Aside from the Pixar co-productions and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, the 2000s decade was not strongest for Disney in terms of box office results. However, the House of Mouse definitely thrived with many of its TV properties, finally cracking the code of what younger audiences to watch on the Disney Channel and even on ABC.
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The 2000s were great for Disney on TV, and the abundance of iconic TV shows from that decade – which are now available on Disney+ – is proof of that. If you’re already a subscriber or are thinking about getting a subscription, we’ve got the best recommendations for you!
LIZZIE MCGUIRE
Created by Terri Minsky and starring Hilary Duff, Lizzie McGuire premiered on the Disney Channel in 2001 to wide commercial acclaim. Despite only having two seasons, this series made a huge wave on TV and went on to inspire several other similar shows that Disney developed in the 2000s and 2010s.
Now available for endless binging on Disney+, Lizzie McGuire is definitely worth a re-watch. What’s more, 2003’s The Lizzie McGuire Movie – featuring Lizzie traveling to Italy and finding out that there’s a massive pop star there who looks just like her – is also available on the streaming platform.
THAT’S SO RAVEN
That’s So Raven aired on the Disney Channel for four seasons, solidifying its place as one of the channel’s most popular and successful TV shows ever.
Starring Raven-Symoné (who was previously known for her role on The Cosby Show), T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh (In Living Color), and Rondell Sheridan, That’s So Raven was set in San Francisco and followed the title character overcoming the obstacles of being a teenager and having psychic abilities. All in all, the central family unit in the series was extremely lovable, and the show’s humor was irresistible and undeniable. Even nearly two decades later, That’s So Raven is still a must-watch.
X-MEN: EVOLUTION
The Marvel animatedshows of the 1990s were huge hits on TV, so it’s not surprising that networks kept wanting more and more content from those superheroes in the 2000s decade. This was even truer after the massive success of 2000’s X-Men, which arguably kickstarted the modern superhero blockbuster era on the big screen.
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In 2000, the X-Men: Evolution animated series premiered on The WB Television Network. The show went on for 4 seasons, making it one of the longest-running animated superhero TV shows of all time. Now, this gem is available for streaming on Disney+!
HANNAH MONTANA
It is hard to look back on TV during the 2000s and not remember Hannah Montana as an era-defining property for Disney. In terms of mainstream popularity, television ratings, merchandise sales, and corporate synergy (through music releases and movie adaptations), Hannah Montana is, without a doubt, the most successful Disney Channel show of all time.
On Disney+, you can now watch all four seasons (98 episodes!) of Hannah Montana, as well as 2008’s Hannah Montana: Best of Both Worlds Concert and 2009’s Hannah Montana: The Movie. If you’re a huge Miley Cyrus fan, you’ll be glad to know that her 2010 film The Last Song will also become available on Disney+ during the first half of 2020.
KIM POSSIBLE
There’s no denying that Kim Possible is one of the best animated TV shows from the 2000s to have aired on the Disney Channel. Created by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle, the series followed the title character being both a high school student and a crime-fighter. Overall, this TV show aired for 4 seasons between 2002 and 2007.
The popularity of Kim Possible has certainly endured the times, yielding a few TV movie adaptations over the years. On Disney+, fans can watch all four seasons of the original show, as well as 2005’s Kim Possible Movie: So The Drama and 2019’s live-action film Kim Possible.
THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK & CODY
The most famous Disney Channel twins of the 2000s decade are also on Disney+. On the streaming platform, fans can watch all 3 seasons of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, as well as all 3 seasons of The Suite Life On Deck. If you are a huge fan of the Sprouse twins, you can also stream 2011’s The Suite Life Movie on the platform.
Starring Cole Sprouse, Dylan Sprouse, Brenda Song, and Ashley Tisdale, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody aired between 2005 and 2008. Suite Life is often remembered as the show that had the most-watched premiere episode in the history of the Disney Channel, with a total of 4 million viewers.
EVEN STEVENS
Even Stevens was one of the earlier hits on the Disney Channel, but the series is often overshadowed by its contemporary Lizzie McGuire. Over the course of 3 seasons that aired between 2000 and 2003, Even Stevens launched the career of Shia LaBeouf, who had a long-standing relationship with Disney for many years.
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Between Even Stevens and 2003’s The Even Stevens Movie, there is a lot of content on Disney+ for fans of this franchise. If you’re a Shia LaBeouf fan, the streaming service also has 2002’s Tru Confessions and 2005’s The Greatest Game Ever Played. What’s more, 2003’s Holes is being added to the library in 2020.
LILO & STITCH: THE SERIES
2002’s was one of the few successful (non-Pixar) animated movies that came out of Disney during the 2000s. To capitalize on the property, Disney gave the greenlight to direct-to-video sequels an TV shows based on the beloved characters seen in the film.
There’s no denying that the most popular sequel project to come out of this franchise was Lilo & Stitch: The Series. The show premiered in 2003 on the Disney Channel and aired for 2 seasons, introducing a myriad of new aliens (called “experiments”) that had also gotten stuck on Earth.
PHIL OF THE FUTURE
Even diehard Disney Channel fans tend to forget about Phil of the Future, which is arguably one of the channel’s funniest and most inventive TV shows from the 2000s.
Created by Tim Maile and Douglas Tuber, and starring Raviv Ullman, Aly Michalka, and Amy Bruckner, Phil of the Future told the story of a family from 2121 who accidentally time-traveled to 2004. The series aired for 2 seasons between 2004 and 2006, and in many ways contributed to Aly Michalka’s singing career in the duo Aly & AJ (which was signed to Disney-owned Hollywood Records).
WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE
Selena Gomez had her start on Wizards of Waverly Place, which premiered on the Disney Channel in 2007 and went on for 4 seasons until 2012. In hindsight, this series certainly felt like Disney’s attempt at capitalizing on the general YA interest in wizards and witches prompted by the Harry Potter movies in the 2000s. However, Wizards of Waverly Place did stand on its own and created a very solid fanbase.
Besides all of the 106 episodes from the OG television series, fans can also stream 2009’s Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie and 2013’s The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex on Disney+.
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