Nostalgia Nook—Kids, Incorporated

When I was little, I used to watch the Disney Channel. Aw, heck, I still do. Some of the shows that used to air on old-school Disney included the New Mickey Mouse Club, which launched the careers of some luminaries such as Keri Russell, Ryan Gosling, JC Chavez, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. Shown with the Mickey Mouse Club was a show called “Kids, Incorporated.”

Yes, “Kids, Incorporated.” The show that launched the careers of Mario Lopez, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Stacey Ferguson AKA Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas.

So, sit back and let’s sing our way down Nostalgia Lane.

“Kids, Incorporated” has a simple plot. A group of kids performs at a nearby place, singing covers of popular songs. There’s a thin plot to tie the songs together, like Scott Wolf playing twins, and a few dance numbers. Episodes usually try to impart some sort of Aesop, like not growing up too quickly.

But the main thrust was to perform the songs. If it was on the radio, it generally got covered by the show. Even “The Never Ending Story” theme got covered.

True to their name, the group was comprised of children performers. In the beginning there were a few older teens, like Marika (“Gloria”). During the 80s, they tended to cast younger and younger. As the decade passed, the cast got older. I would say more diverse, but the show was always good at having diversity in the cast.

Most of the songs were performed at a local hangout called the P*lace. It was once called the “Palace” but the “a” no longer lit up. The owner let the kids perform together and they were something of local celebrities. There were always people at their concerts. When they performed at the P*lace, they used to also “play” instruments. I use the quotation marks because most of the cast couldn’t play their own instruments. And as they performed to pre-recorded tracks, the instruments they were holding didn’t make any sounds.

If the songs weren’t performed at the hangout, they were usually performed as part of fantasies. And this show had its share of fantasies. Like Stacey pretending to be Cinderella when she couldn’t go to a party the older kids had been invited to. Or a member afraid of going to the doctor and having a weird dream about it. Or when one member thought she was trapped in Wonderland. Or…Okay, I could go on and on about them. When these were performed, the group had their own backup dancers. They wore whatever costumes and makeup was demanded of them. And in this group was the future AC Slater himself—Mario Lopez. There are videos up on YouTube. Try and spot him.

But how were the songs? They aren’t bad, for cover songs. It’s like a forerunner to Glee. I think if the internet had been around back then, the songs would’ve been downloaded as much as the songs from Glee are.

The show started on NBC, part of it’s Saturday morning lineup. But they opted not to continue with the show. Disney picked it up though. And I watched it every afternoon. My mom still can’t believe Fergie was on the show.

So, go YouTube some videos. I’m sure you’ll like it.

Next month: Adventures in Wonderland