Disney can be counted on to produce great animated features and family-oriented content. One such constant has been The Mickey Mouse Club. The variety television show debuted 70 years ago on October 3, 1955 and went on to entertain several generations through the original show, syndication, and multiple reboots.

Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the first incarnation ran for 184 episodes from 1955 to 1959. It was primarily a live-action show with musical numbers, skits, and serials. Mickey Mouse appeared in each episode in vintage cartoons and new animated segments, voiced by Disney himself. Each day had special themes that included Fun with Music Day, Guest Star Day, Anything Can Happen Day, Circus Day, and Talent Round-Up Day.

It hosted a regular, but often changing cast of performers who were mostly teenagers. Jimmie Dodd hosted the show as the Head Mouseketeer and songwriter, who wrote the opening theme, “The Mickey Mouse March.” He was presented as the leader of the group and even did short bits where he would encourage kids to make good choices. Disney staff artist Roy Williams also appeared as the Big Mouseketeer and was the one who suggested that the cast members wear Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears.

The main cast of Mouseketeers performed musical and dance numbers as well as educational segments. The show featured a large cast, with several members featured for different periods of time and were categorized by color team names. The group known as the Red Team appeared throughout the entire run and consisted of Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Lonnie Burr, Tommy Cole, Annette Funicello, Darlene Gillespie, Cubby O’Brien, Karen Pendleton, and Doreen Tracey. There were additional Red Team members who didn’t appear throughout the series, along with White and Blue Teams. In total there were 39 Mouseketeers featured on the show.

Once The Mickey Mouse Club ended it enjoyed continued demand through syndication. The first time the show started running in syndication was the fall of 1962, packaged as half-hour reruns. Some new content was added, such as Fun with Science and Marvelous Marvin. The markets that put the show back into hour-long timeslots would even add locally produced portions with local kids. This continued until 1968, then after a break for a few years, the show reran again in the mid-‘70s then again once The Disney Channel launched in ’83.

The second iteration, The New Mickey Mouse Club, was introduced by Walt Disney Productions in ’77. It utilized elements that made the original so popular with vintage cartoons and serials, then updated it with a disco rerecording of the theme song, a cast that was more diverse, and brightly colored sets. The new theme days include Who, What, Why, Where, When and How Day, Let’s Go Day, Surprise Day, Discovery Day, and Showtime Day at Disneyland. The New Mickey Mouse Club was a short-lived revival, though it too was used for later repackaged programs.

In 1989 the show was rebooted again as The All-New Mickey Mouse Club. The new version had the Mousekeeters wear club member varsity jackets instead of the Mickey Mouse ears. This updated show featured sketch comedy skits, music videos of the cast singing popular songs, and recordings of concerts the Mouseketeers had performed on stage for live audiences. Like its predecessors, it also had themed days that included Music Day, Guest Day, Anything Can Happen Day, Party Day, and Hall of Fame Day.

This version is famous for the number of cast members who went on to successful careers in acting and music. The group included Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears, Keri Russell, Rhona Bennett, J.C. Chasez, Deedee Magno, Nikki DeLoach, and Chase Hampton. Fred Newman served as the main adult co-host from the beginning until season six, then Hampton and Tiffini Hale took over as co-hosts for the remaining episodes.

The most recent reboot, Club Mickey Mouse, premiered in September 2017 with a few significant changes. The show was produced by Disney Digital Network, available on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram rather than on television. It was formatted more like a reality show than a variety show and had a cast of slightly older kids who were 15 to 18 years old rather than the previous versions that starred kids that ranged in age from 8 to 14.

There hasn’t been any new Mickey Mouse Club content since 2018, but with the growing slate of shows and programs on Disney+, it’s likely that membership will continue to grow.