Stevens’ War, Lizzie McGuire or even Jet Jackson… these cult series have two important things in common: they all aired on the Disney Channel and did not exceed 65 episodes. Reason ? A rule set by the cable channel, even though these fantasy fictions have achieved great success during their broadcasts.
65 episodes and not one more!
But what were the contours of this famous rule? Why shouldn’t the Disney Channel series exceed that number of episodes exactly? First of all, EW Explains that this decision allowed the rotation of the series on the air. Several fictions were offered on alternate years, offering viewers a greater variety of content.
Then, this limited number forced the channel to repeat the same episodes, which allowed the series to gain media exposure. However, the more successful a series was (unreleased or reruns, respectively), the more likely it was to be syndicated, that is, sold and offered to several other channels to increase its audience and revenues.
The rule has been abandoned since 2005
Finally, this limitation helped greatly to control the costs of producing fiction to prevent it from being too long…and more and more expensive over time. But today, Disney Channel’s famous 65-episode rule was abandoned in the 2000s due to the success of certain series.
The success of Kim Possible’s final TV movie in 2005 prompted the channel to renew the cartoon for a fourth season! The same goes for the sitcom Raven Phenomenon, which was renewed for a 4th season at the time and later surpassed 100 episodes. Never quite hit the milestone… but thankfully pretty common these days.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
