Jim Hill

In just one week, the Con is on !

Jim Hill reviews the programming for Comic-Con 2008 and then points out some panels & signings that Disneyana fans should probably seek out while they're down in San Diego Read More...

Posted Thursday, July 17, 2008 12:00 AM | 2 Comments

Filed under: Disney, TV, Pixar, ABC, Disney Channel, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, television, Walt Disney Home Entertainment, "Bolt", film, movie, Eric Goldberg, 2008, 2009, Disney / Pixar, TV show, feature film , Chris Sanders, "The Little Mermaid -- Ariel's Beginning", comic book, comic books , ABC reality series, "Up", "Prince of Persia"

Will pirates soon be returning to Treasure ... er ... Discovery Island?

In this week's Why For, Jim Hill talks about the history of Treasure / Discovery Island. More importantly, how WDW Entertainment and Food & Beverage are allegedly thinking of using the "Pirates of the Caribbean" characters to help get this place re-opened Read More...

Posted Friday, June 06, 2008 12:00 AM | 14 Comments

Filed under: Disney, Why For, Imagineering, ABC, Johnny Depp, WED, Walt Disney World, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Tom Sawyer Island, "Lost", The Walt Disney Company, Disney's Polynesian Resort, Disney's Contemporary Resort, Bay Lake, WDW Entertainment, WDI, WDW, Imagineer, cast members, cast member, Leota Toombs, 1974, 1998, 1976, 2008, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, marshmallows, Food Service, "Blackbeard's Ghost" , 1967, Peter Ustinov , Captain Jack Sparrow, Food & Beverage , Imagineers, April , rum , "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, 1960s, Disney officials , "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise , January, interactive, Capt. Jack Sparrow, Raz Island, "Pirates of the Caribbean", boat ride , treasure hunt , marshmallow, marshmallow roast , Treasure Island, Discovery Island, wilderness preserve , Blackbeard's Island , wizards of WED , 1950, "Treasure Island", Robert Louis Stevenson , Ben Gunn's Cave, Future Attraction, Future Attractions , The Blockhouse , Long John Silver, buccaneer, buccaneers, Spy Glass Hill , Wreck of the Hispaniola, Hispaniola, bird sanctuary , skeleton, aviary, enclosure, buzzard, buzzards , vulture, vultures, treasure map , operational hours , Yo-Ho-Ho , dough-dough-dough, snack bar, honeymoon, honeymoon cottage, honeymoon cottages , interactive gaming , "Myst" , pirate-themed adventure , food component, WDW Food Services, corporate groups, rum drinks , Johnny Depp lookalike

"High School Musical 5 & 6" ?! "Beauty & the Beast" headed back to Broadway ?!

Jim Hill shares some of the domain names that the Walt Disney Company has recently registered. Including a new year-long promotion for 2009 that looks & sounds an awful lot like 2003's "Magical Gatherings" campaign Read More...

Posted Tuesday, June 03, 2008 12:00 AM | 22 Comments

Filed under: Disney, Broadway, musical, "High School Musical", ABC, Disney Channel, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Theatrical, "Beauty & the Beast", Anaheim, Orlando, The Walt Disney Company, "High School Musical 3", "High School Musical 4", "High School Musical" franchise, Disneyland Resort, Jay Rasulo, Disney Parks & Resorts, "Aida", WDW, "Year of a Million Dreams", hotel, Broadway musical, Disney Channel Original, 2008, 2009, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, "Toy Story Mania", "Toy Story Midway Mania", 2007, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" , Broadway production, 2003, on property, TV movie, TV movies , hotels, 2006, Disney franchise, theatrical release, 2010, "My School Musical" , "High School Musical: Get in the Picture" , "High School Musical 5" , "High School Musical 6", Wildcats, East High, Matt Prokop, Justin Martin , Jemma McKenzie-Brown, "HSM3" , domain name , "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas - The Musical" , St. James Theatre , Paul Kolnik, Big Apple , holiday treat, seasonal run , seasonal production, revival , "Annie" , Old Globe Theatre, Hilton Theatre, national tour, "Magical Gatherings" , Disney vacation, "Disney’s Magical Celebration", "Disney’s Magical Celebrations", Regular Unleaded, gasoline, DP&R, year-long promotion, heads in beds, consumers, theme park tickets, plane reservations, hotel rooms, birthday buttons, pins, plush

Small town preps big welcome for "Extreme Makeover" family

Jim Hill reports on the preparations that are now underway in Maynard, MA. Where the production team for this popular ABC reality series -- working with local volunteers -- has just built a brand-new house for the Giunta family Read More...

