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Playhouse Disney was Disney Channel's programming block aimed at young children aged two to five. Internationally, Playhouse Disney was also available as a 24-hour television channel, outside of the United States. Starting with the Playhouse Disney block on Disney Channel in the United States on February 14, 2011, and concluding with Playhouse Disney Russia in September 2013, the Playhouse Disney blocks and channels were re-branded into Disney Junior.

History

Playhouse Disney launched on the Disney Channel on May 8, 1997 as the Disney Channel Preschool Block. The first original program created for the block on the air was Bear in the Big Blue House. Other original programs created for this incarnation of the block are PB&J Otter and Out of the Box. By 1999, the block rebranded and introduced its official name. In spring 2001, it re-launched with new graphics. On October 7, 2002, the block used a new logo to fit into Disney Channel's current logo design, though it used the same graphics. This change saw the block's first mascot, who is a stop-motion animated yellow ball of clay named "Clay" (voiced by Debi Derryberry) whose catchphrases were "It's true!" and "Are you with me?" Clay would often shift himself into different things that show his thoughts or give clues into the next show in the block.

Around this time, there were plans to make a full 24-hour Playhouse Disney channel in the United States, but those plans were scrapped. However, international channels were created that carried the Playhouse Disney name.

The former programming announcer was actress Allyce Beasley (until March 30, 2007). In September 16, 2006, Flip was made at that time of Clay. The following day (March 31, 2007), however, Clay and Flip were replaced by two monkey hosts, Ooh and Aah. Every summer since 2007, usually starting sometime in June, Disney Channel began truncating the weekday block to four hours (from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time) in order to air episodes of Disney Channel's original series during the late morning and early afternoon hours; however, the weekend schedule continued to air as a six-hour block.

Final programming

Original programming

Live-action series

Animated series

More programming

Animated series

Interstitial programming

Former programming

Original programming

Live-action series

Foreign programming

Live-action series

  • The Wiggles (January 28, 2002 – May 24, 2009)
  • The Doodlebops (April 11, 2005 – April 4, 2009)

Animated series

  • Katie and Orbie (June 2, 1997 – 2000)
  • Rupert (September 4, 2000 - January 2001)
  • Anatole (2002 - 2003)

Acquired programming

Live-action series

Animated series

Interstitial programming

  • Curious George (April 6, 1997 – 1999)
  • Will Quack Duck (April 6, 1997 – 1999)
  • Joke Time (April 6, 1997 – September 29, 2002)
  • The Adventures of Spot (April 6, 1997 – September 29, 2002)
  • Behind the Ears (1997–2000, 2007-2009)
  • Circle Time (1997 – September 29, 2002)
  • Microscopic Milton (1997 – September 29, 2002)
  • Frankenguy and the Professor (November 3, 1997 – September 29, 2002)
  • Magic Drawings (1998–April 15, 2001)
  • Pet Stop (1998–April 15, 2001)
  • Feet Beat (1998 – October 6, 2002)
  • Poky and Friends (1999-April 15, 2001)
  • Pablo the Little Red Fox (1999 – September 29, 2002)
  • Animal Stories (1999 – September 29, 2002)
  • Mini Movies (April 16, 2001 – September 29, 2002)
  • Stanley's Animal Facts (2001-2006)
  • Mike's Super Short Show (January 1, 2002 – 2007)
  • Wiggles Time (January 28, 2002 – March 29, 2007)
  • Music Time (2002)
  • Use Your Noodle Time (September 30, 2002 – 2005)
  • Mickey's Letter Time (September 30, 2002 – 2006)
  • Sharing Time (September 30, 2002 – 2005)
  • BB's Music Time (September 30, 2002 – 2007)
  • Page's Word of the Day (September 30, 2002 - 2007)
  • Who, What & Where with Bear Time (September 30, 2002 - 2004)
  • Good Manners with Max Time (September 30, 2002 – 2007)
  • Mini Show-and-Tell Time (2003–2007)
  • Project Playtime (2003-2007)
  • Adventures in Nutrition with Captain Carlos (2004–2007)
  • Felix and the Flying Machine (2004–2007)
  • Go Baby! (January 1, 2005 – 2007)
  • Here Come the ABCs (January 1, 2005 – 2006)
  • This is Daniel Cook. (July 11, 2005 – January 2, 2009)
  • Johnny and the Sprites (October 9, 2005 - January 13, 2007)
  • Dan Zanes House Party (2006–2009)
  • Feeling Good with JoJo (2006–2008)
  • Here Come the 123s (2007)
  • This is Emily Yeung. (February 20, 2007 – January 4, 2009)

Announcers

  • Randy Thomas (1997-2007)
  • Allyce Beasley (2001-2007)
  • Margit Furseth (2007-2011)

Sponsorships

Rebranding

On May 26, 2010, it was announced that the Playhouse Disney block on Disney Channel US, as part of a new rebranding strategy, would be renamed "Disney Junior". The announcement also called for Disney Junior to launch as a 24-hour channel to replace Disney-owned SOAPNet in the United States (which occurred March 23, 2012, and for international channels & blocks with the Playhouse Disney name to also rebrand into Disney Junior. Playhouse Disney ended its almost 14-year run as a block on Disney Channel US on February 13, 2011, and Disney Junior started the next day. A majority of Playhouse Disney programs moved over to the new block to carry future episodes of their respective series (the case with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, and Imagination Movers) or air reruns (the case with Little Einsteins & Higglytown Heroes).

