Walt Disney Television

Walt Disney Television
Industry Television Production
Founded 1983 (1983)
Defunct 2003 (2003)
Headquarters Burbank, California, USA
Products TV shows
Parent
Website www.disneyabctv.com

Walt Disney Television was the name of the television production division of The Walt Disney Company.

Walt Disney Television's television productions are broadcast, mostly on Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, ABC.

Today, the majority of Walt Disney Television's productions are animated series which are produced through Walt Disney Television group (simply known as Walt Disney Television) the last known live-action series produced by WDTV was Smart Guy which ran for three seasons from 1997 to 1999 on the now-defunct WB Television Network.

Background

While initially not interest in television back in the 1930s, Walt Disney changed his mind seeing TV at least as a promotional tool. Most studios were generating revenue by selling off their permanent TV right to their film made before 1948, while Disney held on to the company's film rights. Thus Walt Disney Productions was the first of the film industry, which saw TV as an adversary, to enter the TV production field. Disney Productions did a hour special on Christmas Day 1950 for NBC then in 1951 for CBS. The specials used Disney film clips, short films and promoted the upcoming Alice in Wonderland theatrical film. Both specials had excellent ratings. The networks pursued Disney to do a full series for them. Disney used this interest in a Disney series to request funding for Disneyland, which the new merged American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres did for its American Broadcasting Company for the Disneyland anthology series. the "Operation Undersea" episode of the series garnered Disney its first Emmy Award. The series quickly became ABC's first series to hit the top twenty in ratings.[1]

Disney entry into TV impacted the TV industry as the Disney anthology show marked a move from live to filmed delivery of TV shows. Filmng made it possible for higher production value. Also, a couple of the major film studios copied the show's format with MGM Parade and Warner Bros. Presents. Both shows did not last.[1]

With the series' "Davy Crockett" episodes generating high sale of merchandise, Disney Productions produced The Mickey Mouse Club, the first youth audience TV and a daily afternoon show.[1]

History

It was formed in 1983, as the Walt Disney Pictures Television Division, the name was later shortened to Walt Disney Pictures Television in 1986 and later shortened to Walt Disney Television in 1988. Until 1983, Disney shows were aired under the banner of the parent company, then named Walt Disney Productions.

In August 1994 with the departure of Disney Studios chair Jeffrey Katzenberg, its filmed entertainment business, Disney Studios, was split into two, with Walt Disney Motion Pictures continuing on with motion pictures and the newly created Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications for television under Joe Roth and Richard Frank respectively.[2]

At the time of Walt Disney Productions merged with Capital Cities/ABC, Disney Television was a part of Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications group (WDTT).[3] With the retirement of the WDTT group president Dennis Hightower in April 1996 and ongoing post-merger reorganization, Disney TV (along with its Animation unit) was transferred back to The Walt Disney Studios.[4]

Disney Television group, upon the departure of its president Dean Valentine in September 1997, was split into two units: Walt Disney Television (WDT) and Walt Disney Network Television (WDNT), reporting to the Disney Studios chair Joe Roth. WDT would be headed by Charles Hirschhorn as president and consist of Wonderful World of Disney telefilms for ABC, direct to video unit and Disney TV animation group. While WDNT would handle prime time programming headed by David Neuman as president.[5] In March 1998, Walt Disney Network TV was placed under Buena Vista TV Productions, a newly formed group under chairman Lloyd Braun, along with Touchstone Television.[6]

In late 1999, Walt Disney Television Studio (also called Buena Vista Television Group or Buena Vista Television Productions), were transferred out of the Disney Studios to ABC Television Network to merge with ABC's prime-time division, ABC Entertainment, to form ABC Entertainment Television Group. Also Walt Disney Television Studio changed its name to Touchstone Television (now known as ABC Studios).[7][8][9]

