What RUINED Disney Channel?

[Music] when it comes to animation there are a few companies that compared to Disney I mean we are talking about a studio that created the first in color animated movie ever they have been in the game since the 1920s and have provided many memorable characters and stories over the years from flying elephants to terrifying demons Disney has shown its audience a variety of worlds through its movies and they continue that tradition to this day so naturally being a pillar of cinematic animation Disney must have quite the presence in the realm of television right boy that could get really annoying if she starts repeating everything we say here right Gracie that was a hacky setup uh nope listen I know that I complain a lot in my videos but this it just baffles me why does one of the greatest Animation Studios of all time struggle to provide animated content for television it doesn't make any sense worst of all this isn't even a recent issue it has been like this for quite a long time I mean there are studios that started in the 1980s who had a lot less to work with and a much smaller budget yet they were able to create shows that crushed the ratings now I am NOT saying that Disney has never made a good cartoon but they are few and far between like I'm not even exaggerating their shows are literally scattered across different television channels but this video isn't just about cartoons though it seems that most of the shows that air on Disney Channel are squeezed for every dime they are worth and then thrown away why is this the case why does Disney Channel only care about the short term but not the future of its properties it is so strange because Disney is a company that protects the legacy of its characters and movies but it couldn't care less about what it airs on television now I understand movies and theme parks require more planning and that both carry more weight than television but it's odd to see Disney a company that is so well known for its work ethic to abandon its ethos we've talked about Nickelodeon we've talked about Cartoon Network and now it's time to talk about what ruined Disney Channel unlike Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon the story for Disney begins in the 1920s now Disney Channel did not launch until 1983 but I feel that it's important to understand the origin of Disney as a whole and the way it shaped the landscape of entertainment the outcome of it has a lot to do with the advent of Disney Channel and how it has changed over the years for the sake of time I'm going to try and summarize this information I mean I could honestly make an hour-long video about the history of Disney but we can wait on that as one would expect it all started with Walt Disney in 1923 Walt worked on a short film called Alice's Wonderland it was a good starting point that eventually led Walt and his brother Rory to create their own animation studio they did some contract work for awhile but broke ground with the creation of one of the most iconic cartoon characters of all time Mickey became a sensation as Disney's first sound film Steamboat Willie this success led to the creation of more Mickey Mouse cartoons and eventually Silly Symphonies in 1929 Walt pushed these cartoons forward and also found success with animated movies he was gaining momentum and by 1950 he was able to enter the world of television the first shows to be aired from Disney during the 50s included Davy Crockett Zorro and the infamous Mickey Mouse Club [Music] all were successful and took full advantage of this new form of mass media but for some reason Disney dropped the ball in the 1960s and did not capitalize on the growth of television all that really came out of that decade was the wonderful world of Disney and that's about it Walt died in 1966 and the fallout of his passing could be felt throughout the entire company animated movies would struggle for the next few decades and the television scene would become a wasteland while hanna-barbera grew during this time Disney faltered and became stagnant now I realize that I have covered a lot of history and that some of you may be wondering what it has to do with the topic of this video well Walt's death set many things in motion that would prevent Disney's growth as a company for many years to come but change would eventually arrive and in the 1980s Disney returned in force in the late 1980s the Disney Renaissance had officially begun with the release of The Little Mermaid it was a return to form for the studio and would be the first of many animated classics to come and finally after years of waiting after the rise of the Soviet Union and the war in Vietnam after the Cuban Missile Crisis and the creation of the Civil Rights Act after man landed on the moon Disney finally made an original cartoon for television this is one of the biggest points of my video Disney a studio that is basically synonymous with the word animation took over 60 years to create a cartoon for TV now I understand that times were rough after Walt passed but come on but they finally got their act together and actually brought their a-game to the table and who do we have to thank for this change Michael Eisner he was CEO for Disney from 1984 to 2005 the guy was not perfect but he definitely brought some much-needed change and put the company back on track now there is a lot of complicated business history that went on in the early 80s and it's easy to get lost in it so I'm going to make it simple Michael Eisner wanted to make Disney great again and by Jove he did it the goal was to bring Disney to the forefront of every possible medium their parks improved they found enormous success in the home video market and their animation studio released hit after hit with their movies the company was firing on all cylinders and they finally entered the ring of animated TV shows and their first original show to air was not on Disney Channel now listen guys come on I'm not trying to avoid talking about Disney Channel but unlike Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network Disney has multiple avenues to air its content and a big reason for that is syndication what is syndication in order for a show to be aired on multiple networks it has to pass an episode threshold this could be as low as 65 or as high as a hundred but the purpose of it is to provide enough content for reruns or to put it simply it's the stuff that airs before and after primetime so game shows and lots of Seinfeld this is why you see Family Guy on multiple networks it depends on the show and the circumstance but you need a lot of episodes if you want your show to be profitable the more you have the less likely your audience will be bored with its reruns so Disney television animation was created in December of 1984 and became the cartoon production arm of the company it released its first shows in 85 the Wuzzles and the gummi bears both were fine and well but in 1987 they struck gold finally a