The New Mickey Mouse Club
MEMORIES:
Kapatsos remembers...was much better then the ones that came out in the 90's More »
Posted on 01/25/08
Cast:
Scott Craig...Himself
Nita Dee...Herself
Mindy Feldman...Herself
Angel Florez...Himself
Alison Fonte...Herself
Shawnte Northcutte...Herself
Kelly Parsons...Herself
Julie Piekarski...Herself
Todd Turquand...Himself
Lisa Whelchel...Herself
Curtis Wong...Himself
Studio:
Release History:
In the 1970’s, television stations began to re-run episodes of The Mickey Mouse Club in syndication. The black and white program, by then almost twenty years old, was a hit in many markets, appealing to nostalgic adults as well as a new generation of younger viewers. Encouraged by this, Walt Disney Productions hatched a plan to resurrect the show with a brand new cast of Mouseketeers. A nationwide talent search followed, and The New Mickey Mouse Club was offered in syndication beginning on January 17, 1977.
The twelve new Mouseketeers were; Billy “Pop” Attmore (age 12), Scott Craig (age 13), Nita diGiampaolo (age 11), Mindy Feldman (age 9), Angel Florez (age 14), Allison Fonte (age 13), Kelly Parsons (age 12), Shawnte Northcutte (age 12), Julie Piekarski (age 13), Todd Turquand (age 13), Lisa Whelchel (age 14), and Curtis Wong (age 15). They presented a more culturally and ethnically diverse group than the original gang, and they projected enormous energy, not always as polished as their predecessors, but never flagging in enthusiasm.
The opening of the show featured the familiar animated segment from the original series, but the footage was now in glorious color. The Mickey Mouse March sounded different, too, in a disco flavored arrangement, complete with wonky synthesizer and wa-wa pedal rhythm guitar.
The Mouseketeers wore a variety of polyester outfits in then-trendy orange, yellow, green and brown tones, and every day brought its own specific theme. Monday was “Who, What, Why, Where, When and How Day,” a chance to explore a variety of educational topics. Tuesday was “Let’s Go Day,” in which the gang boarded a flying ship to travel to different locations around the world. Wednesday’s “Surprise Day” presented one of the cast with an opportunity for adventure. “Discovery Day” came on Thursday, and finally, Friday was “Showtime Day.” Often presented at Disneyland’s Plaza Gardens stage, this was a talent show, complete with its own theme song. (“It’s Showtime, get up and go time!”) The Mouseketeers sang and danced, and also presented talented young guests from around the country.
In addition to the high-spirited live segments, The New Mickey Mouse Club offered “MouseKartoons” from the Disney vault, and serial stories, often chapter-ized versions of Disney features like The Third Man On The Mountain, The Monkey’s Uncle, and Emil and the Detectives, here renamed The Three Skrinks.
In spite of a big publicity push from Disney, the show began on only 38 stations. In June of its first year, it was discontinued, but more stations began to pick up the show, and additional episodes were ordered. (These were mostly assembled piecemeal from existing material.) Ultimately, 130 episodes were produced, but Disney decided against a third season.
Several of the performers continued to pursue show business. Lisa Whelchel, sometimes referred to as the “Annette” of the series, starred as Blair on the hit sitcom The Facts of Life. (She is now a successful author of Christian books on parenting.) Julie Piekarski and Shawnte Northcutte also appeared on The Facts of Life, apparently a popular destination for alumni of the Club. Kelly Parsons was a runner-up in the Miss USA beauty pageant, and Billy “Pop” Attmore appeared on The Brady Bunch (in a would-be spin-off pilot called “Kelly’s Kids”) and on the short-lived series Eischied.
The New Mickey Mouse Club earned a devoted following, but perhaps too late to save it. A record album of songs from the show became a bestseller for Disneyland Records, and thousands of fan letters began to arrive, long after the Mouseketeers themselves had left the Disney lot. Today, online communities of fans share their memories and campaign for the video release of this sometimes forgotten chapter of Mouse-mania.
In 1989, The All-New Mickey Mouse Club appeared on the Disney Channel. With a cable home all its own, and no need to fight for exposure, the show was a huge hit, and launched numerous careers. But that’s a story for some other “Who, What, Why, Where, When and How Day.”
