30 Best Disney Channel Shows Of All Time Ranked

The Disney Channel is practically synonymous with quality family entertainment. For decades, the cable network has been churning out programs that delight, amuse, and enlighten audiences of all ages. Not one to shy away from innovation, Walt Disney embraced television in the 1950s, airing "Disneyland" and "The Mickey Mouse Club" on the ABC network as a way to finance his dream project, Disneyland (via Disney). In the 1980s, Disney's successful television legacy continued with the launch of The Disney Channel in 1983. But what kind of programming would this new network embrace?

That answer has evolved over time, with the network using both Disney's storied catalog of characters and contemporary youth trends as sources for inspiration. From anthropomorphic elephants to wizards-in-training and all the wannabe pop stars in between, here are the best shows the Disney Channel has to offer.

Disney is no stranger to using Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" as a source for content. From Walt Disney's live-action/animated hybrid "Alice Comedies" of the 1920s to the feature-length animated classic "Alice In Wonderland," Carroll's delightfully surreal stories lend themselves well to Disney's creative vision. Disney Channel's "Adventures In Wonderland" continued this creative tradition, updating Alice for the 1990s. Each episode follows Alice (Elisabeth Harnois), who solves her real-world problems by walking through the looking glass to Wonderland. There, she meets up with numerous friends including The Red Queen (Armelia McQueen), The Mad Hatter (John Robert Hoffman), and The March Hare (Reece Holland), who help her through her troubles with a little singing and dancing thrown in for good measure.

Running from 1992 to 1995, "Adventures In Wonderland" is thoroughly of its time, with The White Rabbit (Patrick Richwood) scooting around in rollerblades (wearing knee pads and wrist guards for safety, naturally) and Tweedle Dee (Harry Waters Jr.) and Tweedle Dum (Robert Barry Flemming) rocking some serious parachute pants.

Loosely based on Disney's 1941 movie "Dumbo," "Dumbo's Circus" is one of Disney's Channel's original program offerings. A live-action/puppet hybrid in the style of "Welcome to Pooh Corner," "Dumbo's Circus" follows Dumbo (Katie Leigh) as he flies from town to town, his magical circus wagon full of entertainment in tow. With animal pals such as Lionel the Lion (Jim Cummings), Lilli (Patricia Parris), and Barnaby Bowser (Will Ryan), Dumbo puts on the best circus that any anthropomorphic elephant could ever dream of. Each episode presents a problem to be solved or a lesson to be learned, like how to fix the popcorn machine or make new friends.

"Dumbo's Circus" is both delightful and unsettling, mostly due to the robotic nature of its puppet characters. Made with the same technology used to create the iconic '80s toy Teddy Ruxpin (via A/V Club), the "Dumbo's Circus'" animatronics movie with human agility, but their vacant eyes create an emotional disconnect that not even technological innovation can heal.

Disney Channel's reality series "Bug Juice: My Adventures At Camp" is the revival of Disney's original "Bug Juice," the network's family-friendly response to the reality TV boom of the '90s. "Bug Juice: My Adventures At Camp" doesn't deviate from its predecessor's formula. It follows a set of campers during their time at Camp Waziyata in Maine. The campers come from all over the country and their days are filled with fun and exciting activities, including swimming, horseback riding, performing, and even whitewater rafting. Of course, a reality TV show, even if it's made for kids, would not be complete without a little drama, and "Bug Juice: My Adventures At Camp" also captures some not-so-happy-camper moments.

"Bug Juice: My Adventures At Camp" is aimed squarely at kids. Aspirational for the youngest of viewers, the show might elicit a few nostalgic twinges from older folks, but it's the reality television equivalent of Kidz Bop. So unless your dream is to be an 11-year-old who wins a lake scavenger hunt, you can skip sipping on this "Juice."

A Disneyfied version of the "The X-Files," "So Weird" chronicles the paranormal, but for the tween set. Teenager Fiona "Fi" Phillips (Cara DeLizia) travels around the country with her rock star mom, Molly (Mackenzie Phillips). Fi shares her paranormal encounters on her blog, "So Weird." She faces various monsters of the week, including spirits, ghosts, and mythical creatures. Fi discovers her penchant for the unexplainable runs in the family, with her late father's mysterious death becoming a driving narrative for the series.

