Some Recent Disney & Nick Observations

[Old Guy]

Instead of creating several threads I'll create one and do the servers a favor. ;) You guys can discuss the topics as you please.

Well, anyway, here's some stuff I've noticed since Friday.

1) Cheetah Girls are a good role model for body image. Every year I read ATLEAST one article about girls starving themselves to look like their favorite actress or singer. So, it's nice to see three young ladies with some meat in their bones. Or atleast two anyway. Also, speaking as a guy, I prefer a girl like Adrienne Bailon over some stick like Keira Knightly.

2) Zack & Cody may jump the shark this season. Well, atleast to it's fans. To me the show jumped during it's first episode. Well, anyway, I saw a commerical which said that the show will now take place on a cruise and that Tidale has left the cast. No hotel and no Tidale? Does anyone see a shark nearby?

3) The American Mall was graphic for a tween movie. Nick was airing it last night and I was shocked by the amount of sexual content. It looks like there's so much competition in the tween market that now studios/networks have to include some edge to get noticed.

[JRP82190]

I thought The American mall was for MTV?

[Blackstar]

Zack & Cody may jump the shark this season. Well, atleast to it's fans. To me the show jumped during it's first episode. Well, anyway, I saw a commerical which said that the show will now take place on a cruise and that Tidale has left the cast. No hotel and no Tidale? Does anyone see a shark nearby?

Oh, wait....there it is!

Yes, the Zack and Cody alternate setting was mentioned in a thread on this very forum a few months ago. And you are not mistaken, Ashley Tisdale will not be returning to the series. Based on what I've read, there will be another girl added to the cast to essentially take her place. Also, the twins' mom may be absent this time around (at least she wasn't in the publicity picture that I saw).

But the surest sign of a Zack & Cody shark jump is the fact that Disney will be adding another cute kid to the cast; a boy who is even younger than Zack & Cody, meaning that Z&C have gotten too old. Wheeling in a new cute kid when the original(s) have outgrown their cuteness is a technique that is sometimes known as the "Cousin Oliver Syndrome".

[J. B. Warner]

But the surest sign of a Zack & Cody shark jump is the fact that Disney will be adding another cute kid to the cast; a boy who is even younger than Zack & Cody, meaning that Z&C have gotten too old. Wheeling in a new cute kid when the original(s) have outgrown their cuteness is a technique that is sometimes known as the "Cousin Oliver Syndrome".

I have witnessed this phenomenon firsthand - it caused "My Wife and Kids" to implode upon itself in its final season. It's just one of television's many kisses of death.

[Dudley]

I saw a commercial for that spin-off. I thought Zack and Cody was bad before, but sheesh....

[Michael24]

I thought The American mall was for MTV?

I saw the beginning of it last night on Nick, and it did have the MTV Films logo.

[Light Lucario]

Yeah, I saw that commercial for that spin-off of The Suite Life. I definitely feel a shark moment coming from living on a cruise ship instead of a hotel. The fact that they're also adding a younger kid does sound like Zack and Cody aren't cute enough anymore for Disney. Doesn't that happen on a lot of shows that focus on kids? When I first heard about this show, I thought it would focus on a new kid, not on Zack and Cody.

I was also surprised that The American Mall was on Nick last night. I know it was advertised as being from the producers of High School Musical, but it didn't look like that movie from what I saw. Of course, I barely saw it since it didn't look too interesting and the sexual content kind of turned me off as well. I thought that it just aired on MTV first before it was released on DVD.

[Old Guy]

I thought The American mall was for MTV?


I saw the beginning of it last night on Nick, and it did have the MTV Films logo.


I was also surprised that The American Mall was on Nick last night. I know it was advertised as being from the producers of High School Musical, but it didn't look like that movie from what I saw. Of course, I barely saw it since it didn't look too interesting and the sexual content kind of turned me off as well. I thought that it just aired on MTV first before it was released on DVD.

Yea, it's an MTV movie but it still aired on Nick nonetheless. I wasn't turned off by the sexual content, of course ;) , but I found it shocking cause it was on Nick.

[R-Taco]

It's not like Zack & Cody has very far to fall, at least.

Agreed on the Cheetah Girls, though.

[TMC1982]

I saw a commercial for that spin-off. I thought Zack and Cody was bad before, but sheesh....

I don't consider "The Suite Life on Deck" to be a spin-off. A spin-off to me, is when a minor, supporting character becomes the star of his/her own show. Since the Sprouses are also the stars of "On Deck" just like on the other "Suite Life" programming, it's really the fourth season of "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody". The key difference here is that the format has been modified. Think about how "All in the Family" switched to "Archie Bunker's Place".

[Gokou Ruri]

I don't consider "The Suite Life on Deck" to be a spin-off. A spin-off to me, is when a minor, supporting character becomes the star of his/her own show. Since the Sprouses are also the stars of "On Deck" just like on the other "Suite Life" programming, it's really the fourth season of "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody". The key difference here is that the format has been modified. Think about how "All in the Family" switched to "Archie Bunker's Place". Pretty much, it's just like how in Ed, Edd, and Eddy they went back to school near the end of the series and the setting changed, only there was no name change in the series.

Don't see any real problem with it aside from Tisdale and Rhodes not being on the show anymore, since they did offer a lot of humor. Though Tisdale missed a lot of the third season anyway due to HSM2 so there was time to adjust to her role being downplayed. Still, along with Arwen and Esteban being gone, they're really going to have to make up some good characters to carry the show with only a few originals staying. Especially when you realize a lot of side-characters like Cody's girlfriend Barbara and their friend Bob probably won't be on the show anymore either.

