Guest Column: State of the Disney Channel - Dec 2, 2004

Guest Column: State of the Disney Channel
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That gives Playhouse Disney more clout in its escalating rivalry with Nickelodeon’s top-rated Nick Jr. block, and now that Cartoon Network is readying its own set of preschool shows for debut next spring, with Comcast leading the development of a 24-hour preschool network, the already crowded preschool programming playground is about to get tougher. Disney Channel is responding by cooking up its biggest batch yet of new shows for the formative audience of 2-to-5 year-old viewers, starting next October with the debut of a high-concept animation/live-action series from the Disney-owned Baby Einstein Company.

But the network isn’t forgetting kids on the older end of the spectrum either, particularly those 9-to 14-year-old girls. It’s already been doing plenty this year to attract their attention. It started in May with the sudden addition of Braceface, the animated series from sister network ABC Family featuring the voice of Alicia Silverstone as an awkward young teen dealing with the pressures of middle school. All three Disney Channel Original Movies that premiered over the summer –Zenon: Z3, Stuck in the Suburbs and the dramatic Tiger Cruise – followed by Halloweentown High this fall, featured teen girls in the lead roles and attracted strong female audiences.

Girls have also been tuning in to Phil of the Future, due in large part to the appeal of its star, 18-year-old Ricky Ullman, whose youthful good looks and boy next door charm made him an overnight sensation after his starring role in Disney Channel’s original movie Pixel Perfect last January. Phil also benefits from an ensemble cast with two standout actresses -- Alyson Michalka and Amy Bruckner. And that’s the kind of balanced approach Disney Channel is taking in its new shows, hoping to draw a more even blend of male and female viewers.

Case in point: Brandy & Mr. Whiskers, Disney Channel’s animated buddy comedy about a spoiled poodle and a wacky rabbit stranded together in the Amazon rainforest. Featuring the voice of Kaley Cuoco from ABC’s 8 Simple Rules…, the series follows in the vein of other Disney Channel programs with girl appeal, but shakes up the format with the kind of off-the-wall comedy boys love. Brandy’s debut in August also served as the kick-off for Magnet-Tude, a weekend programming block showcasing two hours of Disney Channel’s original animated series.

That’s significant because it’s the first step in Disney Channel’s commitment to establish itself as a top destination for television animation. It’s a medium that has served Nickelodeon well, launching an enviable load of popular franchises for that network in recent years -- seen The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie? Now Disney is looking for similar success. Animation already fills more than half of the Disney Channel schedule, and nearly a dozen new series are in development at Walt Disney Television Animation and set to debut on Disney Channel in the next three years.

It only fits that when Disney Channel kicks back into full action in 2005, its first original series will be an animated production. Premiering next January, American Dragon: Jake Long is a high-powered comedy about an Asian-American teen from New York City who inherits mystical dragon powers that guard all magical creatures secretly living in the human world. With a creative team that includes members of the Kim Possible crew, Jake should fuel plenty of action for boys, but in keeping with Disney Channel’s quest for balance, will also sport a softer side, including the voice of Amy Bruckner from Phil of the Future as Jake’s sister.

Also in January, Alyson Michalka from Phil of the Future leads the year’s original movie slate with Now You See It…, starring as the producer of a teen reality show who discovers a young male magician with real supernatural powers. And checking in next summer is the first in a handful of live-action series Disney Channel has planned through 2007. The Suite Life stars 12-year-old identical twins Dylan and Cole Sprouse as brothers living at the top of the posh Boston hotel where their mother headlines as a lounge singer.

Best known for their early role in the Adam Sandler movie Big Daddy, the Sprouse brothers have the perfect combination of talent, personality and irresistible charm to become the next power pair of kid stars, and more than six months before their series debut, Disney Channel is already counting on them to deliver sweeping success for the network. Boys will want to hang out with them, girls will adore them, younger kids will look up to them, older kids will relate to them.

With expectations that high, what can you say? There’s a lot to look forward to.

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-- Doobie Moseley
-- Posted December 3, 2004

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