DeLizia would eventually leave her starring role on "So Weird" after only two seasons. Without Fi, the show's focus turned to Phillips family friend Annie Thelen (Alexz Johnson), whose supernatural encounters take on a decidedly brighter tone, losing the ominous and somewhat melancholy appeal of "So Weird" in the process.

The Disney Channel, launched in 1983, was Disney's push into cable television. Its first original program was "Welcome To Pooh Corner," a gentle live-action/puppet adaptation of Disney's previous Winnie The Pooh stories, debuting the same day as the network itself (via Nerdist). Every episode starts with Mr. Narrator (Laurie Main) telling a Pooh-related story from his wicker chair. Tigger (Will Ryan), Owl (Hal Smith), Piglet (Phil Baron), Eeyore (Ron Gans), Kanga (Diana Hale), and Roo (Kim Christianson) join Pooh (Hal Smith) in the Hundred Acre Wood for adventures, laughs, and life lessons.

Compared to their animated counterparts, the puppet suits of "Welcome To Pooh Corner" might be nightmare fuel for younger viewers. Slightly disconcerting, the only way that Pooh and his friends can emote is through highly exaggerated body movements. The charm of Disney's animated Pooh is mostly lost on "Welcome To Pooh Corner," and it's best to stick to other Winnie The Pooh adaptations.

The first show to be given the Disney Channel original series label, "Flash Forward" captures the daily awkwardness of being a 13-year-old. Best friends since childhood, Tucker (Ben Foster) and Becca (Jewel Staite) must face the most challenging endeavor of their lives — eighth grade. They get help navigating their middle school drama from their friends Miles (Theodore Borders) and Chris (Asia Vieria). Working on the school newspaper, starring in the school play, and dealing with bullies are just some of the milestones Tucker and Becca must face.

"Flash Forward" is not groundbreaking teen television, but it's darn good. Carried by the charm of Foster and Staite's performances, the show's authentic and bittersweet portrayal of evolving friendships remains poignant. Both actors went on to have successful adult careers, with Foster appearing in a number of critically-acclaimed films and Staite co-starring in the cult TV show "Firefly."

Austin (Ross Lynch) is an aspiring singer who craves the spotlight, yet can't seem to pen a catchy tune. Ally (Laura Marano) is a talented songwriter with a knack for melody, but is too timid for the stage. When Austin's performance of Ally's song goes viral, the pair forge a musical partnership where he "rocks" and she "writes." Together, Austin and Ally take the music world by storm.

Described as a "pint-sized 'Entourage'" when the show was ordered by Disney Channel in 2010 (via Variety), "Austin & Ally" takes a decidedly PG stance on the machinations of the music industry. Sure, creative bickering leads to inevitable romance for Austin and Ally, but in the vein of other successful Disney Channel sitcoms, the shows drapes any dramatic angst in colorful sets, zany costumes, and feather-light pop music. Neither groundbreaking nor particularly memorable, "Austin & Ally" is but another middling Disney Channel series centered around aspiring pop stars.

In "Bizaardvark," Frankie (Maidson Wu) and Paige (Olivia Rodrigo) post funny videos on their Vuuugle channel, "Bizaardvark." The duo hit 10,000 subscribers, earning them a spot at the Vuuugle Studio, where all the hottest internet stars make their content. But Frankie and Paige must balance their Vuuugle life with the responsibilities of school.

Speaking to an extremely online audience, "Bizaardvark" captures the try-anything-for-a-laugh ethos of many content creators. Featuring unboxing videos, disgusting challenges, and quirky music parodies, the show covers all the hot 2010s online trends. But the show's dedication to authenticity backfired for Disney. Vine star and YouTuber Jake Paul was fired from "Bizaardvark" in 2017 after an incident with a local Los Angeles film crew investigating claims that Paul's house was the source of nuisance (via Hollywood Reporter). So unless obnoxious pseudo-humor is your vibe, "Bizaardvark" is not worth smashing the like button.

Dove Cameron follows in the footsteps of Disney stars Hayley Mills and Lindsay Lohan by playing identical twins with opposite personalities in "Liv and Maddie." A fresh spin on properties like "The Parent Trap" and the sitcom "The Patty Duke Show," "Liv and Maddie" stars Cameron in dual roles. Liv is a "girly" actress who returns to her hometown in Wisconsin, reuniting with her basketball-playing sister Maddie. She has to adjust to life off the soundstage, while Maddie keeps her mind focused on athletics. In later seasons, the sisters move to California, and it's Maddie who's the outsider.

