The History Channel’s How Disney Built America dives into the history of the Disney brand and its impact on generations of fans. The six-episode nonfiction series is set to premiere April 28, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT, with new episodes arriving on Sundays.
Produced by A+E Factual Studios group, the new addition to the network’s That Built franchise is executive produced by Sharon Scott, Steve Ascher, Matthew Pearl, Kristy Sabat, and Andy Seestedt. The History Channel’s Mary E. Donahue, Jim Pasquarella, and Alex Hicks also serve as executive producers.
The network released this lengthy description of the six-part series:
“How Disney Built America is a nostalgia-filled ride that paints a vivid picture of the world of Walt Disney and the history-making empire he and his brother Roy Disney built. Each hour-long episode focuses on a different example of game-changing brilliance in Disney’s history including creating the world’s most recognizable characters, establishing the animated features industry, revolutionizing the concept of merchandising, and using groundbreaking design and engineering to construct Disneyland, Walt Disney World® Resort, and beyond.
Viewers will hear from legendary Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr, a direct hire from Walt who developed over 100 designs for Disney theme park attractions, to gain surprising insights into the unique innovations and struggles involved in realizing the dreams of a visionary. The series utilizes rarely-seen historical material, original dramatic recreations, and key interviews from Don Wildman, Margaret Kerrison, Douglas Brinkley, Mindy Johnson, and others to expand on how the brand is forever woven into the fabric of American life.
The April 28th series premiere recounts the creation of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse – how he began as a pencil sketch and rocketed to lasting fame. The story starts with Walt in his early days in Hollywood when he loses creative control over his first successful cartoon character to a powerful middleman. What happens next is a series of pivotal decisions that spurs Walt, animator Ub Iwerks, and the staff at the Disney studio to create one of the most lucrative cartoon characters in history, along with the first synchronized sound animated short.
In the years to come, Mickey Mouse has many imitators who look to compete with his genuine appeal but it’s difficult to surpass him as a true American symbol, and the foundation of an iconic media empire.”
