From psychic teenagers to talking dogs, Disney Channel has given us some unforgettable shows - for better or worse! Join us as we explore the network's greatest achievements and biggest disappointments. Which magical series made you believe in Disney's power to entertain, and which ones left you changing the channel?
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00:00What's that? A hat? Crazy, funky, junky hat. Overslept? Hair and sightly? Trying to look like Keira Knightley? We've been there, we've done that, we see right through your funky hat.
00:09Welcome to Ms. Mojo and today we're counting down five of Disney Channel's greatest hits and five of their biggest misses.
00:16Really? Still processing.
00:20What kind of a dog says processing?
00:22What kind of a dog says anything?
00:26Number 5. Worst. Ant Farm.
00:28Looking back on this early 2010 series that brought middle schoolers with advanced natural talents into a high school-level gifted program seems to raise more questions than answers.
00:40I'm an ant because I'm in the advanced natural talents or ant program.
00:44How were students like Chyna and Fletcher expected to take high school-level math and science classes when their talents were arts-based?
00:52And where were the gifted high school-age students at this school?
00:56It's not Chyna's fault that she's gifted. Any more than it's your fault that you're not.
01:00Though Chyna and McLean's performance stands out as particularly strong, the writing was a significant step down from predecessors like Good Luck Charlie and the sweet life on deck.
01:12Look, there is a cupcake in that lunch. I'm going for it.
01:15Okay, but hurry before the bell.
01:17We're doomed!
01:19Ant Farm lives on as a standard teen sitcom with a strange and pretty flimsy premise.
01:26Number 5. Best. Gravity Falls.
01:29When twins Mabel and Dipper Pines arrive in Gravity Falls, Oregon to spend the summer with their eccentric great-uncle, they soon realize this is no ordinary small town.
01:40It all began when our parents decided we could use some fresh air. They shipped us up north to a sleepy town called Gravity Falls, Oregon to stay at our great-uncle's place in the woods.
01:49There's a big mystery to unravel lurking beneath the surface, and it unfolds with so much more nuance and mystique that you'd expect from this silly little show.
02:00With its cozy setting, likable characters, and well-crafted narrative, Gravity Falls quickly amassed a huge fanbase that's still active today.
02:09Creator Alex Hirsch had planned out the entire story from the start, giving the series a cohesive feel and a satisfying ending.
02:17Ready to head into the unknown? Nope. Let's do it.
02:21The show is also super rewatchable, with plenty of Easter eggs to catch and ciphers to decode.
02:27Beloved by children and adults alike, Gravity Falls is one of the highest caliber shows Disney Channel has ever produced.
02:34Uncle Stan? Six. Five. I trust you.
02:40Number 4. Worst. Shorty McShorts Shorts.
02:43You might not remember this anthology short series, and that's probably because Disney doesn't want you to.
02:50Not for any conspiracy or controversy, it just very quickly became evident that this show was simply not very good.
02:57You know what we do to people who cross our border, eh?
03:00Welcome them!
03:03Although it featured voice acting legends like Tom Kenny and Tara Strong, star power wasn't enough to make up for the lack of clear plot lines and story development, and viewers quickly lost interest.
03:15Hey, you little beast. We will dance now.
03:18Only 13 of the 22 total episodes produced were ever aired, and reruns were rarely shown before being pulled all together.
03:27If Disney really wants us to forget this show, we're happy to oblige.
03:31Put your hand down, please. I'll answer all questions at the end.
03:34Number 4. Best. Even Stevens.
03:37This early Disney Channel sitcom still holds up remarkably well today, and is full of sweet 2000s nostalgia.
03:44Son, are you okay?
03:46I'm fine. I came to tell you. I came to tell you that I can't.
03:52Can't what?
03:53Shia LaBeouf was just 12 years old when he took on the starring role of Louis Stevens, but it was already evident he had serious natural talent.
04:02This family-friendly series is easy to watch, but still intelligently written and well-performed.
04:08You taught us that it's better to play fair and lose than to win by cheating. Well, that's what you've always taught me.
04:14A highlight for many fans is the widely popular musical episode, Influenza, The Musical.
04:20Though network executives were originally sceptical, the massive success of the musical episode ultimately paved the way for the smash hit Disney Channel original movie, High School Musical.
04:31Even Stevens is the OG, and we still look back on it fondly.
04:35We went to the moon in 1969, not 1970, but a year sooner.
04:43Number 3. Worst. So Random.
04:46This sketch comedy show was a spin-off of the popular Sonny with a Chance, bringing its show within a show so random to life, only without its star.
04:55When two people are this right for each other, there's only one thing to do.
04:59How long have you felt this way?
05:01Demi Lovato left Sonny with a chance to undergo treatment for various complications in her personal life, and did not return for this spin-off.
05:09While So Random had a handful of solid, funny sketches that we still remember fondly, most did not impress, and Lovato's absence was definitely felt.
05:18It was also a departure from the direction Disney was looking to take with more serialized content, so it was understandably cancelled after one season.
