The Cast
School and the Backyard Gang was an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1962 to present. Created by Julie Aigner-Clark and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised from 1962 to 1968 by CBS, featuring a regular but ever-changing cast of mostly teen performers. Reruns were broadcast by CBS on weekday afternoons during the 1968 Season, right after the show's spin-off for older children, School and the Backyard Gang Mountain.
Series Plot[]
When Childrens' Television was popular with younger audiences, Disney executives felt that it had become dated over the years. Their Answer was to create a TV Show, One geared toward contemporary audiences. The Backyard Gang had Rainbow Shirts. This version of the series is notable for featuring a number of cast members who went on to international success in music and acting, including Connie Stevens, Marlee Matlin, Kelly Vrooman, Steve Jobs, Bob Fretz, Anthony Field, and Caroline Yopez. This Version had studio audience, a fairly small group.
Former Backyard Gang Member Connie Stevens guest starred on an episode during the revival's first season. Stevens, along with John Vassar, Miles Henderson, Bob Fretz, Iesha Couric, and Kelly Vrooman on the Revival's 69th Episode, during Season 4. Maddie Thompson and Anthony Field were reunited in the Show's 84th Episode, during Season 5.
Scheduling and air times[]
From the first through fifth seasons, the series aired Monday through Friday, at 5:30pm. Through Season 6, the show aired Monday to Thursday. In its final season, Season 7, it aired Thursdays only at 7:00 pm (later moved a half hour later, to 7:30). The series premiered Monday, April 24, 1962 , ended production in October 1968, and aired its last original episode in 1996, although Andy Griffiths and the show were pushed past Midnight. Seasons 3 and 5 had the most episodes (55, each season). Seasons 4 and 6 were shorter, having about 35 episodes each. The remaining seasons were a standard 45 episodes (44 in Season 7), each.
Plays[]
The show was known for its sketch comedy. Some of the sketches played off well-known movies, musicals and even cartoons, as well as holiday-related skits. During the final season, some of the skits showed everyday occurrences experienced by teens, often teaching viewers a lesson on how to handle real-life situations.
Music Videos[]
The series featured music videos of the Backyard Gang singing their versions of popular songs in front of a live studio audience. This became one of the most popular segments.
Concerts and Preformances[]
A unique feature to the show was the Backyard Gang performing concerts on certain days (which were usually taped the day before or in the summer, when the kids had more time). During the final season, the concerts were replaced primarily by live performances that featured singing and dancing in front of the audience.
Theme Days[]
This Version had Different Themes like the Upcoming Revival.
The Themes Were[]
- Symphony of Fun Day – Mondays (Seasons 1–5), Tuesdays (Season 6)
- Guest Star Day – Tuesdays (Seasons 1–5), Mondays (Season 6)
- Surprise Day – Wednesdays (seasons 1–5)
- Poetry Day – Thursdays (Seasons 1–4, 6), Fridays (season 5)
- World of Colors Day – Fridays (Seasons 1–4), Thursdays (Season 5), Wednesdays (Season 6)
Backyard Gang Roster[]
The 33 Backyard Gang members and the seasons they were featured in:
| Backyard Gang Members | Year(s) | Seasons | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||
| Marlee Matlin | 1964-1965, 1968 | - | - | |||||
| David Luther | 1962-1965 | - | - | - | - | |||
| Emmi Morton | 1962-1965 | * | - | - | ||||
| Jamal Long | 1962-1965 | * | - | - | ||||
| Rachel Riddle | 1962-1963 | * | - | |||||
| Bobby "Buzz" Watkins | 1963-1965 | * | ||||||
| Miles Clark | 1963-1965, 1968 | - | * | - | ||||
| Sarah Smith | 1963-1964 | - | - | |||||
| Murray Mason | 1963-1965 | - | - | - | ||||
| William "Shing-Ying" Yao | 1963 | - | ||||||
| Don Grady | 1963 | - | ||||||
| Levell Ganders | 1965 | - | ||||||
| Kenneth "Kenny" Long | 1964 | - | ||||||
| Antonio Telfer | 1964 | - | ||||||
| Iesha Couric | 1962-1965 | - | - | - | - | |||
| Connie Stevens | 1962-1966 | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Nicholas "Nicky" Anderson | 1962-1965 | - | - | - | - | |||
| Anna "Annie" Douglas | 1962-1965 | - | - | - | - | |||
| Emily Clark | 1963-1964 | - | - | |||||
| Maddie Thompson | 1964-1968 | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Caroline Yopez | 1964-1968 | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Steve Jobs | 1964-1967 | - | - | - | - | |||
| Aline Fretz | 1964-1966 | - | - | - | ||||
| Kelly Vrooman | 1964-1968 | - | - | - | - | – | ||
| Anthony Field | 1967-1968 | - | - | |||||
| Johnny "John" Vassar | 1968 | - | ||||||
| Robert "Bob" Fretz | 1967 | - | ||||||
See Also[]
- The Show's 1996-present Revival
- The Show's 1984-1985 revival
- The show's spin-off, meant for kids older than 6
- The show's initial replacement
- The show's Australian co-production
References[]
- Funbus, a spin-off of the show airing from 1969 to 1970