How did we get here? Episode 1: Disney Channel

As someone who grew up a quintessential Disney kid, I naturally look back on that time in my life with fond nostalgia & sentimentality but the fact remains many people have claimed the network has been in somewhat of a decline over the years. So now that I am able to look at it with complete objectivity, let’s take a look at the current status of their programming & see how it stacks up against the so-called golden age of Disney Channel.

So at the moment, they only have five live-action original scripted series: the two newer series, ultra violet & black scorpion, & the villains of valley view alongside the veteran shows, secrets of sulphur springs, raven’s home & bunk’d. Why they decided two superhero series on the same network was a good idea is beyond me but perhaps they were taking a page out of the arrowverse playbook. In any case, VVV is actually not half bad. Granted, I’m not really sure who their target demographic is for this but you can’t argue with the results. Sure, they have quite a few jokes that fall flat but there are also others that you can tell were written by people who actually know comedy. Sure, the cgi is a bit spotty at time (although honestly not too shabby, all things considered), the gay character (even if not outright stated as such) feels a bit stereotypical, & there are clear & obvious parallels to the thundermans but three episodes in & the series does appear to be finding its footing & forging its own path. & if you can create a series that appeals to both kids & young adults, you should be in good shape going forward. Let’s just hope it can sustain that momentum moving forward.

One thing interesting about the two rookie series is the fact that, rather than using the typical full seasons (like every DCOS before them & their predecessors), they’ve opted for a more streamlined approach with a mere ten. I think this makes for a solid approach as it makes the series, to quote double r, “all killer & no filler.” They have since wrapped up their first season & been renewed. So, especially because of the cliffhanger ending, I look forward to seeing the series hit its stride & reach its full potential as it heads into its sophomore season.

Then there’s ultra violet & black scorpion which leaves me with a lot to unpack here. Honestly, I went into it with an open mind but there’s just so much about it that rubs me the wrong way. For one thing, the special effects that occur in the action scenes seem to indicate them paying homage to some of the classic superhero series of the 60’s (most notably batman) & that’s all well & good. But it’s never explained why we see those effects or how exactly they think they’ve earned that type of parallel. Speaking of which, there are obvious parallels to batman which, as a fan, I love but as a writer, it just feels like they got really lazy when creating their characters. There’s also no explanation given as to where the masks come from or why they only work for their respective characters (& honestly I’d be shocked if there ever is one provided).

Not to mention the fact that she is just so annoying when doing her livestreams (& oftentimes just in general). I’m not saying a superhero can’t also be an influencer but when that part of their identity overshadows the part that’s supposed to care about keeping the city safe, that’s when you lose most (if not, all) of your target audience. If we wanted to watch a show about social media stars, we’d just watch reality tv but this just comes off as really campy (& not in a good way). Maybe it picks up later on but right now I just don’t have much hope for the series. At the very least, though, it does manage to differentiate itself from other superhero series currently on the air. So while I can respect what they were trying to do, it just does not resonate with me at all. I know I’m not their target demo but I just can’t imagine even kids would be that into a series with a character as irritating as her. When your adult character proves to be more relatable than the child, that’s when you have a serious problem on your hands.

The most experimental series on the list would have to be secrets of sulphur springs, a new adventure that promises to be the live-action version of gravity falls essentially. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I like that they’re trying to do something different for a change & as a mystery lover, it certainly piques my interest. I haven’t managed to get that far into it yet but it does seem promising & at least the dialogue isn’t cringey as hell. The plot does feel a bit contrived but I’m glad they are at least trying to branch out from their usual fare. Hopefully, it will continue to find its footing as it heads into its third season. So I’m intrigued to see where it goes in the future.

Next up is raven’s home which is arguably part of the golden age (at least tangentially) considering it’s a sequel series to TSR which aired during that same era. Now in its fifth season, the series has tried its best to recapture the magic of the original to varying degrees of success. What’s most interesting is the new season which sees the series return to its San Franciscan roots & also brings back one of the ogs, Victor Baxter (now better known as Grandpa Vic). But in doing so, the series kicks almost all of its new characters to the curb & even one of the ogs. Granted, I was never the biggest fan of Chelsea but considering how integral she is to the franchise (if you can call it that), it feels weird they’d just put her out to pasture with no real explanation. The truth is we don’t know exactly what the catalyst for this big overhaul was but I would be shocked if two thirds of the cast just woke up one morning & suddenly decided they didn’t want to do the show anymore.

I guess if they were going to keep any other character besides the titular one, it makes sense that it would be Booker seeing as he’s not only her flesh & blood but also the only other character besides her who has visions (which is essentially the crux of the entire series). But I just can’t help but think the writers seem to operate with some sort of reckless abandon when it comes to trying to maintain the show’s longevity. I mean I’m not openly against a soft reboot of the series (or requel, if you will, as established by scream) but the fact that no reason was given for the exit of the majority of the cast is nothing if not disconcerting. Now it is confirmed Chelsea will return for the 100th episode so apparently she didn’t have any sort of falling out with the network but I just can’t help but wonder what led to them deciding to shake things up when things were perfectly fine just the way they were. It also seems a bit unrealistic that she would just move to a different city without her own daughter. I mean I know she’s pretty much 13 going on 30 but I still doubt someone as overprotective as her would let her go off & do her own thing at such a young age. & the fact that she’s only been referenced once or twice since her departure does seem to indicate the writers cares more about Booker than her.

