 Logo used from February 1, 1999 to September 29, 2002. | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Network | Disney Channel |
| Headquarters | Burbank, California, United States |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English Spanish (viaSAP audio track) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
| Parent | Disney Channels Worldwide |
| Sister channels | Disney Channel Disney XD Toon Disney |
| History | |
| Launched | April 6, 1997; 27 years ago (1997-04-06) (as Disney Channel Little Kids) February 1, 1999; 26 years ago (1999-02-01) (as Playhouse Disney) |
| Closed | February 14, 2011; 14 years ago (2011-02-14) (replaced byDisney Junior) 2011–2013 (International) |
| Links | |
| Website | tv |
Playhouse Disney was a brand ofprogramming blocks and internationalcable andsatellitetelevision channels that were owned by theDisney Channels Worldwide unit (nowDisney Branded Television) ofThe Walt Disney Company'sDisney–ABC Television Group. It originated in the United States as a morning program block on theDisney Channel. Aimed mainly at children at two to seven years of age,[1] its programming featured a mix of live-action andanimated series.
The Playhouse Disney block on Disney Channel was rebranded as theDisney Junior block on Disney Channel on February 14, 2011. The remaining channels and blocks using the Playhouse Disney brand outside the US relaunched under the Disney Junior brand over the next three years, concluding with the rebranding of the Playhouse Disney block onDisney Channel Russia on September 1, 2013.
Prior to Playhouse Disney's launch, Disney Channel had aired a lineup of preschool-targeted programs to compete withNick Jr. (which were mixed alongside animated series aimed at older children) during the morning hours since its debut in April 1983.
On April 6, 1997, Disney Channel underwent a relaunch that signified the beginning of its full conversion into a commercial-free basic cable channel, and its preschool block now utilized a similar graphics package for its promotions as that used for the channel's afternoon children's programs. After Disney Channel's preschool block premiered three new original series in 1998 (PB&J Otter,Rolie Polie Olie, andOut of the Box), the block officially launched as Playhouse Disney on February 1, 1999.
One of Playhouse Disney's most popular series wasBear in the Big Blue House, which debuted on October 20, 1997; the series was named byTV Guide as one of the "top 10 new shows for kids" that year.[2]
For the first three years of its run, the Playhouse Disney block originally aired each weekday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.Eastern Time, and weekends from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Following each program, which usually ran 23 minutes (most of which, except for films, aired without promotional interruption), the remainder of the time period was filled by either short segments andmusic videos (the latter of which were originally aired under the banner "Feet Beat") or an episode of an acquired short series.
On April 16, 2001, Playhouse Disney received a new rebrand produced by motion graphics company Beehive;[3] actressAllyce Beasley began serving as the U.S. block's promo announcer at this time, a capacity she would hold until March 30, 2007, being replaced by Margit Furseth. Playhouse Disney also premiered two new original series,Stanley andThe Book of Pooh, in 2001.Radio Disneycross-promoted the block by rebranding its "Mickey and Minnie's Tune Time" block as "Playhouse Disney", and in 2002, the TV block's "Feet Beat" interstitials were renamed "BB's Music Time" to promote the Radio Disney block. On June 25, 2001, Disney-ABC Cable Networks Group (now Disney-ABC Television Group) announced plans to launch Playhouse Disney Channel, a companiondigital cable and satellite channel that would have served the same target audience as the Disney Channel block;[4][5] plans for the network were later scrapped, although Disney-ABC International Television would launch dedicated Playhouse Disney channels and blocks in international markets (including Canada,Afro-Eurasia andLatin America) between 2002 and 2007. The Walt Disney Company acquired the broadcast rights toThe Wiggles as part of their purchase of theFox Family Channel in 2001;The Wiggles moved to Playhouse Disney in June 2002 and became one of the block's most watched shows during its run.
