Kids Incorporated
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Kids Incorporated (also known as Kids Inc.) was a children's television program that premiered in 1984 in syndication and on The Disney Channel. Winner of various Young Artist Awards during its nine year run, it is remembered fondly by adults who were in their teens in the 1980s. The show's production companies included Hal Roach Studios and MGM, both of whom had produced the popular Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films of the 1930s.
The show consisted of a group of young teens (that occasionally shifted every few years as members grew too old to be "Kids" and were replaced) who performed watered-down pop music standards of the era. Along the way, lessons were learned through the conflicts of the kids (e.g. the value of honesty, or why not to cheat on a test.)
The show managed to jump start the careers of several big name stars. Among the primary cast were:
- Eric Balfour (1991) (Actor, Six Feet Under)
- Stacy Ferguson (1984-1989) (Singer, group Wild Orchid and Black Eyed Peas)
- Jennifer Love Hewitt (1989-1991) (Actress, Party of Five)
- Mario Lopez (1984-1986) (Actor, Saved by the Bell)
- Martika (1984-1986) (Singer, solo)
- Renee Sands (1984-1987) (Singer, group Wild Orchid)
- Shanice (1984) (Singer, solo)
- Rashaan Patterson (Popular Hollywood backup vocalist)
The group of kids during the first several seasons released several platinum-selling albums of cover songs. The show also seems to have launched David Hasselhoff's singing career, when he appeared to serenade the children with his rendition of The Contours' "Do You Love Me?"