via press release:
DISNEY CHANNEL ORDERS ADDITIONAL EPISODES OF ITS EMMY-WINNING COMEDY, "Wizards of Waverly Place"
Kids and Tweens Connect to Milestone Making Series on TV, Online and at Retail
Disney Channel has ordered additional third-season episodes of its Emmy Award-winning comedy series, "Wizards of Waverly Place," bringing the episodic count to 86 episodes thus far, plus a blockbuster Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered in August.
(Editors please note: Photos are available at www.DisneyChannelMediaNet.com. Registration required.)
In making the announcement, Gary Marsh, president, Entertainment, Disney Channels Worldwide, said: "The appeal of 'Wizards' is simple: it's our extraordinary cast. This is undoubtedly one of the strongest comedic ensembles on television. When you couple that with an incredibly gifted writing and producing team, the result is pure comedic magic."
Created by Todd J. Greenwald and executive-produced by Peter Murrieta, Greenwald, Vince Cheung and Ben Montanio, the series stars Selena Gomez, David Henrie, Jake T. Austin, Jennifer Stone, Maria Canals-Barrera and David DeLuise.
The series recently reached a new pinnacle of achievement by winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program, and inspiring the critically acclaimed "Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie" that ranks as cable TV’s #2 scripted telecast of all time in Total Viewers (13.5 million), Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14, and TV’s #1 telecast of 2009 among Kids 6-11, surpassing NBC’s Super Bowl coverage. The series was also a key part of a special Disney Channel series crossover episode, "Wizards On Deck with Hannah Montana," which delivered a noteworthy 9.2 million Total Viewers.
Its solid rapport with kids and tweens has also cast a spell off TV with a Walt Disney Records CD that ranks #3 on the Billboard Kids Chart. Its debut track, "Magic," by Selena Gomez, has been on Radio Disney's Top 5 most requested chart since its July premiere. Also available are books, two compilation DVDs from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, and a fast-selling DS console game from Disney Interactive Studios. The Disney Consumer Products "BoHo Chic"-inspired back to school fashion collection, available nationwide at retailers including Sears, Kmart and Wal-mart, exceeded expectations, and new lines are currently in development with character Alex Russo's style as inspiration. The consumer products line also includes accessories, bedding, stationery and fashion dolls and will continue to expand as the franchise grows.
Series star Selena Gomez makes her solo recording debut with the CD "Kiss & Tell" from Selena Gomez & The Scene, releasing September 29 on Hollywood Records.
Selena Gomez is the national spokesperson for Sears' Back to School initiative, "Don't Go Back Arrive." Sears was the exclusive sponsor of "Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie" premiere and "Wizards of Waverly Place Arrive in Style" sweepstakes on Disney Channel, Radio Disney and Disney Online and in-store at Sears.
Sara Lee features "Wizards of Waverly Place" on 40 million packages and in-store displays as part of its school year-long promotion of Soft and Smooth bread products. A sweepstakes promotion for a chance to win lunch with the stars of "Wizards of Waverly Place" is on Disney Channel, Disney Online and Radio Disney and in FamilyFun Magazine.
"Wizards of Waverly Place" anchors 'Wiz-tober,' a Halloween programming event hosted by Gomez, Henrie, Austin and Stone, beginning THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1. Season three premieres FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT), with new episodes presented on Friday nights throughout October on Disney Channel.
"Wizards of Waverly Place" is a production of It's a Laugh Productions for Disney Channel and carries a TV-G parental guideline.
Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies. Currently available on basic cable in over 98 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on Disney Channels around the world, Disney Channel is part of the Disney-ABC Television Group.
Looks like Wizards will succeed Hannah Montana for Disney’s most popular series.
