Out With the NEW, in With the OLD

Old Disney Is Better Than New Disney

Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash

Disney Channel is an American television network founded in 1983 by the Walt Disney Company. The channel aimed to entertain families with kid-friendly and family-oriented shows that could be watched together. Throughout their success, Disney made several spin-off channels, such as Disney XD and Disney Jr. However, in the last decade, Disney Channel viewership has plummeted. Compared to the channel’s 2 million daily views in 2014, they now only have 132,000 views. Many feel it is because Disney has lost its well-known 2000s sparkle. In the 2000s, Disney Channel had several classics, such as “High School Musical,” “The Suite Life of Zach and Cody,” “Good Luck Charlie,” “Hannah Montana,” “Jessie,” “Boy Meets World,” “Wizards of Waverly Place,” “Halloweentown” and “Girl Meets World.” Now, on the other hand, the channel has become overly childish and cringey.

Back then, theme songs, characters and storylines had a particular vibe that could not be matched. For example, the TV classic “Lizzie McGuire” was filled with relatable characters, positive themes and a bright aesthetic that fans adored. Today, nostalgia is a big factor in the standards the new Disney Channel upholds to make their content relatable for their target audience. But with corny writing and overdone Gen-Z slang, the screenwriters’ attempts at creating nostalgic effects only harm their content.

While some may appreciate Disney’s efforts to be more inclusive, the channel is undoubtedly overly pushing “woke” messages on preteen children. Critics have pointed out Disney’s remakes of classic movies that focus on female empowerment and LGBTQ+ characters rather than the original storyline as examples of their woke messages. Disney first experienced a decline in views when parents began picking up on these messages, which they felt were not age-appropriate for their young children. Since the majority of Disney’s audience is younger, this contributes to a serious decline in views for the platform.

Many fans also feel Disney is trying too hard with recent spin-offs of old fan-favorite movies and TV shows, which did not meet the fans’ expectations. The spin-off  “The High School Musical: The Series” overshadowed the musical aspect and was filled with unnecessary storylines in an attempt to make the show more interesting. The most probable cause for these spinoffs’ failure is the lack of original characters and charm, which often leaves fans disappointed. The channel relies heavily on remakes rather than innovating new creative content.

Overall, the old Disney Channel cannot be topped. Nostalgia, genuine characters and creative storylines are what made the old channel so special, and without it, viewership has significantly declined.