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April 30

Posted on April 30, 2015 by disneydetail

April 30, 2009 – Disney Announces Partnership with Hulu

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“…Disney has sought to meet the constantly evolving viewing habits of our consumers, and today’s Hulu announcement is the next important step in that ongoing journey.” – Bob Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company

On April 30, 2009, a press release was presented by Hulu announcing the partnership between Disney through the subsidiary ABC Enterprises Inc. This partnership made popular ABC and Disney shows available to viewers, including Lost, The Wizards of Waverly Place, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. This included full-length episodes from ABC, ABC Family, ABC Daytime, SOAPnet, Disney Channel, and from the Walt Disney Studios itself. Through this transaction, Disney also became an equity partner with Hulu, gaining three seats on the board: one for Iger; once for Anne Sweeney, co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of the Disney/ABC Television Group; and Kevin Mayer, executive vice president of Corporate Strategy, Business Development & Technology.

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April 20

Posted on April 20, 2015 by disneydetail

April 20, 1992 – The Animated Series Goof Troop Premieres on The Disney Channel

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“Report to the Goof Troop, and we’ll always stick together, we’re the Goof Troop, best of friends forever.”

On April 20, 1992, the animated series Goof Troop premiered on The Disney Channel as part of the Disney Afternoon. Following in the steps of its predecessors Ducktales and Chip ‘n’ Dale Rescue Rangers, the show features classic Disney characters Goofy and Pegleg Pete in a modern setting. The series went on to be syndicated in September of that year, and ran until August 30, 1996. The series was created by Peter Montgomery, and starred Bill Farmer as Goofy, Jim Cummings as Pete, Dana Hill as Max, Rob Paulsen as P.J., April Winchell as Peg, Nancy Cartwright as Pistol, and Frank Welker as Waffles and Chainsaw.

The first episode, “Axed by Edition,” begins with P.J. freaking out about his math final. Pete has high expectations for P.J., as he refuses to let him fail. P.J. calls out to his best friend Max, who offers to help make P.J. a math genius. Max then rigs a device that will give P.J. his favorite candy bar if he answers correctly, but will also egg him in the face if he answers incorrectly. By morning, P.J. is exhausted and terrified of eggs. He and Max arrive at school for the test, but P.J. seems close to insane, and isn’t sure if he got anything right. Thinking that P.J. only has one day left before his father grounds him for life for flunking, he and Max decide to plan the perfect day, where P.J. can live his life to the fullest. They come up with an extensive list, and plan to skip school to accomplish this. Max helps P.J. look as though he is ill, although Pete believes the illness to the point where he calls the ambulance.

Pete lies in the hospital, terrified that they believe he's really sick

Pete lies in the hospital, terrified that they believe he’s really sick

As Max heads to the hospital to retrieve his pal, Pete nervously listens to the list of tests the doctors wish to run on him. Max manages to distract the doctors and sneak P.J. out. The doctors finally realize that Pete was faking, and inform his father, complete with the wish list P.J. and Max had put together. Pete misunderstands and thinks P.J. is dying, and runs out to beg for forgiveness. Max and P.J. only have three hours to complete his wish list, unaware that they are being followed by Pete. Max and P.J. manage to finish the list, albeit in a truncated manner. Max is able to distract Pete while P.J. finishes his thrill rides in the nearby amusement park, and when the pair finally arrive home, Pete welcomes him with open arms, worried that P.J. is dying. He then gets a call from the doctor to find that P.J. has been faking being sick, and grounds him for life. That night, Pete’s wife Peg brings home P.J. report card, revealing that he got an A in math. Unfortunately, Pete wants to celebrate with everything P.J. wanted to do, which he now finds torturous.

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April 18

Posted on April 18, 2015 by disneydetail

April 18, 1983 – The Disney Channel Begins Broadcasting

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“The people at the Disney Channel want you to know that that’s the promise: a commitment to bringing you and your family the kind of quality television you’ll be glad to welcome in to your home.”

On April 18, 1993, the cable network Disney Channel began broadcasting. The channel began with an 18-hour programming block, which became a 24-hour broadcast on December 7, 1986. The channel was chaired by Jim Jimirro, and the leadership and success continued with John Cooke and Anne Sweeney, all of whom helped the channel reach over 35 million subscribers in a little over a decade. Disney Channel’s programming from the beginning has included original programming, classic Disney films and short films, and acquired family programming from other production companies. The concept of the Disney Channel has spread out beyond the United States, reaching countries such as Australia, Brazil, and the Philippines, eventually reaching 163 countries and broadcasting in 32 languages in 2009. An accompanying magazine was also published, known as The Disney Channel Magazine, but was discontinued in 1997.

