Broadcast Networks- The Disney Channel- Winners and Losers

Since 2000, the Disney Channel has had a string of consistently strong hits including Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, The Suite Life on Deck, Sonny with a Chance, etc. Then somewhere along the way things started to change...tested formulas got tired, stars got older, stars got bad publicity, writing got campy, people stopped caring and ultimately the viewers stopped watching.

 Today's Disney Channel shows is a stark contrast to what it was 1-2 years ago. Today's lineup of the A.N.T. Farm, Shake It Up, Jesse, and So Random offer bleak prospects.

- So Random is so not funny that they should either cancel the show immediately or change the title to something more applicable. Saturday Night Live, and all successful sketch comedy shows, are funny because they are edgy and smart. So Random takes the opposite approach, staying away from the edge (like you'd expect any Disney Channel show to do) and dumbing the sketch down to the lowest common denominators. Point being, sketch comedy doesn't belong on the Disney channel. I would be surprised if this show stays on another year, and if it does then there really isn't anything better in development. 

- Shake It Up is the show that Disney is placing all of their chips in because it has a smart concept, it promotes dance as the inspiration for a comedy show. Unfortunately, the execution of this show is terrible, the characters and acting is abysmal, and it really isn't entertaining. I do not think this is going anywhere and will likely remain on the channel. 

- A.N.T. Farm is a brilliant idea because it targets Disney's true consumer demographic, PRE-TEENS and involves Disney music. China Anne McClain is very talented and should have a bright future in front of her. However, this show still isn't funny or entertaining...why not? Probably because the jokes are old and tired, formerly used in many Hannah Montana or Suite Life episodes, and because the Gibson character is the only one setting up recurring jokes. This simply isn't sustainable. 

- Jesse is the traditional Disney Channel show. You take a well-established Disney channel star and put them in a situation where they have to deal with outlandish characters and situations. However, this one isn't quite there yet. This show has hope, but it needs some fundamental writing and actor changes. 

Disney XD, the channel for boys, is in EVEN WORSE STATE. Shows about making the band, a karate squad, and more attempt to reach boys by UTILIZING A CONCEPT BOYS ARE FAMILIAR OR INTERESTED IN (BAND, KARATE, ETC.), BUT DO NOT PROVIDE A COMPELLING OR EVEN REMOTELY INTERESTING STORYLINE. 

Disney needs to continue doing what it does best. By far, one of Disney Channel's best shows EVER is Good Luck Charlie...and not because of its star Bridgit Mendler, but because ITS FUN AND FUNNY FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. This show has MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS and SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY. Teddy, the main character, is appealing to the pre-teen girls. Gabe, a rascally younger brother, has taken on a cult like following among boys. PJ, the not-quite all there older brother, is pure comic relief and is essentially the same character as Jason Earles character Jackson in Hannah Montana, the side characters like Ivy Mrs. Dabney also prove to have a niche following, but the biggest strength of the show is a compelling storyline, witty writing, and the comedic timing of the parents (Leigh-Allyn Baker and Eric Allan Kramer). THE PARENTS MAKE THE SHOW BY DEFINING THE LIMITS AND SET THE TONE FOR THE SHOW. Notice the parents in the other shows, they aren't nearly as funny or watchable. Good Luck Charlie combines all the elements of a classic sitcom with the Disney message. 

Wizards of Waverly Place is a good show. Not great, but good. The need was obviously there as it was designed to reach the Harry Potter craved youth. Selena Gomez has proven herself a star, and is undoubtedly Disney's biggest star since Cyrus' departure, but what makes the show is the relationship and rivalry between her and her older brother Justin (David Henrie). This relationship sets the dynamic for the series and introduces a conflict (the wizarding competition) that makes the series interesting. Unfortunately, besides being an expensive show to produce (special effects), the rest of the characters are pretty mediocre. The parents and the other child, Max (Jake T. Austin) are forgettable and the best friend Harper (Jennifer Stone) is not as funny a character as Disney would have hoped. 

Now, what do these two shows have in common? They have INBEDDED CONFLICTS AND A NATRUAL STORY ARC (wizarding competition among the siblings and the crazy daily antics of a slightly disfunctional family). The characters in these shows are NOT OVER-ACTED OR OVER-PORTRAYED like they are in A.N.T. Farm or others. The comedy is also smarter in these shows then they are in shows like So Random or many others. They need to have a small cast (Disney usually has a cast of about six actors) AND MAKE EACH ONE COMPELLING. Simply having one character be the "likeable", while another is the "funny" one, and one is a "straightline" one will result in a boring show. Sitcom comedy is about putting characters in relatable situations where the circumstances that occur have gone a little crazy. Disney should re-evaluate many of their shows as well as searching for actors that are simply too young to carry a show. I know Disney wants to maximize the amount of time they can get out of an actor before they are out of the "Disney Channel range", but having 8 or 9 year olds take leading roles can be disappointing because they simply don't have the comedic timing or skill yet. 

So what should Disney do in the long run? Hire Good Luck Charlie creators Drew Vaupen and Phil Baker to develop a few more series. Not necessarily ones that revolve around a family, but stories that are compelling and involve sharp humor, and is watchable for ALL AGES. Walt Disney described the need for Disneyland as a place where a parent and child could have fun together...the Disney Company needs to have the same philosophy for their Disney Channel television shows, radio shows, and movies, and the latest generation of shows created simply fail to entertain on any level.