Disney Channels Ramp Up Series Episodes By 30 Percent

Disney Channels Worldwide is increasing the number
of original series episodes it will air in Fiscal Year 2011 (Oct.1-Sept. 30) by
some 30 percent over 2010, according to Disney Channels Worldwide President
Carolina Lightcap.

Lightcap and Gary Marsh, president of entertainment
and chief creative officer for the company, on Thursday morning (Nov. 4)
previewed for reporters the company's programming plans, which include the ramp
up on series across the Disney Channel brands, what the execs call a
"renaissance" for animation at the company and a bump up in original movies
from five in 2010 to seven in 2011.

The execs also unveiled three new series got the
green light:

--Tron:
Uprising
, an animated spin-off of the "Tron" feature films and featuring
voices of many of the actors in the film franchise to premiere on Disney XD in
summer 2012;

--Wasabi
Warriors
(working title), a live-action comedy set at a strip mall martial
arts studio also for Disney XD, with production slated to start in January;

--and A.N.T.
Farm
(working title), a live-action comedy series for Disney Channel set to
begin production in early 2011 and starring 12-year-old China McClain as a
musical prodigy enrolled in the gifted program at the local high school.

The execs indicated production on the third season
of Demi Lovato-led Disney Channel series Sonny With A Chance, which is
scheduled for mid-January, would depend on the actress/singer. Lovato recently
bowed out of her music tour with fellow Disney Channel stars The Jonas Brothers
while seeking treatment for mental health issues. Lightcap says the priority is
that Lovato gets better.

At the press briefing, Lightcap and Marsh played
clips of shows in various stages of development across Disney Channel, Disney
XD and their new Disney Jr. brand.

Disney Jr. will replace the Playhouse Disney block
on Disney Channel in February 2011 and expand to a full channel in 2012 when it
takes over the space occupied by SoapNet. The new Disney Jr. will have an
expanded target of kids 2-7 (Playhouse is aimed at kids 2-5), allowing children
"permission to keep watching" past pre-school, Lightcap says. She adds that
educational value in pre-school programming has become the cost of entry rather
than a differentiating point and the Disney Jr. rebrand from Playhouse takes
that into account. The new brand will educate but also "embrace the Disney
brand essence like no one else can."

The Disney Jr. logo incorporates Disney characters
and the brand vision for its series will incorporate "magical storytelling,"
Lightcap says. Marsh showed clips of Disney Jr. shows underway, including
animated Jake and the Neverland Pirates,
which features classic Disney characters (Captain Hook) mixed with new
characters; animated Doc McStuffins,
about a girl who heals broken toys; Little
Princess
, in which the title character learns to be a princess, in part via
visits from famous princesses, after her mom marries into royalty; and Minnie Mouse, in which Minnie Mouse and
Daisy run a hotel.

Among the other sneak peeks, Marsh also showed clips of an animated show
for boy tween brand Disney XD called Motorcity,
which is set in futuristic Detroit.