Disney Has New Stars ‘On Deck’

Network Looks to Fill Void Left by ‘Suite Life,’ ‘Hannah’

By Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 5/30/2011 12:01:00 AM

Disney Channel is hoping its lineup of new original summer series will help fill the void left with the recent departure of staples Hannah Montana and The Suite Life on Deck.

The network has finished in second place to USA Network in total primetime viewers among all basic-cable networks in each of the last five years except 2007, when it finished in first ahead of the “Characters Welcome” network.

During its recent run of success in the summer ratings, Disney has been led by such powerhouse series franchises as the Miley Cyrus starrer Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, as well as Suite Life off shoot Suite Life on Deck.

With both Hannah Montana and Suite Life on Deck ending their respective runs on Disney earlier this year, the network will have to rely on its new and existing series to fill the void. Disney Channel Worldwide president of entertainment Gary Marsh said he’s not worried that losing his biggest franchises will cost the network viewers.

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“Everybody thought that when Hannah Montana ended, the network would roll up and go away,” said Marsh. “We have 30% more episodic content premiering this summer, compared to last year, so we’re really stoking the fires so that we wouldn’t have a letdown, despite the fact that some of betterknown series are leaving.”

The network is looking to 12-year-old China McClean, who stars in the network’s upcoming (June 16) new series A.N.T. Farm, as its next big star. In A.N.T. Farm, McClean plays a middle schooler attending a gifted program at the local high school dubbed the “Advanced Natural Talents.”

“China is a huge talent who is destined for greatness,” Marsh said. “I’m hoping that we can be the ones who put her on that trampoline and launch her into the stratosphere.”

Other new original shows slated for the summer include My Babysitter’s a Vampire, a send-up of the scary movie genre; and So Random, a sketch/variety series spinoff of Disney’s Sonny With a Chance, which stopped production last year after star Demi Lovato checked herself into a treatment facility due to “emotional and physical issues.”

“So Random is an opportunity that we saw to fill a void that has existed for a long time in kids’ TV, which is a sketch comedy/ variety show that has great guests and music acts doing what they do best,” Marsh said. “My Babysitter’s a Vampire is something completely diff erent and fresh, from a tonal perspective, from what we do, but having that core comedy and DNA of what makes a great Disney Channel show.”

‘FERB’ FILM COMING

With its new shows, as well as an original movie based on its hit animated series Phineas & Ferb and new episodes from returning series Wizards of Waverly Place, Shake It Up! and Good Luck Charlie, Marsh said he’s confi dent Disney has the right programming elements in place to continue a summer ratings run while appealing to its core tween audience.

“If you look at the strength of Good Luck Charlie and Shake It Up!, as well as what I think what is going to be the reception for our new series out of the gate, I’m not particularly worried [about a ratings decline],” he said. “Both [Hannah Montana] and [Suite Life on Deck] will continue to air in repeats, so I’m not really concerned there will be a material fall-off .”