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April 17

Posted on April 17, 2015 by disneydetail

April 17, 1957 – The Disneyland Anthology Series Episode “More About the Silly Symphonies” Airs on ABC

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“Actually, the Silly Symphonies were started as an experiment. We used them to test and perfect the color and animation techniques we employed later in full-length feature pictures like Cinderella, Snow White, and Fantasia.”

On April 17, 1957, the episode “More About the Silly Symphonies” from the Disneyland anthology series aired on ABC. The episode is a continuation about the Silly Symphony line of short films, with the first episode, “The Story of the Silly Symphony” airing on October 19, 1955. The episode was directed by Clyde Geronimi.

The episode begins with Walt looking through some fanmail, telling the audience that he continually gets asked questions about the Silly Symphonies. He then reads a letter about the Silly Symphony Waterbabies, which was made in 1938; the short film itself was inspired by the 1863 story of the same name by Charles Kingsley. The scene then turns into an animated retelling of Kingsley telling the story he created to his son. The short itself begins to play. This is then followed by Walt reading a letter about the short film The Grasshopper and the Ants (1934), which traces its tale back to ancient times. The history of fables then begins in Ancient China, followed by Egypt, then finishing up with Aesop, before moving in to the 1934 short film. The third short Walt covers is Chanticleer the Rooster, who was heavily featured in the Canterbury Tales by Chaucer, as well as the Middle Ages classic Reynard the Fox. The Chanticleer stories inspired the 1938 short film Farmyard Symphony, which soon begins to play. After this, Walt introduces nursery rhymes, citing them as a big source of inspiration for the Silly Symphonies. He shows the audience a tiny book called Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book, which contains several well-known verses and rhymes, including Who Killed Cock Robin. Walt then goes into the supposed meaning of the verse, which was meant to have been written about the rise and fall of Sir Robert Walpole. In 1934, Disney created a Silly Symphony based on the verse, satirizing many well-known celebrities of the time. The final Silly Symphony presented is based on Eugene Field’s well known children’s verse Wynken, Blynken, and Nod (originally known as Dutch Lullaby).

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April 5

Posted on April 5, 2015 by disneydetail

April 5, 2012 – The Drama Series Scandal Premieres on ABC

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“We’re not a law firm. We’re lawyers, but this is not a law firm…we solve problems.”

On April 5, 2012, the drama series Scandal premiered on ABC. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement, with the first season only running for seven episodes. Nevertheless, the series has garnered high ratings by critics and viewers alike, particularly for actress Kerry Washington’s portrayal of lead Olivia Pope. The series was created by Shonda Rhimes, and stars Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope, Henry Ian Cusick as Stephen Finch, Columbus Short as Harrison Wright, Darby Stanchfield as Abby Whelan, Katie Lowes as Quinn Perkins, Guillermo Diaz as Huck, Jeff Perry as Cyrus Beene, and Tony Goldwyn as President Grant.

The first episode, “Sweet Baby,” begins with lawyer Quinn Perkins trying to cancel a blind date with a man named Harrison Wright, but he informs her that it’s not a blind date, it’s a job interview. She’s not interested, until she hears that he works for Olivia Pope, and he tells her that Olivia has already given her the job. Meanwhile, Olivia is heading to an important meeting with Stephen Finch, who is rather nervous. Olivia drops off $3 million to Russian mobsters from an ambassador, and Olivia sweet-talks her way out of a situation when she is $3 million dollars short, but still able to take what they paid for. Wright brings Perkins into the office, and she meets the team, and what Olivia had to buy: the ambassador’s baby. As everyone gets ready to head home, someone heads into the office, bloodied, claiming that the police think he killed his girlfriend.

