Kids Incorporated

Kids Incorporated
The program logo
Genre	Musical Comedy
Created by	Thomas Lynch Gary Biller
Starring	See: Cast and characters
Theme music composer	Michael Cruz
Opening theme	"Kids Incorporated" performed by Marta "Martika" Marrero (1984-1986) Full Cast (1987-1994)
Ending theme	Kids Incorporated Music
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	9
No. of episodes	153 (list of episodes)
Production
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	22 minutes
Production companies	Lynch-Biller Productions (1983–1990) Lynch Entertainment (1991–1994) K-Tel Entertainment (1984) International Program Consultants (1984) Hal Roach Studios (1985–1987) Quintex (1988–1990) RHI Entertainment (1991–1994) MGM Television (1984–1993)
Original release
Network	NBC (1983–1985) The Disney Channel (1986–1994/hiatus in 1994-1996)

Kids Incorporated, also known as Kids Inc., was an American children's television program. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performances as an integral part of each and every storyline. The pilot episode was shot in September 1, 1983. The show aired in September 1, 1984 and ended in February 9, 1994. Reruns aired on Disney Channel until May 30, 1996.

Plot

The series revolves around a group of children and teenagers who performed in their own rock group, Kids Incorporated. They struggled to deal with issues ranging from schoolyard crushes to peer pressure to child abuse, while performing regularly at a local former musical club (now a kids' hangout) called The P*lace (called "The Malt Shop" in the pilot on September 7, 1983). It had originally been named The Palace and it had been a theater where, supposedly, the biggest names in entertainment, such as Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, had once performed at The P*lace. But the first "a" in the neon sign burned out and was never replaced. It was never explained how the group funded or profited from their performances, but the show did not aim for strict realism. The action took place on abstract, "stagey" sets and the plots involved many fantasy elements, such as the band meeting a robot (Season 1, Episode 10), a runaway princess (Season 1, Episode 6) and even a wise-cracking bicycle (Season 1, Episode 17). In addition to the group's performances on stage, the gang would break into song when they were off-stage (much like in a stage musical).

The city in which the P*lace was located was never disclosed. The school depicted on the Kids Incorporated set had signage reading P.S., and later, Public School 127. In one episode in the first (Season 1, Episode 20 (1984)) season, The P*lace was expected to be torn down, but was saved as a National Historical Landmark.

Cast and characters

The cast of Kids Incorporated was mainly children and teenagers. The only recurring adult co-host members of the cast were Michael Lewis ("Michael", Pilot episode only), Moosie Drier ("Riley", 1984–1988), Sean O'Riordan ("Flip", 1989–1992) and Dena Burton (Dena) (1993-1994), who played managers of The P*lace. Michael Lewis played the manager of "The Malt Shop" (the predecessor to "The P*lace") in the pilot. Parents rarely either appeared on the show or figured directly into episode plots. The only main times parents and grandparents appeared and had long speaking roles, is in several episodes. The cast of all nine seasons is listed as follows:

Cast

Cast Members/Character Name	Year(s)	Seasons
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson (Stacy)	1984-1989							-	-	-
Moosie Drier (Riley)	1984-1988						-	-	-	-
Rahsaan Patterson (Kid)	1984-1987					-	-	-	-	-
Renee Sands (Renee)	1984-1987					-	-	-	-	-
Marta "Martika" Marrero (Gloria)	1984-1986				-	-	-	-	-	-
Jerry Sharell (Mickey)	1984		-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ryan Lambert (Ryan)	1985-1988	-					-	-	-	-
Richard Shoff (Richie)	1987-1989	-	-	-				-	-	-
Connie Lew (Connie)	1987-1988	-	-	-			-	-	-	-
Kenny Ford, Jr. (Kenny)	1988-1992	-	-	-	-					-
Devyn Puett (Devyn)	1988-1989	-	-	-	-			-	-	-
Sean O'Riordan (Flip)	1989-1992	-	-	-	-	-				-
Jennifer Love Hewitt (Robin)	1989-1991	-	-	-	-	-			-	-
Anastasia Horne (Ana)	1991-1993	-	-	-	-	-	-
Haylie Johnson (Haylie)	1991-1993	-	-	-	-	-	-
Eric Balfour (Eric)	1991	-	-	-	-	-	-		-	-
Nicole Brown (Nicole)	1992-1993	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jared Delgin (Jared)	1992	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		-
Charlie Brady (Charlie)	1993-1994	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Stephanie Gonzalez (Jennifer)	1993-1994	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Leslie Grossman (Lauren)	1993-1994	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Dena Burton (Dena)	1993-1994	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Anthony Harrell (Anthony)	1993-1994	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

The Kids Incorporated group

The members of Kids Incorporated ranged in age from eight to seventeen. From Seasons 4 to 5 (1987 to 1988) there were six members of the group; in Seasons 1 to 3 and 6 to 9 (1984 to 1986 and 1989 to 1994), the band always consisted of three girls and two boys.