05:38All that being said, Socks with Sandals still goes hard.
05:41Number 3. Best. Hannah Montana.
05:50What girl in the early 2000s didn't want to be a secret pop star living by the beach in Malibu?
05:56Lily alert in 18 seconds!
05:58She's your best friend, Miley. Sooner or later, you're gonna have to tell her you're Hannah Montana.
06:02A young Miley Cyrus plays Miley Stewart, an ordinary high schooler who lives a double life as pop star Hannah Montana.
06:10The series was an immediate hit and launched a real-life pop career for Cyrus, eventually levelling her up from a Disney star to a bona fide celebrity.
06:18The series was classic Disney fair with wacky plots and zany hijinks, but it also had a surprising amount of heartfelt, touching moments that made the show truly memorable.
06:37Hannah Montana was more than just a show. It was an entire moment in youth culture that led to Miley Cyrus' successful music career.
06:45I'm still getting it right, I-I-I, this is life.
06:52Number 2. Worst. Dog with a blog.
06:55For many Disney Channel fans beginning to outgrow the network, this was the moment Disney jumped the shark.
07:01Dog with a blog is about a talking dog named Stan and the family he lives with.
07:06Give me this stinking food! I'm drooling a pool over here!
07:12Did he just talk?
07:15Afraid of Stan being found out and experimented on, the children keep Stan's abilities secret from everyone, including their parents.
07:23The series feels like it was built solely upon the rhyme in the title.
07:27And yes, Stan does blog.
07:29So if there are any other pets out there who are reading this blog, I hope that your family loves you as much as my new family loves me.
07:38Unfunny and poorly acted, Dog with a blog tries to work with its lackluster premise with little success.
07:44Even back in the 60s, they knew a talking dog wasn't enough to base an entire show on.
07:50You had to at least have him help solve mysteries, too.
07:53Maybe we should alter course. Like, maybe in reverse.
07:57Reverse!
07:58Selena Gomez stars in this beloved series about a family of wizards living in New York City.
08:06Even back then, we knew this series was capitalizing on the Harry Potter craze.
08:11But we didn't care. It was funny and unique in its own right.
08:14A highlight was Gomez's rebellious attitude and dry wit as Alex Rousseau, which was a stark contrast from the usual Disney Channel heroines of the past.
08:34Overarching plotlines like the looming family wizard competition and Alex's romance with Mason kept the show engaging for viewers and drew high ratings for especially plot-significant episodes.
08:46Alex, I'm sorry. Something just came over me.
08:50I never want to see you again.
08:52At the heart of the show is the Rousseau family dynamic, which felt incredibly genuine and relatably imperfect.
08:59A testament to the show's strong writing.
09:01Oh, Jerry, look at all this stuff!
09:04Oh, that's Alex's good manners ribbon from first grade.
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09:23Number 1 Worst
09:25Bizaardvark
09:26This series follows two best friends, Frankie and Paige, who gain internet celebrity through posting songs and funny videos.
09:33What's up, guys? I'm Paige.
09:34I'm Frankie.
09:35And we're Bizaardvark.
09:37Viewers noted the show's similarities to Nickelodeon's iCarly, although in many episodes, the writing fails to really get the internet culture.
09:45The show was negatively received even before its most controversial star.
09:50Viner and YouTuber Jake Paul started making headlines for his obnoxious behavior off-set.
09:55Welcome back, Derek.
09:56What up, PK?
09:57It led to Paul being fired during the show's second season.
10:01But that still wasn't enough to revive the series, and Bizaardvark was canceled after season three.
10:06Thankfully, Olivia Rodrigo managed to make it out unscathed, going on to star in High School Musical, The Musical, The Series, which helped launch her successful music career.
10:17Red lights, stop signs, I still see your face in the white...
10:24Number 1 Best
10:25That's So Raven
10:26This show has everything—high school drama, psychic powers, and killer Y2K fashion—all with an outstanding cast, hilarious jokes, and stellar storylines.
10:37Nice look, Raven.
10:38I really don't think you should be laughing, because that's you in about 30 years.
10:42Raven Baxter's psychic visions provide interesting and varied plotlines for each episode, but the iconic characters are what make this series truly memorable.
10:52Raven, Eddie, and Chelsea's friendship feels incredibly authentic, due to the fact that the actors were close friends off-set.
10:59Come on, you don't want to break her heart.
11:01And this is better, Chelsea.
11:02A broken woman searching for happiness at the bottom of an empty cookie bag.
11:08That's So Raven was twice nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program, and it still holds up today as an example of exceptional children's television.
11:18The lasting fondness audiences hold for this series also led to the popular reboot, Raven's Home, which ran for six seasons.
11:27If you got the best roommate in Chicago, let me hear you say woo-woo.
11:31Woo-woo.
11:32What was your favorite and least favorite Disney Channel show growing up?
11:36Let us know in the comments.
11:38Hannah, I haven't seen you since you sang at my birthday last year.
11:41Oh yeah, I had a blast.
11:44Do you agree with our picks?
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