Olivia watches as they start the process of questioning St. James

Olivia watches as they start the process of questioning Sullivan St. James

The client in question, Lieutenant Colonel Sullivan St. James, is a war hero; he is the first living soldier awarded the Medal of Honor since Vietnam. Pope then explains the process of how they work to Perkins, beginning with interviewing him intensely, claiming that they are both the judge and the jury, and decide who he is. Pope has the deciding vote, and then sets the rules and warns them: do not lie, or all bets are off. Pope then begins her work, showing up at Assistant U.S. Attorney David Rosen’s house in the middle of the night, asking for 48-hours before they charge St. James, but he only gives her 24. Her team sets to work collecting evidence in the little time they have, although most think he’s guilty. In the middle of it, Pope is called to the White House by Cyrus Rutherford Beene, the White House Chief of Staff, because the President needs a favor: an aide is claiming that she is sleeping with the President, and Pope needs to shut her down. She then heads to Camp David to talk to the President, but everyone thinks that the President wants to give Pope her old job at the White House.

The team goes deeper in their investigation, discovering that St. James’ girlfriend was supposed to go to a French Consulate dinner, but cancelled at the last minute. The girlfriend used to be a party girl, and gave it up when she met St. James, but is still holding something back: the girlfriend is sleeping with someone else. Pope talks to the President, and they talk about intern Amanda Tanner, and the President denies ever sleeping with Tanner. Pope agrees to take the case, but turns down going back to the White House. Later, Perkins and Pope meet with Tanner in the park, and warn her about spreading lies, with the added bonus of convincing her to hand in her resignation and leave Washington DC. Later, Perkins is found crying in the bathroom, as she is shocked at how cold Pope is. As Pope continues to work her case, the St. James case is falling apart, as he knew that his girlfriend was sleeping with someone else, but he still claims that he did not kill her.

Sullivan lashes out when confronted with the evidence that he was with his boyfriend at the time of the murder

Sullivan lashes out when confronted with the evidence that he was with his boyfriend at the time of the murder

Time is up when the cops arrive at Pope’s office, but the team gets a lucky break with a security camera outside a bar, and are able to verify his alibi, at a price: St. James is meeting his boyfriend. St. James, however, would rather go to jail than admit that he’s gay. He allows himself to be arrested, much to the sadness of the team. As Pope heads to the police station, tech guy Huck tells Perkins that he got a message from an Amanda Tanner, who was admitted to the hospital for a suicide attempt. Pope still doesn’t believe Tanner’s story, until Perkins drops a supposed “pet name” from the President, and Pope heads straight for the White House. Pope confronts the President, who finally admits the truth: he had an affair because Pope had left him. Pope left him because he is married, revealing that the two also had an affair. While the President kisses Pope, Beene walks in, who never knew about Pope’s real relationship with the President. Pope quickly leaves and heads to a restaurant to meet with Finch, who is nervous about proposing to his girlfriend, as he doesn’t think of himself as a good guy. Pope convinces him to propose, and she watches before she hides and thinks about her own problems.

Pope heads back to the jail to talk to St. James, and convinces him to give her the name of his lover so she can secure his alibi. In the end, St. James gives a speech after getting cleared, and announces that he is gay. The case being over, the team clears up the office, although Perkins isn’t convinced that they are the “good guys.” As Pope works, Beene comes to her office, but Pope refuses to talk to the President again, especially since Tanner has become her client.

 

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March 18

Posted on March 18, 2015 by disneydetail

March 18, 2005 – The Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Premieres

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“You and me got the world to see so come on down.”

On March 18, 2005, the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody premiered. It was highly successful, not only being nominated and winning several awards, but spawning a sequel series The Suite Life on Deck. It ran for 87 episodes in 3 seasons, and was created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan. It starred Cole Sprouse as Cody Martin, Dylan Sprouse as Zack Martin, Brenda Song as London Tipton, Ashley Tisdale as Maddie Fitzpatrick, Phil Lewis as Mr. Moseby, and Kim Rhodes as Carey Martin.

The first episode, “Hotel Hangout,” begins at the Tipton Hotel, where twins Zack and Cody Martin are bummed that their mom Carey can’t take them to the park, as she has to rehearse her performance, but she allows them to invite friends from school. Unfortunately, as new kids, Zack and Cody don’t have any friends, but Carey reassures them that this won’t always be the case. Meanwhile, heiress London Tipton, whose father owns the Tipton Hotel, has effectively been grounded within the hotel as punishment for her poor grades. Candy-counter cashier Maddie Fitzpatrick has been overhearing the conversation between London and hotel manager Mr. Moseby, and Moseby hires Maddie as London’s tutor.