Dan your moronic. Wizards got a boost because of the movie. im sure if Hannah had her movie on tv, it would be back on top. Hannah is still the most profitable and most successful show they have. This is only the 3rd season, and by the end it will have 86 episodes, and unless they give it a 4th season of 13 episodes like they did with Hannah Montana, it wont exceed anything from Hannahs record. ratings will drop next season. Hannah is the best show they have and highest rated for the majority of it’s run up until April when Wizards started promoting their movie. Most people also thought Hannah Montana the Movie was the end of the show, plus Miley’s publicity stunts, all added up to bad ratings, but its just barely begin Wizards right now. Once it really sets in next year that Hannah Montana is going away, viewers will return to see the final episodes.
but after Hannah is done, it will just be reruns and Wizards will be the new top dog. but it still wont be as valuable to the network as Hannah is.
Wizards won an EMMY! Hannah Monatana DIDN’T. HAHA!
Go Wizards!
Nick, thats what I meant. AFTER Hannah is done, which is next year, Wizards will be disneys most popular series. It probably wont get as popular as Hannah Montana, however theres not much series that is. I believe Wizards will get a 14 episode final season like Hannah did after this episode order.
sorry, just saying.
WOW!! Wizards, a kids show won a prestigious award! WHO CARES! Adults voted for it not kids, it has no real meaning of what kids like and what they would have chosen.
Big fan of both Wizards and Hannah here so this fighting is disappointing.
Hannah won the Emmy last year, Wizards won it this year, good for both shows. They appeal to different groups – Hannah is a series about a star with supporting characters. Wizards is more of an ensemble show. They’ve both done tremendous for what they are and should both be congratulated. While Hannah is more of a household name as both a brand and for Miley Cyrus, Wizards is doing great and I think awesome for them.
However, being a big Wizards fan, I do hope the show drops out around 100 episodes – nice neat run without getting to a place where the show is running out of steam. But congrats to both shows who do a great job and deserve all of their accolades.
Um, Hannah Montana didn’t win an emmy last year. Nick News did. Hannah Montana has never won an Emmy.
Hannah Montana NEVER won an Emmy. What the heck are you talking about? They’ve been NOMINATED for an Emmy like THREE times and they never won! Wizards was nominated for an Emmy ONCE and they actually WON!
And the only reason why Wizards won is because the show has BETTER writing, BETTER storylines, BETTER actors, just an all around BETTER show!!
Wizards is a worse quality show. the idea of a superstar living a double life had never been done before Hannah Montana came along.
its more original, and Miley Cyrus is a better actress than Wizards, they both have different feels for each show, so of course the acting on Hananh is a little more cartoonish, while The characters on Wizards are a little more complex. and the worst acting was on Lizzie McGuire.
Wizards is not original because those mythical types of shows have been done before and the writing isnt truely their own ideas, some is used from other shows with similar stories. but Hannah is not like any other show. well, at least it wasnt until the Jonas rip-off came out.
The Emmy’s are a more prestigious award, given by adult voters, not kids. the adults vote for the show they want. however, that doesnt mean the kids and teenagers, who actually watch the show, agree with it. especially sicne Hannah is usually the winner of awards for Best tv Show.
I love both shows but Hannah is clearly the better show. I am not taking anything away from Selena Gomez because she is a very good actress in her own right, but not only is Miley Cyrus an amazing actress, she is also a phenomenal singer and performer. I just thought I would add my own opinion along with everyone else.
Wow, that was a delightfully entertaining debate! Keep going!
Hmmm.. I’d beg to differ with you Nick.
1) Pick up a comic book sometime and you’ll see that Hannah Montana’s idea is clearly pulled from almost every classic Super Hero Idea. Mostly Batman who would easily be recognized if his Civilian ID was to be revealed.
2) Hannah Montana is also a variation on the themes laid out in the Famous Jet Jackson, and in the final episode of Lizzie McGuire. And I believe the Idea was first broached in a fuller form during That’s so Raven. Just to name a few Disney Examples. Even to take it further Darkwing Duck.
