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Lee Wing-Sze

Back in the 1950s,  legendary entertainer Walt Disney  presented  popular characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck in the Disney  television programme  Wonderful World of Colour.

Donald Duck's uncle, a cartoon character named Professor Ludwig Von Drake,  took over the duty of presenter in the 1960s.

This year, Canto-pop star and award-winning actor Jacky Cheung Hok-yau will follow these two famous figures as the host of a new Disney  television programme, Magical World of Disneyland, on  TVB Jade  beginning this Saturday.

In a splendidly decorated set featuring  paintings of various cartoon characters,  Cheung  will take the audience behind the scenes  with a brief  story about the Disney founder. A bilingual screening of the classic animations will follow.

The first programme of the 10-episode  series kicks off  this weekend  with the blockbuster Toy Story. Other Disney animated films

to be featured include Dinosaur, Monsters, Inc. and Beauty and the Beast.

Cheung is also  the spokesman  for Hong Kong Disneyland. He will represent the park and  promote it across Asia when it opens late next year or early in 2006.

He is the second person in the 50-year history of Disney theme parks to be appointed as a celebrity spokesman, following in the footsteps  of renowned British actress Julie Andrews, who promoted the  original Disneyland in California.

Andrews is famous for her roles in the classic movie musicals Sound of Music and Disney's Marry Poppins, although she has also starred in contemporary movies such as The Princess Diaries.

As the father of a two-year-old daughter, Cheung was selected for his family values,  his talents as an entertainer and his fan recognition across Asia, according to the Walt Disney Company.

He was named the Most Popular Singer in Asia by the US Billboard Music Awards in 1994 and the world's best-selling Chinese Artist of the Year by the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo in 1995 and 1996.

He says he is happy and honoured  to represent Disney: 'I like cartoons a lot. I've been watching Disney's cartoons since I was a kid, so I'm pretty familiar with the stories,' said the 43-year-old.

The actor has provided a voice for the character  Aladar in the Cantonese and  Putonghua versions of Dinosaur.

Disney's  television programme is part of  a promotion campaign  for Hong Kong Disneyland. The 126-hectare park, located in  Penny's Bay  on Lantau Island, will feature four themed  sections -  Main Street USA, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Adventureland.

The Hong Kong theme park will also adopt some of the elements from the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.

Magical World of Disneyland, TVB Jade, 8.35pm. July 31: Toy Story, September 25: Dinosaur, October 23: Monsters, Inc. and December 25: Beauty and the Beast.



Host of the kingdom