Carey is overly excited to meet the two new friends of her sons

Carey is overly excited to meet the two new friends of her sons

At their new school, Zack and Cody are still having trouble making friends, until they meet kids Max and Tapeworm, and invite them over to their home at the hotel. Max is seen as quite a dancer (and a girl, which Zack and Cody didn’t realize), and Carey asks her for help with her dance moves. Meanwhile, London and Maddie’s study session isn’t going as Maddie planned, as London spends her time shopping online. Maddie decides to get downstairs, as she wants to run into her crush, the new lifeguard. London offers to help Maddie with getting her crush’s attention. The next day at school, word is out that the twins live at the Tipton Hotel, and they are invited to be part of the popular group, abandoning Max and Tapeworm.

Maddie goes back to work at the counter, and uses London’s advice to score a date with the lifeguard, and London offers to help Maddie get dressed for her date. When the popular kids show up at the hotel to hang out with Zack and Cody, they ruin the experience for all the other guests and are rude to Max and Tapeworm. Cody is reluctant to do something so mean, but Zack is desperate to be popular and convinces Cody to ditch them. Later, Carey tells them that they need to make sure that the entire school doesn’t show up at the hotel, but popular ringleader Drew invites more and more people to hang out at the hotel, much to the annoyance of Moseby. After the date with the lifeguard, Maddie doesn’t want to go out with him again, which confuses London. In the end, London convinces Maddie to dump the lifeguard, but Maddie ends up finding herself arranging another date. Moseby warns London that if Maddie doesn’t help pull London’s grades up, she will have to go to a private school with a uniform.

Cody knows that he and Zack are being used, but Zack is just concerned with being popular

Cody knows that he and Zack are being used, but Zack is just concerned with being popular

Cody realizes that they are being used by the kids from school, although Zack doesn’t care so long as he is considered cool. The head bellman Esteban warns the twins that Moseby has ordered him to remove all the kids from the premises, and finally, Zack agrees to help Cody get rid of the kids. When the lifeguard shows up to ask Maddie out for another date, Maddie tries to let him down gently, but she finally gets the nerve to dump him. London manages to pass her exam with a D+, and is awarded with a plasma television from her father. Zack and Cody continue to work on dumping all the kids from their school from the hotel, except for Drew and his crew. The two finally stand up to Drew, although not without consequence, which includes a mishap with the hotel’s satellite dish. Max and Tapeworm show up to help Zack and Cody, impressed by their standing up to Drew, and giving the twins their first real friends.

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March 13

Posted on March 13, 2015 by disneydetail

March 13, 2013 – The Disney Channel Original Series Special The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex Premieres

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“People should appreciate you for who you are, not for what they think you should be.”

On March 13, 2013, the special for the Disney Channel Original Series The Wizards of Waverly Place entitled The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex premiered. The cast of the show returned for the special, except for David Henrie. It received 5.9 million viewers on its premiere. The special was directed by Victor Gonzalez, and written by Vince Cheung, Ben Montanio, and Dan Berendsen. It starred Selena Gomez as Alex, Jake T. Austin as Max, Jennifer Stone as Harper, Gregg Sulkin as Mason, Beau Mirchoff as Dominic, Maria Canals Barrera as Theresa, and David DeLuise as Jerry.

The special starts in a crystal cavern high in the mountains, where Alex is standing in front of the Crystals of Justice, accused of trying to destroy the world. Alex tries to defend herself (poorly), and she is found guilty of treason. She implores the Crystals to review the events that led up to the charge, and they send her back through the time vortex to when the events began. Alex is taken back to a night at the drive-in with her best friend Harper, although Alex’s dad Jerry finds that the two have made their own makeshift drive-in in the living room. Jerry lectures Alex on her immaturity as the Family Wizard. Alex’s boyfriend Mason and her mom Theresa show up with supplies for a surprise party for Alex’s older brother Justin. Alex is jealous that no one threw her a party, and Jerry lectures her again about using magic for selfish reasons. Unfortunately, Justin won’t make it to the party, as he’s too busy at Wiz Tech to make it. Jerry reveals there was another reason for the party: the family is heading to Italy for a family reunion. Alex decides to make it easier for everyone and creates a portal to Italy from their living room, and once again gets scolded by Jerry for using selfish magic.

