Disney Channel
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| Disney Channel
<tr><th colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">Image:Disney Channel 2002.svg</th></tr>
<tr><th>Launched</th><td>April 18, 1983</td></tr><tr><th>Owned by</th><td>The Walt Disney Company</td></tr><tr><th>Sister channel(s)</th><td>Toon Disney |
- For the Disney Channel in other countries, see Disney Channel around the world.
Disney Channel is a 24-hour general entertainment television network in the United States that taps into the world of children through original series and movies, plus contemporary acquired programming. It is marketed solely to children under or of the age of 13. Currently available on basic cable and satellite, Disney Channel is part of Disney-ABC Cable Networks Group, and is managed by Disney-ABC Television Group, a division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is based in Burbank, California, a short distance from Disney's headquarters.
On a global basis, it represents the most successful portfolio of kids’ channels, reaching 150 million subscribers in over 100 countries in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Disney Channel Worldwide is comprised of 24 Disney Channels, eight Playhouse Disney Channels and nine Toon Disney Channels. Through a partnership with Buena Vista International Television, approximately 70 Disney-branded blocks of kids' programming are distributed to third party broadcasters in more than 60 countries reaching over 600 million television viewers. Disney Channel properties continue to rapidly expand into new markets across the world, playing a key role in introducing the Disney brand to new consumers.
Disney Channel is credited or has helped to launch or revitalize the careers of a number of already established and new rising young stars, including Raven-Symone, Hilary Duff, Adrienne Bailon, Kiely Williams and Sabrina Bryan of The Cheetah Girls, Alyson Michalka (one-half of Aly & AJ), Dylan and Cole Sprouse and more recently Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens and Miley Cyrus, among others.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early years
The channel's first programming day began on April 18, 1983 at 7:00 a.m. Eastern, with an episode of Good Morning, Mickey!, which featured classic Disney short cartoons. Early programs shown on the network included Good Morning, Mickey!, Donald Duck Presents, Contraption, Dumbo's Circus, You and Me Kid and Welcome to Pooh Corner. The late night had The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and other programming. Disney also published a complementary magazine, The Disney Channel Magazine, which featured program information.The channel received a special citation from U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1984. The Disney Channel programmed from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. (18 hours) from its inception until December 1986, at which time it began 24 hour a day programming.
During its early years, The Disney Channel imported several foreign animated shows and films, including Asterix (from France), The Raccoons (from Canada), and Paddington Bear (from the United Kingdom), among others.
[edit] Change
In 1997, Disney Channel took on a revamped look and dropped the "The" in the network's name, and split the network into three programming blocks—Playhouse Disney, a block of shows aimed at preschoolers; Vault Disney, an overnight block that featured classic Disney shows that aired on the network since its inception and movies such as Zorro, The Mickey Mouse Club, and The Love Bug; and the most distinct block, running from afternoon to late evening, called Zoog Disney, which was a programming block aimed at preteens —Even Stevens, Lizzie McGuire, Smart Guy, The Famous Jett Jackson, So Weird, etc. Zoog Disney also connected Disney Channel viewers and the computer, giving it a MySpace.com-type environment by allowing kids to interact with games and see their screen names on television. The programming block also featured anthropomorphic characters called Zoogs. They began to carry break interruptions (not advertising commercials, but promos from the network). Only one of the three original programming blocks that were introduced in 1998 survived, and it was Playhouse Disney, which still airs from 6am to noon to this day. Zoog Disney and Vault Disney on the other hand, didn't survive the change of 2002, Zoog Disney didn't survive because of Disney Channel's remodelation of the graphics and network in 2002. Vault Disney didn't survive because of Disney Channel's termination of Original Disney Characters in 2002, part of Disney Channel's Remodelation of it's graphics and network. Fans of the classic Disney characters and programs (which previously were the basis of the entire channel) consider this the moment Disney Channel jumped the shark.
[edit] A new identity
While Disney Channel moved from premium cable to basic cable on January 1997, most of the design elements changed three years later. The Zoogs were redesigned, and a new channel logo (which featured a 1930s-era Mickey Mouse on a black Mickey ear-shaped TV), was introduced in 1997. In 1999, Zoog Disney was introduced to Disney Channel meaning they would have two logos, the "Disney Channel Tv" logo, introduced in 1997, and the Zoog Disney logo, introduced in 1999. The two logos lasted from 1999 till 2002, when Zoog Disney was removed and Disney Channel introduced it's current logo.
