 | |
| Formerly | Walt Disney Pictures Television Division (1983–1988) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Division |
| Industry | Television production |
| Predecessor | Walt Disney Productions(TV industry) |
| Founded | April 18, 1983; 42 years ago (1983-04-18) |
| Defunct | 2003; 22 years ago (2003) |
| Fate | Absorbed into the first incarnation ofTouchstone Television;Walt Disney Television Animation spun off as a standalone subsidiary |
| Successors |
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| Headquarters | , U.S. |
| Products | Television shows andfilms |
| Parent |
|
The first and original incarnation ofWalt Disney Television, formerlyWalt Disney Pictures Television Division, was an Americanproduction company and the original/formertelevision production division ofthe Walt Disney Company, which was active from April 18, 1983 to 2003. Productions from this division were broadcast mostly onDisney Channel,Disney Junior,Disney XD andABC. The majority of the productions of this division are a plethora ofanimated series and a notable live-action series namedSmart Guy, the latter which ran for three seasons onThe WB from 1997 to 1999.
In 2003, its animation division, then known as Walt Disney Television Animation (currently justDisney Television Animation)spun-out as its own subsidiary within the larger Disney conglomerate, with an acquired production company,It's a Laugh Productions, taking over its operations for live-action productions. Walt Disney Television itself was absorbed into the first incarnation of Touchstone Television, which changed names to ABC Studios in 2007, ABC Signature Studios in 2013 and currentlyABC Signature since 2020. Following the completedacquisition of21st Century Fox in 2019, Disney returned to using this name for its combined television segment for 2 years before they subtly changed name to Disney General Entertainment Television (nowDisney Entertainment Television), withDisney Television Studios established on May 15, 2019.
While initially not interest intelevision back in the 1930s,Walt Disney changed his mind seeing television at least as a promotional tool. Most studios were generating revenue by selling off their permanent television rights to their films 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 television as an adversary, to enter the television production field. Walt Disney Productions did an hour-long special on Christmas Day 1950 forNBC then in 1951 forCBS. The specials used Disney film clips, short films and promoted the upcomingAlice 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 series to request funding forDisneyland, with the newly mergedAmerican Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres taking the deal for the airing of theWalt Disney's Disneyland anthology series inAmerican Broadcasting Company (ABC). The "Operation Undersea" episode of the series garnered Disney its firstEmmy Award. The series quickly became ABC's first series to hit the top 20 in ratings.[1]
Disney's entry into television impacted the television industry as the Disney anthology show marked a move from live to filmed delivery of television shows. Filming made it possible for higher production value. Also, a couple of themajor film studios copied the show's format withMGM Parade andWarner Bros. Presents. Both shows did not last.[1]
With the series' "Davy Crockett" episodes generating high sale of merchandise, Disney Productions producedThe Mickey Mouse Club, the first youth audience television program and a daily afternoon show.[1] In 1957, Disney was producing the seriesZorro. It lasted until 1959.[2] In 1961, Disney severed its terms with ABC and moved its weekly program to NBC, where it stayed for nearly 20 years until 1981. For years, its anthology series was Disney's lone program on network television.[3] In 1972, it collaborated withthe NBC owned-and-operated stations group to launchThe Mouse Factory. It didn't last long, and it was canned in 1973.[4]
In 1975, Disney launched a partnership with SFM Media Service Corporation to distributeThe Mickey Mouse Club onto syndication starting in 1975, leading up to new episodes in 1977.[5][6]
In 1980, Disney severed its exclusive deal with NBC, and jumped into line as a production company for television programs.[7] The following year, it signed a production agreement with CBS to bring anthology series to the network, and the addition of producing new original programs.[8] Disney had broken its 23-year streak of producing anthology series only in order to produce its first TV show sinceZorro's cancellation in 1982,Herbie the Love Bug, which only lasted one season on CBS.[9] This was followed by three short-lived sitcoms producedGun Shy,Small & Frye andZorro and Son, which also aired on CBS, but never lasted long, which led to the demise of the anthology series in 1983.[10]
Walt Disney Television was formed in 1983, as theWalt Disney Pictures Television Division, the name was later shortened toWalt Disney Television in 1988. Until 1983, Disney shows were aired under the banner of the parent company, then namedWalt Disney Productions. Disney made its firsts in 1985, which areWildside, which is produced under the Touchstone Films label (later Touchstone Television, ABC Studios, andABC Signature), and two animated cartoonsThe Wuzzles on CBS andAdventures of the Gummi Bears on NBC.[11][12]
