Disney’s four-pronged small-screen empire (ABC Kids, Toon Disney, Jetix and Disney Channel) unveiled plans for the new 2006-07 season at the New York upfronts today. A total of 849 new episodes, 11 new series and 25 new movies including seven Disney Channel Original Movies are scheduled to air across the four different Mouse House TV and cable platforms.
“As the momentum of our ratings success builds, we are committed to offering high-quality stories and characters that connect with kids and families,’ says Gary Marsh, Disney Channel’s worldwide entertainment president. ‘Our winning mix of programming across our cable channels and broadcast network allows us to reach diverse targeted audiences and deliver some of the biggest hits–and stars–for kids.”
ABC Kids, the Saturday morning programming block on the ABC Television, adds the original animated comedy The Replacements (also premiering in September on Disney Channel) and Hannah Montana, a live-action comedy starring Miley Cyrus and her father Billy Ray Cyrus (debuting Friday, March 24 on Disney Channel). An hour block of the Jetix action/adventure hit Power Rangers: Mystic Force, the 14th edition of the popular franchise, will be showcased on ABC Kids.
In the fall of 2006, Toon Disney will become the exclusive destination for Jetix programming. The popular block will feature over 100 hours of comedic action/adventure each week. New shows joining the Jetix block are Yin Yang Yo from Walt Disney Television Animation, Jackie Chan Adventures (last seen on Kids’ WB!) Oban Star-Racers, Mon Colle Knights and NASCAR Racers.
This season, Toon Disney will also pick up three animated series also seen on Disney Channel: American Dragon: Jake Long, Lilo & Stitch: The Series and The Buzz on Maggie. The new animated comedy The Replacements will debut in September 2006 on Disney Channel and ABC Kids.
The Replacements follows the adventures of Riley and her younger brother Todd, who were orphans until they answered an ad for Fleemco Replacement Parents and ordered two “cool” parents’mom is a British super-spy and dad is a renowned stuntman. They’re joined by CAR, mom’s super-intelligent talking spy car. The voice cast includes Nancy Cartwright (The Simpsons) as Todd, Grey Delisle (The Fairly OddParents) as older sister Riley, Kath Soucie (Pooh’s Heffalump Movie) as Agent K, Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) as Dick Daring and David McCallum (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) as CAR. The series was created by acclaimed children’s author and illustrator Dan Santat, exec produced by Jack Thomas (The Fairly OddParents) and directed by Heather Martinez (SpongeBob SquarePants).
Yin Yang Yo is an animated action-adventure series about a panda named Master Yo, the world’s last teacher of the mystical art of Woo Foo, whose guidance will help two bunnies, Yin and Yang, overcome their sibling rivalry and work together to defeat the always evil and often hilarious forces of their strange and supernatural world.
Set in the year 2082, the visually elegant Oban Star-Racers will premiere in June 2006 during Jetix on Toon Disney. The stories follow an alien spaceship that has arrived on Earth to collect the fastest star-racing heroes for The Greatest Race of Oban, one that only takes place every 10,000 years. Rebellious teenager Molly joins Earth’s racing team, along with Rick Thunderbolt, Jordan, Stan and Koji. The series is produced by Sav! The World Productions.