Dear kids,
Yes, there was a time when Disney Channel had shows that were actually awesome, relatable, and hilarious. I like to call those times “The Good Ole Days”. It was the time when Lizzie McGuire had a crush on a dude who probably couldn’t count to five and when Shia LaBeouf played an adorable little boy who only caused mayhem when he was in character. These shows made me laugh my way through my childhood, tweens, and maybe early teens (no shame). Here are my top seven favorite Disney Channel shows from the early 2000’s until 2010.
[tps_title]Lizzie Mcguire[/tps_title]
This show was seriously a guide to growing up and going through those middle school days. We watched Lizzie buy her first bra, Miranda deal with body issues, and realized that the male friend who was totally nerdy in middle school was the one we should’ve fallen in love with. These were the days that Disney Channel covered important topics with life lessons. The shitty part though? What happened after Gordo and Lizzie kissed in Rome? We’ll never know and that’s the worst pain of all.
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[tps_title]Hannah Montana[/tps_title]
Hannah Montana probably had one of the biggest impacts on Disney Channel. Not only did you get to watch Miley deal with a totally normal part of life but you also got to watch her be famous (Okay, but seriously she just wears a wig. How did no one notice?) And if that wasn’t enough, “Hannah” released her very own albums in real life and even went on tour with Miley as her guest. The coolest part for a lot of people though, was growing up with the show and with Miley.
[tps_title]Phil of the Future[/tps_title]
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Phil of the Future was a show about a kooky family who literally had no idea how to fit in with the world or fix their time machine. I think Ricky Ullman was totally my first crush because of this show. (That side smirk, am I right?) And Phil Diffy and Keely Teslow were definitely my first ever OTP.
[tps_title]Even Stevens[/tps_title]
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Remember that time Shia LeBeouf didn’t walk around with a paper bag over his head that stated, “I’m not famous anymore”? Ah yes… Even Stevens; a sitcom about family and the good ole days. It’s kind of like ABC’s The Middle except geared towards a younger audience. Ren and Louis fight like my brother and I used to but the main theme we learned as kids: Family is everything.
[tps_title]That’s So Raven[/tps_title]
Finally, an original concept from Disney–That’s So Raven is a show about a girl who can see the future and her vegetarian best friend who isn’t the smartest cookie in the jar. I loved her adventures and shenanigans and WOW, I don’t think anyone understands how many times I hoped that I’d be psychic. Also, remember when Boyz N’ Motion (Boyz II Men ripoffs, for sure) spent a night at her house? Ugh, the best.
[tps_title]Jonas LA[/tps_title]
This was probably the last Disney show I watched all the way through. The cool concept about this was that every new episode started where the other one left off. It had a “to be continued” type of feel that gave it a story line and made you want to know things like if Joe and Stella end up together. At the end of it all, Joe chases Stella through LAX, admits to loving her, and then kisses her. (So much swoon but so much jealousy)
[tps_title]Life with Derek[/tps_title]
I used to stay up until the early hours of the AM watching re-runs of this show. Derek was such an asshole and Casey was overdramatic and stuck up but oh my God this was such a great comedy about sibling rivalry. I watched the pilot in order to be able to write this and let me tell you, I laughed so much. Marti was my favorite kid in the world at the time and the way Derek used to call her “Smarty” (swoon, to be honest)
[tps_title]The Proud Family[/tps_title]
There’s something about this show that’s really trippy when you watch as an adult but as a young person, I couldn’t get enough of this. Suga Mama was a real badass and Disney wasn’t afraid to give these characters a personality that falls true to how actual humans act. Plus, you could totally relate to Penny Proud and her high school tribulations. Also, those sisters who were the color blue (totally normal and also trippy) and bullied her? We could totally relate to blue bullies, guys.
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