Heads up, children of the 90s: according to Entertainment Weekly, the Disney Channel is planning a “Boy Meets World” sequel. The teen sitcom, which aired in the 1990s as part of ABC’S “TGIF” Friday night lineup, starred Ben Savage as Cory Matthews, a kid growing up in suburban Philadelphia. I was a kid growing up in suburban Philadelphia, just a bit younger than Cory. Of all the childhood shows that had a strong influence on my development, “Boy Meets World” wasn’t one of them. But it’s a show that I enjoyed and watched faithfully from beginning to end, so the … Continue reading →

As I was poking around on the refurbished Disney.com site (it’s very pretty and well-organized now, I’ll have to do an overview of it later) I noticed something called “Girl vs. Monster.” Immediately my hackles rose. I know I should give Disney the benefit of the doubt, but I guess I was just jumpy after the premiere of “Once Upon A Time,” where Belle stays with Rumple again to “change him with the power of love,” or some other terrible abusive-vibe thing like that. I’m glad I followed the link to learn more about it, though, because “Girl vs. Monster” … Continue reading →

For once Disney seems to be doing something right. Its primary role models for girls have, for years, been princesses. Sure, the ones created in the past couple years have been more dynamic, with more in their lives than just wishing that “someday my prince will come,” but at the end of the day, they’re princesses. That’s usually the notes on which their movies end. They’ve found men or are living in a castle: that’s the happily ever after. The princesses are also all so very “white as snow.” Most of the princesses are white, and everyone else just gets … Continue reading →

On March 23 Disney will debut a brand new channel: Disney Junior. The announcement, in this case pulled from Disney fan magazine website DisZine, doesn’t come as that much of a surprise. In some of its marketing for new shows Disney has mentioned Disney Junior, though before this notice on the new channel I’m sure many, like me, just assumed that any relevant shows would air during Disney Junior (formerly known as Playhouse Disney) hours on its parent channel. Up until this point, Disney Junior has just existed as a scheduling block on the Disney Channel, one meant to indicate … Continue reading →

Are you tired of fighting with the Disney Vault? Does the Disney film you keep waiting to watch seem like it’ll never be checked back into the library? Would you like to learn some behind-the-scenes information about your favorite Disney films without having to track down the latest DVD or Blu-Ray? If you relate to any of these situations, then Disney Family Movies on Demand might be your perfect solution. Disney Family Movies is a film program that’s joined up with many of the largest cable providers in the country. It’s basically what its full title implies: a channel that … Continue reading →

We’re big fans of ABC’s “Once Upon A Time” around here on families.com. I’ve discussed the show before, and Mary Ann’s reviewed one of the latest episodes. The Disney-inspired drama recently took a short break for the holidays, but it’s going to be back with new episodes starting this coming Sunday, January 8. I’m not planning to review each episode as it comes along. But now that we’re about halfway through the season I think it will be interesting to take a moment to consider where the show has been, and where it might be going. Emma, the daughter of … Continue reading →

Next year Princess Sofia the First, the newest and youngest of Disney’s royalty, will make her debut. She’s going to star in a movie that will air sometime in the next few months on both the Disney Channel and Disney Junior. Her royal highness is only still just a child, with her main peer group (i.e., the ages at which Sofia is directed) being children between the ages of 2 and 7. Sofia’s a true Disney original; unlike any of her predecessors she’s not based on a pre-existing character from a fairy tale, myth, or historical event. She’s going to … Continue reading →

Nearly a year after I first heard about it ABC has finally aired Disney’s newest television Christmas special: “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice.” If you recall, the “Prep & Landing” universe introduces Santa’s elite special ops group of elves, the guys and gals in charge of preparing houses for Santa’s arrival, so that his gift-leaving goes smoothly. Using James Bond-style technology, holiday-themed code names, and sleek spy moves, these elves are the cream of the crop. In the follow up to 2009’s special, “Naughty vs. Nice” introduces another aspect of the Christmas corps: the Cole Elf Brigade. You see, … Continue reading →

The week before Cinderella made her debut on ABC’s Disney-influenced fairy tale drama “Once Upon A Time,” news broke that “Lost” star Emilie de Ravin was cast as Belle for the program. The princesses have arrived. “Once Upon A Time” already features Disney’s first princess Snow White as a major character wrapped up in the series’ main story arc. As is befitting a drama of this size, however, many other fairy tale figures make appearances, such as Rumpelstiltskin and Little Red Riding Hood. Original Disney characters such as Jiminy Cricket and Maleficent also factor into some scenes. However, the entrance … Continue reading →