show that was worthy of Disney's legacy and it had the quality to back it up cartoons at this time were low-budget they reuse the same animation the same backgrounds the same everything back then making cartoons for TV was a bit of a risk and many experts said it did not make enough money for what it costs so for the shows that did exist they kept it cheap not here though Disney threw money and actual effort into the show and it became a sensation when looking at the technical side ducktales was leagues above anything else and that drew a crowd local television channels were drawn to this show and paid the premium to air it my tail feathers don't call me Baldy Disney made a gamble by investing millions of dollars into duck tails and its production unfamiliar characters unorthodox stories they were going out on a limb with this one but it truly broke ground the syndication path was extremely profitable and duck tales inspired other cartoons that would soon follow Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers tailspin gargoyles hell it even had a spinoff not every show was perfect but it was nice to see Disney rising to the occasion and backing up its prestigious name so Disney finally made some good cartoons for television but what about Disney Channel you know the main topic of this video well things were a little bit different it was launched in 1983 as a premium channel the first show to air on it was good-morning Mickey a variety show that featured classic Disney shorts but over the years Disney Channel made the transition over to basic cable and became more available to the masses it bolstered a large library of programs and movies but it lacked quality original content Disney Channel would finally find real success in the late 90s and early 2000s with its live-action programming the first shows to start this wave were flash-forward the famous Jett Jackson and even Stephens but everything was blown wide open when Lizzie McGuire arrived on the scene this was it folks this was when Disney Channel said oh man we can make some money with this formula you know the one to take a child actor who can sing and dance and squeeze every penny out of them who cares if it warps them for life right right despite the success of Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network at the time animation was still not being heavily considered by Disney Channel they just found something that really worked and it would continue to overshadow cartoons to this very day despite the rise of live-action sitcoms some cartoons would eventually arrive and the first was in 2001 with the proud family besides being the first it wasn't anything revolutionary but it was a step in the right direction 2002 was another step forward with Kim Possible this was one of the most successful cartoon shows to air on the channel and it showed some real promise it was an action comedy that experienced and solid success and even had some televised movies but the other cartoons to follow it were met lilo and Stitch the series man brandy & mr. whiskers meth american dragon jake long man dave the barbarian may listen to those of you who are fans of these shows I'm not trying to rain on your parade if you like them cool but to me they don't compare to the cartoons that Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network were offering at the time the only cartoon show that really held Disney Channel's attention for a while was Phineas and Ferb the characters look weird as hell but goddamn the writing for it was brilliant [Music] you're trapped by societal convention look we're a fine dining environment and everyone knows not to throw a scene in a fancy restaurant that's right you're trapped Phineas and Ferb was the most successful car toon show on the network it started in 2007 and just ended in 2015 yeah it might have gone on for a bit too long but it was nice to see Disney Channel give some actual love to an animated property but outside of Phineas and Ferb and Kim Possible there wasn't much to choose from anyway hmm okay well how about Cartoon Network you see what I mean but unlike Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network Disney Channel never really had a strong renaissance for its animated programming yeah the animation studio itself found success with syndicated shows and there were some great cartoons that aired on Disney's one Saturday morning but Disney Channel on its own is somewhat of a wasteland when compared to its competition despite its track record Disney Channel was not beyond hope for fans of animation and finally released some quality cartoons in the early 2010's I feel that I toss around the word Renaissance a lot in my videos the Disney movie Renaissance the Cartoon Network Renaissance the Nickelodeon Renaissance the Renaissance Fair the second Renaissance Disney Channel has never really been able to provide enough quality shows in a row to earn that title until recently I am not sure if it was Cartoon Network success that inspired Disney Channel but they finally provided some good consistent animated programs on their channel and the first to arrive was gravity falls in 2012 I have already made a video about gravity falls which you can watch here but let me tell you this it's easily one of my favorite cartoons of all time created by Alex Hirsch this show had a real story to tell one that was funny fascinating and satisfying like Disney seriously you tease me for two decades and then released this what gives I mean I am NOT complaining if anything keep going and so they did with the premiere of wander over yonder and 2013 this show was created by the legendary Craig McCracken the man behind Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends he brought his talent over to Disney Channel and worked his magic if there is one thing this show excels at its animation its fluid colorful and the expressions are fantastic and so are the hips for kids the last cartoon to bring up the rear was star versus the forces of evil and 2015 this is a more recent show and I have only watched a few episodes but from what I have seen it's pretty great star is a refreshing female lead and the visuals are rich in color and animation all three of these cartoons are excellent and it was so nice to see Disney Channel try and make some quality animated programs but it was short-lived gravity falls willingly concluded in 2015 and wander over yonder was canceled in 2016 star is still going strong but Disney Channel was never truly its home it was only a preview on the channel and now airs on Disney XD so just like a baby sea turtle hatching on the beach it was over before it even started that metaphor might have been a bit too morbid despite being the forefather of cinematic animation despite having years to create televised animated content despite having the resources to fund projects and despite having the knowledge of knowing that cartoons can work Disney Channel never really did anything with it it