Like Disney Channel, Playhouse Disney was a commercial-free service, but it did show short "promotional spots" (structured as short-form segments for Disney products targeted at the block's demographics) alongsideunderwriter sponsorships beginning in 2002, (with companies such asMcDonald's[6]) within breaks between programs[7] (preschool-targeted programs that aired between 3:00 and 7:00 a.m. Central Time outside of the Playhouse Disney banner, included the promotional shorts for Disney entertainment products that were seen during Disney Channel's afternoon and nighttime schedule). On September 30, 2002, Playhouse Disney changed its logo to reflect Disney Channel's on-air rebranding. The block also replaced some of its older interstitial material and introduced a mascot that month named Clay (voiced byDebi Derryberry), an anthropomorphic clay figure who often used the catchphrases "It's true!" and "Are you with me?"
On March 31, 2007, Ooh and Aah, two puppet monkeys (who served as the main characters for one of the short series featured on the Playhouse Disney lineup,Ooh, Aah & You) became the official hosts of the block, replacing Clay. Every summer since 2007, Playhouse Disney's end time was truncated to four hours on weekdays (from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time). Episodes from Disney Channel's original series were aired during the late morning and early afternoon hours. However, the weekend schedule continued to air for seven hours. By 2010, the Playhouse Disney block had expanded to air from 4:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on weekdays, and 4:00 to 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on weekends, each running a different schedule.
On May 26, 2010, Disney-ABC Television Group announced the relaunch of Playhouse Disney as Disney Junior, which would serve as the brand for the Disney Channel block and a new standalone digital cable and satellite channel in the United States, as well as the new brand for the existing Playhouse Disney-branded cable channels and program blocks outside the US.[8][9] The Playhouse Disney block ended its 14-year run on February 13, 2011, with the last program to air being an episode of the short seriesHandy Manny's School for Tools at 8:55 a.m. Eastern Time.
The Disney Junior block debuted on February 14, 2011,[10] with theLittle Einsteins episode "Fire Truck Rocket" as its first program.[11][12][13][failed verification] Several former Playhouse Disney series were carried over to the relaunched block includingMickey Mouse Clubhouse,Special Agent Oso,Imagination Movers,Handy Manny, andLittle Einsteins. With the relaunch of the block, the block's mascots Ooh and Aah were retired and several of its older programs were entirely discontinued (however,Ooh and Aah & You was later briefly available on the Disney Junior website as a part of the Fan Favorites week of July 18, 2011 and was also later carried in reruns on the Disney Junior cable channel). Additionally, its episodes are available on Disney Junior's YouTube channel as of January 6, 2011.
The 24-hour Disney Junior cable channel debuted on March 23, 2012, with theMickey Mouse Clubhouse episode "Mickey's Big Surprise" as its first program, mainly featuring a mix of original series and programs held over from the Playhouse Disney library (which largely aired as part of the channel's overnight schedule until mid-2014 when over time, more Playhouse Disney shows were taken off the air completely after premiering their series finales and ceased to air in reruns).[9][14] Disney Junior took over the channel space held by the Disney-ownedsoap opera-focused channelSoapnet, largely due to that channel's declining subscriber reach (being carried in 75 million households with pay television at the time of Disney Junior's launch). An automated Soapnet feed remained in operation for providers that did not yet reach agreements to carry the Disney Junior channel or providers that were required to continue carrying Soapnet in addition to Disney Junior[15][16] until Soapnet fully ceased operations by quietly shutting down on December 31, 2013, at 11:59 pm, following an episode ofGeneral Hospital as the last program to air on the network.[17]