Max hurriedly enters the door to Italy, looking for a girl

Max hurriedly enters the door to Italy, looking for a girl

Before Alex can remove the portal, her younger brother Max steps through to get a girl’s phone number, leaving Jerry and Theresa with no choice but to chase after him. They manage to retrieve him and head back to the New York apartment, but Alex doesn’t know how to undo the spell. When Jerry compares her to Justin, Alex gets upset, as she thinks Jerry wanted Justin to be the family wizard, and zaps herself away to the back of a Jumbotron to sulk. She is found by Justin’s friend Dominic, who asks her about joining the Wizard Council. He gives her the confidence that she could be a powerful wizard and gives her a friendship bracelet. Mason arrives and scares Dominic away, surprising her with a picnic. When Alex changes the food he’s made, he gets upset with her, as he also believes she’s just using her magic selfishly.

When Alex gets home, she still doesn’t know how to get rid of the door, and Max keeps traveling through to find a girl. Alex relates to Harper how she hates how everyone wants her to change, and Harper tells her that she should be loved for who she are, not who she should be. Alex decides to change her personality for the better with magic. Unfortunately, all of Alex’s bad parts end up in a nearby mirror. While Alex thinks she’s trapped, the mirror version seems to have a plan to get back at her. Jerry and Theresa, having gone to search for Max again in Italy, meet up with Jerry’s family, and find that Max has fallen for his cousin. Back in New York, Harper is taking advantage of Alex’s good nature, but the mood sours when they hear a mirror break. They realize that Evil Alex has gone through the door to Italy, and when they find her parents, Alex tries to convince them that she’s changed, but they don’t believe her.

Evil Alex waits for the moment to capture Max, who doesn't realize he's been hitting on his cousin

Evil Alex waits for the moment to capture Max, who doesn’t realize he’s been hitting on his cousin

Evil Alex stumbles upon Max trying to kiss his cousin Francesca, and traps him in the friendship bracelet from Dominic. The rest of the family is taken on a tour of the family vineyard, where Jerry and Theresa are asked to go stomp grapes, and the two begin to fight, throwing grapes at each other. While they fight, they suddenly disappear; Alex believes her evil self must have done something terrible. When Jerry and Theresa find themselves in Evil Alex’s bracelet, and are surprised to find that Evil Alex has teamed up with Dominic. Mason accidentally discovers Evil Alex and Dominic together, and walks away sadly before Dominic takes Evil Alex away to the Tower of Pisa. At the Tower, Dominic reveals his plan to rid the world of mortals. He needs Alex’s help to set his plan in motion, as she is the most powerful Family Wizard of their generation. Alex and Harper rush to the tower to stop them, but Harper is captured in the bracelet. Dominic reveals that he is the nephew of Alex’s old nemesis Gorog, the leader of the Dark Angels, and Alex refuses to cooperate, except when Evil Alex goes to trap Dominic in the bracelet.

Alex manages to find Mason, but he is still angry with her after he thought he saw her with Dominic. Unfortunately, Evil Alex arrives, and Mason has to determine which is the real Alex. He picks the Evil Alex, and is brought back to the Tower of Pisa, where Dominic is waiting to trap Mason in the bracelet. Back in the apartment, Alex stares at some photos of her family, Mason, and Harper, and remembers Harper’s words about being appreciated for who she is. Realizing that everyone will need to accept Alex the way she is, she decides to save the world again, and heads to Pisa. Alex and Evil Alex get into an argument over who will go first with their bargain, but Alex has to cast the spell first, with all the mortals being wiped away from the Earth and trapped in beads. Alex is then given the bracelet back, but before she can undo the spell and save her family, she is brought before Crystals of Justice. Dominic is then brought before the board to give his testimony, and he blames her for the entire thing. Alex is found guilty again, and sentenced to death. Unfortunately, what Dominic failed to notice is that one of the charms on the charm bracelet is broken: Mason’s.