From 2000 through 2002, ratings grew higher with such shows as Even Stevens, Kim Possible, Fillmore! and others. Lizzie McGuire became the network's banner show, and was the highest-rated program on the network. Reruns of Lizzie continued to outrate competing shows, including those from Disney Channel itself. This led to the termination of Vault Disney and all other classic Disney programming in September 2002. To complement the change, Disney Channel changed their logo at that time.
[edit] Today's Disney Channel
In 2002, Disney Channel remodeled itself once again introducing a new logo and graphics as well as program identification during programming. The Zoog characters and identity were dropped and the zoogdisney.com website was folded into Disney Channel's principal website.
The channel has become well known in recent years for its Disney Channel Original Series. Today's Disney Channel runs original programming such as That's So Raven, which is the network's highest rated original series of all-time. [1] That's So Raven made history as the first Disney Channel series to beat the 65 episode mark and get 100 episodes. Other hit shows on Disney are Phil of the Future, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Hannah Montana, and Kim Possible , (All four have been shown on ABC after debuting on Disney Channel, including That's So Raven), along with former ABC sitcoms such as Boy Meets World and Sister, Sister. Other shows aired by Disney Channel include: The Emperor's New School, The Proud Family, Brandy & Mr. Whiskers, American Dragon: Jake Long, The Buzz on Maggie, Naturally, Sadie, Life with Derek, Shorty McShorts' Shorts, and The Replacements. The pre-teen programming usually does not heavily feature the "classic" Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, and Goofy.
Disney Channel has aired promotions for General Mills cereals, Yoplait, and McDonald's (Playhouse Disney) and Kellogg's. Though they are not regular commercials, they are tailored to Disney Channel as sponsors of Disney Channel. Other than these sponsors, Disney Channel's program breaks remain, for the most part, to consist mostly of promos for the Channel's programming as well as occasional promos for other Disney-ABC Television Group networks (except SoapNet and ABC Family), music videos and public service announcements promoting physical activity.
[edit] Programming
Series produced by Walt Disney Television or production companies unrelated to the Walt Disney Company used to make up most of the schedule, but with the explosion of Disney Channel Original Series, less of these series air on the channel. The only non-original productions airing on Disney (not including the Playhouse Disney lineup) as of September 2006 are Sister, Sister, Boy Meets World, The Little Mermaid, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and The Lion King's Timon and Pumbaa. Playhouse Disney still airs in the mornings from 6 a.m. until noon.
[edit] Syndication
Disney Channel has syndicated Even Stevens and Lizzie McGuire exclusively to cable channel Superstation WGN. Both programs began running in September 2006 and now no longer air on Disney Channel. Both series are distributed by Buena Vista Television, which distributes all series produced by Walt Disney or Touchstone Television.
[edit] Campaign to save Disney shows
With all the success that Disney Channel has experienced in the last ten years, it has come with its share of costs. Many of its most-watched shows are forced into cancellation once they reach the maximum of 65 episodes (e.g. Lizzie McGuire stopped production at 65 episodes even though it was extremely popular and even remained one of the highest rating Disney Original series of all time). There has been a movement, mostly through online message boards and forums, to save cancelled shows that were stopped in their prime. An example is the "Save Phil" or "Save POTF" campaigns that tried to bring back Phil of the Future, one of Disney Channel's highest-rated shows that was canceled after 43 episodes/2 seasons were produced (the show has been cancelled). The last episode was aired August 19, 2006. Campaigns like this were responsible for a fourth season of Kim Possible which still has yet to air.
[edit] Movies
Additionally, a movie is broadcast almost every night, but not necessarily a theatrically released feature film. Disney Channel airs new made-for-TV movies, called Disney Channel Original Movies (or DCOMs), about 8 to 10 times a year, and those are frequently broadcast during that timeslot. Circa 2000, Disney Channel claimed to produce a new movie each month; this only lasted throughout that same year.