| Title | First air date | Last air date | Source(s) | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Einsteins | October 9, 2005 | February 13, 2011 | The show ended on December 22, 2009, but continued to air reruns on Playhouse Disney until February 13, 2011. | |
| Mickey Mouse Clubhouse | May 5, 2006 | |||
| Handy Manny | September 16, 2006 | |||
| My Friends Tigger & Pooh | May 12, 2007 | [18] | The show ended on October 9, 2010, but continued to air reruns on Playhouse Disney until February 13, 2011. | |
| Imagination Movers | September 6, 2008 | |||
| Special Agent Oso | April 4, 2009 | |||
| Jungle Junction | October 5, 2009 |
| Title | First air date | Last air date | Source(s) | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie and Lola | March 21, 2005 | February 13, 2011 | ||
| Chuggington | January 18, 2010 | |||
| Timmy Time | September 13, 2010 | February 11, 2011 | [19][20] |
| Title | First air date | Last air date | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanna's Show | 2003 | 2011 | |
| Choo Choo Soul | May 1, 2006 | 2011 | |
| Lou and Lou: Safety Patrol | June 16, 2006 | 2011 | |
| Happy Monster Band | October 1, 2007 | 2011 | |
| Ooh, Aah & You | July 15, 2005 | 2011 | |
| Shane's Kindergarten Countdown | June 20, 2005 | 2011 | |
| Can You Teach My Alligator Manners? | June 21, 2008 | 2011 | |
| Tasty Time with ZeFronk | November 8, 2008 | 2011 | |
| Whiffle and Fuzz | 2008 | 2011 | |
| Where Is Warehouse Mouse? | August 24, 2009 | 2011 | |
| Dance-A-Lot Robot | February 27, 2010 | 2011 | |
| Handy Manny's School for Tools | January 25, 2010 | 2011 |
| Title | First air date | Last air date | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear in the Big Blue House[note 1] | October 25, 1997 | May 6, 2007 | [22] |
| PB&J Otter | March 21, 1998 | June 24, 2006 | |
| Rolie Polie Olie[a] | October 3, 1998 | December 30, 2006 | |
| Out of the Box | October 10, 1998 | June 24, 2006 | |
| The Book of Pooh | January 27, 2001 | June 24, 2006 | |
| Stanley | September 15, 2001 | May 16, 2008 | [23] |
| JoJo's Circus | September 20, 2003 | January 2, 2009 | [24] |
| Higglytown Heroes | September 11, 2004 | March 29, 2009 | [25] |
| Johnny and the Sprites | October 15, 2005 | January 2, 2009 | [24] |
| Bunnytown | November 10, 2007 | November 8, 2008 |
| Title | First air date | Last air date | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| TaleSpin | April 6, 1997 | October 2, 1998 | |
| Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers | August 29, 1999 | ||
| Amazing Animals[a] | January 2, 2000 | ||
| The Little Mermaid | April 7, 1997 | September 29, 2002 | |
| The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | August 1, 2006 | ||
| Adventures in Wonderland | June 5, 1998 | ||
| Katie and Orbie | June 2, 1997 | December 31, 1999 | |
| Madeline | September 4, 2005 | ||
| Jungle Cubs | September 15, 1997 | September 3, 2000 | |
| 101 Dalmatians: The Series | October 5, 1998 | July 16, 1999 | |
| Sing Me a Story with Belle | September 3, 2000 | ||
| Rupert | September 4, 2000 | January 2001 | |
| The Wiggles | June 17, 2002 | May 24, 2009 | [26][27] |
| Anatole | September 17, 2002 | September 13, 2004 | |
| The Koala Brothers | January 26, 2004 | May 16, 2008 | [23] |
| The Doodlebops | April 11, 2005 | January 2, 2009 | [24] |
On September 28, 1999, the Playhouse Disney brand was extended internationally with the launch of a self-branded block onDisney Channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland. On September 29, 2000, Disney Television International expanded the block with the launch of a channel in the country alongside the launch of Toon Disney and Disney Channel +1 on theSky Digital platform.[29] On April 4, 2009,Egmont Group launched a companionPlayhouse Disney magazine in the United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland that focused on the channel's four most popular shows:Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,My Friends Tigger & Pooh,Handy Manny andLittle Einsteins. Each issue included "to do" pages and suggested activities for parents and children based on an educational theme. The Playhouse Disney block on Disney Channel UK & Republic of Ireland was eventually disposed of in July 2004 after reducing hours of programming.[30] The Playhouse Disney channel available there, however, continued to air until it was replaced by Disney Junior on May 7, 2011.[31]