The characters on the show usually carried the names of the actors who played them (for instance, Stacy and Renne's characters were also named "Stacy" and "Renee"). However, in some cases, the names were shortened (Anastasia Horne became "Ana"), and in other cases they were completely replaced. For example, Marta "Martika" Marrero's character was named "Gloria" while Jerry Sharell's character was named "Mickey" and Jennifer Love Hewitt's character was called "Robin". Rahsaan Patterson was called "The Kid" and his real name was not revealed as Rahsaan until well into the series - season 4, 1987, which was to be his last season - although scripts continued to refer to him as "The Kid" regardless. Last names were rarely mentioned.

Actors left the series when they "aged out" of their roles as kids. The disappearances of some actors, such as Jerry Sharell, Martika, Renee Sands and Rahsaan Patterson, were written into the script. However, after Season 5 the characters were replaced without comment such as the disappearances of Robin, Kenny, Devyn, Connie, Stacy, Richie, Eric, Jared, and Ryan.

While she was on "Kids Incorporated" Stacy eventually went from being the youngest to the oldest. Moosie Drier was part of the cast for five seasons; Renee Sands, Rahsaan Patterson, Ryan Lambert, and Kenny Ford were on the show for four seasons each. Several of the other performers, however, like Eric Balfour, Jared Delgin and Jerry Sharell, left the show after only one season; Sharell's departure was said to be due to creative differences with producers Thomas W. Lynch and Gary Biller. In particular, he was unhappy with the show's often bizarre and outlandish story-lines.

For many of the cast members, Kids Incorporated was the beginning of a fruitful career in the entertainment industry. Currently, the most visible ex-KI kid is Stacy Ferguson, a former member of pop trio Wild Orchid who performed with the Grammy Award-winning group The Black Eyed Peas as well as enjoying a very successful solo career. Others who have seen success in the fields of music and acting include Marta "Martika" Marrero ("Toy Soldiers"), Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell and Dancing with the Stars), Eric Balfour (24, Haven, Skyline), Jennifer Love Hewitt, who was credited simply as "Love Hewitt", (Party of Five, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Ghost Whisperer) and Ryan Lambert (The Monster Squad, Elephone).

The dancers

Supporting the band's singers was an ensemble of five young dancers. Dancers were not in the pilot (1983). These cast members appeared in background scenes in The P*lace; they also performed choreographed routines and served as backup singers and musicians (pretending to play) during the band's performances.

Generally, the dancers were peripheral to the stories; the plots of the episodes almost never incorporated them. (In at least one episode, their "drummer", Mario Lopez, taught The Kid to wrestle.) However, during Season 1 (1984), dancer Wendy Brainard performed as a guest star singer for Corey Hart's "It Ain't Enough" and Donna Summer's "Dim All the Lights" and returned to the show as a guest star playing a dance instructor in season 8 (1992). In addition, over the years, more than twelve of the dancers were given speaking roles in various episodes.

The longest-running dancer in the Kids Incorporated cast was Angella Kaye, who appeared on the show for seven years, from 1986 to 1992. Other noted KI dancers included recording artist Shanice Wilson ("I Love Your Smile"), actor Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell, Extra), and Broadway choreographer and dancer Darren Lee.

