Ranking the Disney Channel Shows: #6

(Yes, this about five months later than I promised the release would be, but it is here, and you are reading it, so shut up!)

Yes, I watch Disney Channel, and I am going to college later in the year. These shows, though aimed at a younger audience, are still a form of entertainment, and I have been entertained by shows on the channel. I’ve decided to make a list of the top 6 Current DC shows, in my honest opinion.

(NOTE: This list does not include the newest show, Good Luck Charlie. While I had considered switching around the list, I felt it would be better to not make a true judgment on it yet since it is brand new.)

Now, onto the list.

6. The Suite Life on Deck

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. What was once the best show on Disney Channel has now turned into a complete mess of a series. Though it may be unfair, it is necessary to compare this show to its predecessor, as it uses the same characters, and is promoted as a continuation of the superior series. So, what is wrong with this show? Though I could go on forever on every specific thing this show did wrong, I’ll keep it to three main points. (And this is how I’ll look at every show; in three or four main points)

- The writing of the series and its characters has gone absolutely down the drain. The best way you can prove this is to compare the characterizations of those who were carried over from the original Suite Life. Mosby and London are shells of their former hilarious selves. Mosby, who was my second favorite character in the original series, has been turned into an unfunny, annoying personality. London went from a full of herself Rich girl into someone who is just plain dumb. Even Zack and Cody feel diluted, and they never truly were the best characters.

- Going off of that point, the characters on this show are so one-dimensional, and in the case of Marcus, zero-dimensional, it hurts. One of the best aspects of the original series was all the great characters they had and how well they played off of each other. The new series is missing great peripheral characters that can carry a scene like Arwin, Estaban, and Maddie. (Ashley Tisdale is especially missed. The dynamic between Bailey and London is, and sadly never will be, as good as the dynamic between Maddie and London. It really is a testament to how good Tisdale was. And I still wish that Arwin spin off would have gotten of the ground. Arwin was my favorite character in the original series.)

- The show has continues to get more and more ridiculous in its plots. The original Suite Life had four supernatural episodes I can think of in its entire series, two being fun, science fiction episodes and two being dreams. In On Deck, we have already had Genies, Groundhog Day, Alternate Realities, Possession by Ancient Queens, and more I know I am forgetting about. It is OK to have the occasional Supernatural theme, but to constantly have them without making it the point of series (ala Wizards), it ruins the credibility the series. The credibility of the series is already low considering they are in school on a cruise ship. Living in a hotel? Its believable. On a cruise? With a school? That's just a little bit too out there in comparison. (Or maybe that's the point; ridiculous setting means ridiculous plots.) In terms of the series’ dreams, the problem is most of them seem completely and utterly random in comparison to the original series.

That isn’t to say that On Deck can’t be good. The character of Kirby, whose actor is also brilliant in the Miller High Life commercials, is the most consistently hilarious thing on this show, and steals every scene he is in. One of the most recent episodes, “Seven Seas News,” contained some brilliant comedy, and is a great example of how good this series could be if everything clicked consistently. Maybe the show is on pace to break itself out of the basement. Ignore the fact that the next episode was the completely ridiculous "Starship Tipton"

(And if I ranked Good Luck Charlie, it certainly would rank above SLOD)