I don’t get Disney. Well, mainly I don’t get the Disney Channel. So yeah, I don’t work in the business or do I have inside sources, I’m only an outside observer. I’m a consumer though, I see what they do and what they release and I get an impression of the company through that. Impressions can be important for a company image and whether a company will be or will remain successful. Going by the programming of Disney Channel right now I actually think that their ratings can only go down right now.
Here is the thing, Hannah Montana as a show is winding down as everyone knows, the last season has been wrapped and now all that remains is to air the remaining episodes. That’s already the first problem, the fourth season of Hannah Montana only has something like fourteen episodes which will start airing in July. The last episode however won’t be aired until well into 2011, how does that work? Like always really, erratic airing schedules. Something that Disney does to all their shows but none as bad as Hannah Montana.
Hannah Montana has done a lot for Disney, it has made them a lot of money, got them a lot of viewers. So the show is something that should be treated with respect, let it end in a proper way. I don’t know what the season will be like but there is only one real way to end it properly, give the show a solid last run. Just get it over with and air the episodes in a nice steady pace, best even once a week. I know I’m not the only one who feels that way, a lot of people do. Disney however wants to milk the product as long as possible and will drag it on forever. That’s not how to keep viewers interested and that’s how you’re supposed to end a show that has done so much for you.
It’s not just the show itself though, it’s also the people on it. While Miley Cyrus had the respect to do another season, to give the show a proper ending, it doesn’t seem that Disney itself feels they have to. Since Hannah Montana stopped filming Miley has made it very clear that she’s leaving Hannah behind now and going on as herself. It’s not like Hannah Montana will be gone overnight once it stops airing new episodes, they will repeat them for who knows how many years to come.
Sure Disney has done a lot for Miley’s career but Miley has also done a lot for Disney. Shouldn’t that earn her some more respect and just let the show be over? I would even think that Miley’s growing up now could also hurt ratings for Hannah Montana. Looking at the movie roles Miley picks, they aren’t anything like Hannah Montana. Also in her music and performing she’s well over Hannah. So if the image of your main star and main show don’t fit anymore; for Disney it would also be the best thing to get the show over with.
I can see the same thing happening on other Disney shows as well, no doubt that once Wizards of Waverly place is done that they will drag the end of that as well. Though of course the role of Alex Russo is less iconic than Hannah Montana so it wouldn’t matter that much to Selena Gomez. The same goes for Sonny with a Chance, those shows aren’t over yet though. Also the strange scenario arises that Miley is leaving Disney while Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato are actually older but that’s a different subject.
The seeming lack of respect for their own product isn’t he only thing though, if I look at the new show Disney came up with, in an attempt to launch a new teen star. Good Luck Charlie is in my humble opinion just boring. It’s all just too sweet for a sitcom and it’s not funny. Disney has this way too safe thing going on anyway and with this new show they’ve taken it to a whole new level. It’s probably best proved by the cheer leading outfits they use on all their shows. Try to find me a single cheerleader in an average high school that covers up that much. It might seem like a weird example but when you watch a random Nickelodeon show in comparison you will get the point.
It’s not just the show Good Luck Charlie itself though, it’s also the people on the show. Now the main star is Bridget Mendler and to be completely honest, she lacks just a little bit of star power. It’s just like the whole show really, average. An average family, while you’d thing a sitcom would need a weird situation, Good Luck Charlie doesn’t really have that. Just a baby isn’t really enough a premise for a sitcom.
The baby is another thing I have issues with, by some people within Disney seemingly portrayed as the next big star. Mia Talerico is not even two years old yet, how can she be a star? Did anyone actually ask the girl if she wants to be a star? Oh hold on, there is a snag there, they couldn’t have asked her. Disney already has a bit of a name for using child stars for their own benefit, so pushing a baby as a star really won’t help them. I find it a rather risky thing to do anyway, the girl might lack talent. I don’t see the show lasting anyway, as far as I can tell the ratings don’t even come close to any of the other Disney Channel original scripted shows.
So what I’m trying to say with all of this is that Disney needs a reality check really. People won’t watch things just because they’re Disney, they should be listening to their fans and just end shows like Hannah Montana in a proper way. That’s besides needing shows that aren’t as safe as the current line ups, that’s just not what society is like. The Disney World might be ultra conservative in certain ways, the real world isn’t. From my perspective Disney needs more respect for its shows, its stars and its viewers.
Tags: Bridget Mendler, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez
Wow we kinda think alike :D and completely agree with you and your facts