‘Wonderful World of Disney’ Movie Night Revived at ABC — See Schedule
‘Member when CBS said it was bringing back “Sunday Night at the Movies,” and y’all were like, “That’s nice and all, but I’d love to have ‘The Wonderful World of Disney‘ back instead.”
A fairy godmother must have been listening, because your wish has been granted.
ABC has announced that it is reviving its “Wonderful World of Disney” family movie night, though whereas in the past the programming event was typically associated with Sundays (at least that is what rugrat Matt remembers), this time around it will serve up a feature every Wednesday at 8/7c, for four straight weeks.
The news comes amidst ABC enjoying success with its inaugural Disney Family Singalong special, which drew a good crowd on April 16 and will cue up a Mother’s Day-timed encore this Sunday.
Kicking off “The Wonderful World of Disney” on Wednesday, May 20 will be Moana, the animated adventure about a spirited teen who sets sail on a daring mission to fulfill her ancestors’ unfinished quest.
Next up, on May 27, is Thor: The Dark World, the MCU franchise’s follow-up to Thor and The Avengers.
On June 3, things are looking Up with the Academy Award-winning animated feature about a retired balloon salesman. Then on June 10, Big Hero 6 tells the animated tale of Baymax, a lovable personal companion robot who forms a special bond with robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada.
Did ABC just help your quarantined self out with four straight Wednesdays of family movie nights?
So they choose one MCU film and the one they choose is what is easily the worst film in the entire franchise.
I was thinking the exact same thing. Really ABC? You couldn’t show the first Avengers movie instead? Heck, I’d even take Ant-Man over Thor the dark world.
I think Marvel’s just trolling us with this movie. I mean, look how important it was to Avengers: Endgame!
One of the few Marvel films under 2 hours and unless the press release is incorrect, these movies are being shown from 8pm-10pm.
Still gotta find about 28 minutes to cut if that’s the time slot. End credits are probably 8 minutes at most.
Ted with the end credits and even with marvel movies they go straight to the mid or end scene credits and then scroll credits really fast
+100 TVLine Power User points (no cash value).
Disney / Marvel already have a lot of existing licensing deals to broadcast their films exclusively on various television networks. Dark World may be the only film not currently under a broadcast deal… because no one else wants it.
There is no MCU movie I don’t like and though Dark World is definitely not my favorite, that’s not my issue with showing it during Wonderful World if Disney. It just seems an odd choice to show an MCU movie, period. (I’m trying to picture Walt introducing it back in the day…Enjoy this tale of the Norse Gods of old.) They should show some of the classic programs, with the intros and everything. Wonderful World Of Disney wasn’t just a movie block. At least, not at it’s best.
Yeah, I would expect one that was a little more “fun”, like Iron Man or even Ant Man because there’s some comedy in it.0
Ragnorok would’ve been better. Or just avoid a Thor film altogether.
They should’ve done End Game
Out of all the marvel movies Thor the dark world?? Would’ve been the perfect opportunity to show avengers infinity war on network tv
I agree wth the thoughts on A Dark World. But they choose Up an Big Hero 6? I want to be entertained, not cry. Why not Tangled or Brave? Or old school, like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty? Little Mermaind? Beauty and the Beast (animated)? Bueller?
my first thought with Up was how sad it starts, i know it gets “fun” but talk about a gut punch
I wonder if they’ll make a new intro to incorporate all their properties
Wonderful world of Disney had original movies though. I want movies like My Date with the President’s Daughter (oh, yeah).
Exactly!!!! These are just theatrical releases years later. That are already shown on other networks. When we had this, we had Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Miracle Worker, Model Behavior. Where are those movies???
Are you actually asking Disney to start filming original movies NOW?
I think Lynne might be saying that they should show those original movies instead of the ones they’re showing not film new ones (obviously they can’t right now)
They’re doing that anyway… Spending the money, and asking us to do the same, even with 0 change in story, as well as 0 appearances by Rowan, Nathan, or any of the non-title others who are the reasons to watch that movie!!
Oh, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella”! I still remember the gates opening when the movie began and closing when the movie ended…I loved it so!
I completely agree with you! I loved “My Date with the President’s Daughter” in addition to “Toothless,” “Lize Size,” etc. None of these movies are readily available on Disney+ like what is airing, so it seems like a lost opportunity. However, I’m sure ABC is looking to attract modern-day viewers. Nevertheless, I’m not impressed by the offerings. The only of the airing movies that I like is “Up,” and that’s on Disney+. Hopefully, these initial movies will lead to other movies in the future.
