Disney Channel Boned the Fish When...

[TMC]

http://www.bonethefish.com/viewtopics.php?732

The Disney Channel began in 1983. Originally it was a pay channel that showed classic Disney cartoons and programing. Later it would show a new version of "The Mickey Mouse Club" and current Disney movies. It has since become a channel targeted to pre-teens.

[Dude111]

I remember several years ago one night I was tuning around and I stopped on Disney channel.... THEY WERE SHOWING AN 'R' RATED MOVIE!! (Must have been a programming slip up) -- I was watching over direcTV and I couldnt believe it when i saw "R" for the rating on the top banner!!


That was the only time I saw an R movie on Disney!

[TMC]

To me, Disney Channel really "Boned the Fish" around the time that Hannah Montana blew up beginning in 2006. I say this because shortly after this, it seemed like just about every live-action DC program followed the same "tried and true" formula (DC pretty much gave It's a Laugh! Productions exclusive rights to produce their live-actions shows) that pander towards young pre-teen girls.

I think that seeing all of the money that DC was making off of Hannah Montana and High School Musical, the light bulb went off. Thus, just about every show since that time had to involve the main characters being in show business (or aspiring to be in show business) or some other "whacked out" premise (e.g. Dog with a Blog). If not that, then the lead actress has to be pre-packaged into not only being an actress but also a pop star (e.g. Bridget Mendler from Good Luck Charlie, despite it being the more "grounded in reality" DC sitcom of recent memory).

Another annoying thing about Disney Channel (besides it fashioning itself into the tween version of MTV) is that shows that are at least five years old, are bound to never be broadcast at all again. I don't understand why Disney Channel doesn't want to acknowledge it's lengthy history behind the short-term.

[TMC]

A brief summary of the "evolution" of the Disney Channel (for better or worse) over the past ten years or so:

The switch to sitcom format (versus the single camera format shows like LM and ES were shot in) was a direct result of economics; sitcoms are cheaper to produce than single camera shows since sitcoms are all on a sound stage and not on location. This in turn effected the kinds of stories they could tell.

What really changed from LM to now is Disney became obsessed with programming for strictly tween-age girls (8-11) compared to past Disney shows that catered to the whole family e.g. Even Stevens, Jet Jackson, etc. The success of Hilary Duff, and LM is what started it all, ironically.

Then, of course, Disney hit it big with the music dollars during the High School Musical, Hannah Montana-era (2006-2009) and things changed even more. More emphasis on lite and silly musicals geared toward tween girls e.g. Camp Rock, Jonas Brothers, etc. and no emphasis on more serious shows like LM.

So, the evolution of Disney from early the 2000s to now has been significant going from from family-oriented shows (shows the whole family could enjoy regardless of age, or gender) to shows catering strictly to tween girls & featuring music as the centerpiece.

However, Disney is slowly changing back to more family-oriented shows since the music-era is officially over. There will always be shows with music, or musical undertones, but I don't think we are going to see shows like HM, or Jonas Brothers any time soon, thankfully.

[TMC]

Why is Disney Channel so against animation?

[Blackout]

sorry TMC but where is "sucked when it canned Growing Pains and became cool again when GMW started"? lol

[icecream]

Disney boned the fish when it made no talent tramp Miley Cyrus popular.

[Regulus]

IMO they "Jumped the Shark" when they stopped airing Disneyland/The Wonderful World of Color/Disney as well as the classic movies. IMO the decline of this channel was also the "Jump the Shark" moment for Cable TV itself!

[TMC]

Originally Posted by catsrule

Disney boned the fish when it made no talent tramp Miley Cyrus popular.

Why do some people think Disney Channel started going downhill in 2006?

[MrCleveland]

Originally Posted by Regulus

IMO they "Jumped the Shark" when they stopped airing Disneyland/The Wonderful World of Color/Disney as well as the classic movies. IMO the decline of this channel was also the "Jump the Shark" moment for Cable TV itself!

I agree...and that was in 2002...there's STILL an audience for those people!

[Mace Dolex]

I remember when they would air movies without commercials I'd watch Honey I Shrunk The Kids but that was it, never could get into the kiddie crap.

Sure it seems the success of Hanna Montana and High Schoo Musical kind of inspired countless copycats of every show starring kids with dumb parents, there are a few that are tolerable like Wizards Of Waverly Place and The Suite Life but those are few and far inbetween.

As for Girls Meets World, looks like junk and I was never a fan of BMW either.

[Hawkee]

In my eyes why Disney Channel is starting to change it's image is because they are attracting a new audience and a whole new world of great changes. But when Disney Channel was introduced to the world in 1983 it was a wonderful channel targeted to family and kids shows and it had a variety of shows that families could watch together such as cartoons movies sitcoms game shows and family dramas. But I think when Disney Channel launched Toon Disney {Now Disney XD** you could tell that Disney Channel was going downhill and indeed going toward a new direction by focusing more and more on kids and teens by adding more cartoons and sitcoms and focusing less on adults and by making new TV stars and movie actors have their big breaks at stardom. Take for example when High School Musical debuted it made Zac Efron a huge successful star and Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu also became big stars and the same thing happened with That's So Raven as well. I also think that with Hannah Montana Disney Channel really had a magic formula with stars like Miley Cyrus and with Demi Lovato with Camp Rock. Another thing I've noticed about Disney Channel that I just can't figure out why they do this is that they overhype new shows way too much. Take for instance with the debut of the new cartoon Elena Of Avalor Disney Channel has played the commercials way too much and to me I love hearing the Elena Of Avalor ads but I wish Disney Channel would let these ads get limited airplay because I have memorized the whole theme song by heart every time I hear them. Another cartoon that Disney Channel overhypes is Star Vs The Forces Of Evil and with it's new season starting tomorrow it seems that both Disney Channel and Disney XD have high hopes for this cartoon. But I sure wish Disney Channel would one day return to it's family roots and bring back shows like Avonlea Adventures In Wonderland and The American Teacher Awards and bringing classic Disney Channel shows would be so wonderful to watch one day on a new improved Disney Channel someday indeed
Bestie

[Hawkee]

Another thing i've started to notice about Disney Channel is that any time they show a sitcom or cartoon they show about a few minutes of the sitcom or cartoon then have commercial breaks and I don't know why Disney Channel does this? Is it because to make Disney Channel more money or is it so Disney can promote it's shows and advertise new upcoming stars? Take for instance when I was watching Elena Of Avalor today Disney edited it to have commercial breaks and because of this I have given up watching Elena Of Avalor and I'm waiting for the DVD of the Elena Of Avalor series. I remember every time Disney Channel would debut a new cartoon or premiere a Disney movie for the first time Disney Channel would present the cartoon or movie with no commercials and that was so awesome. Another thing that Disney Channel has done that I don't understand why it's successful is have a hit movie then make a lot of merchandise based on it and make the actors/actresses singing stars. Take for instance Disney Channel has made a big success with the movie Desendants by releasing a cartoon series and a book series and Hasbro has made dolls of the Desendants characters and now there is even talks of a Desendants 2 sequel. When Disney Channel debuted Good Luck Charlie it made Bridget Mendler a huge superstar with a hit album and the same thing with Zendaya with KC Undercover. But Disney Channel should also improve by having concerts of popular music stars like Disney Channel used to in the 80's and 90's and that would be awesome
Bestie