What ever happened to "the wonderful world of disney" on Sunday nights?

[jillyb]

I loved Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights! My Daddy is a preacher and, as a kid, I used to tell him to hurry up after church on Sunday nights so we could get home in time to watch them. LOL

I also watched Lawrence Welk. We had hardwood floors in our house. One night after my bath we were watching Lawrence Welk and I was dancing. My feet were still wet and I fell and busted my chin. I don't remember dancing to Lawrence Welk anymore after that! LOL

 

[budmonster]

Oh I used to love watching Wonderful World of Disney it was such great family times for us. I wish they would bring it back though I would have a hard time deciding between that and True Blood.

 

[Pig Pen]

Every Sunday night my dad would pop popcorn (in the cast iron skillet) and we would watch Wild Kingdom and Disney. I also watched it the last few years it was on. I really miss it.

 

[sunnyday123]

As a kid it was one of the most exciting things on TV. Loved Sunday nights! And I love Mutual of Omaha's wild kingdom too!

I agree! Every sunday we went to my Grandparents for dinner, and had the driest chicken God ever put on this earth, my Dad would tell my Grandmother if she made chicken one more time, he was never coming back, and me and my two cousins would go in their room and watch Disney and MOO. AFV stopped being funny about 600 years ago.

 

[jenseib]

I remember watching as a little kid...sure wish they would bring that back. We also used to watch Lawrence Welk as well.

Yes! And there was a couple that always danced, and my sister and I loved them. I think the guy was Bobby. Can't remember the girls named.

 

[pwdebbie]

You all had me scratching my head for a bit because I was sure the show was called "Wonderful World of Color." So I searched and found out that I must just be a tad bit older than most of you.

Here's what I remember as the opening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kBBVcgvMZU

We watched it at Great Grandma's house because she was the only one in the family with a color TV.

 

[jenseib]

You all had me scratching my head for a bit because I was sure the show was called "Wonderful World of Color." So I searched and found out that I must just be a tad bit older than most of you.

Here's what I remember as the opening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kBBVcgvMZU

We watched it at Great Grandma's house because she was the only one in the family with a color TV.

Yep, thats before my time.

 

[AliceinMaryland]

Wow, how I miss those Disney evenings! The host on wild kingdom was Marty Stauffer, right? The movie about the girl who spelled freedom, is that the one about the chinese girl, and in one part of the movie she was sitting down backwards on the toilet or standing up on it to go pee??? LOL Please excuse me if I've gotten my movie mixed up!

One of my very favorite movies I remember seeing on Wonderful World of Disney was Mr. Boogedy, awesome movie. I would love to have it on DVD.

I really wish my kids could grow up in the olden days LOL! We had smurfs and shirttails(anybody remember them) and all kinds of great shows, seriously, how simple were the shows and we loved them so much! Nowadays, kids are so into action, action, action(my kids included) It was nice when it didn't take much too amuse kids.

 

[Praying Colonel]

My avatar is from the version of that show I remember seeing first. I remember seeing Walt talking about the Florida Project on one show. It was after he died, so they must have been re-running it, but it sounded amazing. I went there for the first time only about 35 years later.

If they ever did the "Disney Classic" channel the World of Disney shows would be great to see, along with old original Mickey Mouse Club episodes.

 

[dalstitch45]

Just like the PP's, I remember Sunday nights with the "Wonderful World of Disney". I remember rushing to finish any chores I had, so I didn't miss a minute of my favorite show. It brings back so many special memories. It was so nice to gather around the tv, and watch things as a family. In those days, there were only a few channels anyway. There was such quality on tv then. Way before there were 200+ channels.

I watched the youtube clips, and yes, it did bring a big smile to my face. I always remember the Mutual of Omaha commercials. If they ever put the Wonderful World of Disney out on DVD, I will be the first to run out and buy it. It takes you back to a much simpler time.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

I would love to see the "Wonderful World of Disney" again. We all know it's never going to happen, not with the Disney Channel doing so well. I miss all the great movies they did back then. They were for adults and children which made them so great. Not like the High School Musical type of shows they do now.

 

[shalom]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4UBhDxG3yc&feature=related

This is the intro I remember the most ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr_txVuVLbA

These seem all wrong to me because there's no "Walt Disney Presents!" to them. I remember the kalidescope opening (and the NBC peacock before it), but I also remember it as "The Wonderful World of Disney." I watched it from the early 1960's until they quit having the openings with Walt introducing the film. I didn't always watch the whole show (if they were playing something I'd seen before and didn't care to see again), but I always watched through Walt's introduction. The Disney "Treasures" series sometimes has those bits, and also has the whole collection, "Your Host, Walt Disney", which has one of my favorites, "Where Do Stories Come From?"

The two TV shows I most regret not being able to find for my kids when they were little were the Disney anthology with Walt's intros, and Captain Kangaroo, two of the longest running TV shows out there. *sigh*

Anyone here old enough to remember when the Disney anthology show was called "Disneyland"?

The host on wild kingdom was Marty Stauffer, right?

It was Marlin Perkins when I remember it. And, as someone else comments, Jim did all the dirty work with Marlin commenting on the poor guy's every move.

 

[Chuck65]

It was Marlin Perkins when I remember it. And, as someone else comments, Jim did all the dirty work with Marlin commenting on the poor guy's every move.

So true! One time Marlin went into a pond to get a anaconda out and the thing got wrapped around his head. Jim had to run in there and get that thing off of him.

I used to LOVE watching the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights. As another poster said, I was glad when my parents didn't go to church that night and I could watch it.

 

[SydneyFalco]

It was Marlin Perkins when I remember it. And, as someone else comments, Jim did all the dirty work with Marlin commenting on the poor guy's every move.

"Now Yim is going to tackle dee Gritzly Bear... be careful, Yim!"

 

[AliceinMaryland]

I looked it up, Marty Stouffer became the host of Wild America in 1982.

 

[AliceinMaryland]

Now I'm realizing the Wild Kingdom and Wild America are 2 different shows? LOL And my recollection of Wild America being the same night as Wonderful World of Disney is probably not correct either. Hey, I was little, I just remember they were memorable shows!!!

 

[shalom]

And my recollection of Wild America being the same night as Wonderful World of Disney is probably not correct either.

They were both Sunday night on NBC.

However, my memory of fading out on the show once Walt wasn't hosting it is wrong, because I know I watched regularly into the 1970's while they stopped using his intros the year he died. I thought they regularly re-ran his intros with some episodes, since they're so strongly a part of my memories, but apparently not.

 

[FLA NUT]

This is bringing back so many memories. Lieing on the floor at my grandparents house on Sunday nights watching both shows in COLOR (we didn't have a color tv at the time). Things seemed so much simpler then.

 

[SomDayMyPrnceWillCom]

I watch WWoD every Sunday night after Wild Kingdom (I still get the "Mutual of Omaha is people".. jingle stuck in my head from time to time) I was so excited when it was brought back in the 90's even if Michael Eisner hosted it.

I really wish they'd bring back the Muppet Show too. They ran it again in the 90's as well and I love the Muppet Show.

 

[heather13]

Things seemed so much simpler then.

Looking at the world through my daughter's eyes, I'm sure life seems very simple to them too!
Funny how the weight of responsibility, parenthood and knowledge can make life more complicated