On a semi-related note, I would love ABC to revive TGIF. I don’t want just the branding… I want them to air the old line-ups for my childhood, i.e., “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,” “Boy Meets World,” “Two of a Kind,” “Clueless,” “Teen Angel,” “Brother’s Keeper,” “Family Matters,” “Full House,” “Step by Step,” etc. Some of these are available on streaming and home media, but others are not. I would love to see the old footage that they used to show in-between commercial breaks! I understand that these shows are owned by various companies, but maybe some kind of deal could be worked out. Make it happen, ABC! :)
I loved Toothless, but I found it so sad. Loss of innocence :( such a fun movie though.
Teen Angel was one of my favourites! 20+ years later I’m still disappointed it only lasted one season.
That’s PRECISELY why they don’t show those things anymore! That song (or the similar-sounding theme from 1 of Andy Richter’s wrongly-cancelled shows are not available off-camera (even for those like you and I that would pay $$$ for them), so this is the non-violent, drug-free way to keep us both wise and sane.
It’s about time
I was hoping more for some of the classic ones they use to show. Like the Computer wore tennis shoes, Candleshoe, the original Escape to Witch Mountain. Stuff like that.
Disney+ provides those…
It also provides all 4 of the movies that they ARE showing…
exactly, plus other channels show the MCU movies 100 times a month.
Im surprised the waited this long to roll it back out. I am a little surprised they are mixing in the MCU.
I got excited, then I read the article. What a let down. I’m sure their are much more deserving Disney movies to be selected from. I know my children’s VHS Library has better movies than this. Nice try ABC, but this is a swing and a miss.
I’d like to see a night of shorts that includes “In The Bag”. Heck, I’d watch that one alone on a 2-hour loop! :-D
This is welcome news, indeed!
I remember well when we looked forward to the weekly adventures – and they were adventures.
As for the “I want…” group, may we kindly suggest that you try just being happy to have something to watch? Yes, there might be “better” films out there, but they might not be available. Or they might not be on the roster until later. Or… ?
What exactly does Disney have against their classics? When I was a kid, Disney channel was full of their classics and so was Wonderful World of Disney
And generation after generation they would introduce a new group of kids to those classics right along side of the new stuff. As a kid of the eighties and nineties, I was watching the Disney heritage from decades past, whether that was their classic animation, live action movies or the stuff they made specifically for Wonderful World of Disney. In the last twenty or so years that’s become a dusty old tomb that you’ll only explore if you go looking. They’re certainly not going to showcase it for the current generation. Strange, because they keep a lot of it alive in the parks and their merchandise. But they’d rather make reboots. And god forbid they show something in black and white. There would probably be a riot.
Better they should have revived Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. Show the programs that were produced for this show rather than movies that are available elsewhere. Bring back Ludwig Von Drake.
I agree with Gary. The Wonderful World of Color had many original movies and shows. I would like to see some of those again rather than movies that are generally more readly available.
Hoping “Song of the South” will be next.
Ha. Good luck with that.
They won’t even release it on home video, so there is no way they’ll be showing “Song of the South”. You want to see that again, you’ll have to go find it on bootleg. A shame because it’s an important part of their history.
I have such fond memories of “My Date with the President’s Daughter”. I would watch it every time it came on! And the original Life Size. I used to watch Wonderful World of Disney every Sunday night. I agree – I would like to see the older movies, too!
Disney has a vault of stuff that almost no one sees anymore, (And probably a lot of stuff that hasn’t seen the light of day since it’s last appearance on Wonderful World of Disney), and we’re getting movies I can grab off my shelf or stream on Disney +. Hopefully they’ll at least do some new intros and outros.
This is a solid idea. But with Disney+ is this even relevant. I’m assuming a lot of Disney fans will just watch whenever they want on the streaming service
Now if they had an original movie or first run on broadcast that would be even better
I’ve been feeling for a while that, like, Moana’s dad was right after all (and it follows that we should be considering the coconut more as well.)
You asked, so I’ll answer: No.
Main reason? It reminds me of a while back, when ABC made announcement of a similar movie night. As I recall, it was split between classics like “Mary Poppins” (which every channel showed incessantly or we all own on DVD) & original things (the 1 title I recall being akin to “Family Reunion: A Relative Nightmare”).
I’m excited to see the idea back, but I already own 3 of the 4 movies being shown, so I will probably pass.
I almost want to laugh at this.
1] You’re not going to watch movies for free on TV because you can watch those same specific films for the same price whenever you want.