"Liv and Maddie" puts a playful twist on the twin formula, with Liv and Maddie both addressing viewers documentary-style to contextualize the sisters' happenings. The show's self-awareness even stretches so far as to have Patty Duke herself make a guest appearance in an episode playing identical characters. And of course, Liv's Hollywood life gives her plenty of opportunities to use her singing pipes. While "Liv and Maddie" is a fine showcase for Cameron's many talents, it doesn't quite have what it takes to be a Disney Channel classic.

In "Sonny With A Chance," Demi Lovato plays midwestern girl Sonny Munroe, an aspiring comedian who lands her dream role on the sketch comedy show-within-a-show "So Random!" Sonny must balance her comedic ambitions on-screen with the behind-the-scenes drama between her show and its rival, the schlocky teen drama "Mackenzie Falls." Sonny eventually starts dating "Mackenzie Falls" heartthrob Chad Dylan Cooper (Sterling Knight), complicating matters even more. "Sonny With A Chance" is Disney Channel's response to adult TV shows like "30 Rock" and "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip," where the story behind the sketch comedy is the focus.

Lovato left the series after Season 2, citing their ongoing health recovery as the reason for their departure (via People). The show officially became "So Random!," with the show-within-a-show becoming the actual program. The show lasted one more season, but without the star power of Lovato, "So Random!" didn't really stand a chance of continuing.

The sequel series of "That's So Raven" sees Raven Baxter (Raven-Symoné) as a single mother whose son, Booker (Issac Ryan Brown), has inherited his mom's psychic abilities. Raven and Issac, along with Raven's daughter Nia (Navia Robinson), live in Chicago with Raven's BFF Chelsea Grayson (Anneliese van der Pol) and her son Levi (Jason Maybaum). Raven juggles motherhood, paying the bills, and keeping her family's psychic abilities under wraps. Still an aspiring fashion designer (and always looking for the funds to make it happen), Raven hustles as a Scüt driver on the side.

When discussing "Raven's Home" with the Los Angeles Times, Raven-Symoné, who also serves as an executive producer of the show, said she wanted to place focus on social issues like divorce, gender roles, and financial instability. The show delivers on its promise, weaving these more serious topics into its broad physical comedy. Mixing the practical and the magical is what gives "Raven's Home" its delightful spin on the Disney Channel sitcom formula.

Zendaya and Bella Thorne star as two Chicago teens who kick and stretch their way to dance stardom on "Shake It Up." Rocky Blue (Zendaya) and CeCe Jones (Thorne) are best friends who want nothing more than to strut their stuff on the show-within-a-show "Shake It Up, Chicago!" Their main competition for the spotlight is the dancing brother-sister duo, Gunther (Kenton Duty) and Tinka (Caroline Sunshine) Hessenheffer.

A buddy comedy with legs, "Shake It Up" mixes teen hijinks with high-energy choreography. Dancing on "Shake It Up, Chicago!" provides ample opportunities for shimmies, costume changes, and general tween wish fulfillment. Zendaya and Thorne have great on-screen chemistry, despite reports that the actors did not get along in real life. "Shake It Up!" is best remembered as a mere jumping-off point for both Zendaya and Thorne's careers.

"Boy Meets World" was a staple of '90s television, and "Girl Meets World" continues its story, following now-adults Cory Matthews (Ben Savage), Topanga (Danielle Fishel), their teen daughter Riley (Rowan Blanchard), and young son Auggie (August Maturo). The Matthews live in New York City and Cory teaches history at Riley's school, always available to impart valuable life lessons, George Feeney style. Riley's best friend and teen rebel Maya Hart (Sabrina Carpenter) is also along for the ride.

With a premise that plays on nostalgia, "Girl Meets World" manages to combine the familiar faces of its predecessor with compelling new characters and storylines. Keeping the focus on middle and high school, "Girl Meets World" doesn't have the chance to go as deeply into the life of Riley as "Boy Meets World" did with Cory and Topanga, but she goes through enough teenage angst of her own to make her just as endearing. "Girl Meets World" could have been a cheap ploy at elder millennial heartstrings, but it's a show that can stand on its own merits.

