Disneyland

Certainly the original and the best of the family variety style programs.From the late 'fifties to the late 'sixties this was the high point of many an Australian family's televisual week. Walt himself singing "When You Wish Upon a Star" for the opening credits was a siren call for all the young and not so young.

One quibble however is that, in hindsight it was a rather blatant advertisement for the Disneyland theme park. The opening of each show placed the weeks story in one of the four "lands" that made up Disneyland.

This show was never named "Disneyland". It started as "Walt Disney Presents" and became "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color".

This show was a mainstay of my childhood. Some of the most beautiful, not to mention earliest, color film of natural wonders – flowers, butterflies and national parks – appeared on this show. As did some of the best animation, from Disney's best general release Donald Duck shorts to entirely new productions, including a new character who quickly achieved a place in the Duckville pantheon – Ludvig Von Drake.

Its live action originals literally the stuff of legend into new legends: Davy Crockett, The Swamp Fox and The Scarecrow. These limited episode productions, the first mini-series, launched two major careers and redirected a third.

WDP gave Fess Parker his first real starring role as Davy Crockett in 1955. It created the homespun, always honest, man of the people personna that would endure through Mr Smith Goes To Washington (1962-63) and Daniel Boone (1964-70). It also turned song and dance man Buddy Ebsen, the original choice as the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz, into a small screen star with the folksy, aw shucks personna continued in The Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby Jones.

Along with 1956's Forbidden Planet, Leslie Nielsen's 1959-61 role as General Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, helped make him an adventure star (until Airplane! accidentally returned him to comedy). Remember his biggest role before this was the romantic comedy lead in Tammy and the Batchelor opposite Debbie Reynolds.

Patrick McGoohan's three episode appearance as The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh in 1964, crystallized and confirmed the dashing, poker-faced, near super-hero personna begun in Danger Man, his 1960-61 British spy series. The Scarecrow also made McGoohan such a hot property that the defunct Danger Man was resurrected and renovated that same year as the commercial and cult hit Secret Agent. This was quickly followed by the truly iconic The Prisoner – with 9.1 ratings, The Godfather and The Shawshank Redemption top IMDb's all time favorite movie list, which means that, with a 9.2 score, the Prisoner is the hottest thing ever committed to film.

Walt Disney was a genius! He really knew what he was doing when he made all those fantastic films. I met Mr. Disney when I was about 8 years old as my father worked at Disney Studios as an animator. Mr. Disney, Or UNCLE WALT is what he preferred, was very nice, warm, friendly, and above all the nicest man I have ever met.

Disney has achieved many great things even after his death in 1967, it just goes to show that as Walt once said,"As long as their is imagination".... which proves the heart of Disney films today still lives. Walt was very strict in a lot of things, and demanded the best, but in the end, Walt was very thankful to his staff for doing a great job. As a child, I was fascinated by his ability to create such wonderful stories, films, and shows. Every Sunday night, we would gather round our new color TV and watch Walt Disney.

Later in years, I never dreamed that I would be selected as a cast member of Kids of the Kingdom, a musical ensemble in Disneyland. It was a fun time, and really loved performing. what most people don't know is, the Disney Family had an apartment in Main Street USA.

Disney today is still magical as my own kids just love the classics I grew up with. ONe of his all time great classics was Mary Poppins. Still one of my favorites.

Walt's spirit lives on in all of us. As he once said, "It's kind of fun to do the impossible!" Thanks Walt.

Disneyland was most likely one of the best variety style shows ever made. Each week there was something different to watch and many of the shows were nominated and/or received Emmy's for their consistent quality and interesting subject matter. My personal favorites include Monsters From the Deep('54) and Operation UnderSea('54). Disneyland can be seen occasionally in the "Vault Disney" timeslot on the Disney Channel which begins at 11:00pm every night. Please note that this show was not specifically about the Disney Theme park and was renamed appropriately following Disneyland's opening in 1955

When I was growing up every Sunday night meant the world to me and many others to watch the wonderful world of Disney I think they should bring back to ABC for many reasons so many things has changed with families Technology of the internet and cell phones family just isn't family anymore but the one thing that would bring it back is every Sunday the whole family was in front of the TV watching that one special movie it wouldn't hurt to try it again it'll make a lot of families very very happy