Disney Channel

Disney Channel is a 24-hour general entertainment television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies, plus contemporary acquired programming. Currently available on basic cable, 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.

Change
In 1998, Disney Channel took on a revamped look and dropped the "The" in the network's name, and split the network into three programming blocks&mdash;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 &mdash;Even Stevens, Lizzie McGuire, Smart Guy, The Famous Jett Jackson, So Weird, etc. Zoog Disney also connected Disney Channel viewers and the computer, 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).

A new Identity
While Disney Channel moved from premium cable to basic cable on January 1997, most of the design elements have changed three years later. The Zoogs were redesigned, and the channel's logo (which featured a 1930s-era Mickey Mouse on a black Mickey ear-shaped TV), introduced in 1997, was changed to reflect the Zoog Disney image.

From 2000 through 2002, ratings grew higher with such shows as Even Stevens, Kim Possible 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.

Today
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 and does not heavily feature the "classic" Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, and Goofy.. 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, Kim Possible, and Hannah Montana, (The first three which 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 network is based in Burbank, California, a short distance from Disney headquarters. 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.

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.

Syndication
Disney Channel has syndicated Even Stevens and Lizzie McGuire exclusively to cable channel Superstation WGN starting in mid-September 2006. Both series will be distributed by Buena Vista Television, which distributes all series produced by Walt Disney or Touchstone Television.

Disney Channel Blocks
Disney Channel Diner

Watch your favorite shows on the weekdays, open every day at 6/5 central! See That's So Raven on Monday, Phil of the Future Tuesday, Hannah Montana Wednesday, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody Thursday, and then Life with Derek Friday! This block was added September 2006.

Adventures in Comedy

Laugh at your favorite characters on Disney Channel’s comedy block. Catch episodes of Lilo and Stitch: The Series, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King’s Timon and Pumbaa, and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. This block was added in Summer 2006, and The Little Mermaid was added September 9, 2006.

Fridays and Saturdays

Catch two new episodes of your favorite shows on Friday and Saturday! On Friday, catch The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Hannah Montana, and on Saturdays catch American Dragon: Jake Long and The Replacements. This was added in September 2006.

So Hot Summer So Hot Summer was added to Disney Channel in Summer 2005 and takes place every summer with new episodes and movies. And, since then, every last Friday in July, Disney has had a special event. In 2004, the That's So Raven musical episode. In 2005, the 2-part episode of That's So Raven, "Country Cousins", aired. In 2006, That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana aired. This was a three-part crossover of That's So Ravn, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and Hannah Montana.

Playhouse Disney

Your favorite shows are on every day as you Imagine and Learn along with favorite characters! Watch Mickey Mouse and friends finding out mathematics problems on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, learn about the heroes in our world with Higglytown Heroes, learn life lessons in JoJo’s Circus, and find out about Classical music and Composers in Little Einsteins! This block was added in 1995.

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 19th 2006. Campaigns like this were responsible for a fourth season of Kim Possible.

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, its follow-up, and High School Musical have been among the most succesful DCOMs. The Cheetah Girls 2 became the most watched movie in the station's history with an opening night audience of over 7.8 million. High School Musical received 6 Emmy Award nominations; 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. The Cheetah Girls soundtrack was certified double platinum and the soundtrack to its sequel debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold by the RIAA.

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 Samuel Goldwyn Films' Little Secrets, which is preferably owned by Columbia-TriStar.

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.

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, as well as low morals and life lessons.

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.

The channel can also can have lengthy double features, as well as showing the same movie during the time span of a month.

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-Symone, 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-Symone, 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.

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. It also airs the shorts Mike's Super Short Show and Movie Surfers on occasion.

Disney Channel XD
A limited selection of Disney Channel shows can be watched online with the flash-based Disney Channel XD. You can also get Disney On Demand if you have iO Digital Cable (cablevison). It allows you to watch old shows and sometimes even shows that haven't come out yet, as well as movies.