The TV movie musical of "Annie," which won two Emmys and a Peabody Award after airing in 1999, will run every holiday season beginning with the "score" telecast on "The Wonderful World of Disney" Dec. 10, according to producers.
Broadway director-choreographer Rob Marshall (Little Me, Cabaret, Seussical) directed and choreographed the popular small-screen version of the Broadway smash, and ended up with an Emmy Award for choreography.
"Annie" — complete with the famous anthem, "Tomorrow" — will be seen 7-9 (ET) Dec. 10 on ABC. Check local listings for time and channel.
The Nov. 7, 1999, airing of "Annie" was a smash for ABC and "Wonderful World of Disney," luring an estimated 40 million viewers. Alicia Morton played the red-headed orphan to Victor Garber's bald-pated Daddy Warbucks. Kathy Bates played orphanage matron Miss Hannigan.
"Annie" was second highest-rated Disney TV movie ever, and earned the largest audience in the 7-9 PM time period in two years — since Disney's "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella" in 1997, and excluding The Academy Awards. A video release of the holiday-themed picture came in December 1999 followed by a 2000 DVD release. There is also a soundtrack recording.
"Annie" producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan of Storyline Entertainment (TV's "Gypsy, "Cinderella") are developing a number of musical ideas for Disney and ABC, including a TV version of Jerry Herman's Mame, executive produced by Barbra Streisand, and "The Music Man" starring Matthew Broderick.
— By Kenneth Jones