Walt Disney anthology series
Walt Disney's anthology series, commonly called "The Wonderful World of Disney," premiered on ABC on October 27, 1954 under the name Disneyland. Hosted by Walt himself, the show presented cartoons and other material (some original, some pre-existing) from the studio library. This is significant because the series was the first one from a major movie studio. Other studios feared television would be the death of them.The show spawned the Davy Crockett craze of 1955 with the miniseries about the man, starring Fess Parker in the title role. Millions of dollars of merchandise were sold relating to the title character.
The series moved to NBC in 1961 to take advantage of that network's ability to broadcast in color. In a marvelous display of foresight, Disney had filmed many of the earlier shows in color, so they were able to be repeated on NBC. To emphasize the new color feature, the series was re-dubbed Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color and retained that moniker until 1969.
When Walt Disney died in 1966, no one replaced him as host. The series continued to get solid ratings, often in the Top 20, until the mid-1970s. At this time, The Walt Disney Company was facing a decline in fortunes, with fewer people going to their movies. It also did not help that CBS had placed 60 Minutes directly opposite it. The show continued to slip in the ratings until NBC cancelled it in 1981.
CBS picked it up and moved it to Saturday night. It lasted two years there, its ultimate end coinciding with the birth of the Disney Channel on cable TV.
After the studio underwent a change in management, the series was revived on ABC in 1986, with new CEO Michael Eisner hosting. His presence couldn't compare with Walt's, and the show moved to NBC in 1988 before ending for good in 1990.
