stevearino
03-12-2019, 03:30 PM
Hello Everyone,
As many of you are aware, 15 months ago, December 14, 2017, The Walt Disney Company announced its purchase of the entire 20th Century Fox film and TV assets (NOT including the FOX News & Business Channels OR the FOX Television Network and related entities) from Rupert Murdoch.
That being said, I'm happy to report today, March 12, 2019, Disney announced its ownership of 20th Century Fox film and TV properties is set to take effect March 20, 2019, a week from tomorrow, according to a press release from the 2 companies; as such, 20th Century Fox will become a banner of The Walt Disney Company, including both past and present banners such as Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax Films, Jim Henson Productions (now The Jim Henson Company) and LucasFilm, Ltd. to name a few, as well as Marvel Studios films such as "Iron Man."
Among the 20th Century Fox film and TV properties joining The Walt Disney Company family include the following:
1. Doogie Howser, M.D. -- Created by Steven Bochco, "Doogie Howser" was a hit '80s Hospital Drama originally airing on the ABC Television Network (owned by Disney since 1995) from September 19, 1989 - March 24, 1993, spanning 4 years of 97 half-hour episodes. The title character of "Doogie Howser," as I've learned in recent years, was based on a real person--the youngest person to ever get his Medical Degree at age 15. Unlike the title character played on TV by Neil Patrick Harris, the real-life version of "Doogie Howser" NEVER actually used his M.D. to practice Medicine, but rather for Cancer Research, and from what I hear, even if he wanted to do so, he legally would have, at that age, been uninsurable in case of a Malpractice lawsuit. In TV Land, however, anything is possible. Douglas Howser was a pure Medical Prodigy, graduating high school just 9 weeks after his enrollment, earned his college degree at age 10, AND earned his Medical Degree at age 14. Like most boys his age, however, Douglas still lived with his parents: dad David (James B. Sikking), also a Medical Doctor, and mom Katherine (Belinda Montgomery), a typical '80s Housewife, both of whom helped Douglas battle (and win the fight against) Cancer--Leukemia, specifically--at a much younger age before the show began. Among other characters seen in the show's run were aspiring filmmaker Vincent "Vinny" Delpino (Max Casella), Douglas's childhood best friend who shared with him details on the teen life in which Douglas so missed. After its ABC cancellation in January 1993, the Series Finale had Douglas Howser, by this time age 19, a young adult in an adult world, resign from Medicine to pursue a career as an actor and writer, joining Vinny in Italy, Vinny by this time pursuing a filmmaking career in Italy--Douglas resigned from Medicine at an age where most people are thinking of starting their first careers. Reruns of "Doogie Howser," in the years since then, have aired on Nickelodeon (Australia only), the Hallmark Channel and most recently Antenna TV, as well as rerun Syndication around the world.
2. M*A*S*H -- Adapted for Television by Larry Gelbart, "M*A*S*H" was a hit '70s Medical Drama originally airing on the CBS Television Network from September 17, 1972 - February 28, 1983, initially airing Saturday nights at 9 P.M. ET I believe after "The Bob Newhart Show" (another Fox property joining The Walt Disney Company family via Fox's purchase of the MTM Enterprises catalog), and eventually running 11 years and 251 episodes (including a 2 1/2 hour Series Finale telecast after its CBS cancellation). Personally, growing up, I always thought "M*A*S*H" was conceived as a movie written/directed by Robert Altman, but in actuality, "M*A*S*H," before Altman's movie, was conceived as a series of fiction books by Dr. Richard Hornberger (under the alias Richard Hooker). Like the original books and movie, "M*A*S*H" was set in Korea during the 1950s Korean War (but filmed entirely in the Northern California mountains during the '70s & early '80s), eventually lasting way longer than the actual Korean War itself.
3. Home Alone -- As many of you are aware, the "Home Alone" movies made a star overnight out of Macaulay Culkin, with the first issued in 1990, just before Christmas, and directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes, the writer/director of such iconic '80s movie classics as "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Days Off."