Before Zack Morris was king of Bayside High School, he was just another Indiana middle schooler. The origin story of the classic teen sitcom "Saved By The Bell" actually starts on the Disney Channel: It began life as a retooling of the sitcom "Good Morning Miss Bliss." Miss Bliss (Hayley Mills) is a junior high school teacher in Indianapolis, dedicated to her students Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), Screech Powers (Dustin Diamond), and Lisa Turtle (Lark Voorhies). The show is named after Miss Bliss, but the students drive most of the stories.

"Good Morning Miss Bliss" was actually produced by NBC for The Disney Channel and after its cancellation, the show was reimaged as "Saved By The Bell" with Zack, Screech, Lisa, and Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins) making the move to Bayside High School. Episodes of "Good Morning, Miss Bliss" were repackaged as "Saved By the Bell" episodes, with special introductions from Zack framing the stories for context. Truly humble beginnings for such an iconic show.

A spinoff of "Jessie," "Bunk'd" follows the Ross kids, Emma (Peyton List), Ravi (Karan Brar), and Zuri (Skai Jackson) as they attend summer camp in Maine. The tranquil nature of Camp Kikiwaka is a big change from their luxurious New York City apartment, and the Ross gang must adjust to their new rustic setting. Camp Kikiwaka's rules often feel rather draconian, with strict owner Gladys (Mary Scheer) presiding over the camp. Despite bans on things like phones and candy, Camp Kikiwaka is actually a lot of fun for the Rosses, so much so that they convince their parents to buy the camp after fire damages part of it.

"Bunk'd" is a resilient show, able to replace its original cast with a new roster of campers with minimal impact to its popularity. The Ross kids left the series after Season 3, with only Emma making a featured appearance in Season 5. Framing a show as a summer camp allows for a natural ebb and flow of folks passing through the cabins, and "Bunk'd" proves that a show can thrive with a strong premise rather than just tween star power.

A show for the entire family, "Good Luck Charlie" follows the Duncans as they adjust to their growing head-count, with the addition of babies Charlie (Mia Talerico) and Toby (Logan Moreau). Working parents Amy (Leigh-Allyn Baker) and Bob (Eric Allan Kramer) recruit their three older children PJ (Jason Scott Dolley), Teddy (Bridgit Mendler), and Gabe (Bradley Steven Perry) to help raise their younger siblings. Teenage Teddy, knowing their age gap will make it challenging to spend time together as they grow up, makes video diaries for future Charlie.

"Good Luck Charlie" is one of the more mild-mannered Disney Channel original series. Deliberately made with both kids and parents in mind, it is, as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes, "by design, retro in its ordinariness." "No one wants to be a pop star, dancer, or secret agent. It's just a family working together to take care of each other. As exciting as escapist fantasies can be, "Good Luck Charlie" is soothing in its comparative banality.

With hints of "Saturday Night Live" and a dash of "Kids Incorporated" and "Star Search," "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" is the perfect potion concocted from the early '90s pop culture cauldron. "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" launched the careers of pop stars like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and J.C. Chasez, as well as actors Keri Russell and Ryan Gosling. Bringing a '90s vibe to the 1950s TV show "The Mickey Mouse Club," the modern version has singing, dancing, and comedy, all showcasing each cast member's talents.

Like its '50s predecessor, "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" mixes variety and dance numbers with pre-taped dramatic segments, but instead of "Spin and Marty," it's the "Beverly Hills, 90210" influenced teen drama, "Emerald Cove." Filled with copious quick-edits and skewed camera angles that put even the strongest dose of Dramamine to the test, "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" clearly had MTV attention spans in mind.

Mix a dash of "Eloise" and a sprinkle of "The Parent Trap" with a touch of "Fawlty Towers," and you have "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," the Disney Channel show about a pair of twins who make a luxury hotel their home. Zack (Dylan Sprouse) and Cody (Cole Sprouse) live with their lounge singer mom Carey (Kim Rhodes) at the Tipton Hotel. Her gig in the Tipton Hotel lounge gives her sons a semblance of stability, but other characters lurking in the hotel halls bring zany chaos. Shopaholic London Tipton (Brenda Song), whose father owns the hotel, has her own suite at the Tipton. Maddie (Ashely Tisdale) works the candy counter and inadvertently becomes London's tutor and friend, while hotel manager Marion Moseby (Phillip Lewis) tries his best to keep the Tipton running smoothly.

