Mulligan Stew is an American children's educational television series, produced and sponsored by the USDA Extension Service and its youth outreach program, 4-H.
The six-episode series follows the adventures of a group of five school-age musicians and their mentor, all dedicated to teaching others about good nutrition and developing healthier eating habits.
The series, along with various educational materials including a companion comic book with additional adventures of the characters, was developed by the Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service.
The group's clubhouse is a basement in a brownstone apartment, fully furnished with a kitchen, shortwave radio, home gym, laboratory, and even a small stage where they rehearse their music.
Their grownup advisor and mentor is Wilbur Dooright (Barry Michlin), a bespectacled, bumbling accountant who, in some episodes, gives the kids their assignments "from upstairs", assumed to be a secret government organization (paying homage to the spy films and TV shows of the day).
The use of dietary supplements was strongly discouraged; it was taught that all nutritional needs, including the proper intake of vitamins, minerals, fats and carbohydrates, could be adequately obtained solely by adhering to a balanced diet, with appropriate servings from the "basic four" food groups.
Mulligan Stew was developed based on plan and design proposals by Developmental Committees, Iowa State University Extension Service 4-H Nutrition Television Programs.