“Walt Disney: Behind the Magic” Celebrates the Pioneer Who Created an Entertainment Empire in Documentary Special That Tops June 2024 Premieres

“On Patrol: Live” New Episodes Every Friday and Saturday Night in June Starting @ 9PM ET/ 6PM PT Featuring Host and Executive Producer Dan Abrams and Deputy Sheriff Curtis Wilson with Tom Rizzo.

REELZ today announced its June 2024 premieres led by new original documentary special Walt Disney: Behind the Magic taking viewers inside the kingdom and presenting the life story of the complicated man behind the iconic Mickey Mouse. The Disney name exploded into American pop culture courtesy of a scrappy cartoon mouse that still captivates audiences today. Walt Disney created the happiest place on earth but his life was far from a fairytale. Employee strikes, financial hardships, and devastating personal tragedies threatened Disney’s dream but his passion to conquer the seemingly impossible and provide audiences and visitors with countless immersive entertainment experiences was unshakeable. June 2024 premieres also include new episodes of hit original documentary series On Patrol: Live every Friday and Saturday night @ 9PM ET/ 6PM PT. On Patrol: Live follows live news-gathering protocols as its cameras document for viewers in real time the everyday work of police officers on patrol across America. Each episode is preceded by a new episode of On Patrol: First Shift @ 8PM ET/5PM PT where viewers get additional insight and updates from previous episodes of On Patrol: Live.

“Everyone knows the Disney name but the man behind it is a mystery to most until now. From his early cartoon sketches to opening Disneyland and beyond Walt Disney: Behind the Magic is an insightful look at his relentless vision to give people a fun experience and in the process radically alter what it meant to be entertained,” said Steve Cheskin, SVP of REELZ Programming. “We also look forward to new episodes of On Patrol: Live every Friday and Saturday night in June as the series recently marked the tremendous milestone of 36 straight premiere telecasts topping all cable entertainment networks on Friday and Saturday nights from 9PM – 12 midnight.”

Highlighting June 2024 premieres is Walt Disney: Behind the Magic on Monday, June 24 @ 9PM ET/ 6PM PT about the rollercoaster life story of the man who had an unwavering persistence to share his imagination but Disney watched his dreams nearly shatter repeatedly as he battled ferociously with forces within and beyond his control. At a time when cartoons were considered cheap entertainment Disney forged ahead founding his first animation company at just 20 years old. When cartoon competition began to heat up just a few years later Disney’s vision was almost crushed when a harsh lesson in character rights saw him lose his key cartoon character as well as most of his animators. Walt Disney: Behind the Magic chronicles the many highs and lows of Disney’s personal and professional life from the genesis of Mickey Mouse, the important bond he had with his brother Roy and the chaos filled grand opening of Disneyland to managing studio strikes and the tragic loss of his mother right as his success was finally paying off. Sharing their stories of working with Disney are former Imagineer at Walt Disney Studios Bob Gurr along with former Mouseketeer in The Mickey Mouse Club Cubby O’Brien while Disney historian and host of Connecting with Walt podcast Michael Bowling and Associate Professor of Film & Television Studios at the University of Vermont Sarah Nilsen help tell the remarkable story of Disney. Walt Disney: Behind the Magic is produced by AMS Pictures.

On Patrol: Live follows live news-gathering protocols as its cameras document for viewers in real time the everyday work of police officers on patrol. Host and Executive Producer Dan Abrams, alongside Deputy Sheriff Curtis Wilson, provide minute-by-minute live analysis and context, offering unique insight into the experiences of the men and women of law enforcement appearing on the show. On Patrol: Live airs live Friday and Saturday nights from 9PM to 12AM ET on REELZ, and streams on Peacock. The live show content is complemented by segments dedicated to tracking down America’s most wanted criminals, as well as finding missing people through the help of weekly “Missing” segments that air in conjunction with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Black and Missing Foundation (BAMFI). During these segments, the show calls on the viewing public and OPL’s broad social media footprint, known as #OPNation, to reach out to NCMEC’s and BAMFI’s special hotlines, should they have any information related to the missing persons. Segments are also shared via the show’s platforms on Twitter (@OfficialOPLive), Instagram (@officialoplive) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ReelzOfficialOPLive/). Before every new episode of On Patrol: Live is a new episode of On Patrol: First Shift, airing every Friday and Saturday night @ 8PM ET/ 5PM PT and providing updates of past stories covered by the show and presenting a look forward to the coming live episode. On Patrol: Live is produced by Half Moon Pictures for REELZ. Executive Producers are Dan Cesareo, John Zito, Lucilla D’Agostino, Paul Gordon, Joe Venafro and Dan Abrams.