Via: TV With Thinus
This week, I’m sequestered in lovely Western New York; a quiet part of the country where not a lot happens in the winter because of the snow. So that’s a pefect excuse to stay warm indoors with some TV, and while there is a lot a Top Gear on BBC America, there is also the four kid’s cable channels: The Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and newcomer, The Hub.
So using this extended time off, I figured I would write an overview of the four channels. Today, it’s the turn of the Disney Channel.
Started by Ron Miller back in the 80s the channel is unique in that it carries no commercial advertising whatsoever. Although you should not construe this a as no advertising whatsoever, as the channel still has breaks where shows from other Disney channels, Disney films and misc. things are presented to the viewer.
The range of animation is a bit more limited than it used to be. As of right now, besides the pre-school shows, Phineas and Ferb and Fish Hooks take up the majority of the animation aimed at older kids. However, where the Disney Channel excels is that it can draw upon the vast, vast, vast library of the Disney Company and it regularly broadcasts movies that are rarely seen anywhere else, such as Snow White, Aladdin and pretty much all the Pixar films.
A direct comparison with its competitors is a bit unfair though, as Disney recently nixed Toon Disney in favour of starting a new channel aimed at boys, hence Disney XD and its own share of animated programming (namely Kick Buttowski).
Overall, the Disney Channel isn’t perfect, but it isn’t completely horrible either. It would just be nice to see more time for animation and less for mind-numbing kidcoms that burn through their child stars at a faster rate than I go through delicious Tim Hortons coffee.