Names

Television series

Title Year Network Notes
Good Morning, Mickey! 1983-1992 Disney Channel produced by Disney Television Animation
Donald Duck Presents 1983-1992 Disney Channel produced by Disney Television Animation
Welcome to Pooh Corner 1983-1986 Disney Channel produced by Disney Television Animation
You and Me Kid 1982-1984 Disney Channel produced by Walt Disney Productions
Adventures of the Gummi Bears 1985–1991 NBC/ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
The Wuzzles 1985 CBS produced by Disney Television Animation
Sidekicks 1986-1987 Disney Channel co-production with Motown Productions
DuckTales 1987–1990 Syndication produced by Disney Television Animation
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 1988–1991 ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 1989–1990 Syndication produced by Disney Television Animation
TaleSpin 1990–1992 Syndication produced by Disney Television Animation
The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage 1991 NBC co-production with Stephen J. Cannell Productions
Dinosaurs 1991–1994 ABC co-production with Michael Jacobs and Jim Henson Productions
Darkwing Duck 1991–1993 Syndication/ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
The Torkelsons 1991-1992 NBC co-production with Michael Jacobs Productions
Season 1 and season 2 produced by Walt Disney Television,
Goof Troop 1992–1993 Syndication/ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
The Little Mermaid 1992–1994 CBS produced by Disney Television Animation
Raw Toonage 1992 CBS produced by Disney Television Animation
Bonkers 1993–1995 Syndication produced by Disney Television Animation
Bill Nye the Science Guy 1993-1998 PBS co-production with KCTS Seattle and Rabbit Ears Productions
Marsupilami 1993–1994 CBS produced by Disney Television Animation
Aladdin 1994–1995 Syndicated/CBS produced by Disney Television Animation
Gargoyles 1994–1997 Syndication/ABC produced by Buena Vista Television
The Shnookums and Meat Funny Cartoon Show 1995 Syndication produced by Disney Television Animation
The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa 1995–1999 Syndicated/CBS produced by Disney Television Animation
Brotherly Love 1995–1997 NBC/The WB co-production with Witt/Thomas Productions

Season 1 & 2 produced by Walt Disney Television

Quack Pack 1996 Syndication produced by Disney Television Animation
Mighty Ducks 1996–1997 Syndication/ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
Doug 1996–1999 ABC produced by Jumbo Pictures
Jungle Cubs 1996–1998 ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
Smart Guy 1997–1999 The WB co-production with de Passe Entertainment and Danny Kallis Productions
101 Dalmatians: The Series 1997–1998 Syndication/ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show 1997–2000 Syndication co-production with St. Clare Entertainment
Recess 1997–2001 ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
Pepper Ann 1997-2000 ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
Hercules 1998–1999 ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
Mickey Mouse Works 1999–2000 ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
The Weekenders 2000–2004 ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command 2000–2001 ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
Teacher's Pet 2000–2002 ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
House of Mouse 2001–2003 ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
Lloyd in Space 2001–2004 ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
The Legend of Tarzan 2001–2003 ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
Teamo Supremo 2002–2004 ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
Kim Possible 2002–2007 Disney Channel produced by Disney Television Animation
Fillmore! 2002–2004 ABC produced by Disney Television Animation
Lilo & Stitch: The Series 2003–2006 Disney Channel produced by Disney Television Animation

Disney Telefilms

Disney Telefilms (DTF), or fully Walt Disney Telefilms, was a TV film production company and a division of Disney Television. The division provided movies for The Wonderful World of Disney.

