MYSTIQUE OF THE MOUSE DISNEY FOREVER FLIES BANNER HIGH WITH NEW GENERATION OF PRESCHOOLERS.

Byline: David Kronke Television Critic

Seventy-eight years after he exploded into America's consciousness in ``Steamboat Willie,'' Mickey Mouse is now trying to appeal to an audience that wasn't even born in the same century as he was.

``Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,'' debuting Friday on the Disney Channel, is an educational series aimed at preschoolers, designed to help them develop both their math skills and their love of Disney characters.

``I've worked with Mickey on previous projects,'' says the show's executive producer, Bobs Gannaway, before pausing in amusement. ``That sounds like he's a person - like we hang out together.''

``Mickey's done a lot of things, but we realized there's never been a show with him squarely aimed at preschoolers,'' adds Nancy Kanter, senior vice president of Disney Channel original programming.

``He's a character that people of all ages love. We wanted to introduce him to a new generation of TV watchers in a show aimed just at them.''

Which didn't seem to be a very tough challenge.

Kanter says that although Mickey has been around for eight decades, ``We were flabbergasted that our research showed that kids (of preschool age) just have this instinctive reaction, that he's my friend. They want to play with him, and this show is an attempt to capture that.''

``Mickey Mouse Clubhouse'' is a computer-animated series that asks its viewers to apply their rudimentary math skills. In its premiere episode, for example, children are asked to count along as the sheep that Daisy Duck has lost (a la Little Bo Peep) are discovered with the aid of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and even the hapless Donald Duck.

Shape recognition, simple logic problems and even exercise are parts of the show's curriculum.

``One of the things we'd hear over and over in our testing was, `If you could put some counting in it, that would be great,''' Kanter says.

``Kids love practicing that skill. They really love doing it. Counting to 10 to show off their mastery is something they love and feel proud of.''

Gannaway admits that the show's interactive element - Mickey asks his viewers questions, which they're expected to answer - might initially seem a little antiquated.

``We want to give the kids at home the sense that they're helping Mickey solve a problem,'' he says. ``That pause (between Mickey's question and the response) is silent so kids don't feel they can't interrupt. It's tricky to train your ear to that - when you're watching, it feels as though nothing's happening.

``But kids at home are screaming the answer. We've witnessed this live, with kids, so that pause doesn't seem nearly as silent.

Gannaway adds that the show's team tried using a ``reward sound,'' but noticed it seemed to break children's concentration. ``Kids would tend not to interrupt with their answers if there was a sound,'' he says.

``The pauses, for an adult who's watching, it's like, `Oh, my god, is it broken?' But the pause makes the kid feel, `Oh, it's not going anywhere until I fit in.'''

And Gannaway says that the legacy of Mickey and his pals gave him more leeway in producing this kind of educational show.

``If you created an original preschool show, you might not come up with this group of characters,'' he says. ``But they're established.

``You have at the center this likable, relatable mouse, but you also have short-tempered Donald (Duck), who's easily frustrated and sometimes makes the wrong choice.

``Which is great - if you were creating characters from scratch, you might be more cautious. But viewers can relate to an easily frustrated character like Donald.''

Likewise, Gannaway says that writing a show for such a young audience might be more of a challenge than one might imagine.

``From a writing standpoint, it's very difficult - you're writing for 3- to 4-year-olds, whose knowledge base is limited. It works for you in regard to comedy - when a sheep b-a-a-h-h-s funny, that's a big laugh; they're in the aisles. ... But puns don't work as well.

Still, Kanter acknowledges that no one truly knows why Mickey continues to appeal to fans of all ages.

``We've asked ourselves that question, and if we knew, we'd be able to create more characters this appealing,'' she says.

``But Walt (Disney), in his genius, figured it out, and all we're doing is keeping that genius alive.''

David Kronke, [phone]

david.kronke(at)dailynews.com

MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE

What: Mickey and his pals return in this computer-animated series aimed at preschoolers.

Where: Disney Channel.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday; thereafter, 9 a.m. Saturdays.

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(1 -- 2 -- color) no caption (Disney characters)