Kids Incorporated

Kids Incorporated (often shortened to Kids Inc.) was an American children’s TV show that ran from the early 1980s into the mid-1990s. Aimed at young audiences, each episode centered on musical performances. The pilot was filmed on September 1, 1983, and the series first aired in syndication from September 1, 1984, to December 26, 1985. It then moved to The Disney Channel, where new episodes ran from November 3, 1986, to January 9, 1994; reruns continued there until May 30, 1996.

The plot followed a group of kids and teens who performed as a rock band called Kids Incorporated. They dealt with everyday problems—crushes, peer pressure, even child abuse—while playing regular shows at a local club called The P*lace (the first “a” in the sign had burned out and was never fixed). The show used abstract, stage-like sets and often included fantasy elements: the band met a robot (Season 1, Episode 10), a runaway princess (Season 1, Episode 6), and a wisecracking bicycle (Season 1, Episode 17). Besides onstage concerts, characters frequently broke into song offstage.

Many cast members launched successful careers in entertainment. Notable names include Renee Sands and Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson, both founding members of the pop trio Wild Orchid; Fergie later joined the Grammy-winning Black Eyed Peas and had a solo career. She started as the youngest cast member and became the oldest, holding the record for the longest run at six seasons (including the pilot). Martika (Marta Marrero) released two hit albums in the late 1980s and early 1990s (“Toy Soldiers,” “Thy Will Be Done”) and began using the mononym Martika during her time on the show.

Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell, Pacific Blue, Dancing with the Stars, Extra, Access Hollywood) appeared as a background dancer and musician in the first three seasons. Eric Balfour (24, Haven, Skyline) also appeared. Jennifer Love Hewitt, credited as “Love Hewitt” (Party of Five, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Ghost Whisperer, Heartbreakers, Criminal Minds, 9-1-1), was part of the cast. Brian Friedman played bass, keyboards, and keytar from 1991 to 1994.

Brian Poth played keytar, bass, and tambourine from 1987 to 1988. Shanice Wilson handled keyboards and vocals in 1984. Rahsaan Patterson gained experience as a backup vocalist for artists like Brandy Norwood and Tevin Campbell.

Guest stars included both established celebrities and newcomers: Gwen Verdon, Kathy Johnson, Barry Williams and Florence Henderson (both from The Brady Bunch), Billy Blanks, David Hasselhoff, John Franklin, Ryan Bollman, Christian Hoff, Paul Rodriguez, Brian Robbins, and Ruth Buzzi. Young guest actors included Brittany Murphy (1992), Scott Wolf, Audra Lee (two episodes), R.J. Williams, Jason Hervey, and Jeff Cohen (Chunk from The Goonies).

Music was central: five songs appeared in every episode, spanning genres from the 1960s onward (often released on K-Tel vinyl). Numbers were usually performed onstage at The P*lace but sometimes illustrated a character’s internal thoughts. All five or six singers shared vocal duties, with each cast member getting featured or solo songs over the season. Each episode included one original number and generally five previously recorded songs by recognized artists, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Original songs were written by hired composers like Michael Cruz, Andrew R. Powell, and Craig Sharmat. Cruz wrote three originals that appeared on K-Tel albums: the “Kids Incorporated Theme Song,” “Time Is On Our Side,” and “Music For The Modern World.” Because performers and the target audience were young, lyrics with objectionable content were usually edited and replaced; examples include “Jump Around” by House of Pain and “Hip Hop Hooray” by Naughty by Nature. However, some songs aired uncensored, such as “Dancing with Myself” by Billy Idol (1990 episode “The Storybook House”), “Seven Wonders” by Fleetwood Mac (1988), “Prove Your Love” by Taylor Dayne (with a slight edit on the chorus line “I wanna see your body dance with mine”), and “Smooth Criminal” by Michael Jackson (1989).

The original pilot was produced in 1983 and pitched to networks by creators Thomas W. Lynch and Gary Biller. No major network picked it up, so MGM/UA Entertainment Co. Television distributed it in syndication starting September 1, 1984. The original four cast members—Stacy Ferguson, Marta Marrero, Renee Sands, and Jerry Sharell—were joined by Rahsaan Patterson and five backup dancers. Sharell left after the first season, partly because he was unhappy with the show’s often bizarre storylines. As with most syndicated shows, scheduling varied by local station: some aired it on weekdays near prime time, others as a weekend offering.