It is amazing how many people feel the same way about bringing back the old Disney Channel, when it was "The" Disney Channel. Those were the good days, just like the Disney Store when it was actually "The" Disney Store. Once Disney took the "the" away from these words, there was no distinction between them, they just sort of tried to blend in with every other channel, or retail store. The programming on the Disney Channel these days sucks and I am glad I at least had the opportunity to grow up with "The" Disney Channel.
I remember watching the good shows like MMC, Kids Incorporated, Gummi Bears, Dumbo's Circus, Adventures in Wonderland, Avonlea, I could go on forever naming shows. I also remember when they only showed commercials between shows, and they were actually good commercials, sort of a novelty. Sometimes I couldnt wait for a show to end so I could see their commercials,and see those bumpers where you would only see mickeys gloves and he would be doing different things. I remember The Disney Channel Magazine too. I also remember when things started to go downhill. It was Winter 1996/ Spring 1997. I still have the last issue of The Disney Channel Magazine before it changed to the now gone "Behind the Ears" Magazine. On the first page of the old magazine which was dated Dec. 96/ Jan 97, it says this is the last issue of the Disney Channel Magazine, and a newer improved magazine and Disney Channel would be coming in the next few months. Then they changed their logo to those awful TV screen shaped Mickey ears which was shown too much. Then they started putting their logo on the bottom of the screen for the entire duration of a show. Then they started the commercials during the shows with that annoying Kirk Cameron sounding guy doing the voice- over for every commercial.Some things were still good though, Walt Disney World: Inside Out ( i miss that show
), the concerts from Walt Disney World, and shows like Growing Pains (even though I think they showed it a little too much), and Flash Forward. Things really started to slide around 1999 when they started showing Britney, NSYNC, and Jessica Simpson music videos, and again changed the logo to the multi-colored Mickey ear shaped tv from the black. They still had some good shows like 2 Hour Tour, where people auditioned and competed to be opening acts for people like Christina Aguilera, other behind the scenes shows, Bug Juice, Imaginner That with Tom Morrow 2.0 and Vault Disney.
Then around 2001, 2002, you would be lucky if you saw anything even resembling Mickey at all on the channel, besides that logo. Then around fall 2002 when they changed the logo again to what it is today, and the programming just went to hell, with shows like Even Stevens and Lizzie McGuire which seemed to be on back to back 24 hours a day.Dont even get me started on that mess known as Zoog Disney.Yes the channel has changed and I am glad I still have lots of old VHS tapes with the old Disney Channel on them to look back on and all the old commercials too.I dont think the channel will ever be what it was again but I do see some things getting better, like before the shows they have statred using more creative ways to introduce their logo again just like they used to, and some ok shows ( well one ok show) Thats So Raven (you really cant expect much these days). I am glad I am not a kid these days because they are getting gyped and not getting the real Disney brand like Walt would have wanted it, to entertain everyone, not just 9-11 year olds.
