Disney revealed a hefty amount of new programming at its annual upfront presentation to advertisers today in New York City, readying an expanded slate of 13 new original series (435 total original episodes in 2011) and marking a 30% increase from last year not including acquisitions.
New Disney Channel programming highlights include the animated series Gravity Falls, which tells the two city kids sent to spend the summer with their grump old great uncle Stan in Oregon, and ANT Farm from It’s A Laugh Productions. The Suite Life on Deck’s Debby Ryan is starring in the new series Jessie, the story of a starry-eyed teen from rural Texas who moves to New York City to explore life outside her small town. Madison High (working title) follows multi-talented teens in a music and dance-driven comedy pilot from Autumn Harvest Productions.
Returning Disney Channel series include a second season of tween dance series Shake it Up, an original movie Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension set to premiere in summer 2011, a holiday-themed original movie based on Good Luck Charlie, a Frenemies original movie that will premiere in 2012, and the original movie Geek Charming.
Brand-new Disney XD series include the live-action comedy Kickin’ It from It’s A Laugh Productions, animated series Ultimate Spider-Man, which will headline an upcoming Marvel programming block on the channel, futuristic animated series Motorcity, produced by Disney Television Animation and L.A.-based prodco Titmouse. Animated series Tron: Uprising will also premier in 2012, while returning series include a second seasons of Pair of Kings and Kick Buttowski – Suburban Daredevil.
With the premiere of Disney Junior, February was Disney Channel’s best month to-date among kids two to five. Disney Junior, which will migrate to a 24-hour channel in 2012, will be headlined by the new animated series Doc McStuffins. The series will use six-year-old Dottie “Doc” McStuffins to highlight the importance of taking care of oneself and others. The series is a production of Dublin, Ireland-based Brown Bag in association with Disney Channel. Additional new animated series include Wildbrain Entertainment’s animated western Oki’s Oasis, the full-length animated special and series pilot Sofia the First, which is set in the storybook world of the classic Disney Princesses, and 7D, a modern take on the Snow White tale. Also premiering on the Disney Junior is the animated short-form series Minnie Bow-Toons, which will be followed by a full-length series. Disney Junior’s Jake and the Never Land Pirates, meanwhile, will be returning for a second season.