3) I personally think the ensemble of Wizards is far stronger than Hannah Montana (Though I’ll gladly admit I’ve only viewed a couple of episodes of Montana)
4) Wizards has a wider range of appeal in my opinion than almost any of the other Disney Shows (Suite Life, Hannah Montana, Sonny with a Chance or Jonas) which might not be important to you but is important to the over all life of a show.
But all being said it’s up to everyone’s personal taste to decide what appeals to them.
When I checked Wikipedia at one point, it had said it won, but now, rechecking it says otherwise. Sorry for the confusion. Shesh, it’s tough to be wrong on these boards.
okay. maybe but Hannah Montana is not a super hero. it is based off those ideas, but the context of it, way rewritten into a secret celebrity life, not a superhero life. so it is a new original idea.
wow, Suite Life has outlived its welcome. it’s not even the same show anymore. Wizards, i can think of many shows with similar context like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Bewitched, and I Dream of Jeannie. Hannah, not really any double celebrity life show out there, although most disney shows do have one thing in common, they all have the at least some partially adapted storyline from a previous Disney show. Hannah might have a similar theme, but it also is soemthing fresh that viewers hadn’t seen before this show.
Wider appeal? i dont think so. otherwise why isnt Wizards the huge money maker for Disney? the acting is good, writing is okay, and the overall originality of the idea for the show is mediocre. Wizards powers gone wrong, that all every episode is about, lets see, sounds a lot like a certain teenager witch dont ya think?
at least each episode of Hannah focuses equally on both sides of the Miley storyline and the Hannah celebrity life. and it incorporates things that viewers dont normally see. like how celebrity life is actually like and how they are real people just like us. and then the unusual and different situation that you dotn normally see on most tv shows, always has some type of moral.
Sonny, more liek the kids version of 30 Rock. Jonas, ripoff of Hannah. Celebrities that live a normal life but are also rockstars, same type of situations and almost the exact same plot as Hannah. how original.
Wizards is great, but the one thats most worth watchin is Hananh, because its always different each episode. yes Miley gets into some weird situation that crosses into her double life, but its always something different. with Wizards, its always Alex messin up a spell, and notice how most of them have been thin we have seen before on other shows.
we havnt seen a girl’s best friends sneak into her dressing room and find out she really the world biggest popstar, we havnt seen a girl give up a role in a movie just to comfort her friends who feel aloen in her shadow. We havnt seen a celebrity, a fictional one anyway, constantly go out there and always somehow find a way to embarrass herself.
Wizards is original in a way, but since wizards have been done quite a few times before, and a fictional celebrity double life hasnt before, Hannah just has a slight upside on the creativity scale.
Leading a Double life is as old as Jekyll and Hyde :p Really need to get over this “new original idea” stuff. Even Jack the Ripper lead a double life as a famous killer and a lord (or so it’s believed) O.o Chuck uses the idea LOL It’s about one of the oldest inventions of drama. Robin of Locksley was known to have used one as well. Something of a highway man he was. Ol’ Potter is a celebrity in the Magical world and just a normal kid to the Muggles.
It’s a juvenile fantasy to be a “secret” celebrity nothing new or revolutionary about it. It’s kind of like the whole “Unknowing Royalty” Scenario O.o been around for ages.
Nick is creeping me out with his uber defense of Hannah Montana.
funny how iCarly wins all the ratings charts all the time. not even a Disney show. far superior by the way.
Wizards and Sonny With a Chance are big shows for disney. it’s not all just about Hannah anymore. both of those shows are great, for what they are. Jonas just plain sucks.
the big problem with Hahnah Montana is nothing substantial ever happens on the show. it’s week after week of mild comedy and throwaway drama.
any mention of the events in the movie… nope!
make a big deal of her becoming Jake’s g/f, but is he ever mentioned or seen again… nope!
only one year left people. do something with your storylines.
I’ve watched “Wizards” and actually find it more enjoyable than “Hannah Montana” which seems to have lost steam. I like the actors on “Wizards” too, it’s more an ensemble series.
Nick–isn’t “Hannah” then a rip off of “The Partridge Family”?