"The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" was so popular that it spun off into a new series, "The Suite Life On Deck," and an original movie, "The Suite Life Movie." In both spinoffs, Zack, Cody, and London set sail on the SS Tipton, attending high school at sea. "The Suite Life Movie" shifts gears from goofy sitcom to sci-fi action thriller, and while the change in tone is quite baffling, it proves the popularity of the Sprouse brothers.

Jett Jackson (Lee Thompson Young) is a child actor who longs for a normal life: Kicking butt as a teenage secret agent in the show-within-a-show "Silverstone" isn't enough for him anymore. He misses his hometown of Wilsted, North Carolina, but he can't abandon his Hollywood obligations. So what's a kid to do? Move the whole production of "Silverstone" to Wilsted so he can both play a spy and be a regular kid. Jett lives with his dad, Sheriff "Wood" Jackson (Gordon Greene), and his great-grandmother, Miz Coretta (Montrose Hagins), who both do their best to keep Jett grounded. Despite the family support, Jett still ends up finding himself in plenty of pickles.

"The Famous Jett Jackson" splits its stories between Jett's real life in Wilsted, the set of "Silverstone," and the show "Silverstone" itself, allowing for a mix of poignant messaging and entertaining action. More than two decades after its initial run, "The Famous Jett Jackson" legacy influences many Disney Channel original series. The fame/real-life dichotomy of "Hannah Montana" and the spy teenagers of "Kim Possible" and "K.C. Undercover" have "Jett Jackson" to thank at least partially for their respective success.

Juggling the expectations of her family with those of her friends, Penny Proud (Kyla Pratt) is an average 14-year-old just trying to make it through the day. Penny might be a straight-A student, but she's easily lured into troublesome situations by her best friend Dijonay (Karen Malina White). She must also deal with her overprotective but well-meaning father, Oscar (Tommy Davidson), and her frenemy LaCienega (Alisa Reyes).

Upon its debut on Disney Channel in 2001, "The Proud Family" was one of TV's first animated depictions of a Black family (via New York Times). Wanting to tell stories from the perspective of a Black teenage girl, show creator Bruce W. Smith teamed up with "Moesha" creator Ralph Farquhar, to craft Penny's world as authentically as they could. Two decades after its initial release, the legacy of "The Proud Family" continues with the Disney+ series "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder."

Before he battled Decepticons in "Transformers," Shia LaBeouf beefed with his siblings in the series "Even Stevens." LaBeouf stars as Louis, the mischievous youngest child of the Stevens clan. Louis is at odds with his perfectionist sister Ren (Christy Carlson Romano) and sports star brother Donnie (Nick Spano). But it's Louis and Ren who are the true sibling rivals, with their clashing personalities causing many a kerfuffle.

Initial reviews for "Even Stevens" noted the similarities between the show and its rival programs on Nickelodeon, with Variety praising LaBeouf's performance as "pre-teen Garry Shandling." LaBeouf's performance not only earned him critical accolades but industry cred as well, earning a Daytime Emmy Award for "Even Stevens" in 2003. Although they played a tight-knit family on "Even Stevens," Christy Carlson Romano revealed in an interview with Los Angeles Times that, despite their strong on-screen chemistry, they were never particularly close on set. Despite any mixed feelings between co-stars, "Even Stevens" remains a beloved Disney Channel original series of the early '00s. 

In "K.C. Undercover," K.C. Cooper is an undercover spy for The Organization, but she's also a high school student who just wants to go to the dance. K.C. comes from a family of spies, her parents Craig (Kadeem Hardison) and Kira (Tammy Townsend) as well as her brother, Ernie (Kamil McFadden), all being clandestine operators who balance their mild-mannered facades with their high-octane careers. Together, they work to thwart The Organization's sinister rivals, The Other Side and The Alternate, from bringing their heinous plots to fruition. Her genius math skills and expert karate moves make her a valuable asset, but K.C. must balance her spy life with being a normal teen.

