew (TV series)

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Mulligan Stew was a children's educational program that was sponsored by the 4-H Council and shown both in schools and on television. It was produced by Michigan State University and premiered in 1972 during national 4-H week in Washington DC.[1] It was named for the hobo dish, and also for the initials of Michigan State. Each of the six half-hour episodes gave grade school and high school children in the US information about nutrition. It featured five kids, Maggie, Mike, Miki, Manny, and Mulligan, who were in a multiracial band, The Stews, plus one adult, Wilbur, who went on nutritional adventures around the globe.

In "The Great Nutrition Turn-On", the kids rescue the town of Lazy Susan from the slow-down eating habits that sap the energy of the residents. In another episode, a suspended race-car driver recovers his racing weight (and relieves his gout) by following a balanced diet. In "The Flim-Flam Man", Mulligan is deserted by his friends, who come under the spell of a fad diet promoter. (Macrobiotics, while not named, are clearly spelled out in the series as an unwise choice.) "Look Inside Yourself" explained how digestion works, and "Getting It All Together" showed the kids helping prepare an international buffet.

School packages included a companion comic book with further adventures of the characters, reviews of things learned from the show, and lyrics to the series songs.

The show was noted for the key phrase "4-4-3-2" that was often invoked to refer to the USDA's then-recommended number of daily servings of the four food groups — "fruits and vegetables," "breads and cereals," "milk or cheese," and "meat, fish or fowl." It was on the air (in reruns) until 1981. As a result of the show's popularity, 4-H membership was boosted to an all time high in 1974.[2]

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