Telefilms history

With the purchase of Capital Cities/ABC, Disney CEO Michael Eisner wanted to relaunch The Wonderful World of Disney series on ABC in 1996 with a movie franchise. Walt Disney Telefilms was formed to produce films for the anthology TV series[10] by 1995. Leah Keith was transferred from Walt Disney Pictures that year to telefilms.[11]

Hollywood Pictures executive vice president Charles Hirschhorn added overseeing Walt Disney Telefilms as president in June 1996 reporting to Dean Valentine, president of Walt Disney Television and Television Animation for the Telefilms unit.[12] Mike Karz, a former vice president of Mandeville Films, signed a first look deal with the company through his shingle, Karz Entertainment, to based at Disney Studios in May 1997.[13] On September 28, 1997, the division launched the anthology show.[14] The division produced 17 films in 9 months[10] while only expect to provide 16 movies. On October 5, 1997, Disney Telefilms' first production, Toothless, debuted for The Wonderful World.[15]

The Disney Television group, upon the departure of its president Dean Valentine in September 1997, was split into two units: Walt Disney Television (WDT) and Walt Disney Network Television (WDNT). WDT would be headed by Hirschhorn as president and consist of Disney Telefilms and Disney TV animation group including Disney MovieToons/Disney Video Premiere.[5] Leah Keith and Peter Green were promoted to production vice presidents for the division in March 1998.[11]

Telefilms filmography

2017 films

Title Release date Production company(ies) Notes source
Toothless October 5, 1997 1st Disney Telefilms movie [15]
Tower of Terror October 26, 1997 ZM Productions 1st theme park attraction movie [14]
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella November 2, 1997 [15]
Angels in the Endzone November 9, 1997 Caravan Pictures [16]
Oliver Twist November 16, 1997 a retelling of the Dickens tale starring Richard Dreyfuss and Elijah Wood [14][15]
The Love Bug November 30, 1997 a Disney classic remake [15]
Flash December 21, 1997 [14]
Principal Takes a Holiday January 4, 1998 [16]
Ruby Bridges January 18, 1998 a docu-drama at New Orleans all-white school, which takes in its first African American girl student base [15][11]
The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon February 15, 1998 Tony Danza as a trash man who would become a kicker for the Philadelphia Eagles [15]
Goldrush: A Real Life Alaskan Adventure March 8, 1998 [16]
Miracle at Midnight May 17, 1998 Davis Entertainment starring Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston and Justin Whalin, a fact-based story in which the Danish save thousands from the Nazi [15][14][17]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Griffin, Sean. "Walt Disney Programs". Encyclopedia of Television. The Museum of Broadcast Communications. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  2. ↑ Weinraub, Bernard (August 25, 1994). "Chairman of Disney Studios Resigns". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Fact Sheet: The Walt Disney Company". Press Release. The Walt Disney Company. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  4. ↑ "Roth, Iger Assume Expanded Responsibilities at the Walt Disney Company". PRNewswire. April 16, 1996. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  5. 1 2 Hofmeister, Sallie (September 17, 1997). "Disney Splits Television Group Into 2 Units". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  6. ↑ Hofmeister, Sallie (March 3, 1998). "Disney Taps Lloyd Braun to Head Up Network TV". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  7. ↑ Hofmeister, Sallie (July 8, 1999). "Disney Plans to Consolidate Two of Its Television Groups". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  8. ↑ Hofmeister, Sallie (July 9, 1999). "Disney Combining Network TV Operations Into One ABC Unit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  9. ↑ Schlosser, Joe (November 29, 1999). "A Mouse in-house". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  10. 1 2 Romano, Allison (March 14, 2004). "Game Boy". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media, LLC. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 Littleton, Cynthia (March 9, 1998). "Disney Telefilms ups exex". Variety. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Company Town/Exective (sic) Suite: New President at Brillstein-Grey". Variety. June 25, 1996. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Disney TV, Karz cozy up". Variety. May 9, 1997. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "Disney Sets ABC Pix". Variety. May 1, 1997. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pierce, Scott (September 28, 1997). "ABC revives weekly Disney series". Deseret News. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Alley’s ‘Toothless’ tops Disney’s Alphabet slate". Variety. February 17, 1997. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  17. ↑ Hontz, Jenny (June 4, 1997). "Farrow works ‘Miracle’ for Disney". Variety. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
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