Forgotten Mice: The Secret of 1977’s New Mickey Mouse Club

The year was 1977 – a banner year for pop culture that can still be felt today. The original “Star Wars” opened in theaters, the first Apple II computers went on sale, “Charlie’s Angels” became a phenomenon, the TV mini-series “Roots” aired, the Atari 2600 (also known as the Atari Video Computer System) was released, “Three’s Company” ruled Tuesday nights on TV, Disco filled the airways, and Space Mountain opened at Disneyland. 

With all the excitement that was changing the cultural landscape, there was one Disney show that went under the radar due to a limited release on television. Sometimes referred to as “the forgotten mice,” “The New Mickey Mouse Club” premiered on January 17, 1977, and aired for just two seasons. 

We’re The Mouseketeers, We Wanna Say “Hello”

On January 20, 1975, almost 20 years after its original debut on ABC, “The Mickey Mouse Club” began airing in syndication. Baby Boomers had become adults and a renewed interest in nostalgia put the show on center stage, just as it was during its original run in the 1950s. Regarded for its innovation with children’s programming, the groundbreaking original show launched the careers of Annette Funicello, Don Grady, Bobby Burgess, and Johnny Crawford among others.

With the show gaining fans from a new generation of children, Disney decided to revive the concept and rebrand it for a contemporary audience. 

The new version would showcase a new group of children, an updated look and feel of the sets, brightly-colored outfits, and a modern recording of the theme song. The show could also take advantage of something the original show didn’t have in 1955: color TV. 

The demographics of the United States had changed significantly since the 1950s, and Disney wanted to capture what was happening at that time. The Mouseketeers would exemplify diversity and represent different ethnic groups.

Instead of focusing on the ability to dance and sing, the producers wanted to showcase the personalities of the Mouseketeers. In the new iteration, musical and dance numbers would highlight their individuality on sound stages at the Walt Disney Studios and at Disneyland, as well as film informative segments – like hiking and flying – on location.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2cwy7eKdDE

The New Mouseketeers Debut at Super Bowl XI

To introduce the new “Mice” to a global audience a week before the series premiere, the Mouseketeers were featured in Super Bowl XI’s halftime show at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, which was produced by Walt Disney Productions. During the extravaganza, the Mouseketeers ran onto the field in their new Mouseke-tire in a production that exemplified the Disney brand of the late 1970s.

According to the Nielsen Ratings, the event garnered an audience just north of 81 million viewers.

It’s Showtime!

The New Mickey Mouse Club premiered in syndication on January 17, 1977, and revealed its new look and feel, as well as comedic sketches that included original and old Disney favorites song, dance and comedy routines, special guests, and classic animated clips.

Just like the original show, each day featured a different theme. Monday was “Who, What, Why, Where, When and How Day,” Tuesday took the Mouseketeers on a flying ship for “Let’s Go Day,” Wednesday included sight gags and comedic dances on “Surprise Day,” and Thursday was the 1950s themed “Discovery Day.”

Friday episodes, themed to “Showtime,” began with the Mouseketeers entering Disneyland on the Monorail, and performing routines around the Happiest Place on Earth, with variety and talent performances being taped at Main Street’s Plaza Gardens.

The opening number for Friday’s “Showtime” gives viewers a rare glimpse of Disneyland circa 1977.

The Long and Short of Animation

Like its predecessor, Disney took the opportunity to display vintage cartoons from its animation vault. Animated shorts like “Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom” made their debut on TV in full color, while scenes from animated Disney films, like “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” were billed as “Mouseka Movie Specials.”

Serials

One of the segments familiar to fans of the original Mickey Mouse Club was the inclusion of serials. Titles from Disney’s then-current library were edited into segments to be featured twice a week. Some of these included “Third Man on the Mountain,” “The Misadventures of Merlin Jones,” “Tonka,” and “Toby Tyler.”

In addition, one original serial was produced for the show. “The Mystery of Rustler’s Cave,” starring Kim Richards (“Escape to Witch Mountain”) and Robbie Rist (“The Brady Bunch”), followed the adventures of a motorcycle enthusiast, his sister and three visiting city kids who chase cattle rustlers. 

The Mouseketeers at Walt Disney World

The Mouseketeers had an opportunity to try out their acting skills in their own scripted primetime episode “The Mouseketeers at Walt Disney World” for “The Wonderful World of Disney” on NBC. This gave fans of the show the chance to see them perform in another Magic Kingdom.

In the special, the Mouseketeers experience a little drama between each other but manage to work their differences out while exploring Walt Disney World. Back then, the Magic Kingdom was the only Disney theme park in Orlando. The special includes Ronnie Schell as their fictitious chaperone Mr. Brown and Jo Anne Worley as Miss Osbourne, a reporter. 

Limited Syndication

Unfortunately, “The New Mickey Mouse Club” debuted to a limited audience on only 38 television stations and was canceled in June of the same year. With only select cities being able to view the show, unfavorable time slots and limited markets in other parts of the country, many people weren’t able to view the show at all.

However, 130 new episodes were produced from the original material that was repackaged with new footage, and the show continued to run until January 12, 1979.

Mouseketeer Roll Call

Although the show only lasted one season, several of the cast members did go on to continue a career in entertainment. 

• Lisa Whelchel, became a staple on the NBC television sitcom “The Facts of Life” as Blair Warner, as well as making guest appearances on many TV shows and movies.

• Julie Piekarski was a series regular during the first season of “The Facts of Life” along with Lisa Whelchel. She also made notable guest appearances on TV shows like “Three’s Company.”
• Kelly Parsons became Miss California of 1986 and runner-up on the Miss USA Pageant.

• Shawnte Northcutte made appearances on the TV Show “The Bionic Woman” prior to being a Mouseketeer and appeared as Madge on an episode of “The Facts of Life.”
• Billy ‘Pop’ Attmore appeared in a few movies before and after the series. During the fifth season of “The Brady Bunch,” Attmore appeared in the episode “Kelly’s Kids,” and as a streetwise hood in the short-lived crime drama “Eischied.” 

• Nita Dee appeared in an episode of “Fantasy Island.”

• Scott Craig passed away on December 30, 2003, at the age of 39 in Las Vegas due to a respiratory infection. At the time of his death, he was the owner/operator of an artificial flower distributorship. 
• Mindy Feldman appeared in the films “Say Anything” and “South Beach Academy.” She is the older sister of child actor Corey Feldman.
• Angel Florez passed away on April 25, 1995, at the age of 32 due to complications of AIDS.
• Allison Fonte attended Stanford University and was a founding partner in a creative firm called Pompei A.D. She spun off part of that company into Allison Fonte Public Relations. 
• Todd Turquand, prior to being a Mouseketeer, made many notable appearances on the TV show “Rhoda” and the horror film “Burnt Offerings.”

• Curtis Wong appeared on an episode of the TV show “Diff’rent Strokes” and recently launched Skool Starz musical workshop.

As an added bonus, here is a rare 1977 commercial advertising Disneyland’s Space Mountain.

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Let’s Hear From You

Are you one of the few who remember the 1977 version of the New Mickey Mouse Club? What did you think of the Disneyland images from the Monorail?

The original Mickey Mouse Club ran from 1955 to 1959 on ABC. The New Mickey Mouse Club ran on syndication from 1977 to 1979. The All-New Mickey Mouse Club ran on the Disney Channel from 1989 to 1996. And in 2017, Disney tinkered with the formula, relaunching the show directly on social media and calling it Club Mickey Mouse. After 65 years, is it time for another Mickey Mouse Club reboot for ABC or Disney+? 

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 

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