Posted Friday, February 29, 2008 12:00 AM | 5 Comments

Filed under: Disney, TV, ABC, Walt Disney World, WDW, wheelchair accessible, handicap access, 2008, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, 2007, TV show, construction site, snow, Disney World vacation, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition", Ty Pennington, Maynard, Massachusetts, audition tape, Paul Giunta Jr, Renee Giunta, Brianna Giunta, Cameron Giunta, Dylan Giunta, Giunta family, handicap-accessible, wheelchair-friendly, wheelchair, construction, makeover, "Move that bus", design team, volunteers, 2006, August, severe head trauma, ABC reality series, ranch house, production team, triathlete, Boston Marathon, February , snowstorms

Tune Tuesday: Get ready for the stage version of "High School Musical 2"

Jim Hill shares all sorts of tidbits from the Disney Theatrical side of the fence. Including the tour schedule for both the North American & UK version of "Mary Poppins" as well as "The Little Mermaid" CD release celebration Read More...

Posted Tuesday, February 19, 2008 12:00 AM | 3 Comments

Filed under: Disney, theater, Broadway, "High School Musical", ABC, Walt Disney Pictures, Disney Theatrical, "The Little Mermaid", "High School Musical 2", The Walt Disney Company, "High School Musical 3", "High School Musical" franchise, New York City, Washington D.C., Australia, Chicago, "The Lion King", Los Angeles, "Mary Poppins", NYC, LA, Broadway musical, stage version, Disney Channel Original, 2009, October, Cameron Mackintosh , Broadway Cares / Equity Fights Aids , autographs, co-production, stage show

Oscar Watch '08: Miramax maxes out while the Mouse gets skunked

Was today a good day or a bad day at Walt Disney Studios? Well, as Jim Hill points out, it all depends on whether you work at Miramax Films or on the Walt Disney Pictures side of the house Read More...

Posted Tuesday, January 22, 2008 12:00 PM | 37 Comments

Filed under: animation, Disney, movies, Pixar, ABC, NBC, Brad Bird, "Enchanted", Pixar Animation Studios, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End", Amy Adams, "How to Hook-Up Your Home Theater", Academy Award, film, movie, actress, 2008, Disney / Pixar, animated feature, 2007, feature film , Best Picture nominee, Disney Feature Animation, animated short, picket line, Jan Pinkava, animated features, Oscar-winning , Norman Jewison , "The Man I Love" , George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, "good news day" , Amy Ryan, nomination , Best Actress in a supporting role , "Gone Baby Gone" , Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, ABC Inc, Best Actress , Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Achievement in Music – Original Song, Original Song , nominee, nominations , "Happy Working Song" , "So Close" , "That's How You Know" , Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, Jim Capobianco, Best Original Screenplay, Achievement in Sound Mixing , Achievement in Sound Editing, Achievement in Makeup , Achievement in Visual Effects , Oscar, Oscars, Best Animated Short Film, Academy Award nominee, Academy Award winner, Academy voters , February 24th , 80th annual Academy Awards , actors , picket lines, Academy Award nominations , Academy Award nominees, Academy Award winners, Miramax Films , "No Country for Old Men" , Paramount Vantage, Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role , Achievement in Directing , Achievement in Cinematography , Achievement in Film Editing , Adapted Screenplay, "There Will Be Blood", Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role , Achievement in Art Direction , "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" , Pathé Renn , co-production, Michael Giacchino , Achievement in Music – Original Score, Original Score, Oscar broadcast, Golden Globes, hand-drawn animation

Remembering Suzanne Pleshette (1937 - 2008)

Jim Hill looks back on the Disney-related portion of this Emmy nominated actress's career as well as commenting on the role that smoking may have played in her untimely demise Read More...