• Charon Aldredge (Keyboardist) – 1991–1994
• Chad Anderson (Dancer) - 1985-1986
• Kenneth "Ken" Arata (Keyboardist/Electric Guitarist) – 1993-1994
• Wendy Brainard – 1984–1986, Non-Dancer Guest Episode "On Your Toes" (1992)
• Dee Caspary (Electric Guitarist/Drummer/Keyboardist) – 1987–1988
• Joseph Conrad (Keyboardist/Electric Guitarist/Drummer) – 1989-1990
• Nicole Cropper (Taborinist/Season 5 Electric Guitarist) – 1987–1988
• Kimberly Duncan (Keyboardist/Season 6 Drummer) – 1988–1990
• Brian Friedman (Electric Guitarist/Drummer) – 1991–1994
• Andre Fuentes (Keyboardist/Electric Guitarist) – 1993-1994
• Stephanie Gonzalez (Dancer) (1993–1994)
• Leslie Grossman (Dancer) (1992–1994)
• Aaron Hamilton (Electric Guitarist) – 1984
• Angella Kaye (Dancer) – 1986-1992
• Jennifer King (Keyboardist) – 1991–1992
• Leilani Lagmay (Keyboardist/Electric Guitarist/Keytarist) – 1989-1990
• Darren Lee (Electric Guitarist) – 1985–1986
• Mario Lopez (Drummer/Singer) – 1984–1986
• Danielle Marcus-Janssen (Keyboardist/Drummer) – 1991–1994
• Challyn Markray (Keyboardist/Keytarist) – 1987
• Anthony "Tony" Perrin (Electric Guitarist/Drummer) – 1991–1992
• Brian Poth (Keytarist/Electric Guitarist/Tamborinist) – 1987–1988
• Carletta Prince (Keytarist/Keyboardist) – Some 1984 Episodes
• Rey-Phillip Santos (Dancer) - 1984-1985
• Tiffany Robbins (Keyboardist/Guitarist) – 1989-1990
• Cory Tyler (Keyboardist/Keytarist/Guitarist/Drummer) – 1989-1990
• Gina Marie Vinaccia (Seasons 2-3 Keyboardist/4-5 Tambornist/5 Electric Guitarist) – 1985–1988
• Andrea Paige Wilson - 1984-1986
• Shanice Wilson (Keyboardist/Keytarist/Singer) - Some 1984 Episodes
• Anastasia Horne as Ana (Cameo Clapper/Audience Member) - 1984-1985

Guest stars

Guest stars on Kids Incorporated included both established celebrities and newcomers. Florence Henderson, Gwen Verdon, Kathy Johnson, Barry Williams, Billy Blanks, David Hasselhoff, John Franklin, Ryan Bollman, Brian Robbins and Ruth Buzzi were among the stars who appeared during the run of the show. Young actors who guest starred on KI included Brittany Murphy, Andrea Barber, Scott Wolf, Jason Hervey and Jeff Cohen ("Chunk" from The Goonies).

Episodes

Main article: List of Kids Incorporated episodes

Music

Music was an integral part of Kids Incorporated, and five songs were included in every episode. The shows musical variety ranged over a number of different genres released from the 1960s onward. While these numbers were usually performed onstage in the context of a concert at The P*lace, they were also occasionally used to illustrate a character's internal monologue or conflict. The vocal responsibilities were shared by all five (or six) singers; every cast member was given an opportunity to perform featured or solo songs throughout the course of the season.

Each episode consisted of one original number and generally five previously recorded songs by recognized artists. Artists and songs ranged from the 1950s to the 1990s. The original songs were written by the hired composers of the show. Depending on the year those composers were Michael Cruz, Andrew R. Powell, Craig Sharmat and others.

Due to the age of both the performers and the target demographic, lyrics with objectionable content were generally edited out of the songs and replaced with more appropriate language. However, occasionally songs were performed as written, slightly objectionable lyrics intact. Examples of uncensored songs that were presented on the series include "Dancing with Myself" by Billy Idol ("The Storybook House" episode, 1990), "Seven Wonders" by Fleetwood Mac (1988), "Prove Your Love" by Taylor Dayne, and "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson (1990).

The large number of songs performed in the series, and the subsequent licensing fees existing therein, present a considerable challenge to releasing it on DVD or returning it to television. In 2005, for example, a proposal to air it as part of the Disney Channel's Saturday night teen line-up fell through when Disney officials suggested removing much of the music and replacing it with blooper reels.

Production and broadcast history

The original pilot for Kids Incorporated was produced in 1983 and shopped to several networks by creators Thomas W. Lynch and Gary Biller.

The series was not picked up by a major network, but, distributed by MGM/UA Entertainment Co. Television, began a NBC run in the fall of 1984. The original four cast members, Stacy Ferguson, Marta Marrero, Renee Sands and Jerry Sharell, were joined by Rahsaan Patterson and a company of five backup dancers.

In syndication, the show was usually shown on Tuesday or Sunday evenings; this, of course, depended on decisions made by local television stations. For example, KTRV in Boise, Idaho aired the show at first on Tuesday, then Saturday nights at 6:30 PM, while WNBC in New York City aired it first on Sundays at 1:00 PM then moved it back to 9:00 AM. KPTV in Portland, Oregon first aired it Saturday mornings at 10:30 AM, then moved it back to 9:30 AM. The shuffling time slots affected the ratings, and KI was cancelled the weekend of May 25, 1986. Reruns aired on CBN (now ABC Family) from 1985–1986.

