Theatrical movies have made a comeback on broadcast television. With production on series and film projects being halted and people looking for entertainment while sheltering at home, hit movies from existing studio libraries are finding their way to network television.

On Wednesday night, ABC will begin airing a series of theatrical films on its flagship anthology series The Wonderful World of Disney. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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#Moana is making its Broadcast Television premiere with #TheWonderfulWorldOfDisney on Wednesday, May 20! What can we say except you’re welcome?

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Disney’s animated film Moana will lead off the series on May 20, followed by Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World on May 27, Pixar’s Up on June 3 and Disney Animation’s Big Hero 6 on June 10. All four films are also currently available on Disney+.

Filling The Programming Gap

Due to the NBA being on hold during our long shelter at home, the alphabet network won’t have the NBA Finals to air in June. The Wednesday night movies will help fill the network’s scheduling gap between the end of the traditional TV season and summer programming. Starting with Thor: The Dark World, the movies will lead into the final season of Agents of SHIELD, which premieres May 27.

The network is also rolling out its lineup of game shows ahead of schedule.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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ABC is bringing some magic into your home with #TheWonderfulWorldOfDisney. Grab some popcorn and we’ll see ya real soon! May 20: #Moana May 27: #ThorTheDarkWorld June 3: #PixarUp June 10: #BigHero6

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The Wonderful World of Disney will air Wednesdays so that it does not collide with CBS’s successful revival of their Sunday Night Movie franchise. CBS began its own Sunday movie night on May 3 with Raiders of the Lost Ark. The network will continue to air Paramount Pictures films throughout May and the first part of June.

To add to CBS’ ratings winning streak with the format, the “Eye Network” added a Grease Sing-a-Long to the schedule. The 1978 classic film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John will air 8:30 p.m. on June 7 and feature sing-along lyrics for all the songs. 

The Nostalgia of Movies of the Week

Movies of the week, affectionately known as “MOWs” at the television networks, were a staple of broadcast schedules during the late 1960s through the 1990s.

At the peak of the format’s popularity, the networks experimented with films being made specifically for TV with lower expenses than theatrical films. This provided producers like Aaron Spelling and David Wolper a platform to flex their creative arms with all genres (suspense, horror, and melodrama were common themes). It also featured the full-length film directorial debut of Steven Spielberg.

Wonderful World of Disney, ABC is Reviving The Wonderful World Of Disney
Duel, the 1971 Movie of the Week starring Dennis Weaver, is the feature full-length directorial debut of Steven Spielberg.

During the mid-1970s, the format began to suffer from a drop in the quality of the films. The networks would eventually feature repeats of movies made for television and traditional theatrical releases. ABC continued to sporadically premiere new TV films on Sunday nights until 2005.

MOWs were slowly eliminated during the 1990s as premium cable channels became the primary outlet for TV premieres of theatrical films. According to Deadline, ABC was the last broadcaster to have a regularly scheduled movie night. That was back in the 2007-08 season when it aired films in the low-traffic environment of Saturday night.

The Wonderful World of Disney, which originated on ABC, aired Sunday nights on NBC and CBS from 1961 through 1997. The first episode of the original anthology series aired under the name Walt Disney’s Disneyland, and premiered on ABC October 27, 1954, a Wednesday night.


Sooner Than We Think

While no one knows when the parks will actually reopen, it will happen eventually. In fact, the Disney hotels are currently accepting reservations for July 1st. If you are ready to give your family something to look forward to, there’s no better time than now to lock in low rates on future travel. Special comeback rates are now available at some of your favorite theme park hotels with big discounts. 

Wonderful World of Disney, ABC is Reviving The Wonderful World Of Disney

Our travel partners at Get Away Today are here to help you with your theme park shutdown concerns and rescheduling plans. We know you’re as uncertain about the future as we are. That’s why Get Away Today is offering the most flexible Disney travel options available:  

Price Protection – If a better special comes out after you have booked, you’ll get the better deal. 

Peace of Mind – Make hotel changes, reschedule dates, drop nights, change ticket vouchers and more, as many times as you’d like for a small, one-time fee.

Layaway Plan – Lock in your 2020 or 2021 Disneyland Resort vacation for just $175 down. By booking early, you secure your availability and have the flexibility to pay as you go. Make as many interest-free payments as you’d like, whenever you’d like, with final payment due just seven days prior to travel.

Give your family something to look forward to
Visit Get Away Today HERE  Or fill out a request form and they’ll call you back:  Vacation Information Request Form HERE


Let’s Hear From You

While you’re at home for the time being, how are you staying entertained? Do you think that the revival of The Wonderful World of Disney will be a hit the way it was in the past? Are you planning on watching Moana tomorrow night? Let us know in the comments below.

Wonderful World of Disney, ABC is Reviving The Wonderful World Of Disney

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