Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman

Original Air Dates 1961 - 1969 (NBC)

The world is a carousel of color, wonderful, wonderful color.

The world is a carousel of color, history, comedy, fantasy,

There's drama and mirth, there's old Mother Earth

With all of her secrets to see.

The world is a treasure-trove of faces, fabulous, faraway places

The hopes and the fears, the joys and the tears

Of people like you and like me. the kingdoms of magic science,

The glorious story of art, the world of romance,

Of music and dance, this world where we each play a part.

The miracle of imagination, the marvels of earth, sea and sky,

These wonders untold are ours to behold

In the funny world, the sunny world,

The wonderful world of color.

In the late 1940s, Walt Disney knew that TV would eventually be all color and so the nature films that he had his company shoot were always with color film, even though those that were shown on TV were shown in black and white. Once Disney worked out an agreement to produce a weekly show, he was able to do so all in color - one of the first on TV. NBC's nickname at the time became "Nothing But Color."

This was just one of the many incarnations of Disney's presence on Sunday nights from 1954 to 1983 and 1986 - 1990. It holds the record for most consecutive years (29) as well as the longest show in Prime Time (33).

Walt Disney and his company have been very influential on TV since 1954. Not only with this show - which has been on ABC, CBS & NBC (the only show to accomplish that), but the multitude of others including The Mickey Mouse Club and Zorro (which have lyrics on this site), but with their own cable channel and most recently, Disney's purchase of ABC. Yes, the Mouse owns one of the big three. . .

The show (without the lyrics, of course) was variously known as:

Disneyland (54 - 57) (which helped to promote his new theme park that opened in 1955 and ran the original episodes of Davy Crockett.)

Walt Disney Presents (57 - 61) (Which showcased the original episodes of the Swampfox.)

Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (61 - 69) (Which showcased the original episodes of the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh)

The Wonderful World of Disney (69 - 79)

Disney's Wonderful World (79 - 83)

The Disney Sunday Movie (86 - 90)