Why did ABC cancel “The Wonderful World of Disney”?

[Guitarman]

According to Wikipedia (which I know isn’t the most reliable source of information, but it’s all I have to go on right now), ABC officially canceled the “WWOD” after the “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” broadcast on Christmas Eve, 2008. Now, the fact that they would even use that term (“canceled”) seems strange to me, since the “WWOD” had only aired sporadically over the last several years, and the word “canceled” seems like a term they use when a regularly running series bites the dust. I believe that that version of the show was a continuation of the version that started back in 1997. When that version of the show started running, it was a weekly series, but after a couple of years, it seemed to change to an occasional broadcast, similar to a Movie Of The Week. Also, when the show first started running it had a nice intro, and a host (Michael Eisner) for each movie. But when it switched to only airing occasionally, the intro was shortened (and simplified), and the host was dropped, basically making it no different from the ABC Saturday Night Movie (I believe this simplified version only ran on Saturday nights, usually in the summer, though I could be mistaken).

Now, my questions are:

1. Why did ABC decide to “cancel” the show when it’s really no different from their typical Saturday night movie?

2. Why did ABC decide to cancel the WWOD even though they still show Disney movies? The WWOD banner/intro would make a nice touch to those broadcasts.

3. Why did ABC change the format of the show, from the more elaborate version (every week, host, fancy intro), to the more simplified version?

4. Do you think Disney or ABC will ever bring the show back in some format, in the future?


Any thoughts, comments or info would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[AladdinFan]

Wish ABC would bring it back. Really looking forward each Saturday which Disney movie they were to play. Now I dont even bother to see their Saturday schedule.

[JiminyCrick91]

Wish ABC would bring it back. Really looking forward each Saturday which Disney movie they were to play. Now I dont even bother to see their Saturday schedule.

When it moved to Saturday was the real start of the end. When I think of the 90's-00's WWoD I think Sunday nights.

-Skyler

[jediliz]

it would be perfect to put on before (replace Amierca's NOT funny home videos) or after Once Upon a Time....

I think it'd be cool if DISNEY CHANNEL brought it back...would be better than stupid repeats on Saturday night of episodes that have already aired 100s of times before or JUST aired the previous night and will air over and over and over for weeks to come.


I remember watching WWOD and seeing movies like Splash, Too (Yes, I know...cheesy sequel) and Flight of the Navigator (yes, not technically Disney) and Mr Boogedy and its sequel (both which still need a dvd release)