Disney Channel Criticism/State of the Disney Channel

[Semaj]

A compilation of the original Disney Channel logo (with a couple exceptions).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBSJUcSDrgE[/youtube]

Some younger viewers of today say they "miss" the old Disney Channel, but then name Lizzie McGuire and The Proud Family. Sorry, but they have no idea what they're talking about.

[DisneyFan09]

I'm going to go against the norm here and confess that I used to enjoy some of the current Disney Channel shows and some of their movies (at least those who were made in pre-2011). Call me crazy, but they were my guilty pleasure. Yes, they are flawed (mediocre acting, odd story-lines), but I still thought of them are trashy, silly fun. However, I understand the criticism against them. I used to love "Hannah Montana" despite it's flaws. Mostly because of the characters (Lilly, Robby Ray, Jackson and Oliver) and the music. But seeing it again after a couple of years, it's not as good as I remember it. "That's So Raven" was actually quite okay and I actually enjoyed both "Camp Rock" and "Jump In", as opposed to the dull "High School Musical" and "Starstruck". However, most of their shows have declined lately. "Shake It Up" have some catchy songs, but some horrible leads and the really annoying and overly exaggerated Gunther and Tinka. "Good Luck Charlie" used to be good at first, but became quite average after a while. "Fish Hooks" is horrible and I've never bothered to watch an episode of "Ant Farm".

And to be honest, I was never a huge fan of "Wizards of Waverly Place". I thought it was duller than the other shows.

The only show that I watch now and then is "Austin & Ally". Yes, it is flawed, but at least the music is catchy and the actors bring some genuine charisma and energy to their characters.

[Angeldude98]

Some younger viewers of today say they "miss" the old Disney Channel, but then name Lizzie McGuire and The Proud Family. Sorry, but they have no idea what they're talking about.

Oh absolutely!!!! I'm with you 100%!!!! The Disney Channel of today is not even a shadow of its earlier 80s-90s incarnation!

[disneyboy20022]

Some younger viewers of today say they "miss" the old Disney Channel, but then name Lizzie McGuire and The Proud Family. Sorry, but they have no idea what they're talking about.

Oh absolutely!!!! I'm with you 100%!!!! The Disney Channel of today is not even a shadow of its earlier 80s-90s incarnation!

It's not totally farfetched as it sounds.

Let's say someone was 8 years s old when Lizzie McGuire/Proud Family/Kim Possible around 2001. Right now that 8 year old year old would be about 23 and to them personally, those shows would be classics to them. It's all in the eye of the beholder.

[disneyphilip]

However, most of Disney Channel's animated shows are good, especially the new Mickey Mouse shorts, Phineas & Ferb and Wander Over Yonder.

[TsWade2]

However, most of Disney Channel's animated shows are good, especially the new Mickey Mouse shorts, Phineas & Ferb and Wander Over Yonder.

And Gravity Falls too.

[tweeb²]

Funny how things go...

During the end of the 80s and the first half of the 90s, the Disney Channel didn't exist in Spain, heck we didn't have cable or Satellite tv back then. But still I watched the now classic "disney afternoon" segment with Duck Tales, Goof Troop, Darkwing Duck, TaleSpin...the works, and loved it with passion.

In the last days of the 90 on into the 2000s two satellite tv companies started and thus, disney channel started it's existence in my country. Weird to remember it now, even when, while I wasn't part of the demographic because I was 14-17, at the time, I loved Pepper Ann, Recess, the Buzz Lightyear cartoon show, and I even watched LIzzie, even though it was more for early teens and pre-teens. I guess it was one of the first shows with, more or less, simple dialogue and "young people way of talking/slang" that I watched in english so I could listen and learn it.

The last Disney Show I enjoyed? KIm Possible, I was on my early college years, 19 or 20, when Kp aired here. Loved the show, didn't expect it to happen, but loved it, it was also the first time that I saw "the internet side of a show", internet forums, fan art, fan videos, fan fiction, people making movie trailers that where popular at the time with footage from the show....

I guess that right now, the execs saw that Lizzie and Raven where very successful tween shows, and like someone said earlier, Raven was truly the early concept of the modern shows on the channel, while Lizzie had a wonderful childish naiveté to it.

While I understand why a newer generation loves High School Musical, Zack and Cody, Hanna or Phineas & Ferb and I don't like it anymore, I think they might just overkilled it now, we turned from an almost 100% animation based shows, to mixing it with some lighthearted tween comedies (Even Stevens, Lizzie..) to self aware, cheap laugh, packed with merchandise (songs, clothes, movies..) tween cheap nock offs of the first half of the 2000s ones and simple cheap easy to make animation shows, with few honorable exceptions.

I mean just compare the quality in the animation in Kp and other recent shows, or that naiveté factor, that I think it's very important when you think back on it, to those "self aware that it is a TV show" newer comedies.

[The_Iceflash]

Oh absolutely!!!! I'm with you 100%!!!! The Disney Channel of today is not even a shadow of its earlier 80s-90s incarnation!

It's not totally farfetched as it sounds.

Let's say someone was 8 years s old when Lizzie McGuire/Proud Family/Kim Possible around 2001. Right now that 8 year old year old would be about 23 and to them personally, those shows would be classics to them. It's all in the eye of the beholder.

Yup. I'm 25 now and I was 12 in 2001. My Disney Channel was all the new shows at the time and Vault Disney. I never knew the 80s/early 90s Disney Channel. There is much to be missed in the 2001 Disney Channel. It had shows and TV movies for a variety of demographics. Not so much now. I'd like to think I know what I'm talking about.