Overseas Format

Main article: Playhouse Disney (Overseas Format)

International versions of Playhouse Disney (such as the United Kingdom and Australia) used a completely different format when compared to the United States, using in-vision continuity rather than the out-of-vision links. It takes place inside a large house usually named the Playhouse where the presenters do certain activities to encourage viewers to take part in them. There could also be other segments that take place outside the Playhouse using different formats. Some countries kept the "Playhouse" format for longer than others; while the UK and France removed it around autumn 2006, other countries retained the format at least until 2007.

International

On September 28, 1999, the Playhouse Disney brand was extended internationally with the launch of a self-branded block on Disney Channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland. On September 29, 2000, Disney Television International expanded the block with the launch of a channel in the country alongside the launch of Toon Disney and Disney Channel +1 on the Sky Digital platform. On April 4, 2009, Egmont Group launched a companion Playhouse Disney magazine in the United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland that focused on the channel's four most popular shows: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, My Friends Tigger & Pooh, Handy Manny and Little Einsteins. Each issue included "to do" pages and suggested activities for parents and children based on an educational theme. The Playhouse Disney block on Disney Channel UK & Republic of Ireland was eventually disposed of in July 2004 after reducing hours of programming. The Playhouse Disney channel available there, however, continued to air until it was replaced by Disney Junior on May 7, 2011.

On November 30, 2007, Astral Media launched a Canadian version of Playhouse Disney Channel under a brand licensing agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group; the channel operated as a multiplex channel of Family Channel, which had long maintained a programming distribution agreement with Disney Channel for the domestic rights to the U.S. channel's series until January 2016. A Canadian-French version of Playhouse Disney was launched on July 5, 2010, also by Astral Media. The English & Canadian-French channels were both replaced by Disney Junior on May 6, 2011.

List of international channels and blocks

Market Type Formerly Launch date Replaced by Replaced date
United Kingdom Channel Block on Disney Channel September 29, 2000 Disney Junior May 7, 2011
+1 timeshift channel November 3, 2007 Disney Junior +1
Block on ABC1 Summer 2006 September 26, 2007
United States Block on Disney Channel February 1, 1999 Disney Junior February 14, 2011
Spain Channel March 1, 2001 June 11, 2011
Israel Block on Disney Channel 2009 July 18, 2011
Greece Block on ERT2 2004 2009
Channel Jetix Play September 1, 2010 Disney Junior June 1, 2011
Middle East & North Africa
Block 2004
South Africa Channel 2010
Russia Block on Disney Channel August 10, 2010 September 1, 2013
Romania Block September 19, 2009 June 1, 2011
Southeast Asia Block 2000 July 11, 2011
Australia Block on Seven Network 2003 2008
Block on Disney Channel Disney Junior May 29, 2011
Channel December 2005 May 29, 2011
France Channel November 2, 2002 2011
HD simulcast channel 2009 2011
Block 2002 May 28, 2011
Taiwan Block 2004 September 1, 2011
Japan Block July 3, 2011
Hong Kong Channel April 2, 2004 July 11, 2011
Malaysia July 3, 2004
Singapore May 15, 2004
Indonesia April 2, 2004
Germany November 10, 2004 July 14, 2011
Thailand January 2005 July 11, 2011
Cambodia June 20, 2005
Vietnam May 2005
Philippines Block December 2005
South Korea June 12, 2004
India Block on Disney Channel 2006 Disney Junior block 2011
Argentina Block on an El Trece channel 2007
Scandinavia Block 2004 Disney Junior September 10, 2011
Sweden Channel 2007
Norway 2006
Denmark 2006
Finland 2006
Iceland 2006
Canada

(operated by Astral Media)

November 30, 2007 May 6, 2011
French language channel

(Playhouse Disney Télé)

July 5, 2010
Latin America Channel (two feeds) June 1, 2008 April 1, 2011
Channel (Brazil) September 5, 2008
Portugal Block on Disney Channel November 28, 2001 June 1, 2011
Central & Eastern Europe Channel Jetix Play 2010[citation needed] June 2011
Block September 19, 2009 June 2011
Poland Channel September 1, 2010 2011
Czech Republic

Slovakia

Block 2010 June 1, 2011
Italy Channel 2005 May 14th, 2011
+1 timeshift channel 2009 Disney Junior +1 2011
Turkey Channel Jetix Play September 1, 2010 Disney Junior 2011
Netherlands

Belgium

May 3, 2010 September 10, 2011
Block on Disney Channel

Gallery

Wikipedia
This page uses content from the English Wikipedia page Playhouse Disney. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. Text from Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.
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