Mickey Mouse Club Serials: Season Two Short Serials
The Neilson ratings from the first year showed that the third quarter hour of the show, devoted to serials, was the most popular. For the second season, then, short serial episodes were used to replace the opening Newsreel segment on Circus Day (Thursday).
They were very inexpensive to purchase and/or make, compared with in-house production numbers, and could be used as filler material wherever needed in the broadcasting schedule. They also provided an extra venue for using the popular Annette Funicello, who had a pleasant speaking voice and was comfortable with the role of host/narrator.
However, it was really the longer dramatic serials that viewers had tuned in to see. The short semi-documentary serials did not prove very popular, and in the third season were abandoned. A few travel adventures and nature expeditions were cast as Encyclopedia or Newsreel specials that year, with a Mouseketeer host/narrator.
Most of the information on this page came from original research done by Bill Cotter, however, any errors of fact or mistakes in interpretation are my own.
Animal Autobiography
More animal adventures culled from True-Life Adventure Films. Each episode focused on a different species, with a voice-over narration personifying the animal narrator. There was no continuity between episodes. This serial also ran in the first season with different species featured.
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| The Camel | Oct 29, 1956 | |
| African Babboon | Oct 30, 1956 | |
| The Bee | Oct 31, 1956 | |
| The Elephant | Nov 01, 1956 | |
| Alaskan Sled Dog | Nov 02, 1956 |
English Correspondent
Ten episode series in the travel format. This particular series was continued from the first season, though there was little continuity between episodes. Correspondents were Dirk Metzger, and after Dirk's family moved back to the USA, Robbie Serpell. The episodes were broadcast over a period of six months, replacing the newsreel slot on Circus Day (Thursday).
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Bekonscots and Rye | Oct 04, 1956 | |
| Handicrafts | Oct 18, 1956 | |
| Wild West Ponies | Nov 01, 1956 | |
| Narrow Boats | Nov 14, 1956 | |
| Fox Hounds | Nov 29, 1956 | |
| Wood Badge | Dec 13, 1956 | |
| First Class Hike | Jan 03, 1957 | |
| Sea Scout | Feb 14, 1957 | |
| International Patrol Camp | Apr 18, 1957 | |
| Veteran Cars | Apr 25, 1957 |
Japanese Correspondent
Five episode series in the travel format. This particular series was continued from the first season, though there was little continuity between episodes. For this series the correspondent was George Nagata. The episodes were broadcast at several weeks intervals, usually replacing the newsreel slot on Circus Day (Thursday).
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Danish Correspondent
Five episode series in the travel format. For this series the correspondent was Lotte Weaver. The episodes were spread out over a five-month period, usually replacing the newsreel slot on Circus Day (Thursday).
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of Islands | Dec 06, 1956 | |
| Copenhagen | Dec 20, 1956 | |
| Guards | Feb 07, 1957 | |
| Tivoli | Feb 21, 1957 | |
| Circus | May 02, 1957 |
Christmas 'Round the World
Five episode series in the travel format. For this serial various Mouseketeers acted as the correspondents, with Annette Funicello as the main host. This was a continuation of the serial from the first season, though there was no continuity between episodes.
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas in Germany | Dec 18, 1956 | |
| Christmas in Canada | Dec 19, 1956 | |
| Christmas in Japan | Dec 20, 1956 | |
| Christmas in England | Dec 21, 1956 | |
| Christmas in Denmark | Dec 24, 1956 |
The First Americans
Four episode series in the travel format. For this series the host was Tony Nakina, with Iron Eyes Cody as narrator. Footage was largely culled from the studio's documentary The Vanishing Prairie (1954), and from it's just released motion picture Westward Ho, the Wagons! (1956). The latter included clips showing Mouseketeers Karen Pendleton, Cubby O'Brien, and Doreen Tracey.
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin of the Indians | Dec 25, 1956 | |
| Indians on Horseback | Dec 26, 1956 | |
| Indians of Yesterday | Dec 27, 1956 | |
| Indians of Today | Dec 28, 1956 |
Sierra Pack Trip
Five episode series in the nature expedition format. The host/narrator was Alvy Moore, the local cast included Onis Brown and Glen Gallison, and two students, Steve and John, from John Muir High School near Yosemite National Park.
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The Eagle Hunters
Two episode series in the nature expedition format. The host/narrator was Tommy Kirk, the local protagonists were Kent Durden and Gary Hoffman, from California.
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Episode #1 | Feb 13, 1957 | |
| Episode #2 | Feb 14, 1957 |
Children of the World
Two episode series in the travel format. The local protagonist for the first episode was an Inuit boy named Makaluk, for the second, a Thai boy nicknamed "Pok".
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| The Arctic | Feb 15, 1957 | |
| Siam | Apr 26, 1957 |
A Mousekatour to Samoa
Five episode series in the travel format. For this series the studio didn't bother with an ethnic correspondent. Instead the co-hosts/narrators were Tommy Kirk and Annette Funicello, both of whom the studio was anxious to use as much as possible. This was regarded as the worst of the travel serials, though it didn't hurt the popularity of either host.
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| At Home in Water | Feb 18, 1957 | |
| School Days | Feb 19, 1957 | |
| Family at Home | Feb 20, 1957 | |
| Sports and Games | Feb 21, 1957 | |
| Rythem | Feb 22, 1957 |
Junior Safari to Africa
Five episode series in the nature expedition format. The co-hosts/narrators were again Tommy Kirk and Annette Funicello. The local protagonists were a South African family camping on a game preserve. This was the last original serial shown in the second season.
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Epsiode #1 | Apr 29, 1957 | |
| Epsiode #2 | Apr 30, 1957 | |
| Epsiode #3 | May 01, 1957 | |
| Epsiode #4 | May 02, 1957 | |
| Epsiode #5 | May 03, 1957 |