Funny how things go...

During the end of the 80s and the first half of the 90s, the Disney Channel didn't exist in Spain, heck we didn't have cable or Satellite tv back then. But still I watched the now classic "disney afternoon" segment with Duck Tales, Goof Troop, Darkwing Duck, TaleSpin...the works, and loved it with passion.

In the last days of the 90 on into the 2000s two satellite tv companies started and thus, disney channel started it's existence in my country. Weird to remember it now, even when, while I wasn't part of the demographic because I was 14-17, at the time, I loved Pepper Ann, Recess, the Buzz Lightyear cartoon show, and I even watched LIzzie, even though it was more for early teens and pre-teens. I guess it was one of the first shows with, more or less, simple dialogue and "young people way of talking/slang" that I watched in english so I could listen and learn it.

The last Disney Show I enjoyed? KIm Possible, I was on my early college years, 19 or 20, when Kp aired here. Loved the show, didn't expect it to happen, but loved it, it was also the first time that I saw "the internet side of a show", internet forums, fan art, fan videos, fan fiction, people making movie trailers that where popular at the time with footage from the show....

I guess that right now, the execs saw that Lizzie and Raven where very successful tween shows, and like someone said earlier, Raven was truly the early concept of the modern shows on the channel, while Lizzie had a wonderful childish naiveté to it.

While I understand why a newer generation loves High School Musical, Zack and Cody, Hanna or Phineas & Ferb and I don't like it anymore, I think they might just overkilled it now, we turned from an almost 100% animation based shows, to mixing it with some lighthearted tween comedies (Even Stevens, Lizzie..) to self aware, cheap laugh, packed with merchandise (songs, clothes, movies..) tween cheap nock offs of the first half of the 2000s ones and simple cheap easy to make animation shows, with few honorable exceptions.

I mean just compare the quality in the animation in Kp and other recent shows, or that naiveté factor, that I think it's very important when you think back on it, to those "self aware that it is a TV show" newer comedies.

Well, High School Musical, Zack and Cody, and Hannah Montana is the Disney Channel of 5-7 years ago. Today's Disney Channel is Shake It Up, Austin & Ally, A.N.T Farm, Good Luck Charlie, and Dog With a Blog for live action. I would take the Disney Channel of 5-7 years ago over today's. I think the live action shows of today with the exception of Good Luck Charlie aren't even as good as Zack and Cody and Hannah Montana. With the exception of the theme song of Shake It Up, I find the songs featured on there and Austin and Ally aren't even close to being as good as what was found on Hannah Montana and Hannah Montana's songs weren't the best. Disney seemed to have jumped on the electro-pop/dance-pop bandwagon and been a generic imitation of an already almost completely generic genre. The pop flavor of High School Musical and Hannah Montana sounds refreshing next to that. Teen Beach Movie's songs I found to be a refreshing alternative to the pop we've been hearing lately. I found the film to be enjoyable.

[Tangled]

I think my general consensus is while the live action shows suck (and, unpopular opinion here, I always thought that even 10 years ago in the age of Lizzie McGuire and That's So Raven they still were pretty bad. Although I guess Raven actually had some nice morals time-to-time, quality-wise it wasn't much better than the fare currently airing on the channel, and compared to the cartoons at that time like Proud Family or Kim Possible they really don't outshine either. They weren't part of my childhood though, so I don't have fond memories of them and am not "nostalgia blinded" or whatever.) the cartoons have always been really where the channel shines, even in the past it seems. I don't know what it is about people making smart cartoons and dumb sitcoms for kids. It's kind of ironic, considering that cartoons are percieved to be the more "kiddy" medium.

I do get some enjoyment out of the Disney Channel movies though. High School Musical and Camp Rock music were actually my guilty pleasures when they first came out. Teen Beach Movie has the makings of a perfect cheesy cult-classic, and I liked how self-aware it was. It's kind of like Enchanted, but with a reverse plot and spoofing Disney Channel musicals/old jukebox musicals instead of Disney Princess musicals. Sure, not as good, but it was nice to see them poking fun at themselves for once.

Also, I just watched all of Gravity Falls in the last week or so. If for whatever reason you're not watching that show, watch it. I'm sure everyone would find something to love about it, whether trying to figure out what's happening with the plot or simply admiring the animation. Definitely up there with Adventure Time/Regular Show/MLP/[INSERT OTHER SUBJECTIVE OPINION HERE] for best airing cartoon spot. Heck, if it continues at this amount of quality past the first season, it probably would be one of my favorite cartoons of all time. This show alone could redeem the channel. (Phineas and Ferb is just a bonus) and all of The animation and background design is gorgeous, the characters are excellently portrayed and developed, the plotting and mysteries are extremely intriguing, and it is actually smart and takes it's audience seriously, both humor and plot-wise. As long as they continue introducing smart shows like Gravity Falls (which they seem to be doing with Wonder Over Yonder), I have faith that the channel can still be watchable. Hey, maybe one day there will be a day on Disney Channel when well-made cartoons outnumber laugh track kidcoms....

...oh what am I kidding. That'll never happen. At the very least, I guess I'll just enjoy the fact that Disney Channel actually tries for at least 3 shows.

Look at it this way. They can't get any worse than Nick, which essentially relies 40% on the casts of ICarly and Victorious, 30% on Spongebob, 10% on Big Time Rush, 19% on shows like TMNT and Winx Club that are generally meant to sell toys and 1% on everything else.