On November 30, 2007,Astral Media launched aCanadian version of Playhouse Disney Channel under a brand licensing agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group; the channel operated as amultiplex channel ofFamily Channel, which had long maintained a programming distribution agreement with Disney Channel for the domestic rights to the U.S. channel's series until January 2016. A Canadian-French version of Playhouse Disney was launched on July 5, 2010, also by Astral Media. The English & Canadian-French channels were both replaced by Disney Junior on May 6, 2011.[32]
| Market | Type | Formerly | Launch date | Replaced by | Replaced date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 United Kingdom[33] | Channel | Block onDisney Channel | September 29, 2000 | Disney Junior | May 7, 2011[31] |
| +1 timeshift channel | — | November 3, 2007[34] | Disney Junior +1 | ||
| Block onABC1 | — | Summer2006[35] | — | September 26, 2007[36] | |
 United States | Block onDisney Channel | — | February 1, 1999[5] | Disney Junior | February 14, 2011[37] |
 Spain | Channel | — | November 16, 2001[38] | June 11, 2011[33] | |
 Israel | Block onDisney Channel[39] | — | 2009 | July 18, 2011 | |
 Greece | Block onERT2 | — | 2004 | — | 2009 |
| Channel | Jetix Play | September 1, 2010 | Disney Junior | June 1, 2011 | |
| Middle East & North Africa | |||||
| Block | — | 2004 | |||
 South Africa | Channel | — | 2010 | ||
 Russia | Block on Disney Channel | — | August 10, 2010 | September 1, 2013 | |
 Romania | Block | — | September 19, 2009 | June 1, 2011 | |
| Southeast Asia | — | 2000[40] | July 11, 2011[41] | ||
 Australia | Block onSeven Network | — | 2003[42] | — | 2008 |
| Block on Disney Channel[43] | — | — | Disney Junior | May 29, 2011 | |
| Channel | — | December 2005[43] | May 29, 2011[44] | ||
 France[33] | — | November 2, 2002 | May 28, 2011[45] | ||
| HD simulcast channel | — | 2009 | |||
| Block[46] | — | 2002 | |||
 Taiwan | Block | — | 2004 | September 1, 2011 | |
 Japan | — | — | July 3, 2011 | ||
 Hong Kong | Channel | — | April 2, 2004[47][48] | July 11, 2011[49] | |
 Malaysia | — | July 3,2004[50] | |||
 Singapore | — | May 15, 2004[51] | |||
 Indonesia | — | April 2, 2004[48] | |||
 Germany | — | November 10, 2004[52] | July 14, 2011[33] | ||
 Thailand | — | January 2005[53] | July 11, 2011[41] | ||
 Cambodia | — | June 20, 2005[54] | |||
 Vietnam | — | May2005[55][56] | |||
 Philippines | — | December 2005[57][58] | |||
 South Korea | — | June 12, 2004[59] | |||
 India | Block on Disney Channel | — | 2006[60] | 2011 | |
 Argentina | Block on anEl Trece channel | — | 2007[61] | — | — |
| Scandinavia | Block | — | 2004 | Disney Junior | September 10, 2011 |
 Sweden | Channel | — | 2007 | ||
 Norway | — | 2006 | |||
 Denmark | — | ||||
 Finland | — | ||||
 Iceland | — | ||||
 Canada(operated byAstral Media)[62] | — | November 30, 2007[32] | May 6, 2011[63] | ||
| French language channel (Playhouse Disney Télé) | — | July 5, 2010[64] | Disney Junior | — | |
| Latin America | Channel (two feeds) | — | June 1, 2008[65] | April 1, 2011[66] | |
| Channel (Brazil) | — | September 5, 2008[67] | |||
 Portugal | Block on Disney Channel | — | November 28, 2001 | June 1, 2011 | |
| Central & Eastern Europe | Channel | Jetix Play | 2010[citation needed] | June 2011 | |
| Block | September 19, 2009 | ||||
 Poland | Channel | September 1, 2010[68] | 2011[33] | ||
 Czech Republic Slovakia | Block[69] | 2010 | June 1, 2011 | ||
 Italy[33][70] | Channel | — | May 1, 2005 | May 14, 2011 | |
| +1 timeshift channel | — | July 31, 2009 | Disney Junior +1 | 2011 | |
 Turkey | Channel | Jetix Play | September 1, 2010 | Disney Junior | 2011 |
 Netherlands Belgium | — | May 3, 2010[71] | Disney Junior | September 10, 2011[72] | |
| Block onDisney Channel | — |
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