In August 1994, with the departure ofWalt Disney Studios chairmanJeffrey Katzenberg, its filmed entertainment business was split into two, with Walt Disney Pictures continuing with motion pictures and the newly createdWalt Disney Television and Telecommunications for television underJoe Roth and Richard Frank respectively.[13]
At the time when Disney merged withCapital Cities/ABC, Disney Television was a part of Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications (WDTT).[14] With the retirement of WDTT presidentDennis Hightower in June 1996 and ongoing post-merger reorganization, Walt Disney Television (along with itsAnimation unit) was transferred back to The Walt Disney Studios.[15]
The Walt 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 Walt Disney Studios chairmanJoe Roth. WDT would be headed byCharles Hirschhorn as president and consisted ofDisney Telefilms for ABC, the-direct-to video-unit, andWalt Disney Television Animation. WDNT would handle primetime programming, headed by David Neuman as president.[16] Neuman was also named president ofTouchstone Television.[17] In March 1998, WDNT was placed under Buena Vista TV Productions, a newly formed group under chairmanLloyd Braun, along with Touchstone Television.[18] in June 1998, Neuman left as did his top two executives due to this reorganization.[19]
In late 1999, Walt Disney Television Studios (also called Buena Vista Television Group or Buena Vista Television Productions), were transferred from the Disney Studios to theABC Television Network to merge with ABC's primetime division, ABC Entertainment, forming the ABC Entertainment Television Group. Walt Disney Television Studios was later merged into Touchstone Television (became ABC Studios, now known asABC Signature) in 2000, while its name continued to be used on new cartoons from Walt Disney Television Animation (nowDisney Television Animation, which is now a unit ofDisney Channels Worldwide) until 2003, when Disney later merged the television production company with the television animation division and Touchstone Television (now ABC Signature).[20][21][22]
All animated series below are co-produced withDisney Television Animation.
Disney Telefilms (DTF), or Walt Disney Telefilms, was a TV film production company and a division of Walt Disney Television. The division provided movies forThe Wonderful World of Disney.
With the purchase ofCapital Cities/ABC Inc., Disney CEOMichael Eisner wanted to relaunchThe Wonderful World of Disney on ABC in 1996 with a movie franchise. Walt Disney Telefilms was formed to produce films for the anthology TV series[23] by 1995. Leah Keith was transferred fromWalt Disney Pictures that year to the telefilms division.[24]
Hollywood Pictures executive vice president Charles Hirschhorn oversaw Walt Disney Telefilms as president in June 1996, reporting to Dean Valentine, president of Walt Disney Television andWalt Disney Television Animation, for the Telefilms unit.[25] Mike Karz, a former vice president ofMandeville Films, signed a first look deal with the company through his shingle, Karz Entertainment, based atWalt Disney Studios in May 1997.[26] On September 28, 1997, the division launched the anthology show.[27] The division produced 17 films in nine months[23] while it only expected to provide 16 movies. On October 5, 1997, Disney Telefilms' first production,Toothless, debuted onThe Wonderful World of Disney.[28]
The Walt Disney Television group, upon the departure of 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 consisted of Disney Telefilms andWalt Disney Television Animation, includingDisney MovieToons/Disney Video Premiere.[16] Leah Keith and Peter Green were promoted to production vice presidents for the division in March 1998.[24]
| Title | Release date | Production company(ies) | Notes | source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997[edit] | |||||
| Toothless | October 5, 1997 | 1st Disney Telefilms movie | [28] | ||
| Tower of Terror | October 26, 1997 | ZM Productions | 1st theme park attraction movie | [27] | |
| Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella | November 2, 1997 | [28] | |||
| Angels in the Endzone | November 9, 1997 | Caravan Pictures | [29] | ||
| Oliver Twist | November 16, 1997 | A retelling of the Dickens tale starringRichard Dreyfuss andElijah Wood | [27][28] | ||
| The Love Bug | November 30, 1997 | Remake of the1968 film | [28] | ||
| Flash | December 21, 1997 | [27] | |||
1998[edit] | |||||
| Principal Takes a Holiday | January 4, 1998 | [29] | |||
| Ruby Bridges | January 18, 1998 | A docu-drama at New Orleans all-white school, which takes in its first African American girl student base | [28][24] | ||
| 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 | [28] | ||
| Goldrush: A Real Life Alaskan Adventure | March 8, 1998 | [29] | |||
| Miracle at Midnight | May 17, 1998 | Davis Entertainment | StarringMia Farrow,Sam Waterston andJustin Whalin, a fact-based story in which the Danish save thousands from the Nazi | [28][27][30] | |
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