Posted Monday, January 21, 2008 12:00 AM | 4 Comments

Filed under: Disney, TV, Universal Studios, Walt Disney, ABC, Disneyland, Walt Disney Productions, television, Burbank, film, movie, TV show, Disneyana fans, condolences, Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette , Emily Hartley, Bob Hartley , "The Bob Newhart Show" , Dean Jones, 1966 , "The Ugly Dachshund" , 1968, "Blackbeard's Ghost" , 1975, "The Shaggy DA" , Roddy McDowell , 1967, "The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin" , "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" , English language version, Hayao Miyazaki, "Spirited Away" , Tony Curtis , "40 Pounds of Trouble" , 1962 , Norman Jewison , Damon Runyon, "Little Miss Marker" , St. Joseph's Hospital , studio , Roy O Disney , Peter Ustinov , Disney lot, James Garner, Laura Hennessy , 2002 - 2005 , ABC sitcom, sitcom , "8 Simple Rules'', smoker, lung cancer, smoking-related illnesses , Emmy-nominated

"Shrek the Halls" puts the fun back into dysfunctional family gatherings

Jim Hill reviews this new holiday special from DreamWorks Animation, which debuts tonight on ABC at 8:00 p.m. EST Read More...

Posted Wednesday, November 28, 2007 12:00 AM | 14 Comments

Filed under: animation, TV, DreamWorks, ABC, "Shrek the Third", DreamWorks Animation, television, Christmas, television program, TV show, "Tis the season" , holiday season , gingerbread man, "Twas The Night Before Christmas" , Gingy, holiday perennial, TV special, holiday special, Christmas special, Puss in Boots, Donkey, ogre, Shrek, "Shrek the Halls", Fiona, George Bailey, Zuzu's petals, Kleenex, The Island of Misfit Toys, Christmas present, Grinch, subversive, marshmallows, sweet potatoes, White Christmas, holiday guide, "Christmas for Village Idiots", family Christmas, Pinocchio, The Three Little Pigs, The Three Blind Mice, The Big Bad Wolf, dragon, decorations, triplets, holiday classic, waffle, Waffle Santa, jolly old elf, butter, syrup, Santa Claws, "Christmas ain't Christmas 'til someone cries", fart, fart joke, kazoo, Ogre Claus, Clement C Moore, Christmas goose, black lace, sheer black lace, chocolate kiss, harried holiday season, harried holiday, palate cleansed, dysfunctional family gathering, dysfunctional family, family gathering, The Gingerbread Man

Tube Tuesday: Gary Trousdale tries to "Shrek the Halls" without first wrecking DreamWorks Animation's most important franchise

Jim Hill chats with this WDAS vet about many of the ogre-sized challenges he faced while directing this new holiday special. Which airs tomorrow night on ABC Read More...

Posted Tuesday, November 27, 2007 12:00 AM | 6 Comments

Filed under: animation, Disney, DreamWorks, ABC, CG, Epcot, "Beauty & the Beast", "Shrek the Third", DreamWorks Animation, Walt Disney Animation Studios, television, WDAS, Future World , Christmas, film, gags , film franchise, Happy Holidays, "Tis the season" , feature film , "Shrek Goes Fourth", ratings, color coordinated , Godzilla, midnight snack, chimney, cookie plate, cookie, "It's the most wonderful time of the year" , holiday season , gingerbread man, "Twas The Night Before Christmas" , Gingy, holiday perennial, dated , timeless , film parody, in-joke, Disney in-joke, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers , recording session, DreamWorks campus, character bits , TV special, holiday story , "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" , "A Charlie Brown Christmas", Best Picture nominee, Richard Purdum , 1980s, "Cranium Command", Kirk Wise, holiday special, Christmas special, Gary Trousdale, fairytale, Santa's workshop, The North Pole, Puss in Boots, Donkey, Saint Nick, Saint Nicholas, naughty list, Santa Claus, ogre, Shrek, "Shrek's First Christmas", "Shrek the Halls"

"They'll Never Put That on the Air" reveals how to grow a hit television series

Jim Hill reviews Allan Neuwirth's latest book. In which TV veterans talk about how they took shaky new shows and eventually turned them into smash hits like "M*A*S*H," "All in the Family" and "Seinfeld" Read More...

