Top 10 Disney Channel Shows of the Last Decade (Live-Action)
#10: “Andi Mack” (2017-19 )
When “Andi Mack” premiered in 2017, it felt like nothing we had ever seen on the Disney Channel before. Its plotline was unconventional, with the main character, Andi, finding out in the first episode that her older sister is actually her mother, and that her family has kept this secret from her for her whole life. Beyond that, Andi is just a regular teen dealing with the classic problems of adolescence, but this show was in many ways more progressive than the others aired on the network. In fact, it was the first Disney Channel show to feature a gay main character.
#9: “Austin & Ally” (2011-16)
It all started with a “Double Take”! Disney Channel does a great job when they pair teenage stories with the world of music, and “Austin & Ally” is the perfect example of that. Premiering in 2011, the premise of this show was that an outgoing singer, Austin, inadvertently teams up with a more introverted singer/songwriter, Ally, when a song that the two created together goes viral. Watching both of their careers develop over the seasons was a pleasure, and getting to witness their love story unfold made this even better.
#8: “A.N.T. Farm” (2011-14)
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Another Disney Channel show that has a musical edge is “A.N.T. Farm”, which also premiered in 2011. Featuring China Anne McClain as Chyna Parks, the show revolves around an 11-year-old music wiz kid who finds herself in high school despite the fact that she’s only recently hit double digits. Webster High School’s A.N.T. (or Advanced Natural Talent) program is full of colorful and quirky characters but also tackles some real world issues that kids can relate to as Chyna has to figure out how to fit in among the teens.
#7: “Shake It Up” (2010-13)
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While many Disney Channel shows feature kids who excel at singing, this one “shakes it up” by putting the spotlight on dancers instead. The show is probably best remembered for its main stars, who both went on to have big careers outside of the world of Disney. Bella Thorne plays CeCe Jones and Zendaya plays Rocky Blue. The two girls are best friends who achieve their dreams of becoming pro dancers when they manage to get cast on the show "Shake It Up, Chicago!". The biggest problem with this show is that it was only on for three seasons!
#6: “Girl Meets World” (2014-17)
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Probably one of the most high profile shows on our list, which found an audience with Disney fans as well as the general population, was “Girl Meets World”. Older millennials were thrilled when it was announced that “Boy Meets World” would be getting a spin-off years after going off the air where they’d get to see what happened to Cory and Topanga after they moved to New York. The show focuses on their daughter, Riley, who has to deal with the usual slate of problems that teenagers face, along with the fact that her dad is her history teacher.
#5: “Raven's Home” (2017-)
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The same year that “Girl Meets World” aired its final season, the Disney Channel introduced another spin-off to the mix. “Raven's Home” picked up on Raven Baxter’s story from “That's So Raven” ten years after it wrapped. The family life portrayed in this show is a little less conventional, featuring Raven and Chelsea as single moms who have both gone through divorces. Of course, a major aspect of “That's So Raven” was Raven’s psychic powers, and in the newer show she finds that her son seems to have the same abilities that she does.
#4: “Liv and Maddie” (2013-17)
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We all dreamed of being a twin at one point or another, so the premise of this show is definitely an appealing one. Maddie is an athletic and typically dorky teenager whose life is turned upside down when her identical twin sister, Liv, comes home from Hollywood. After making it big in the entertainment industry, she ends up in school with Maddie and the rest of the regular kids. Maddie has to deal with being seen as second best to her famous sister, and Liv has to find a way to lead a normal life after experiencing the world of celebrity.
#3: “K.C. Undercover” (2015-18)
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After “Shake it Up,” Zendaya appeared in another Disney Channel show: “K.C. Undercover”. While lots of Disney shows share similar themes and storylines, this one was definitely outside the box. The premise is that K.C. Cooper thinks she’s just a regular kid (with a serious aptitude for math) until she finds out that her parents are actually spies. She ends up working for The Organization with them and works to keep the country safe from criminals. All the while, she has to deal with the normal frustrations that all teens have with their parents- no matter what they do for a living.
#2: “Jessie” (2011-15)
The Disney Channel has created many memorable and beloved casts of characters, but there’s something especially endearing about the ones found in “Jessie”. Featuring a nanny who comes from Texas to work with a very wealthy Upper West Side family who happens to have a giant lizard as a pet, this show was just as bizarre as it was charming. While “Jessie” may have ended far too soon in 2015, the Disney Channel knew that its viewers wanted more of the Ross family so they created the spin-off, “Bunk’d”, which focuses on the four Ross kids and their adventures at summer camp. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Stuck in the Middle” (2016-18) “Dog with a Blog” (2012-15) “Best Friends Whenever” (2015-16)
#1: “Good Luck Charlie” (2010-14)
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The Duncan family already had their hands full with three kids, so when their fourth, Charlie, was born and they went back to work, they had to ask their teenagers to help care for their baby sister. The framing device of this series are the videos that Teddy makes for Charlie, giving her advice that she can use when she grows up. While the show is certainly funny and the Duncan kids get themselves into countless scrapes, it’s also a sitcom with a lot of heart that shows the bonds that siblings can have.
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