Kids Incorporated

Kids Incorporated
File:Kidsinclogo.gif Kids Incorporated logo, 1984–1992
Created by	Thomas Lynch, Gary Biller
Starring	Eric Balfour (1991) Charlie Brady (1993) Nicole Brown (1992-1993) Dena Burton (1993) Jared Delgin (1992) Moosie Drier (1984-1988) Stacy Ferguson (1984-1989) Kenny Ford (1988-1992) Anthony Harell (1993) Jennifer Love Hewitt (1989-1991) Anastasia Horne (1991-1993) Haylie Johnson (1991-1993) Ryan Lambert (1985-1988) Connie Lew (1987-1988) Martika (1984-1986) Rahsaan Patterson (1984-1987) Devyn Puett (1988-1989) Renee Sands (1984-1987) Jerry Sharell (1984) Richard Shoff (1987-1989)
Opening theme	"Kids Incorporated Theme" - written by Michael Cruz; performed by Martika (1984–1986), full cast (1987–1993)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	150
Production
Running time	22 min
Original release
Network	Syndicated (1984–1986), Disney Channel (1986–1993)
Release	September 7 1984 – February 9 1994

Kids Incorporated (also known as Kids Inc.) was an American children's television program that was produced from 1984 to 1993.

Plot

The series revolved around a group of children and teenagers who performed in their own rock group, Kids Incorporated. The band members struggled to deal with issues ranging from divorce to violence to schoolyard crushes while performing regularly at a local restaurant/theatre, The P*lace (called The Malt Shop in the pilot). It was originally named The Palace, but the "a" in the neon sign burned out. It was never explained how the KI 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 singing robot).

The city in which the P*lace was located was never disclosed. However, according to frequent director Paul Hoen, the show was supposed to be set in Fort Greene, a section of Brooklyn, New York City. The school depicted on the Kids Incorporated set had signage reading P.S., and later, Public School 127. The P.S. designation is associated only with NYC schools.

Cast and characters

The cast of Kids Incorporated was almost entirely comprised of children and teenagers. The only recurring adult members of the cast were Moosie Drier ("Riley", 1984–1988), Sean O'Riordan ("Flip", 1989–1992) and Dena Burton (1993), who played managers of The P*lace. Parents rarely appeared on the show or figured directly into episode plots.

The Kids Incorporated group

The members of Kids Incorporated ranged in age from eight to mid-teens. All I remember is, Ryan was hot. Renee was boring, Markita was too tall to be on the show and I always wanted to be Stacy! From 1987 to 1988 there were six members of the group; in other seasons, 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 Ferguson's character was also named "Stacy"). However, in some cases, the names were shortened (Anastasia Horne became "Ana"), and in others, they were completely replaced. For example, Martika's character was named "Gloria" while Jerry Sharell's character was named "Mickey". Rahsaan Patterson was called "The Kid" and his real name was not revealed as Rahsaan until well into the series (and even after then, the show still continued to refer to him as "The Kid"). Jennifer Love Hewitt's character was called "Robin".

Actors left the series when they "aged out" of their roles as kids. The disappearances of some long-running actors, such as Martika, Renee Sands, Stacy Ferguson, and Rashaan Patterson, were written into the script, however, most of the time the performers were replaced without comment.

Stacy Ferguson held the record as the longest-running cast member, staying with the show for six seasons. Moosie Drier was part of the cast for five seasons; Renee Sands, Ryan Lambert, Kenny Ford, and Rahsaan Patterson were in the show for four years each. Several of the other performers, however, like 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 storylines.

All of the members of the cast were strong singers and performed their own vocals. Several, such as Devyn Puett, were also trained dancers and occasionally showcased their abilities. However, none of the performers played instruments. In many scenes in the show, the characters are shown pretending to play the piano, guitar and other instruments.

For many of the cast members, Kids Incorporated was the beginning of a fruitful career in the music industry. Currently, the most visible ex-KI kid is probably Fergie (Stacy Ferguson), who performs with the Grammy-award winning group The Black Eyed Peas. Others who have been largely successful in the fields of music and acting include Martika ("Toy Soldiers"), Renee Sands (Wild Orchid), Rashaan Patterson, Eric Balfour (24), (Jennifer) Love Hewitt (Party of Five, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Ghost Whisperer) and Ryan Lambert (The Monster Squad, Elephone).

