If you were one of the kids lucky enough to have the Disney Channel as part of your cable TV package in the mid-80s, you got to experience their awesome variety programming firsthand. Did you wish you were in the Mickey Mouse Club, or did you want to be one of the cool kids in Kids Incorporated? Though MMC definitely is more well-known these days, personally I was always more excited when I happened upon an episode of Kids Incorporated, usually at a friend’s house because they paid extra for the Disney Channel.
Kids Incorporated was created by Thomas W. Lynch and Gary Biller, and the pilot episode was produced in 1983. Though they tried to shop the show around to the major networks, ultimately it ended up being broadcast instead in syndication. What exactly is syndication, you wonder? That’s basically where your local television affiliates decide to broadcast something as opposed to a national broadcast network like ABC or NBC. So, these various stations around the country agreed to air Kids Incorporated, but they would do it at different times, which ultimately led to poor ratings.
That could’ve been the end for Kids Incorporated, but thanks to some popular reruns on CBN (the Christian Broadcasting Network, which eventually became ABC Family, and is now Freeform), the newly created cable station The Disney Channel took interest and decided to give the show another chance, picking it up for additional seasons in 1986. The show continued on for multiple seasons, lasting for a total of 149 episodes, up through 1994.
But what exactly was Kids Incorporated about? Though each episode had some kind of plot, ranging from the wacky like meeting a robot or a runaway princess, to more serious topics like peer pressure and child abuse, the show was really about this musical group of kids performing at a club called “The Palace.” In each episode, the kids would perform multiple songs, and seriously, that was the most memorable part. Do you honestly recall any of the plots? Probably not, but you know you remember the totally ‘80s and ’90s fashion while the kids sang their hearts out.
The kids who starred on the show ranged in age from 8-17, and often would only leave once they “aged out” — basically, if you weren’t a kid, you could no longer be on Kids Incorporated. Two of the girls on the show would go on to do big things — Stacy Ferguson aka Fergie, and Love Hewitt aka Jennifer Love Hewitt. Fergie was an original cast member on the show, and had the longest-running tenure from season one up through season six. She and Hewitt starred in one season together — Fergie’s last and Hewitt’s first in season six. You may also remember a few notable guest stars as well, including Billy Blanks (yes, Mr. Tae Bo himself), Scott Wolf, Brittany Murphy, and David Hasselhoff.
So with all of these future stars and awesome music, what led to the show’s end in 1994? The main reasons were budget cuts and the fact that Disney’s lease with MGM (the distributor of the show) expired in 1993. In fact, ten episodes were filmed in 1993, and then the show basically just went on an indefinite hiatus. What a sad “end” to an iconic musical show!
Were you a fan of Kids Incorporated? Who was your favorite member of the group? Do you remember any of the actual episode plots? Let us know in the comments, but first check out the opening from season six:
- The Disney Channel launched as a premium channel in April 1983, and by December of that year had acquired 611,000 subscribers.
- Throughout the series, Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell) appeared as a background dancer and musician.
- During its original syndication run, four albums were released, two of which achieved platinum status. No further albums were made once the show switched to The Disney Channel as K-Tel Records, which produced them, filed for bankruptcy.
- One of the creators of the show, Thomas W. Lynch, would also go on to create The Secret World of Alex Mack and The Journey of Allen Strange, among many other shows.
- During her time on the show, Fergie went from being the youngest cast member to being the oldest cast member.
- The Disney Channel launched as a premium channel in April 1983, and by December of that year had acquired 611,000 subscribers.
- Throughout the series, Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell) appeared as a background dancer and musician.
- During its original syndication run, four albums were released, two of which achieved platinum status. No further albums were made once the show switched to the Disney Channel as K-Tel Records, which produced them, filed for bankruptcy.
- One of the creators of the show, Thomas W. Lynch, would also go on to create The Secret World of Alex Mack and The Journey of Allen Strange, among many other shows.
- During her time on the show, Fergie went from being the youngest cast member to being the oldest cast member.
3 thoughts on “Kids Incorporated: What Even Was This Show?”
Why aren’t the background dancers and musicians included as part of Kids Incorporated?
I remember a Briand and a Jennifer King and Toni. Why can’t we view them as well?
arleenmaygo@yahoo.com
Don’t forget about Martika, jesus. Martika.
I wanted to be Stacy Ferguson so bad when I was a kid lol. I almost died when I realized she was Fergie!