All of this is not to say I’m not enjoying the new season. I think they’ve got a few solid jokes in there & we are seeing a bit of character development from the prodigal son which is good considering he had almost none in the previous seasons (although he still has yet to learn the visions are almost always taken out of context but I think that’s just part of the overall identity of the series). & I do think if they were going to retain any other cast member who’s not an og, Booker does make the most sense but it’s just hard to overlook the massive shakeup of what was already a pretty solid formula. It’s also odd that raven’s mom has yet to be mentioned despite the fact that as far as we know, she’s still married to her dad yet nowhere to be seen. But considering the fact that it’s only about halfway through the season, it may be a bit too premature to judge. However, so far I think they’re off to a relatively decent start.

& finally, you have bunk’d, arguably the most peculiar entry on this list. Much like its predecessor, it’s somewhat a vestige of the golden age being a spinoff of a series that first began airing towards the tail end of the so-called glory days of Disney. But the question now remains whether you can actually call it a spinoff of the original series when none of the ogs are still on the show. In any case, the series has pressed on against all odds, somehow becoming the longest-running disney channel original series in the process & now seems poised to make it to at least 139 episodes (a DCOS record). But the series is not without its behind-the-scenes controversy as it has also set the record for highest turnover on any disney series in history. Perhaps this wouldn’t be such an issue if not for the fact that they never explain why so many cast members come & go like a revolving door. So many of them are just here today & gone tomorrow, most with little to no fanfare. I mean it makes sense why all the ogs left; they had been in their roles for close to 8 years & were probably just feeling stagnant as a result but even many of the new cast members don’t last longer than one or two seasons. By the time the next season rolls around, it’s almost like they never even existed.

Again, all of this is not to say I’m not enjoying the series as a whole. I mean as a kid who practically, ate, slept & breathed summer camp, it definitely hits home for me (at least as much as a series like this can with so many fantastical elements) & they do still have some good jokes for a a series like this. I might argue the high turnover sometimes even works in its favor due to the many different character dynamics & pairings we’ve gotten over the years but it does feel as if the show is treading water at this point with no clear endgame in sight. I mean they’re not even staying in the same setting next season, opting to relocate to some middle-of-nowhere town in Wyoming instead. Taking a page out of the RH playbook, the new overhaul will come complete with a few new cast members alongside the returning ones & even a subtitle: learning the ropes. The series has gotten a bit of hate over the years (some of it justified, some of it not so much) but I think part of the reason it has endured is simply because we can all relate to those indelible memories we have of making friends & opening ourselves up to new experiences at summer camp. As to whether or not this will be the final season, I wouldn’t be surprised. More than likely, it’s only a matter of time before Mallory decides she doesn’t want to continue & once that happens, I doubt the series would go on without her. But as long as camp kikiwaka is still open for business, I’ll keep coming back.

& though it is not technically on the air anymore, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention andi mack. This was disney’s attempt at trying to appeal to a somewhat older demo & I think for the most part it works. There are still a few corny jokes here & there but mostly it tries to tackle important issues with the gravitas & pragmatic attention it deserves. I honestly did not think I’d enjoy it that much but ended up finishing it off in just three days which speaks volumes. Although they haven’t really followed up with any other mature programming since then, I do still admire their attempts to spread a message of representation, acceptance & equality for all. So I would love to see what else Minsky has to offer viewers in the future (perhaps on disney plus).

So setting aside our own biases & predilections, how does it compare to the golden age? Well, first we have to define what exactly that encompasses. Obviously, you can ask ten different people & get twenty five different answers but I’ve always thought of it as the big five: wizards of waverly place, suite life, hannah montana, that’s so raven & phil of the future. Then on the animation side, you’ve got the big three: kim possible, american dragon & phineas & ferb (but that’s probably a topic for another episode so I digress). I think part of what made the golden age as great as it was is the endearing aspect of it. I mean, sure, they got into all kinds of convoluted schemes but you knew at the end of day it was always well-intentioned. But can you really say that with some of the newer shows? I mean if you’re more obsessed with getting likes & followers than actually stopping crime, you might as well be one of the bad guys the superheroes are always throwing in prison. Because those who stand by & let evil happen are worse than the ones perpetrating it (well, maybe not worse but they’re definitely not much better). & the same can be said for VVV as it features an entire episode centered around narcissism & blackmail (& that’s just the tip of the iceberg).

But at least the more seasoned series don’t seem to be suffering from that same issue; they may not be fixated on the greater good but at least they know what good is in the first place. As for the writing, it’s never been on par with some of the top-tier sitcoms out there but it does seem to have remained rather steady over the years in terms of quality. A lot of the writing for UV&BS seems to be mimicking the way a grown adult thinks children speak & act but apart from that, most of the series are written at least halfway decently to the point where it feels more or less realistic. & when it comes to the acting, I don’t think we’ve ever seen an emmy-winning performance on this network (except arguably marion moseby) but at least it’s decent enough to not take you out of the story. & I think that’s been pretty consistent over the years as well.

So in summation, is the current slate inferior to the golden age? I would say so but to be fair, they did set the bar pretty high back in the day. But I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as people make it out to be. I think a lot of them are just bitter that the quality has dipped slightly thereby causing them to lash out. The sad thing is the whole “ruined my childhood” trope is still in full force no matter how much we’ve tried to put the kibosh on it. If we’re talking individually, I’d say UV&BS is the weakest of the bunch. In order of quality, I would put SSS at number four followed by bunk’d & RH with VVV in the top spot. But I do hope the network never stops trying to roll out quality programming because future generations deserve to have the same kind of “golden age” we were fortunate enough to experience as kids. Even if they can’t pull it off, there’s always nick. But at the end of the day, as long as they’re trying their best, that’s all that matters.