practically ignores one of its fundamental roots and went in a completely different direction yeah the studio itself focused elsewhere and created some amazing syndicated shows but those days are long gone so what happened what ruined Disney Channel he said it okay but before we get to that I want to give a shout out to the pixel Empire they sponsored this video and will be helping me roll out some saber spark merchandise in early 2017 but for you eager holiday shoppers there is plenty of other stuff to check out on their website it is a great place to buy posters shirts and phone cases I am a huge fan of their minimalistic designs and will be framing some videogame posters all over my room they even come in bundles so you can save some serious cash you can save even more with my discount code saber spark and get 15% off your purchase combine that with their poster packages and free shipping and you cut yourself quite the deal not enough for you then stick around to the end of this video for a chance to win a $50 gift card no Disney Channel executives you don't get to enter not until you fix your damn channel now I am sure that many of you are thinking sitcoms ruined Disney Channel or that Disney Channel has never been good and truth be told you're not entirely wrong but there are actually a few things that contribute to the unfortunate situation that is Disney Channel one their different TV channels cannibalize each other Disney as a company has multiple channels to air their content ABC freeform Disney Channel Disney XD they took a shotgun approach in the 1980s and the results went everywhere with the end of their syndicated cartoons we were left with Disney Channel and Disney XD 1 was the home for live-action sitcoms while the other became the retirement home for their animated shows this was sad the main channel was barely entertaining the idea of airing cartoons at this point star versus the forces of evil only a preview on Disney Channel wander over yonder was moved from Disney Channel to Disney XD where it suffered a major drop in ratings a drop that I can only imagine led to its cancellation and gravity falls one of the best cartoon shows that I have ever seen well it was removed from Disney Channel after season one and had to air its second season on Disney XD we're just like wander saw a massive decline in viewership I get it I understand that Disney put their animated programs on their animation Channel but why not both why not just air reruns on XD and premiere the episodes on Disney Channel that way it has a better chance of getting views and a higher rating but no Disney XD and Disney Channel have this bizarre relationship where they throw show is back and forth to each other it is confusing and I feel that it heavily impacts the well-being of the cartoons to the rise of live-action comedies it's pretty obvious to tell that Disney Channel's bread-and-butter are at sitcoms that has been the case since the early 2000s and it remains that way to this day now I am NOT saying that these shows are all bad but they definitely get more attention and care than any cartoon show on the channel but that's not saying much Disney figured out the child actor formula early on and got to work it even inspired Nickelodeon to try the same thing but now Disney Channel has tunnel vision if it's not live-action comedy then don't expect them to show much effort and three they are too big to care unlike Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network Disney did not start as a television channel nor is it their lively their main bread and butter has always been with their movies and theme parks and they know it that is why Disney Channel is such an afterthought for them one proof okay so High School Musical one of the most popular properties from the network that made millions of dollars never had a legitimate title for the movie as in the creators and executives could not think of a better name to replace the working title High School Musical I mean is this genius dumb luck or just a company not giving a damn they know where they want to place their focus basically with movies it's disappointing I don't mean the content that they focus on today I'm a huge fan of Star Wars what I find disappointing is that Disney a company that got its start creating cartoons never really identified with it after growing in success also this is a company that should have more than enough resources and talent to spare for a television division Michael Eisner pushed for that in the 1980s and the company found success with it but they never really gave it attention again Eisner wanted Disney to be at the top of its game for every medium and they were able to do it in the 80s and 90s but after the fall of their syndicated cartoons Disney never really bothered to try again there were some shows that popped up here and there but they were few and far between for the most part Disney was content leaving animation behind and forging a future through other means here's the bottom line Disney is a company that should not have dropped the ball this hard they have the talent resources and legacy to create some of the greatest cartoons ever cartoons that could easily rival their competitors but they don't they don't really do anything personally I feel that this dishonours their origin as a stew and as a company they did not have the hindsight to preserve their old cartoons and they lack the foresight to grow new ones I mean hell even Nickelodeon is able to reintroduce its old properties man you know it's bad when I use Nickelodeon as a positive example overall Disney is a company of quality they take excellent care of their old movies new movies and their theme parks but Disney Channel seems to be left out of the equation and animated shows have suffered the most because of it yes I believe that this is due to the company's size and how little they care about television but Disney has gone through changes before and perhaps they can change this for the better for a while Disney's animation studio was struggling to create a successful movie many people believed that Pixar had won the war and that Disney could never recapture its old magic but doubts be damned they are currently in the middle of a revival and have released some of their most successful movies ever and that trend only continues to grow who is to say that the same can't happen to their television animation Department they were able to do it once before and we have seen some promising shows pop up over the years they just need to focus and put some actual effort into rallying their cartoons on their Channel if they can manage that then maybe there's a chance for those who are Christmas shopping or just want some cool stuff go check out the pixel Empire they are a great place to shop for posters shirts phone cases and more use my discount code saber spark and save some money on your next purchase once again thank you all for watching and I'll see you guys next time