As of 2006, The Cheetah Girls 2 is the most-watched DCOM on it's premiere, but High School Musical is the most successful DCOM in total viewers, with an Emmy Award win for Outstanding Children's Series; its soundtrack reached the number one spot on the Billboard 200 twice (on March 1 and March 22, 2006), and had shipped over 3.5 million copies. Out of those copies, more than 3 million have been sold by September 2006; it was certified Triple Platinum by the RIAA. High School Musical also sold over 2 million DVDs and it's novelization went to the top of New York Times Children Book Bestseller list. The Cheetah Girls soundtrack was certified Double Platinum and the soundtrack to its sequel debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The Cheetah Girls DVD was the first DCOM on DVD to sell over 1 million copies (certified Platinum). Both movies had multiple songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and iTunes charts.
Occasionally, the channel will secure the rights to air a picture released by a non-Disney studio, most notably Warner Bros.' Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (along with its sequel, Chamber of Secrets), Universal's Beethoven and Columbia-TriStar's Stuart Little and Little Secrets which was owned by Samuel Goldwyn Films.
During the 1980s and 1990s, movies made up most Disney's evening and overnight schedule. It now only airs usually around 12 hours of movies per week, occasionally 14 or 15. A Disney Channel Original Movie used to air twice in the same night during its Friday night premiere; this tradition ended with the premiere of High School Musical. Most movies airing on Disney Channel usually run in the 95 to 105-minute range, promos included.
Because of this, Disney airs filler programming following the movie:
- If it lasts 1:25 to 1:35, an Original Series will air (Disney used to air syndicated series that aired on the channel).
- If it lasts 1:40 to 1:45, a miniature episode of an Original Animated Series will air.
- If it lasts 1:50 to 1:55, either a music video or two, along with Disney Channel promos, will air, or an episode of Shorty McShorts' Shorts may run.
In November 2006, the Disney Channel Movie opener was remixed.
[edit] Criticism
Disney Channel is known and occasionally criticized for its sometimes poor and/or obvious censoring and editing of some live action series and movies not produced by the channel.
Disney also has completely refused to air certain episodes of some non-Original Series, especially Boy Meets World, for adult content. Boy Meets World has had three episodes omitted from Disney Channel broadcasts. "If You Can't Be With the One You Love..." from the fifth season is one of the best examples of this. The involvement of alcohol abuse is the likely reason.
[edit] Disney Channel Circle of Stars
The Disney Channel Circle of Stars is a music band made up of Disney Channel stars. Two songs have been recorded and released on the Platinum Edition DVD releases of The Lion King and Cinderella.
- For The Lion King, the band sang Circle of Life. The people who sang were That's So Raven 's Raven-Symoné, Orlando Brown, and Anneliese van der Pol; The Proud Family 's Kyla Pratt; Kim Possible 's Tahj Mowry; Even Stevens 's Christy Carlson Romano and A.J. Trauth; and Lizzie McGuire 's Hilary Duff.
- For Cinderella, the band performed A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes. Returning singers from The Lion King were Raven-Symoné, Anneliese van der Pol, Kyla Pratt, and Orlando Brown. Newcomers were The Suite Life of Zack and Cody 's Sprouse twins, Brenda Song, and Ashley Tisdale; and Phil of the Future 's Ricky Ullman, Alyson Michalka, and Amy Bruckner. AJ Michalka was also a part of the song, but as a backstage singer, considering her face would be new on Disney Channel.
[edit] Toon Disney
Toon Disney is a "spin-off" of the Disney Channel. It borrows many elements from the Disney Channel such as its logos and animated shows. Some recent Disney Channel originals that appear on Toon Disney are Lilo and Stitch: The Series, Kim Possible, The Proud Family, Brandy & Mr. Whiskers, American Dragon: Jake Long, and The Emperor's New School.
[edit] Disney Channel On Demand
A limited selection of Disney Channel shows both past and present can be watched online with the flash-based Disney Channel Video Player. On Demand content is also available on Cablevision's iO Digital Cable.
[edit] List of programs broadcast by Disney Channel
[edit] Disney Channel around the world
[edit] See also
- Nickelodeon
- Cartoon Network
- Family Channel (Canadian network that airs some Disney Channel programs)
- ABC Family
[edit] External links
[edit] Official sites
- USA
- Brazil
- Australia/New Zealand
- South East Asia/Korea
- Poland
- Germany
- Italy
- UK
- France
- India
- Disney Channel International
[edit] Corporate information
[edit] Fansites
- Disney Channel Online (Fansite)
- Disney Channel Forum (Unofficial)
- Disney Channel Fan Online Forum
- Disney Channel Fan
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