To those properties and more, welcome to The Walt Disney Company family.
As many of you are aware, 15 months ago, December 14, 2017, The Walt Disney Company announced its purchase of the entire 20th Century Fox film and TV assets (NOT including the FOX News & Business Channels OR the FOX Television Network and related entities) from Rupert Murdoch.
That being said, I'm happy to report today, March 12, 2019, Disney announced its ownership of 20th Century Fox film and TV properties is set to take effect March 20, 2019, a week from tomorrow, according to a press release from the 2 companies; as such, 20th Century Fox will become a banner of The Walt Disney Company, including both past and present banners such as Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax Films, Jim Henson Productions (now The Jim Henson Company) and LucasFilm, Ltd. to name a few, as well as Marvel Studios films such as "Iron Man."
Among the 20th Century Fox film and TV properties joining The Walt Disney Company family include the following:
1. Doogie Howser, M.D. -- Created by Steven Bochco, "Doogie Howser" was a hit '80s Hospital Drama originally airing on the ABC Television Network (owned by Disney since 1995) from September 19, 1989 - March 24, 1993, spanning 4 years of 97 half-hour episodes. The title character of "Doogie Howser," as I've learned in recent years, was based on a real person--the youngest person to ever get his Medical Degree at age 15. Unlike the title character played on TV by Neil Patrick Harris, the real-life version of "Doogie Howser" NEVER actually used his M.D. to practice Medicine, but rather for Cancer Research, and from what I hear, even if he wanted to do so, he legally would have, at that age, been uninsurable in case of a Malpractice lawsuit. In TV Land, however, anything is possible. Douglas Howser was a pure Medical Prodigy, graduating high school just 9 weeks after his enrollment, earned his college degree at age 10, AND earned his Medical Degree at age 14. Like most boys his age, however, Douglas still lived with his parents: dad David (James B. Sikking), also a Medical Doctor, and mom Katherine (Belinda Montgomery), a typical '80s Housewife, both of whom helped Douglas battle (and win the fight against) Cancer--Leukemia, specifically--at a much younger age before the show began. Among other characters seen in the show's run were aspiring filmmaker Vincent "Vinny" Delpino (Max Casella), Douglas's childhood best friend who shared with him details on the teen life in which Douglas so missed. After its ABC cancellation in January 1993, the Series Finale had Douglas Howser, by this time age 19, a young adult in an adult world, resign from Medicine to pursue a career as an actor and writer, joining Vinny in Italy, Vinny by this time pursuing a filmmaking career in Italy--Douglas resigned from Medicine at an age where most people are thinking of starting their first careers. Reruns of "Doogie Howser," in the years since then, have aired on Nickelodeon (Australia only), the Hallmark Channel and most recently Antenna TV, as well as rerun Syndication around the world.
2. M*A*S*H -- Adapted for Television by Larry Gelbart, "M*A*S*H" was a hit '70s Medical Drama originally airing on the CBS Television Network from September 17, 1972 - February 28, 1983, initially airing Saturday nights at 9 P.M. ET I believe after "The Bob Newhart Show" (another Fox property joining The Walt Disney Company family via Fox's purchase of the MTM Enterprises catalog), and eventually running 11 years and 251 episodes (including a 2 1/2 hour Series Finale telecast after its CBS cancellation). Personally, growing up, I always thought "M*A*S*H" was conceived as a movie written/directed by Robert Altman, but in actuality, "M*A*S*H," before Altman's movie, was conceived as a series of fiction books by Dr. Richard Hornberger (under the alias Richard Hooker). Like the original books and movie, "M*A*S*H" was set in Korea during the 1950s Korean War (but filmed entirely in the Northern California mountains during the '70s & early '80s), eventually lasting way longer than the actual Korean War itself.
3. Home Alone -- As many of you are aware, the "Home Alone" movies made a star overnight out of Macaulay Culkin, with the first issued in 1990, just before Christmas, and directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes, the writer/director of such iconic '80s movie classics as "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Days Off."
To those properties and more, welcome to The Walt Disney Company family.