Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming: 5 for that new Disney thing whenever it shows up

Disney could really half-ass its new streaming video on demand service when it debuts in 2019, and part of me worries it will be stingy with catalog content. Even without the Fox library, though (much of which is supposed to be showing up on Hulu--still waiting for a lot of that), there are all sorts of great possibilities for Disney Take All Your Money (working title). Here we continue this series of posts with a look at 5 older shows that can be good fits:

1) Every Marvel cartoon ever: Some of these may be locked into other streaming rights deals, but I can't believe this is even in question. I thought for sure that Disney/Netflix deal a few years back meant a bonanza of old 'toons, but in fact, Netflx has dropped animated Marvel product over the years.

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and the 1981 Spider-Man used to be on Netflix, but that was a long time ago.  Lesser seen in reruns is the 1982 Incredible Hulk. And I am sure there is a tangle of rights with the various Fantastic Four cartoons, but so what? Let's get them all. Get the 1960s limited-animation cartoons with the awesome theme songs. Even recent stuff like the endless variations of Avengers series is impossible to keep track of because Disney buries a lot of it. The Marvel animated library should be a big part of the new service.

2) Disney Channel Flashbacks: A long time ago, The Disney Channel was a premium service that offered programming for little kids in the morning, for older kids in the day, for families in prime time, and nostalgia-oriented shows for adults later at night. We're talking shows like Ozzie and Harriet but also clever originals like Mousterpiece Theatre putting vintage Disney shorts in a fun package presented by a tongue-in-cheek George Plimpton. Ready Steady Go was even a thing on the old Disney. Maybe shows like Welcome to Pooh Corner and Dumbo's Circus are dated 30 years later, but you have kids who watched them back in the day now ready to spend $ on this streaming video service. Why not throw them a dose of nostalgia and make some of this available?

3) The Mickey Mouse Club/Zorro: These series also aired on the original version of The Disney Channel, but I give them their own joint entry. I am talking the original TV versions of each that kids saw in the afternoons. Disney gave up on these after abandoning its Vault Disney concept on the channel, and DVDs are looooong out of print. Again, nothing else is happening with these properties. Add them to the new service.

4) Wonderful World of Walt Disney Presents in Color: There are countless variations of the Disney anthology TV show that had a place on network TV for decades. I don't care what you call it or how you organize it--OK, I care a little bit because it could be really confusing--but all that footage should be available. Even in limited doses, it would be great to see Walt himself have some kind of presence on whatever this Disney OTT venture turns out to be. Nature shows, live action, cartoon collections...whatever. Just give it to us in some form with original intros.

5) The Muppet Show: This also belongs in the "I thought this was a no-brainer, but Disney keeps proving me wrong" category. Disney tries everything to reinvigorate Jim Henson's prized creations except  promoting the original series. First the show stalled out on DVD. Then, when streaming video seemed to provide a suitable home, the syndicated variety show remained MIA.

I have no idea why no one seems to want to stream the Muppets, but maybe now Disney is planning on making it a piece of its new offering. The franchise may be a little weakened as a TV and movie thing, but I believe putting up the originals will draw plenty of eyeballs on streaming. The original version hasn't been on Disney Channel in 20 years, so I think it's time for a resurgence of the material that made all these reboots possible.