[Old Guy]

Think about how "All in the Family" switched to "Archie Bunker's Place".

Or just think Scooby-Doo. ;)

[Light Lucario]

Pretty much, it's just like how in Ed, Edd, and Eddy they went back to school near the end of the series and the setting changed, only there was no name change in the series.

Don't see any real problem with it aside from Tisdale and Rhodes not being on the show anymore, since they did offer a lot of humor. Though Tisdale missed a lot of the third season anyway due to HSM2 so there was time to adjust to her role being downplayed. Still, along with Arwen and Esteban being gone, they're really going to have to make up some good characters to carry the show with only a few originals staying. Especially when you realize a lot of side-characters like Cody's girlfriend Barbara and their friend Bob probably won't be on the show anymore either.

I was thinking about that too. While I'm not really into The Suite Life, when I have watched it, the side characters like Arwen and Esteban have been good for a few laughs or gags. Since they're not going to be there, or any of Zack and Cody's friends, they'll definitely need some good new characters to fill those spots up if they plan on getting rid of the already established side-characters.

[Flame Alchemist]

Yea, it's an MTV movie but it still aired on Nick nonetheless. I wasn't turned off by the sexual content, of course ;) , but I found it shocking cause it was on Nick.
Well Nick and MTV are owned by the same company, so it's not much of a surprise. I saw of bit of The American Mall, but I didn't for long. I knew it was stupid since I saw the commercial. I'm pretty sure some girl was like "we can buy clothes at the mall, why not guys?". Then watching a bit of the movie just confirmed it and being from the producers of HSM didn't help much.

[Old Guy]

Well Nick and MTV are owned by the same company.

Yea, but the channels produce content for two different age groups. Nick is a kids/tween channel while MTV is teens/young adults. So, it's still shocking to see MTV stuff on Nick. It's kinda like seeing Cinemax After Dark on HBO.

[Flame Alchemist]

Yea, but the channels produce content for two different age groups. Nick is a kids/tween channel while MTV is teens/young adults. So, it's still shocking to see MTV stuff on Nick. It's kinda like seeing Cinemax After Dark on HBO.
Was it during Nick @ Nite? I can't remember if I saw it on Nick or MTV. If it was on N@N, then it probably didn't matter to them whether or not The American Mall is for kids/tweens because they probably assumed they'd be asleep by that time.

I haven't heard about Cinemax After Dark before, but I did have a friend refer to something called "Skinemax". He's like, "did you know at night Cinemax becomes Skinemax?", I was what?!?

[Spideyzilla]

It's sad that girls that young are dieting to look like Disney stars. We are in an era of live-action tween comedies. Disney is running their stars into the ground. If Disney paid less attention to their new "stars" that will fade in about a year, they could pay more attention to other stuff (Gargoyles season three anyone?) Well, I git my rant off. I feel well...:p

[Old Guy]

I haven't heard about Cinemax After Dark before, but I did have a friend refer to something called "Skinemax". He's like, "did you know at night Cinemax becomes Skinemax?", I was what?!?

Do you have Cinemax or do you just go to bed early? Cinemax After Dark (or "Skinmax") has been around for YEARS.

[Flame Alchemist]

Do you have Cinemax or do you just go to bed early? Cinemax After Dark (or "Skinmax") has been around for YEARS.
I have Cinemax and I've watched it a few times, but I don't watch it often enough to notice that it changes to Cinemax After Dark.

[Gokou Ruri]

It's sad that girls that young are dieting to look like Disney stars. Girls have been doing that long before Hannah Montana. Try Barbie and old magazine which tell girls what they need to look like to be accepted

[Blackstar]

It's sad that girls that young are dieting to look like Disney stars. We are in an era of live-action tween comedies. Disney is running their stars into the ground. If Disney paid less attention to their new "stars" that will fade in about a year, they could pay more attention to other stuff (Gargoyles season three anyone?) Well, I git my rant off. I feel well...:p

You can't blame the Mouse House for that. The media has been perpetrating an unrealistic image of the female body for decades, even before the Disney Channel.

[Light Lucario]

Girls have been doing that long before Hannah Montana. Try Barbie and old magazine which tell girls what they need to look like to be accepted

Exactly. Girls have been dieting and sometimes nearly starving themselves just to look thin, but that came way before Hannah Montana or any of the other tween stars Disney has right now. I agree that it has more to do with the image of a ridiculously thin model on so many ads that girls see, as well as having the image of Barbie from a young age, if they're into dolls that is.

[Master Toon]

It's sad that girls that young are dieting to look like Disney stars.

That's something that's been happening way before Hannah Montana or any other Disney tween queen. In my opinion it's not the TV shows or dolls that make girls go on crash diets, it's their own insecurities and lack of parental guidance that does that.


We are in an era of live-action tween comedies.

Only if you watch Nick and Disney. Unless you can name another network (in the USA) that has live-action tween comedies.


Disney is running their stars into the ground. If Disney paid less attention to their new "stars" that will fade in about a year, they could pay more attention to other stuff (Gargoyles season three anyone?) Well, I git my rant off. I feel well...:p

No offense to Gargoyles fans but if the show returned it would probably fade faster than any live-action Disney Channel show.