Freed from the bracelet, Mason manages to find Alex and break her out of her cell

Freed from the bracelet, Mason manages to find Alex and break her out of her cell

Mason manages to find Alex’s cell and breaks her out, where they rush off back to Pisa. Alex confronts Dominic and Evil Alex, and when Evil Alex heads back to New York, Alex is there to fight her. Evil Alex manages to run away, and Alex finds her behind the Jumbotron. The two continue to duke it out, and Alex manages to save her family, although it’s seen that she didn’t actually destroy her evil self. Alex heads back to Pisa, and finds herself trapped and has the bracelet taken away by Dominic, but she finally is able to destroy her evil self. Dominic throws the bracelet over the side of the tower, but Alex manages to save her family. Mason throws Dominic over the side of the tower, ending the plan. Evil Alex revives, and plans on taking over the world herself. When Alex decides to cast a spell to get rid of her powers, Evil Alex disappears within her, and her wand also vanishes, which brings back all the mortals. Back before the Crystals of Justice again, they laud her for her bravery, but refuse to give her back her powers because they believe she is not mature enough. Alex is angry that no one seems to accept her just as she is, except for Harper. The council is moved by her appreciation for Harper, and decides to give Alex her powers back. The family enjoys the rest of the family reunion, but Harper and Alex decide to remain in Italy for a while after Jerry and Theresa see the mess that the fight between Alexes left behind.

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March 11

Posted on March 11, 2015 by disneydetail

March 11, 1959 – Disney Purchases the Golden Oak Ranch

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“Located within the 30-Mile Zone, the Golden Oak Ranch is a movie ranch like no other.”

On March 11, 1959, Disney purchased 708 acres in the Placerita Canyon, called the Golden Oak Ranch. The ranch, located 25-miles away from the Disney Studios, became a filming location for several Disney productions, including the Spin and Marty serials and feature films The Parent Trap and Follow Me, Boys!. The ranch was also leased out to other studios for such projects as Dynasty and Back to the Future, and has continued to be used for Disney productions, including the recent Pirates of the Caribbean series and The Santa Clause. In 2009, Disney announced that there would be a plan to create a backlot studio for ABC with 58-acres of the property. In 2011, it was announced that two state-of-the-art backlots were completed on the property.

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March 7

Posted on March 7, 2015 by disneydetail

March 7, 1942 – Former CEO of The Walt Disney Company Michael Eisner is Born

Michael Eisner

“Success is not a formula, but is based on everything else – the creativity, the right people, the right team.”

On March 7, 1942, Michael Dammann Eisner was born in Mount Kisco, New York. Growing up on Park Avenue, Eisner attended the Allen-Stevenson School through ninth grade, followed by the Lawrenceville School through 12th grade. He graduated from Denison University in 1964 with a B.A. in English. After graduation, Eisner briefly worked for NBC and CBS before being brought on at ABC as Assistant to the National Programming Director. He quickly rose through the company, becoming the Senior Vice President for Programming and Development. Barry Diller, who had hired Eisner at ABC, brought Eisner with him to Paramount Pictures and made him President and CEO. Under his leadership, Paramount had a string of successful films, beginning with Saturday Night Fever and including Raiders of the Lost Ark and Grease. After being passed over for the top position when Diller stepped down, Eisner went looking for other opportunities. At this time, Disney was going through some troubles with hostile takeovers, and Roy E. Disney decided to bring Eisner and Frank Wells in as CEO and President, respectfully. Under their tenure, Disney managed to go through a Renaissance period, beginning with the success of The Little Mermaid, along with the acquisition of ABC and ESPN. Eisner continued to grow the Disney Parks stateside, and contributed to the building of what is now known as Disneyland Paris. After Wells’ sudden death in a helicopter crash, Eisner shook up the posts at the studio, with Katzenberg resigning and being replaced with Michael Ovitz. Tension grew between Roy E. Disney and Eisner, and in 2005, Eisner stepped down from his role as CEO and board member, leaving Disney completely. After Disney, Eisner formed The Tornante Company, which acquires and invests in media and entertainment companies.

 

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March 4

Posted on March 4, 2015 by disneydetail

March 4, 2012 – The Dramedy Series GCB Premieres on ABC

GCB_4

“Do you think Grandma will like us more now that Dad’s dead?”

On March 4, 2012, the dramedy series GCB premiered on ABC. It was based on the novel Good Christian Bitches by Kim Gatlin. The series received mixed reviews from critics, and after ten episodes, the series was cancelled on May 6, 2012. It was created by Robert Harling, and starred Leslie Bibb as Amanda Vaughn, Kristin Chenoweth as Carlene Cockburn, Jennifer Aspen as Sharon Peacham, Marisol Nichols as Heather Cruz, Miriam Shor as Cricket Caruth-Reilly, David James Elliott as Ripp Cockburn, Mark Deklin as Blake Reilly, Brad Beyer as Zack Peacham, and Annie Potts as Gigi Stopper.