Zendaya drove a hard bargain to star in "K.C. Undercover," telling Disney that she'd only do the series if she was also made a producer — she wanted to tell stories with families of color and "girls in a powerful and strong position" (via Variety). She also vetoed any singing or dancing in the series and wanted K.C. to be super-smart, but awkward (via Vogue). With her efforts behind the scenes, "K.C. Undercover" succeeds as a smart series with strong girls realizing their full potential.

Jessie Prescott (Debby Ryan) is a small-town girl with big-city dreams in "Jessie." When Jessie ditches Texas military base-life for Manhattan with no idea how to pay the rent, she takes a job as a nanny for the wealthy Ross family on the Upper West Side. Model-turned-mogul Christina (Christina Moore) and famous movie director Morgan (Charles Esten) have cycled through numerous nannies who all ditched their post after being unable to wrangle the raucous Ross children: Emma (Peyton List), Luke (Cameron Boyce), Ravi (Karan Brar), and Zuri (Skai Jackson). Jessie takes no guff from the Ross kids and manages not only to gain their trust but bring the entire Ross family closer together.

The enduring popularity of "Jessie" led to its equally popular spinoff "Bunk'd." But while the light on-screen antics of Jessie and the Ross kids played out on television screens, behind-the-scenes, the cast struggled with bullying, mental health issues, and tragic health conditions.

The animated series "Gravity Falls" follows twin siblings Dipper (Jason Ritter) and Mabel (Kristin Schaal) Pines to Gravity Falls, Oregon, where they spend the summer with their Grunkle Stan (Alex Hirsch). But all is not as it seems in Gravity Falls. When Dipper unearths an old, unfinished journal buried in the woods that details the town's mysterious dark side, he decides to pick up where the journal left off and chronicle his own encounters with the strange and unusual. Unruly lawn gnomes, bottomless pits, and kidnapping pterodactyls are just some of the oddities Dipper and Mabel encounter in Gravity Falls.

"Gravity Falls" has garnered quite a cult following. Beloved for its complex storytelling, quirky characters, and genuine weirdness, the show has been compared to other bizarre, yet insightful animated series like "Adventureland" and "Steven Universe." "Gravity Falls" only aired for one season on Disney Channel before transitioning to sibling network Disney XD, but Disney Channel's willingness to step away from their usual tween sitcom formula should be applauded.

In the animated series "Phineas and Ferb," stepbrothers Phineas (Vincent Martella) and Ferb (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) keep themselves busy during summer vacation by building wild inventions and going on outrageous adventures that are only limited by the scope of their imaginations. Phineas' older sister Candace (Ashley Tisdale) would love nothing more than to bust up her brothers' antics. And while Phineas and Ferb solve the problem of what to do with their free time, their mild-mannered pet platypus, Perry, works as a secret agent fighting the evil Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz (Dan Povenmire).

Winner of three Emmy Awards, 'Phineas and Ferb" was Disney Channel's attempt to rival Nickelodeon's massively popular "Spongebob Squarepants." Disney saw the merchandising potential of "Phineas and Ferb" and pushed the characters' mass-market products with abandon. Unfortunately for Disney, the show didn't quite become embedded in the zeitgeist like "Spongebob," but that doesn't take away from the irreverent fun and zaniness of a summer's afternoon spent with these clever boys.

Kim Possible (Christy Carlson Romano) is a crime-fighting high schooler who makes it home in time for curfew in the animated series "Kim Possible." Assisted by her sidekick Ron Stoppable (Will Friedle), Ron's naked mole rat pet Rufus (Nancy Cartwright), and computer genius Wade (Tahj Mowry), Kim takes on evil-doers bent on world domination. Her main adversaries are mad scientist Dr. Drakken (John DiMaggio) and his sidekick Shego (Nicole Sullivan), whose inventive plots to take over the globe are consistently thwarted by Kim and her crew. Kim's no secret agent, though, and while her penchant for justice is world-renowned, she's fully supported by her family — as long as she gets good grades and makes it home by a reasonable hour.

Action-packed, stylishly animated, and funny, "Kim Possible" is not just for kids: The show has plenty of hidden humor to please adults, too. The younger set can enjoy the fantastical gadgetry and quirky pets, and the adults can appreciate the impeccable voice casting and homages to heavy metal music legends.