The dancers

Supporting Kids Incorporated's singers was an ensemble of five young dancers. These cast members appeared in the background in scenes in The P*lace, they also performed choreographed routines and served as backup singers and musicians (pretending to play) during Kids Incorporated's performances.

Generally, the dancers were peripheral to the story; the plots of the episodes never incorporated them. However, during Season 1, dancer Wendy Brainard performed as a singer for Corey Hart's "It Ain't Enough" and Donna Summer's "Dim All The Lights". 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 Gina Marie Vinaccia, who appeared on the show for four years, from 1985 to 1988. Other noted KI dancers included actor Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell), recording artist Shanice and Broadway choreographer and dancer Darren Lee. **- Denotes winner of best dancer competition.

• Charon Aldredge — 1991–1993
• Ken Arata — 1993
• Wendy Brainard — 1984–1986
• Dee Caspary — 1987–1988
• Joseph Conrad — 1989
• Nicole Cropper — 1987–1988
• Kimberly Duncan — 1988–1989
• Brian Friedman — 1991–1993
• Andre Fuentes — 1993
• Aaron Hamilton — 1984
• Jennifer King — 1991–1992
• Leilani Lagmay — 1989
• Darren Lee — 1985–1986
• Mario Lopez — 1984–1986
• Danielle Marcus-Janssen — 1991–1993
• Challyn Markray — 1987
• Tony Perrin — 1991–1992
• Brian Poth — 1987–1988
• Carletta Prince — 1984
• Tiffany Robbins — 1989
• Cory Tyler — 1989
• Gina Marie Vinaccia |— 1985–1988
• Andrea Paige Wilson — 1984–1986
• Shanice Wilson — 1984
• Ian Whinnem — 1984 (one episode)

Guest stars

Guest stars on Kids Incorporated included both established celebrities and newcomers. Gwen Verdon, Kathy Johnson, Barry Williams, Billy Blanks, David Hasselhoff, 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, and Jason Hervey.

Music

Music was an integral part of Kids Incorporated, and several songs were included in every episode. 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 singers; every cast member was given an opportunity to perform featured or solo songs throughout the course of the season.

While there were a few original pieces in the KI repertoire, the group mainly performed songs that were previously recorded by other artists. Artists and songs covered included Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, "Hip-Hop Hooray!" by Naughty by Nature, "Friday I'm in Love" by The Cure, "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John, "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung, "All Fired Up" by Pat Benatar, "The Promise of a New Day" by Paula Abdul, "Pump up the Jam" by Technotronic, "Motownphilly" by Boyz II Men, "Strange but True" by Times Two and "Breakaway" by Tracey Ullman.

Due to the young ages of both the performers and the target audience, lyrics referencing alcohol, drugs, violence, sex and slang were generally edited out of the songs and replaced with more benign language. However, occasionally songs were performed as written, "objectionable" lyrics intact. Examples of uncensored songs that were presented on the series include "Dancing with Myself" by Billy Idol ("The Storybook House" episode, 1989), "Seven Wonders" by Fleetwood Mac (1988) and "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson (1989).

The large number of songs performed in the series, and the subsequent licensing fees attached therein, present a considerable challenge to releasing Kids Incorporated on DVD or returning it to television. In 2005, for example, a proposal to air Kids Incorporated 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 film 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 syndicated run in the fall of 1984. The original four cast members, Stacy Ferguson, Martika, 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, however, this depended largely 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 the CBN Cable Network (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 & commercial outros. The show's main time slot on the Disney Channel was 4:00 PM ET/3:00 PM CT.

After the sixth season (1989) was filmed, Kids Incorporated was put on hiatus for two years, 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. However, the last episode of this season, which aired on February 9 1994, actually turned out to be the final one of the series. By the summer of 1995, when the show was scheduled to resume production, most of the cast members were graduating from high school/college or getting married and could no longer sustain the Kids Incorporated image. 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. The hype for the new Kids Incorporated project was all over Los Angeles, Inglewood and New York but never came to fruition.

After its default cancellation, Kids Incorporated continued to be shown in reruns on The Disney Channel until May 30 1996.