The pilot episode begins with Amanda Vaughn’s husband Bill grabbing cash from a safe in his office and leaving his home with his mistress. As they drive, she distracts him and he drives over the side of a cliff, killing them. Three months later, FBI agents are raiding the Vaughn residence as Bill was found running a Ponzi scheme. As the news outlets camp outside Amanda’s mansion, Amanda decides that she and her two kids need to move away from California, although she refuses to move to Texas to be near her mother Gigi. However, when faced with an empty house, she reluctantly calls home and makes plans to return to Dallas. Upon arriving, the Vaughns are given a “warm” welcome from Gigi’s pet Dobermans. Amanda is also unaware of how quickly the gossip of Amanda’s return has spread. Amanda’s daughter Laura flips through one of Amanda’s old yearbooks, and Amanda and Gigi recount the horrible things Amanda did to her fellow students, as she was the Queen Bee in high school. Later that night, Amanda tries to figure out what to do with her life, and decides to try and get a job as an interior designer.

Amanda goes to church with her mother, against her will

Amanda goes to church with her mother, against her will

The next morning, however, Gigi demands that Amanda go to church, which Amanda vehemently does not want to do. Amanda then sees the people she knew (moreover, tormented) in high school, and is surprised to see how they’ve changed. She is also surprised at how much people hate her, as she thinks she’s changed. The next day, Amanda has several interviews lined up thanks to an old high school friend, although she isn’t pleased about the influence her mother is having on her kids. As she gets them ready for school, the whole family finds a new car in the driveway, addressed to Amanda from a secret admirer. Carlene Cockburn, who has been spying on Amanda from across the street and was one of those tortured by her, reports back to her friend Sharon Peacham, revealing that the car came from Sharon’s husband’s dealership, as evidenced by the vanity plate tag. Carlene and her band of girls decide to do a search on who gave Amanda a car. Zack Peacham calls Amanda, asking her over to talk about who gave her the car, and Amanda agrees. When she gets there, he reveals that he doesn’t know, but he considers her the love of his life. Carlene, who has continued to spy on Amanda, sees the conversation through Zack’s office blinds, and thinks that the two are having an affair, unaware of Amanda’s attempts to fight Zack off.

Amanda continues to butt heads with Gigi about how to treat the kids, but this is interrupted when more gifts arrive for Amanda, including racks of clothes. Amanda refuses to accept it, and refuses to go to the Longhorn Ball with her mother. She also has frustrations when dealing with realtor Heather Cruz, who has been showing Amanda run-down houses on purpose in retaliation for past abuse. Amanda confronts her, and Heather admits the truth and accepts Amanda’s apology. Heather then tries to warn her about something, but is interrupted by Carlene and the girls with a welcome basket. Heather tries to tell Carlene that Amanda has really changed, but Carlene refuses to accept this and threatens to take business away from Heather. Carlene and others start digging around for information, but Amanda feels overwhelmed. After the girls leave, Carlene tasks Sharon to find out who has been sending Amanda gifts. Unfortunately, Sharon botches the mission. Amanda is still struggling to find work, unaware that Cricket Caruth-Reilly, another of Carlene’s cronies, has been sabotaging all of her efforts. Out of options, Amanda decides to ask for work at a Hooters-style bar called Booby-licious. That night, Amanda has dinner with Cricket’s husband Blake, who was a good friend of hers in high school, and accidentally discovers that Blake is gay and having an affair with his ranch foreman.

A photo of Amanda at her new job is circulated around the other women of the community

A photo of Amanda at her new job is circulated around the other women of the community

Amanda’s new job is soon revealed to everyone, unbeknownst to her, and Carlene lets her know. Amanda refuses to be intimidated by Carlene and her friends, and the two have a confrontation. When Carlene reveals details from Bill’s death in front of Amanda’s kids, Amanda decides that it’s time to leave. At home, Gigi finally reveals that she is the one that has been leaving gifts for Amanda. Later, Amanda realizes that Carlene, who touts herself as a righteous Christian woman, owns the bar where Amanda works, exposing her hypocrisy. At church that Sunday, Amanda not only outs her new job to the entire community, but that Carlene owns the company. Amanda then realizes that she can hold her head high in this community.

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