It was due to the positive ratings from the CBN reruns that in the summer of 1986, Kids Incorporated was given a second chance when the Disney Channel acquired the rights to the series. It resumed production with the same cast, and new episodes began airing on November 3, 1986. Disney's buyout package also included the entire syndicated run; as such, edits had to be made to remove fee plugs and commercial outros. The show's main time slot on the Disney Channel was 5:00 PM ET/4:00 PM CT.

After the sixth season (1989) was filmed, Kids Incorporated was put on hiatus for a year, during which time most of the cast moved on to other projects or "aged out". The only performers who were invited to return to the show in 1991 when it resumed production were Kenny Ford and Love Hewitt.

Budget cuts and the expiration of Disney's lease with MGM prompted another hiatus in 1993, after only ten episodes of Season 9 had been filmed. The last episode of this season, which aired on February 9, 1994, proved to be the series finale. By the summer of 1995, when the show was scheduled to resume production, most of the cast members were graduating from high school or college, or getting married, and they could no longer sustain the Kids Incorporated image as a result. Thus, the show did not continue.

The format of the show would have changed, giving the songs less importance and placing them in breaks in the main storyline action. Some proposed scripts had no songs at all. In addition, the show's filming would have moved from Los Angeles to Vancouver, Canada. There was some hype created for the new Kids Incorporated project in Los Angeles and New York, but it never came to fruition.

After its default cancellation, Kids Incorporated continued to be shown in reruns on The Disney Channel.

Kids Incorporated was filmed at Hollywood Center Studios in California for its entire run. It was one of the only shows, along with The Mickey Mouse Club, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and You Can't Do That on Television, in which the complete season took place within the calendar year, instead of the traditional fall-through-spring shooting/broadcast schedule. For instance, if an actor was with the show from 1985 to 1988, he actually appeared in four seasons, not three.

A significant amount of time passed between the filming of each season, accounting for the speed at which the kids in the cast seemed to age. Excepting specials, such as the 1986 holiday show Rock in the New Year (also known as "Rockin' in the New Year" or Season 3, Episode 14), production took place during July and August of each year. In later seasons, this schedule was moved to the spring.

Producers

Throughout its history, various producers and production companies were associated with Kids Incorporated, including K-tel Entertainment, Lynch-Biller Productions (later Lynch Entertainment; now The Tom Lynch Company), RHI Entertainment, and MGM Television (aka MGM-Pathé). Hal Roach Studios/Qintex, the studio responsible for the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films series of the 1930s, was also involved with KI.

Kids Incorporated essentially launched the careers of creators and producers Gary Biller and Thomas W. Lynch, who would go on to create The Secret World of Alex Mack and Romeo! among many other shows, leading the New York Times to call him "the David E. Kelley of 'tween TV"). Prior to Kids Incorporated, Lynch and Biller created and produced a long-running music video series for TBS, Night Tracks.

Merchandise

Kids Incorporated: The Beginning and other videos

The 1983 pilot was never shown on television; however, in 1985 it was released on VHS as Kids Incorporated: The Beginning. In order to include cast member Rahsaan Patterson, who joined the show after the pilot was shot, a new storyline was edited into the film. His character "The Kid" was depicted as the new kid in town, who was very shy and afraid to audition for the band. He also revealed the origins of the Kids Incorporated group. Patterson's scenes were filmed in 1984, and edited in with the 1983 footage of the rest of the cast.

Two additional KI videos were released in 1985, entitled ChartBusters and The Best of Kids Incorporated. While the show was still in syndication, four records were also released, titled

• Kids Incorporated (1983)
• Kids Incorporated (1984)
• Kids Incorporated: The Chart Hits (1985)
• Kids Incorporated: New Attitude (1985)

At least two of these records achieved platinum sales status. No further albums were released when the show moved to Disney because the company that produced them, K-Tel Records, filed for bankruptcy at around the same time.

International versions

Japan

An original Japanese adaptation of Kids Incorporated, titled StarS, ran from 1999 to 2001. Between 13 and 26 episodes were filmed in each of the show's three seasons. A second version, StarS2, was scheduled to premiere on MBS in the summer of 2007. Both shows were produced by TOEI and co-produced by Sunrise Studios.

In addition, the American KI, dubbed into Japanese, was shown on the MBS network until 2001.

New Zealand

The original New Zealand version of the show, High Life, began production in 1990. It ran periodically for five seasons, broadcasting six episodes per year, until 1995, when TVNZ-2 cancelled it.

Other countries

The original Kids Incorporated series was also seen in countries such as Germany, Iraq, United Kingdom, Iceland, Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Australia and New Zealand.

External links

• Kids Incorporated at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show
• "Hollywood Reporter Salutes 100 episodes of Kids Incorporated" 1989-1990
• The Unofficial Kids Incorporated Show Music/Video Page