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25 years ago this week, “Brand Spanking New Doug,” a Disney-produced continuation of Nickelodeon’s “Doug” animated series, debuted as part of ABC’s Saturday Morning lineup. The show, which would eventually be renamed “Disney’s Doug,” followed the adventures of average middle school student Doug Funnie and his colorful friends as they navigated growing up in the town of Bluffington. The following year, “Disney’s Doug” would become the cornerstone of ABC’s new “One Saturday Morning” programing block and eventually inspired the 1999 feature film “Doug’s 1st Movie.” The success of the series would also have a notable effect on Walt Disney World as Disney’s Hollywood Studios (then known as Disney-MGM Studios) would briefly play host to an original musical stage show starring Doug Funnie.
The above photo shows the marquee for “Disney’s Doug Live,” which was staged in the theater that is currently home to “For the First Time in Forever: A Sing-Along Celebration,” from 1999 to 2001. The musical’s story was centered on familiar territory of the series that inspired it: Doug’s attempt to ask his crush, Patti Mayonnaise, to go see a concert with him. To help bring the stylized world of Bluffington to life, “Doug Live” utilized special costumes, make-up and special effects, and its score was comprised of several original songs written specifically for the attraction, though one of them (“Someone Like Me”) was also featured in the end credits of “Doug’s 1st Movie.” Even though it’s been two decades since “Disney’s Doug Live” was last presented at Walt Disney World, the series that inspired it, as well as its feature film spinoff, can both now be seen on Disney+ for a whole new generation to discover.
Ink and Paint in the Parks 
[…] had much of a presence at Walt Disney World, its fellow “One Saturday Morning” series “Disney’s Doug” had its own musical stage show at Disney-MGM Studios from 1999 to […]
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