Channel: undefined

Views: 3,434,742

Rating: 4.6940761 out of 5

Keywords: disney, disney channel, saber, saberspark, ruined, what's ruined, what's ruining, cartoon network, nickelodeon, review, animation, cartoons, analysis, video essay, what ruined disney channel, gravity falls, star vs, wander over yonder

Id: J4wKaYryqUg

Length: 26min 11sec (1571 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 08 2016

Reddit Comments

[u/Taterdude]

When a channel shows nothing but the same thing in 70% of their programming slots you KNOW the station is fucked.

[u/hellgal]

But guys! Disney gave us the greatest anime of all time!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPbtlFVV3X0

Okay, but seriously, I actually love Saberspark's reviews of what ruined certain animation channels like Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network. He goes very in depth with the history of each channel, brings up both positive and negative examples of cartoons aired on them, and then analyzes what the studio should learn from their mistakes. They're fascinating to watch and clearly well researched. This one did not disappoint :)

[u/JR-butterfly]

the video over looked Disney Junior/Play House Disney shows

and I'll say it 90% of the shows on Disney Junior are "meh" I'll admit the shows are aimed at younger audience, so as an adult I'm not always going be entertain and think the artwork is to "childish" but there is one Disney Junior show that is "a big fish in a small pond" and the artwork compare to the other Disney Junior show is amazing, that of course is Sofia the First both children and adult really like the show and Lion Guard is fine too but nothing compare to the movies ,and the magic roar to me is way jumping the shark, I mean the art works good I like that it isn't CGI nice to have a little variety) Doc McStuffins is cute even if it can get a bit babyish for my taste

and couldn't even finish an episode of PJ Mask, and Miles from Miles from Tomorrowland has no in door voice. though I'll admit the background art is beautiful. but I really don't bother with either of those shows.

but anyway I think the reason why both Gravity Falls and Sofia the First are so successful and champions in their channels Gravity Falls was the best Disney XD show and Sofia the First best Disney Junior show.

they're they are Fairy tales, I mean yes StF is more of fairy tale than GF is but Gravity Falls is full of fairytale elements and tropes and is a perfect blend of fairy tales, Syfy and the supernatural and that is what Disney is best at telling fairy tales.

the more Disney tries to be "hip' and in the now the more their shows suffer, that what made Gravity Falls so great it was just trying to tell a great story with great characters and it did.

and it is unfair that Wander Over Yonder was canceled, Star vs the Forces of Evil is still growing strong ending its second season and going on to its third. and Sofia the First is almost over with it's third season and will start it's fourth season next year, which may or may not be it's last season, apparently DTVA has four season rule or something I dunno and creator wants to end with a "bang" if he's unable to get a fifth season.

so right now only two of my four "recent modern" Disney cartoons are still on aired (Gravity Falls finished and Wander over Yonder got canceled)

both Star and Wander fall under "modern fairytale" well Wander is more syfy being in space, but like Gravity Falls and Sofia the First they're just trying to tell great stories with great characters.

[u/ringhloth]

There are a lot of inaccuracies, especially in the history part. Disney is not a monolithic entity, and Walt Disney Animation Studios actually was very close to shuttering their doors in the early 2000s. The 80s and 90s weren't a renaissance- many of the classic movies they created had tough competition and didn't do well, and the 00s were pretty much the shellacking of the century. Walt Disney Animation Studio didn't even win an Oscar until Frozen.