April 01, 2004

A Cartoon Brew-sclusive

DIS & EIS

APRIL FOOLS!A reliable source from deep within the bowels of the Mouse informs the Brew that Disney is developing a new animated TV series, which wouldn't ordinarily be a big deal, except that this show is based on an original concept by Mr. Michael Eisner himself. The all-CG project, called DIS & EIS, is being kept under tight wraps. An 11-minute pilot is currently in production. The show follows the gentle kids-in-school formula of DOUG and RECESS, but here's the twist: the stars are a 10-year-old Walt Disney and 12-year-old Michael Eisner, who happen to be best friends at a school in Marceline, Missouri (for Disney buffs, that's the actual town where Walt Disney grew up). According to my source, Eisner is insisting that the show exhibit reverence for Walt's legacy and as a result, the characters will stay very true to their actual personalities: Walt will be sort of the oddball goofy creator type who's constantly getting into mischief while Eisner is his smart responsible friend always bailing "the Dis" out of trouble. Reportedly, the mean principal of the school that Dis and Eis attend is a caricature of Roy Disney Jr. There will be plenty of other "cameos" by famous Disney personalities. For example, caricatures of the Nine Old Men's Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston will be used for the school janitors, except that they'll both be black in the cartoon. Frank will be voiced by Damon Wayans and Ollie will be voiced by David Alan Grier. Sound like a winning concept to me.

Posted by AMID at April 1, 2004 12:27 AM