Walt Disney Television
The first and original incarnation of Walt Disney Television, formerly Walt Disney Pictures Television Division, was an American production company and the original/former television production division of the Walt Disney Company, which was active from April 18, 1983 to 2003. Productions from this division were broadcast mostly on Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD and ABC. The majority of the productions of this division are a plethora of animated series and a notable live-action series named Smart Guy, the latter which ran for three seasons on The WB from 1997 to 1999.
In 2003, its animation division, then known as Walt Disney 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 currently ABC Signature since 2020. Following the completed acquisition of 21st 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, with Disney Television Studios established on May 15, 2019.
Background
While initially not interest in television 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 for NBC then in 1951 for CBS. The specials used Disney film clips, short films and promoted the upcoming Alice 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 for Disneyland, with the newly merged American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres taking the deal for the airing of the Walt Disney's Disneyland anthology series in American Broadcasting Company. The "Operation Undersea" episode of the series garnered Disney its first Emmy Award. The series quickly became ABC's first series to hit the top 20 in ratings.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 the major film studios copied the show's format with MGM Parade and Warner Bros. Presents. Both shows did not last.
With the series' "Davy Crockett" episodes generating high sale of merchandise, Disney Productions produced The Mickey Mouse Club, the first youth audience television program and a daily afternoon show. In 1957, Disney was producing the series Zorro. It lasted until 1959. 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. In 1972, it collaborated with the NBC owned-and-operated stations group to launch The Mouse Factory. It didn't last long, and it was canned in 1973.
In 1975, Disney launched a partnership with SFM Media Service Corporation to distribute The Mickey Mouse Club onto syndication starting in 1975, leading up to new episodes in 1977.
In 1980, Disney severed its exclusive deal with NBC, and jumped into line as a production company for television programs. 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. Disney had broken its 23-year streak of producing anthology series only in order to produce its first TV show since Zorro'
History
Walt Disney Television was formed in 1983, as the Walt Disney Pictures Television Division, the name was later shortened to Walt Disney Television in 1988. Until 1983, Disney shows were aired under the banner of the parent company, then named Walt Disney Productions. Disney made its firsts in 1985, which are Wildside, which is produced under the Touchstone Films label, and two animated cartoons The Wuzzles on CBS and Adventures of the Gummi Bears on NBC.In August 1994, with the departure of Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg, its filmed entertainment business was split into two, with Walt Disney Pictures continuing with motion pictures and the newly created Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications for television under Joe Roth and Richard Frank respectively.
At the time when Disney merged with Capital Cities/ABC, Disney Television was a part of Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications. With the retirement of WDTT president Dennis Hightower in June 1996 and ongoing post-merger reorganization, Walt Disney Television was transferred back to The Walt Disney Studios.
The Walt Disney Television group, upon the departure of its president Dean Valentine in September 1997, was split into two units: Walt Disney Television and Walt Disney Network Television, reporting to Walt Disney Studios chairman Joe Roth. WDT would be headed by Charles Hirschhorn as president and consisted of Disney Telefilms for ABC, the-direct-to video-unit, and Walt Disney Television Animation. WDNT would handle primetime programming, headed by David Neuman as president. Neuman was also named president of Touchstone Television. In March 1998, WDNT was placed under Buena Vista TV Productions, a newly formed group under chairman Lloyd Braun, along with Touchstone Television. in June 1998, Neuman left as did his top two executives due to this reorganization.
In late 1999, Walt Disney Television Studios, were transferred from the Disney Studios to the ABC 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 in 2000, while its name continued to be used on new cartoons from Walt Disney Television Animation until 2003, when Disney later merged the television production company with the television animation division and Touchstone Television.
Names
- Walt Disney Pictures Television Division
- Walt Disney Pictures Television
- Walt Disney Television
- '''Walt Disney Pictures and Television'''
Filmography
Television series
Animated series
All animated series below are co-produced with Disney Television Animation.| Title | Year | Network | Co-production |
| The Wuzzles | CBS | ||
| Adventures of the Gummi Bears | – | NBC ABC | |
| DuckTales | – | Syndication | |
| The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | – | ABC | |
| Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers | – | Syndication | |
| TaleSpin | – | Syndication | |
| Darkwing Duck | – | Syndication ABC | |
| Goof Troop | – | Syndication ABC | |
| The Little Mermaid | – | CBS | |
| Raw Toonage | CBS | ||
| Bonkers | – | Syndication | |
| Marsupilami | – | CBS | |
| Aladdin | – | Syndication CBS | |
| Gargoyles | – | Syndication ABC | |
| The Shnookums and Meat Funny Cartoon Show | Syndication | ||
| Timon & Pumbaa | – | Syndication CBS Toon Disney | |
| Quack Pack | Syndication | ||
| Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series | – | Syndication ABC | |
| Doug | – | ABC | Jumbo Pictures |
| Jungle Cubs | – | ABC | |
| 101 Dalmatians: The Series | – | Syndication ABC | Jumbo Pictures |
| Recess | – | ABC | Paul & Joe Productions |
| Pepper Ann | – | ABC | |
| PB&J Otter | – | Playhouse Disney | Jumbo Pictures |
| Hercules | – | Syndication ABC | |
| Mickey Mouse Works | – | ABC | |
| The Weekenders | – | ABC Toon Disney | |
| Buzz Lightyear of Star Command | – | UPN ABC | Pixar Animation Studios |
| Teacher's Pet | – | ABC Toon Disney | |
| House of Mouse | – | ABC Toon Disney | |
| Lloyd in Space | – | ABC Toon Disney | Paul & Joe Productions |
| The Legend of Tarzan | – | UPN | |
| Teamo Supremo | – | ABC Toon Disney | |
| Kim Possible | – | Disney Channel ABC | |
| Fillmore! | – | ABC Toon Disney | |
| Lilo & Stitch: The Series | – | Disney Channel ABC |