New History Channel Disney Show... Also, a New National Geographic Special

[MGMmjl]

I saw a mention on Facebook about a new History Channel show about Disney that aired its premiere episode last night. Did anyone here watch it?

From the History Channel description:

“How Disney Built America” is a nostalgia-filled ride that paints a vivid picture of the world of Walt Disney and the history-making empire he and his brother Roy Disney built. Each hour-long episode focuses on a different example of game-changing brilliance in Disney’s history including creating the world’s most recognizable characters, establishing the animated features industry, revolutionizing the concept of merchandising, and using groundbreaking design and engineering to construct Disneyland, Walt Disney World® Resort, and beyond. Viewers will hear from legendary Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr, a direct hire from Walt who developed over 100 designs for Disney theme park attractions, to gain surprising insights into the unique innovations and struggles involved in realizing the dreams of a visionary. The series utilizes rarely seen historical material, original dramatic recreations, and key interviews from Don Wildman, Margaret Kerrison, Douglas Brinkley, Mindy Johnson, and others to expand on how the brand is forever woven into the fabric of American life.

https://www.history.com/shows/how-disney-built-america

 

[Dan Murphy]

I saw a mention on Facebook about a new History Channel show about Disney that aired its premiere episode last night. Did anyone here watch it?

From the History Channel description:

“How Disney Built America” is a nostalgia-filled ride that paints a vivid picture of the world of Walt Disney and the history-making empire he and his brother Roy Disney built. Each hour-long episode focuses on a different example of game-changing brilliance in Disney’s history including creating the world’s most recognizable characters, establishing the animated features industry, revolutionizing the concept of merchandising, and using groundbreaking design and engineering to construct Disneyland, Walt Disney World® Resort, and beyond. Viewers will hear from legendary Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr, a direct hire from Walt who developed over 100 designs for Disney theme park attractions, to gain surprising insights into the unique innovations and struggles involved in realizing the dreams of a visionary. The series utilizes rarely seen historical material, original dramatic recreations, and key interviews from Don Wildman, Margaret Kerrison, Douglas Brinkley, Mindy Johnson, and others to expand on how the brand is forever woven into the fabric of American life.

https://www.history.com/shows/how-disney-built-america

Have not watched yet but I have my TiVo OnePass set to record the series. Looking forward to watching when complete.

 

[_19disnA]

Saw it advertised but haven't watched it yet. Many of these Disney specials are more like extended commercials that show a lot of bits/pieces of various parks. Not sure how much is new material vs. just editing together older clips of various people associated with Disney over the years. Certainly better than another season of Oak Island where they have continued to turn bits of metal/scraps of wood into this never-ending soap opera and have never found anything close to what they claim is there. Seems they have figured out how to get the History channel to keep funding their continuing searches..............LOL.

 

[focusondisney]

We watched the first episode. It is in the format of other History Channel docuseries. Various experts, historians or authors tell bits & pieces about the company or event the show is about. Specific scenes are played out by actors, what they mean by “original dramatic recreations”. The first episode was about Walt & Roy starting out, creating Mortimer & losing him to Universal & how Walt came to create Mickey. Also showed how they added sound to the first cartoons. It will probably be another episode or 2 before they get to the parks. Apparently some You Tubers will be on, I assume that will be for the parks episodes.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Did anyone here watch it?

I watched it (twice). It was on two times in a row. As mentioned it's a "typical" format of other History Channel docuseries. I don't care for the actor they have portraying Walt. I know Walt was an opinionated, difficult man at times, but his attitude (AFAIK) was, when people said "we can't do that", was to basically say "well, let's do it anyway". The actor on the show is really a tough, rude guy.

 

[focusondisney]

I don't care for the actor they have portraying Walt.

I didn’t care for him either. I actually thought his voice & actions seemed too weak. Totally different impression, lol.

Edit to add: I only watched it once tho. So I might have missed some nuances of the actor.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Oooh, I didn't know about this yet! I'll have to give it a try.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I didn’t care for him either. I actually thought his voice & actions seemed too weak. Totally different impression, lol.

Edit to add: I only watched it once tho. So I might have missed some nuances of the actor.

The actor on the show is really a tough, rude guy.

I'm saying he's playing Walt as a tough, rude guy, not so much that the actor is like that. I think I've seen him in one of the other docuseries shows, can't recall which, and I didn't like him much then either.

I only watched it twice because the first time it ran, I was doing some housework, and wasn't paying that close attention. Second time I actually watched the show.

 

[FastPasser.]

I’m ambivalent about watching it.

 

[sailorstitch]

I love their series The Toys That Built America so I'll have to check this one out.

 

[MGMmjl]

There was also a new special that aired on National Geographic last night... "Epcot Becoming: Inside the Transformation." Looks like it will be available on Disney+ and Hulu on July 19.

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...c-documentary-explores-epcots-transformation/

 

[soccerdad72]

I love their 'Built America' series in general (Food that Built America was great), but unfortunately, History Channel isn't on any of the streaming services we subscribe to right now.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We watched the first show yesterday, and have the others prepared to record for us. I like the fact that it showed how the recording and the film were synchronized in a way that I understood.

I thoroughly admire how Walt’s genius rose up from the ashes of failures. Edison was like that too, I believe.