Kids Incorporated

Kids Incorporated (also known as Kids Inc.) is an American children's television program that was produced from 1984 to 1993. It was largely a youth oriented sitcom with musical performances as an integral part of the plot and show.

Contents [hide] 1 Plot 2 Cast and characters 2.1 The Kids Incorporated group 2.2 The dancers 2.3 Guest stars 3 Music 4 Production and broadcast history 4.1 Producers 5 Merchandise 5.1 Kids Incorporated: The Beginning and other videos 5.2 Current DVD plans 6 International Versions 6.1 Japan 6.2 New Zealand 6.3 Other countries 7 External links

Plot

The series revolved around a group of children and teenagers who performed in their own rock group, Kids Incorporated. The band members struggled to deal with issues ranging from divorce to violence to schoolyard crushes while performing regularly at a local restaurant/theatre, The P*lace (called The Malt Shop in the pilot). It was originally named The Palace, a theater where supposedly the biggest names in entertainment performed such as Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra performed (hence the posters at The P*lace). But the first "a" in the neon sign burned out and was never replaced. It was never explained how the KI group funded or profited from their performances, but the show did not aim for strict realism. The action took place on abstract, "stagey" sets and the plots involved many fantasy elements (such as the band meeting a singing robot).

The city in which the P*lace was located was never disclosed. However, according to frequent director Paul Hoen, the show was supposed to be set in Fort Greene, a section of Brooklyn, New York City. The school depicted on the Kids Incorporated set had signage reading P.S., and later, Public School 127. The P.S. designation is associated only with NYC schools. In one episode in the second season, The P*lace was expected to be torn down, but was saved as a National Historical Landmark.

Cast and characters

The cast of Kids Incorporated was comprised mainly of children and teenagers. The only recurring adult members of the cast were Moosie Drier ("Riley", 1984–1988), Sean O'Riordan ("Flip", 1989–1992) and Dena Burton (1993), who played managers of The P*lace. Parents rarely appeared on the show or figured directly into episode plots.

The Kids Incorporated group

The members of Kids Incorporated ranged in age from eight to mid-teens. From 1987 to 1988 there were six members of the group; in other seasons, the band always consisted of three girls and two boys.

The characters on the show usually carried the names of the actors who played them (for instance, Stacy Ferguson's character was also named "Stacy"). However, in some cases, the names were shortened (Anastasia Horne became "Ana"), and in other cases they were completely replaced. For example, Marta "Martika" Marrero's character was named "Gloria" while Jerry Sharell's character was named "Mickey." Rahsaan Patterson was called "The Kid" and his real name was not revealed as Rahsaan until well into the series (although scripts continued to refer to him as "The Kid" regardless). Jennifer Love Hewitt's character was called "Robin".

Actors left the series when they "aged out" of their roles as kids. The disappearances of some long-running actors, such as Martika, Renee Sands, Stacy Ferguson, and Rahsaan Patterson, were written into the script. However, most of the time the performers were replaced without comment such as the disappearances of Eric, Robin, Kenny, Devyn, Connie, Richie and Ryan.

Stacy Ferguson held the record as the longest-running cast member, staying with the show for six seasons. Moosie Drier was part of the cast for five seasons; Renee Sands, Ryan Lambert, Kenny Ford and Rahsaan Patterson were on the show for four years each. Several of the other performers, however, like Eric Balfour, Jared Delgin and Jerry Sharell, left the show after only one season; Sharell's departure was said to be due to creative differences with producers Thomas W. Lynch and Gary Biller. In particular, he was unhappy with the show's often bizarre and outlandish storylines.

All cast members performed their own vocals. Several, such as Devyn Puett, were also trained dancers and occasionally showcased their abilities. However, none of the performers actually played musical instruments with the exception of Haylie Johnson who as of 1997 plays the guitar. In many scenes in the show, the characters are shown pretending to play the piano, guitar and other instruments.

For many of the cast members, Kids Incorporated was the beginning of a fruitful career in the music industry. Currently, the most visible ex-KI kid is Fergie (Stacy Ferguson), a former member of pop trio Wild Orchid and who currently performs with the Grammy-award winning group The Black Eyed Peas as well as enjoying a very successful solo career. Others who have seen success in the fields of music and acting include Martika (Marta Marrero) ("Toy Soldiers"), Renee Sands (Wild Orchid), Rahsaan Patterson, Eric Balfour (24), Jennifer Love Hewitt, who was credited simply as "Love Hewitt," (Party of Five, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Ghost Whisperer) and Ryan Lambert (The Monster Squad, Elephone).

Kids Incorporated logo, 1984–1992
Format	Sitcom with music
Created by	Thomas Lynch, Gary Biller
Starring	Eric Balfour (1991) Charlie Brady (1993) Nicole Brown (1992-1993) Dena Burton (1993) Jared Delgin (1992) Moosie Drier (1984-1988) Stacy Ferguson (Fergie) (1984-1989) Kenny Ford (1988-1992) Anthony Harrell (1993) Jennifer Love Hewitt (1989-1991) Anastasia Horne (1991-1993) Haylie Johnson (1991-1993) Ryan Lambert (1985-1988) Connie Lew (1987-1988) Marta "Martika" Marrero (1984-1986) Rahsaan Patterson (1984-1987) Devyn Puett (1988-1989) Renee Sands (1984-1987) Jerry Sharell (1984) Richard Shoff (1987-1989)
Opening theme	"Kids Incorporated" - written by Michael Cruz; performed by Marta "Martika" Marrero (1984–1986), full cast (1987–1993)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	150
Production
Running time	22 min
Broadcast
Original channel	Syndicated (1984–1986), Disney Channel (1986–1993)
Original run	September 7, 1984 – February 9, 1993

Kids Incorporated (also known as Kids Inc.) is an

Supporting Kids Incorporated's singers was an ensemble of five young dancers. These cast members appeared in background scenes in The P*lace; they also performed choreographed routines and served as backup singers and musicians (pretending to play) during Kids Incorporated's performances.

Generally, the dancers were peripheral to the story; the plots of the episodes never incorporated them. However, during Season 1, dancer Wendy Brainard performed as a singer for Corey Hart's "It Ain't Enough" and Donna Summer's "Dim All the Lights". In addition, over the years, more than twelve of the dancers were given speaking roles in various episodes.