Mulligan Stew (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Mulligan Stew was a children's educational program, sponsored by the 4-H
Council and shown both in schools and on television. It was produced by Michigan State University
and premiered in 1972 during National 4-H Week in Washington, D.C.
Named for the hobo dish (and also for the initials of Michigan State) each of the six half-hour episodes gave school-age children information about nutrition
.
Produced by V. "Buddy" Renfro, Mulligan Stew featured a multi-racial group of five kids: Maggie (Sherry Wright), Mike (Steven Einbender), Micki (Mion Hahm), Manny (Benjamin Sands), and Mulligan (Larry Friedman), plus one adult, Wilbur Dooright (played by Barry Michlin, who later had a minor career in movies and TV). The group went on nutritional adventures around the globe, although the series' filming usually stuck close to Lansing, Michigan
(the opening sequence was filmed in MSU's football stadium.)
School packages included a companion comic book
with further adventures of the characters, reviews of things learned from the show, and lyrics to the show's songs (performed by The Stews, a band comprising the five kids in the program).
The show was noted for the key phrase "4-4-3-2" that was often invoked to refer to the USDA
's then-recommended number of daily servings of the four food groups
— "fruits and vegetables," "breads and cereals," "milk or cheese," and "meat, fish or fowl." Thanks in part to the popularity of "Mulligan Stew", 4-H membership was boosted to an all time high in 1974, and it remained on the air (in reruns) until 1981. Many children of the 1970s remember the show fondly, especially the episode where pizza
is recommended as a healthy food (because it fit into all four food groups).
and John Hurt
.
Mion Hahm (Micki, credited as Mi-on Hahm in the show) is now a banking professional in Florida.
Steve Einbender (Mike) is Senior Manager of Customer Analytics, The Home Depot, in Atlanta, Georgia. He still plays drums.
Barry Michlin (Wilbur) had a number of minor roles throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He is now a photographer in Los Angeles.
Benjamin Sands (Manny) is now a music teacher in the Washington, D.C. area.
Sherry Wright (Maggie), an actress and singer who made her home in Alexandria, Virginia, passed away in July 2009.
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
Council and shown both in schools and on television. It was produced by Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and premiered in 1972 during National 4-H Week in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Named for the hobo dish (and also for the initials of Michigan State) each of the six half-hour episodes gave school-age children information about nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
.
Produced by V. "Buddy" Renfro, Mulligan Stew featured a multi-racial group of five kids: Maggie (Sherry Wright), Mike (Steven Einbender), Micki (Mion Hahm), Manny (Benjamin Sands), and Mulligan (Larry Friedman), plus one adult, Wilbur Dooright (played by Barry Michlin, who later had a minor career in movies and TV). The group went on nutritional adventures around the globe, although the series' filming usually stuck close to Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
(the opening sequence was filmed in MSU's football stadium.)
School packages included a companion comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
with further adventures of the characters, reviews of things learned from the show, and lyrics to the show's songs (performed by The Stews, a band comprising the five kids in the program).
The show was noted for the key phrase "4-4-3-2" that was often invoked to refer to the USDA
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
's then-recommended number of daily servings of the four food groups
Food groups
A food group is a collection of foods that share similar nutritional properties or biological classifications. Nutrition guides typically divide foods into food groups and recommend daily servings of each group for a healthy diet.-Common food groups:...
— "fruits and vegetables," "breads and cereals," "milk or cheese," and "meat, fish or fowl." Thanks in part to the popularity of "Mulligan Stew", 4-H membership was boosted to an all time high in 1974, and it remained on the air (in reruns) until 1981. Many children of the 1970s remember the show fondly, especially the episode where pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
is recommended as a healthy food (because it fit into all four food groups).
Episode list
| № | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | "The Great Nutrition Turn On" |
| Wilbur and the Stews travel to the town of Lazy Susan and rescue the lethargic locals, whose energy is being sapped from poor eating habits. | |
| 2 | "Look Inside Yourself" |
| The Stews explain the basics of nutrition and digestion Digestion Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into smaller components that are more easily absorbed into a blood stream, for instance. Digestion is a form of catabolism: a breakdown of large food molecules to smaller ones.... , as well as the importance of eating breakfast. |
|
| 3 | "The Flim Flam Man" |
| The Stews shun Mulligan when he refuses to follow the direction of a macrobiotics-like fad diet promoter. Mulligan is ultimately proven correct, but not without some anguish on his part. | |
| 4 | "Getting It All Together" |
| The Stews help prepare a buffet Buffet A buffet is a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area where the diners generally serve themselves. Buffets are offered at various places including hotels and many social events... to spotlight the nutritional value of international foods. |
|
| 5 | "Countdown 4-4-3-2" |
| With a rescue bag of food in tow, the Stews come to Wilbur's aid when he chooses a dark and stormy night for a camp-out. | |
| 6 | "The Racer That Lost His Edge" |
| With the help of a balanced diet, a sidelined race car driver regains his proper racing weight and returns to action — and his gout Gout Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate... is alleviated to boot. |
|
Cast members
Larry Friedman (Mulligan) is a dancer and stage performer. He recently appeared in the musical Rasputin with Ted NeeleyTed Neeley
Ted Neeley is a rock and roll drummer, singer, actor, composer, and record producer. He is probably best known for performing the title role in the film Jesus Christ Superstar in 1973....
and John Hurt
John Hurt
John Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
.
Mion Hahm (Micki, credited as Mi-on Hahm in the show) is now a banking professional in Florida.
Steve Einbender (Mike) is Senior Manager of Customer Analytics, The Home Depot, in Atlanta, Georgia. He still plays drums.
Barry Michlin (Wilbur) had a number of minor roles throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He is now a photographer in Los Angeles.
Benjamin Sands (Manny) is now a music teacher in the Washington, D.C. area.
Sherry Wright (Maggie), an actress and singer who made her home in Alexandria, Virginia, passed away in July 2009.
See also
- Food guide pyramidFood guide pyramidA food guide pyramid is a triangular or pyramid-shaped nutrition guide divided into sections to show the recommended intake for each food group. The first food pyramid was published in Sweden in 1974. The most widely known food pyramid was introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture...
for current USDA recommendations - "My Plate" is the 2011 USDA updated nutritional recommendation. http://www.choosemyplate.gov/index.html
External links
- Review of "Mulligan Stew" comic book at Stupid Comics
- "Mulligan Stew" on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....