Posted Wednesday, September 26, 2007 12:00 AM | 7 Comments

Filed under: book, ABC, Michael Eisner, CBS, NBC, Fox, "Seinfeld", television, William S. Paley, Tom Moore, Swoosie Kurtz, Stephanie Lemelin, Sam Huntington, Orbit the Dog, Norman Lear, Nick Kroll, Martin Starger, Lucille Ball, Leonard Goldberg, Lee Pace, Larry Gelbart, Kristen Chenoweuth, Kaitlin Doubleday, Julie White, Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Jackie Gleason, Glen Hanson, George Schlatter, Gene Reynolds, Fred Silverman, Emmy Awards, Ellen Greene, Dick Martin, Dan Rowan, Chi McBride, Carl Reiner, Brandon Tartikoff, Bill English, Barry Diller, Babe Paley, Anna Friel, Allan Neuwirth, "They'll Never Put That on the Air: An Oral History of Taboo-Breaking TV Comedy", "The Honeymooners", "Pushing Daisies", "Laugh-In", "Here's Lucy", "Gunsmoke", "Cavemen", "Bewitched", "All in the Family"

Toon Tuesday: Will "Enchanted" 's health-conscious promotional campaign ultimately result in robust box office receipts for this new Walt Disney Pictures release?

Jim Hill wonders: Can a feel-good movie actually be used to encourage healthier eating habits? For that seems to be a key component of the marketing plan that Disney has cooked up for its big Holiday 2007 release Read More...

Posted Tuesday, September 25, 2007 12:00 AM | 25 Comments

Filed under: movies, TV, ABC, Bob Iger, Walt Disney Pictures, promotion, "Enchanted", marketing, television, Nutrisoda, Kevin Lima, The Little Gym, McDonald's, Happy Meal, "Enchanted: The Video Game", "Dancing with the Stars", childhood obesity, Amy Adams, James Marsden, Patrick Dempsey, Susan Sarandon

Tube Thursday: How the Mouse missed out on "Monk"

With Tony Shalhoub up for yet another Emmy on Sunday and the "Monk" season finale due to air on the USA Network tomorrow night, Jim Hill talks about how Touchstone Television originally developed this series as a starring vehicle for "Seinfeld" second banana Michael Richards Read More...

Posted Thursday, September 13, 2007 12:00 AM | 7 Comments

Filed under: TV, ABC, USA Network, ABC Studios, "Monk", Tony Shalhoub, Andy Breckman, David Hoberman, Michael Richards, Touchstone Television, Mandeville Films, 59th Primetime Emmy Awards, "Seinfeld", "Ellen's Energy Adventure", "Redux Riding Hood", NBC Universal Television Group, Peter Sellers, "The Pink Panther", television, John Ritter, Henry Winkler, Jackie Lyons, Stanley Tucci, Alfred Molina, Danny Bonaduce, Judd Nelson, "The Michael Richards Show", Jason Gray-Stanford, Ted Levine, Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "Columbo", "Late Night with David Letterman", OCD, Bitty Schram

What was it like to be at Disneyland and/or Walt Disney World six years ago today?

In honor of the sixth anniversary of 9/11, Jim Hill Media reprises a piece from 2006. Where the site's readers remember what it was like to be vacationing at and/or working in Anaheim & Orlando as this tragedy unfolded Read More...

Posted Tuesday, September 11, 2007 12:00 AM | 12 Comments

Filed under: theme park, attraction, ABC, resorts, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Epcot, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Disney-MGM Studios theme park, Disney's California Adventure, The Jungle Cruise, Tony's Town Square, Anaheim, Orlando, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, The Walt Disney Company, Disney's Polynesian Resort, The Magic Kingdom, New York City, Washington D.C., Shanksville PA, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Cinderella's Golden Carousel, The Rainforest Cafe, Disney's Blizzard Beach, Disney's Yacht Club Resort, Walt Disney World Dolphin hotel, Spaceship Earth, Anaheim Convention Center, Disneyland Resort, the Inn Between, Main Street U.S.A.

"This Time, This Place" takes readers behind-the-scenes at the White House, Hollywood as well as at Walt Disney Studios

Jim Hill reviews Jack Valenti's memoir, which features a surprising amount of material about the Chairman of the MPAA's dealing with the Walt Disney Company Read More...

Posted Wednesday, August 29, 2007 12:00 AM | 3 Comments

Filed under: ABC, Bob Iger, Michael Eisner, Dick Cook, Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Jack Valenti, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Michael Ovitz, Frank Wells, Sid Bass, Sid Sheinberg, "Lost", "Desperate Housewives", Al Checchi, Richard Frank, Walt Disney Productions, The Walt Disney Company

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