Longtime variety show The Mickey Mouse Club is returning as a Facebook-exclusive show dubbed Club Mickey Mouse. Variety reports that the digital-first program will be more of a reality show than the talent show it’s been in the past, with social media playing a heavy role.
Mickey Mouse Club is returning as a show on Facebook
Here come the influencers
Here come the influencers
Todrick Hall and Alisha Marie — influencers with prominent YouTube channels — will appear as guest mentors. In addition to helping the kids with their style and choreography, Hall and Marie will also instruct the group on their social media presence. Instagram accounts for all eight of the new Mousketeers will also be used for show promotion, as will a main Club Mickey Mouse account.
The show is expected to last for seven weeks and will follow the cast as they work on original entertainment material. Rather than air a single episode, Disney Digital Network is expected to publish around 70 pieces of content a week for the show.
The Mickey Mouse Club gave many young celebrities a springboard into stardom, such as Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake, and Britney Spears. The pivot to social media is an obvious modernization of the show. As YouTube culture and influencers grow in popularity, how we define celebrity — and the path to get there — are evolving as well.
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