2] Seems to me you don’t get that’s watching movies you know you like at 0 cost, which makes FAR more sense than paying to see something you may hate, likely the way you learned you felt like purchasing them in the first place.
I don’t get what is so funny about this. I can watch the movies I own whenever I want for free with no commercials. And I knew I liked them already when I bought them.
If I hadn’t already watched them, then I’d definitely be tuning in to see if I liked them for free. But since I know I like them and I owe them, what is the point?
I’m guessing you paid to see them the first time (same as I or anyone else), not knowing if you’d like them.
Next, again same as anyone else, you bought them, this time knowing you liked them.
Now, you’ll be able to watch them and like them again, without losing any $, or even having to find your purchased copies or put them in a player.
Same enjoyment with no loss of money nor effort, and you make and announce to many your choice and action to pass?!
Wait…If that’s your train of thought, that decision makes sense.
Sadly my sons will be missing this opportunity. I have an autistic son who would love to see these but they are on to late for the boys to watch. :(
Being a single mom it doesn’t allow the boys to see many newer movies likely these.
Maya
Relax, Maya — as dozens have commented, these first four weeks ABC’s showing nothing, absolutely nothing, that isn’t easily, available on multiple, other platforms. And as astute “johnhelvete” and”Ted” piggy-back remarked, the respective titles are to be butchered by perhaps 28 mins. each in order to allow for the gargantuan commercial-load accumulated chunk of time between 8 – 10 p.m. ET/PT. A few minutes less if the marathon end credits are sped up. But then, if a host introduces the movies, there goes another minute or two — washing out the benefit of speeding up end titles.
If the network had young children’s benefits (with earlier bedtimes) as its main consideration, then the Disney movie franchise would move to Sunday evenings because primetime on the first night of the week begins an hour earlier, i.e., 7 o’clock.
. . . Relax, Maya; your children — and you — deserve better for your shared, family viewing experiences of “Moana,” “Thor: The Dark World,” “Up” and “Big Hero 6.”
. . . Meanwhile, on Saturdays THIS month — after “lights out!” for the boys — you can watch CBS’ (temporary) Saturday night theatrical schedule, 8 – 11, with hit titles from its sister division, Paramount: “Forrest Gump” (10), “Mission: Impossible” (17), “Titanic” (24, at 7 o’clock, OTO) and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (31).
“Happy Mothers Day!”
Yeah, instead of the largely better shows CBS has… like “Magnum”, ANY of the “NCIS” shows, or “Broke” or 1 of the other quality shows they’re canceling!
As TVLine, nearly every entertainment news outlet and surely lots of mainstream press — due to the pandemic angle — have reported in recent weeks, ONLY because of “Magnum,” “NCIS” et al. having their respective production seasons SHORTENED by a few episodes due to Coronavirus shutting down production, CBS did not have sufficient original programming content for May. You know, May — the all important “Sweeps” period.
Skip parenthetical if you already know what Sweeps are.
(The all-important Sweeps periods occur in the four months throughout the year where the broadcast networks can gauge, by ratings and demographics, how much all those 30-second commercial positions — that you see scattered in “Broke” for example — that they sell to national advertisers; what they’ll go for in Sept., and beyond, when the new fall season rolls around,)
So, instead of CBS p!ssing off fans by airing second and third runs of episodes of its hit series, and — sorry, recently cancelled shows too — fans who for decades have counted on, expected, demanded, fresh programming in May — the women and men earning the big bucks at the Bug Eye calculated ratings of blockbuster theatricals would ease the pain, entice jaded viewers; and be cost effective since they’re Paramount movies.
If that answer isn’t sufficient, then — “there’s always CBS All Access” — to soothe your sense of loss; “get you through this difficult time.”
I already knew what Sweeps was. Regardless, I also know any show or movie at any time is largely important due to the ratings they will get from showing them.
Also, while we’re all sad but equally not to blame for the pandemic & its results, many shows likely have episodes they’d already filmed but not aired, so why not show a few of those?!
This is why you don’t show movies millions of fans likely already own. Instead, you show first-run episodes of already-canceled shows (from this season or the last 5) that people never saw, nor were able to purchase on any platform.
I was excited to read the title of this article. Sadly, “TWWoD” will never be as enchanting as it was in my childhood.
I wish Wonderful World of Disney had movies on again on Sunday nights like when I was growing up.
I think ABC movies every Wednesday night is great idea for kids and family. Keep get more movies until Conronavirus is over.
Yeah; Great idea: Watch for free something you bought on DVD & could watch for free anyway.
Also, forgetting family members in the demographics where they’re bored by these, feel there are other things they’d prefer to watch on TV, etc.