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-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 Rockin' in the New Year, production took place during July-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-Pathe). Hal Roach Studios/Quintex, the studio responsible for the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films series of the 1930s, was also involved with KI.

Kids Incorporated effectively launched the career of creator and producer Gary Biller; and of creator and producer Thomas W. Lynch, who would go on to co-create The Secret World of Alex Mack and Romeo! among other shows). Prior to Kids Incorporated, Lynch and Biller produced and created a long-running music video series for TBS, Night Tracks.

Merchandise

Kids Incorporated: The Beginning and other videos

The 1983 pilot film 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 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, entitled Kids Incorporated, New Attitude, Kids Incorporated:The Chart Hits and a second Kids Incorporated. At least two of these records achieved platinum sales status. The reason the albums stopped coming out when the show moved to Disney was because the label that produced the albums, K-Tel Records, filed for bankruptcy at around the same time.

Current DVD plans

As of November 2006, MGM and The Disney Channel have had several talks with Thomas Lynch about releasing the series on DVD or re-broadcasting it on Disney primetime. MGM has stated that the official reason for Kids Incorporated's absence from the DVD and TV markets has not been because of domestic or music rights, but because of recent financial changes to the companies involved with the series. The final decision for future Kids Incorporated releases lies with MGM and Disney.

In the past, the series has been held from DVD and television due to complicated questions of rights and logistics. In addition to the numerous issues involving the music played in the show, matters have been further complicated by the fact that the rights to Kids Incorporated are split between three different companies. Currently, MGM owns American domestic television rights, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment holds DVD rights, while the video archives reside with the Disney Channel.

In a 2005 interview, cast member Stacy Ferguson (AKA: Fergie) hinted that the show would be released on DVD, however, all three studios were quick to deny any such rumor.

International Versions

Japan

An original Japanese adaptation of Kids Incorporated, entitled 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, is scheduled to premiere on MBS in the summer of 2007. Both series have been 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

Iraq, United Kingdom, Iceland, Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, New Zealand all dubbed the original show.

Awards

Young Artist Awards

• Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a Cable or Off-Primetime Series (1994)
• Special Ensemble Award (1987)

The show was also nominated for Outstanding Youth Ensemble awards in 1990, 1993 and 1995.

Emmy Awards

• Best lighting design (Carl Gibson)

Trivia

• The State of Hawaii initially decided not to air the regular version but in 2001 started to show the series beginning with Season 2 all the way through Season 8.
• In the spring of 1986, the cast performed at Knott's Berry Farm in Orange County, California as a part of a small promotional tour. Martika, Rahsaan, Renee and Stacy were joined on stage by actor/singer Tommy Puett (of Life Goes On fame) filling in for Ryan, who was not able to attend. Tommy's sister Devyn Puett would join the cast in 1988.
• On a couple of episodes during Seasons 4 and 6, the show's credits list Stacy as Stacey Ferguson.
• During the first season, the text on the fire curtain on the old theatre stage in The P*lace reads "asbestos." By Season 2, this was changed to "Fire Curtain," reflecting the growing public concern about asbestos safety in the late 1980s.
• Several of the KI principals and dancers auditioned several times before they joined the show, including Ryan Lambert, Ken Arata, and Brian Friedman. Nicole Brown originally unsuccessfully auditioned in 1991, was not cast, and was invited to return for auditions for Season 8 by former cast member Devyn Puett. She joined the show in 1992.
• Many other prominent child and teen actors auditioned for Kids Incorporated at various points, including Jennifer King (1987-1989), Brittany Murphy (1990) and Amy Jo Johnson.
• Thomas Lynch's son appeared in a Season 3 episode along with Gary Biller's son Nick Biller and daughter Lauren Biller.
• Jennifer Love Hewitt was originally credited in this series as simply "Love Hewitt". Today she professionally uses her full name.
• Kimberly Duncan had to be cut out of numerous dance scenes due to her missing practices.
• The Bloodhound Gang covered the Kids Inc. theme song on their debut album, "Use Your Fingers".

External links and references

• Kids Incorporated at IMDb
• Unofficial Kids Incorporated Website
• "Hollywood Reporter Salutes 100 episodes of Kids Incorporated" 1989