Everything is not what it seems in the teen sitcom "The Wizards of Waverly Place." Siblings Alex (Selena Gomez), Justin (David Henrie), and Max (Jake T. Austin) are wizards-in-training who are juggling their regular school lessons with magic courses led by their former-wizard dad, Jerry (David DeLuise). All three kids are going through wizard training, but only the Russo who wins the family wizarding competition will be able to retain their magic powers as an adult. The Russo kids also work at the family business, a sandwich shop underneath their Greenwich Village apartment. Alex, Justin, and Max use their magical powers to get out of predicaments, but their novice wizard status means their magical efforts often backfire with hilarious consequences.

With 106 episodes, "The Wizards of Waverly Place" is one of the Disney Channel's longest-running series. Selena Gomez was the breakout star of "Wizards of Waverly Place," and she was soon catapulted into teen fame. She jokingly reflected on her Disney success in a 2021 interview with People, noting, "I signed my life away to Disney at a very young age, so I didn't know exactly what I was doing." She later clarified this comment in an interview with Radio Times by saying she was "proud" of the work she did with Disney and "​​It kind of shaped who I am in a way." Even if Gomez has mixed feelings about "Wizards of Waverly Place," its success speaks to the strength of the cast's performances and the magic they created together.

Hilary Duff launched into tween superstardom starring in the titular role of "Lizzie McGuire." Lizzie takes on the challenges of middle school life with the help of her friends Miranda (Lalaine Vergara-Paras) and Gordo (Adam Lamberg). It's hard out there for a 13-year-old, and Lizzie does her best to navigate the desire to be her own person and the pull of being popular. A cartoon version of Lizzie puts her life in context, giving insight into her true feelings. She might seem confident asking a boy out to the dance, but on the inside, she's crashing off a diving board.

In the early 2000s, "Lizzie McGuire" was a pop-culture phenomenon, even finding a super fan in Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, who sang the show's praises to the New York Times. A Forbes report from 2003 estimated that "Lizzie McGuire" franchise and merchandising had earned Disney $100 million. "Lizzie McGuire" was a winning story-telling formula, targeting the then-underserved preteen demographic, and it shaped how Disney Channel did business. Still cherished by its initial audience, an adult "Lizzie McGuire" reboot was in the works until it was canceled for reportedly being too mature for Disney+, but even Duff admits the project is "it's not dead and it's not alive."

Raven Baxter (Raven-Symoné) is a high schooler with secret psychic powers in "That's So Raven." Raven's spontaneous visions of the future, and her misinterpretations of them, cause her all sorts of trouble. Taking responsibility for the chaos she causes, Raven resourcefully rectifies the mistakes she makes, often with the help of her friends Chelsea (Annelise van der Pol) and Eddie (Orlando Brown). An aspiring fashion designer, Raven cleverly uses her sartorial skills to wiggle her way into and out of any number of predicaments.

"That's So Raven" broke the mold at Disney Channel, its popularity smashing the 65-episode rule that dictated the cancellation of popular shows like "Lizzie McGuire" and "Even Stevens" (via A/V Club). The show ran for a formidable 100 episodes, a number only surpassed by "The Wizards of Waverly Place's" and the animated series "Phineas and Ferb." Even Raven Baxter couldn't have possibly envisioned such wild success for "That's So Raven."

It really is the best of both worlds for Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) in the Disney Channel juggernaut series "Hannah Montana." Miley is an average teenager who also has a career as a music superstar. With the help of a blonde wig and sparkly outfits, Miley rocks the stage as Hannah Montana. Her father, former country music star Robby Ray (Billy Ray Cyrus), moves Miley and her brother Jackson (Jason Earles) from Tennessee to California to cultivate Miley's music career. She might be a pop sensation, but Miley does the best she can to keep her public and private life separate, with her friends Lily (Emily Osment) and Oliver (Mitchel Musso) keeping her grounded in reality.

The success of "Hannah Montana" is the stuff of pop-culture legend. Two years after the show's debut in 2006, NBC News reported that Cyrus' "Hannah Montana" empire infiltrated every merchandising sector, with CDs, DVDs, books, video games, a sold-out national tour, and 140 other items launched by Disney to cash in on Miley-mania. Since the show ended in 2011, Cyrus has remained an entertainment fixture, and she seems at peace with her Disney past, sharing with fans her appreciation to Hannah Montana in an open letter posted to social media (via Glamour).