Wish Kid
Wish Kid is an American-Italian animated television series that originally aired on Saturday mornings from September 14, 1991, through July 1992 on NBC starring pre-teen movie star Macaulay Culkin.[1] It was produced by DIC Animation City and Italian company Reteitalia S.p.A., in association with Spanish network Telecinco.
| Wish Kid | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Genre | Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Family |
| Written by | Jeffrey Scott |
| Directed by | Chuck Patton Christopher Brough (Live Action Segments) |
| Starring | Macaulay Culkin Quinn Culkin Chris Beshy Paul Haddad Marilyn Lightstone Judy Marshak Andrew Sabiston Stuart Stone James Rankin |
| Composer(s) | Clark Gassman |
| Country of origin | United States Italy |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Andy Heyward Robby London (Co-Executive Producer) |
| Producer(s) | Chuck Patton Christopher Brough (Live Action Segments) |
| Editor(s) | Gregory K. Bowron Richard Bruce Elliot Allan Gelbart |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | DIC Animation City Reteitalia |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | September 14 – December 7, 1991 |
A second series was planned for 1993 to air on The Family Channel, but this was later cancelled.[2][3]
Synopsis
Nicholas "Nick" McClary (modeled after and voiced by Culkin) owned a baseball glove that had been struck by a miniature shooting star, an event that inexplicably enabled it to magically grant wishes, if punched three times. It was, however, limited to use only once every week, and each wish would expire relatively shortly after it was cast, often at the most inopportune time possible. Each story — introduced in a live-action prologue by Culkin — revolved around Nick's wishes and the trouble that always seemed to follow. It was up to Nick and others involved to resolve the situation and make things right.
Darryl Singletary was Nick's best friend and the only one in on the secret; he always managed to get tangled up in Nick's adventures. Francis "Frankie" Dutweiler was the neighborhood bully who often antagonized Nick and Darryl. Other characters included Mel and Adrienne McClary, Nick's parents who were a reporter/photographer and real estate agent, respectively; Nick's younger sister, Katie (voiced by Quinn Culkin, Macaulay's real life sister), his pet dog, Slobber, and nosy neighbor, Mrs. Opal.
Episodes
| episode# | Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Top Gun - Will Travel | September 14, 1991 |
| 2 | A Matter of Principal | September 21, 1991 |
| 3 | Haunted House For Sale | September 28, 1991 |
| 4 | Captain Mayhem | October 5, 1991 |
| 5 | Glove of Dreams | October 12, 1991 |
| 6 | Love At First Wish | October 19, 1991 |
| 7 | Lotto Trouble | October 26, 1991 |
| 8 | Darryl's Dilemma | November 2, 1991 |
| 9 | A Nick Off the Old Block | November 9, 1991 |
| 10 | A Grand Ol' Time | November 16, 1991 |
| 11 | Gross Encounters | November 23, 1991 |
| 12 | Mom, Dad, You're Fired! | November 30, 1991 |
| 13 | The Best of Enemies | December 7, 1991 |
Home media
DIC Video, BMG Kidz and Buena Vista Home Video originally released single episode VHS releases of the series during the 1990s.
In October 2003, Sterling Entertainment released a VHS/DVD titled "Be Careful What You Wish For", containing 3 episodes (4 on the DVD). The DVD was re-released by NCircle Entertainment in February 2008.
On February 17, 2015, Mill Creek Entertainment released Wish Kid- The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.[4]
Syndication
The original theme song, parodying Chantilly Lace is replaced by an instrumental theme due to the song being copyrighted.
References
- Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 910–911. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- https://variety.com/1993/digital/news/sonic-is-the-top-hog-on-dic-toon-slate-105150/
- https://variety.com/1993/tv/news/dic-to-animate-dragon-for-tv-104523/
- Including the Voice of Macaulay Culkin, 'The Complete Series' is a Wish Come True! Archived December 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine