The Problems with Disney Channels and the Advantages of FoxToons Networks

Disney Branded Television is a unit of Disney General Entertainment Content which oversees development and production of content geared towards kids, teens and families for Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney XD. They also oversee development and production content geared towards family-friendly audiences for FoxToons+, FoxToons Network, Toon Pilkey/Radix, FXTS, and FXTS Holiday.

While the Disney Channels were great at the beginning despite their share of poorly received shows, they began to go downhill a bit since the premiere of Hannah Montana in March 2006, and received a bigger drop in quality once they launched their HD feeds two years later, despite the Disney Channel redeeming itself in 2019 and Disney+, Disney Junior and Disney XD also being solid (although Disney XD sadly went downhill in March 2021).

FoxToons Network and its sister channels were also pretty good, only being held back by their frequent rebranding stages between the late 2000s and late 2010s and their fair share of poorly received shows, although they slowly redeemed themselves between the 2013-14 and 2020-21 television seasons with their premieres of widely praised shows, their revival of Saturday morning programming blocks, and their current rebrands. Having some poorly received shows is not necessarily a bad thing since they conclude with finales with endings that range from decent to amazing, unlike what other television channels in the United States sometimes go through.

The Bad Qualities of Disney Channels (DC)

 * 1) Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD and Disney+ nowadays like to broadcast themselves and their shows in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen/4:3 letterbox (in the Simtopia Universe) or 4:3 pan-and-scan full screen (in the Studiopolis Universe, which is excusable due to the fact that the Studiopolsian American Standards and Practices require each television network to broadcast their provided content in 1.33:1 full screen, along with many shows made between the 1980s and 2000s); the American counterparts of each channel and the Studiopolis Universe editions of Disney+ and Disney’s home media releases consist of U.S. prints of its original and acquired shows and movies from original U.S. first-run syndication and Disney Channel’s Bounce Era copies, while their overseas counterparts and the Simtopia Universe editions of Disney+ and Disney’s home media releases broadcast (for the most part) foreign prints or original prints instead.
 * 2) Disney Channel’s schedule consists only of reruns and original broadcasts of Jessie, Liv & Maddie, Bunk'd, Raven's Home, Big City Greens, Amphibia, The Owl House, and whatnot as well as Disney Junior shows (which take up the channel's morning and early afternoon time slots); their sister channel Disney XD is no better since it became a rerun channel as soon as DuckTales 2017 and Big Hero 6: The Series ended their original runs on the channel. Disney Junior also has its own channel that broadcasts preschool-oriented programming all day long!
 * 3) * On a related note, Disney does not take 101 Dalmatian Street seriously, since they like to broadcast it on Disney+ and Disney XD during low-rated time slots instead of the American counterparts of Disney Channel.
 * 4) * They were also responsible for the decline of Saturday morning cartoon programming in the Simtopia Universe alongside Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Litton Entertainment, and the Children’s Television Act from the FCC.
 * 5) Disney Channel seldom broadcasts movies nowadays, and when they do, they only air select modern Disney films, Pixar films and DCOMs under its hip and cool “DCOM and Dessert” block. If you would like to watch Disney films nowadays, you would have a better chance of finding them on Disney+, Freeform and ABC.
 * 6) Excluding 2D-animated Disney Junior series, Marvel Animation’s shows, Tangled: The Series, Big Hero 6: The Series, and The Ghost and Molly McGee (which are produced in colored-outlined digital ink and paint animation), many of Disney's animated shows nowadays are produced in black-outlined (colored-outlined in the Studiopolis Universe) digital ink and paint or flash animation, or even in 2D-animation-killing CGI animation.
 * 7) * Most of them feature character designs that include the generic thin line animation style, which has taken over many American modern day cartoons regardless of them being good or bad.
 * 8) Disney Channel completely killed off its Bounce Era on Monday 1/22/2007, despite FoxToons Network continuing to utilize it since their current rebrand on Monday 4/27/2020. Beginning in February-March 2019, Disney Channel’s current icon consists of the name of the channel colored in white-cyan gradient and thickly outlined in dark purple, which looks like a downgrade to the original 2002-10 Mickey Mouse ears icon.
 * 9) * During the first few months of the Bounce Era, the Simtopian American counterpart of Disney Channel plastered their 1997 and 1999 Disney Channel Originals logos with the 2002-11 logo on their live-action shows, but not on their animated shows (which still used the 2000-04 DCO logo from their original broadcasts). The Studiopolisian American Disney Channel thankfully fixes this issue by displaying the 2002-11 DCO logo on their live-action and animated shows upon the Bounce Era rebrand.
 * 10) Disney Channel no longer utilizes an on-screen DCO logo for their current shows or movies following February 2012's DCOM Radio Rebel (which used the 2007-12 DCO logo), nor do they frequently air the ones that used the 2002-11 and 2007-12 DCO logos nowadays. This is very hypocritical, considering that Disney Junior and Disney XD still utilize their on-screen logos for their shows and Disney XD broadcasts animated shows with the 2002-11 and 2007-12 DCO logos.
 * 11) In a disgusting turn of events, Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced that they would shut down various Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Junior channels in the Simtopia Universe to force citizens to buy Disney+. The “Shutdown of Disney Channels in Certain Countries” page on Terrible Shows and Episodes Wiki contains more information about this event.
 * 12) Disney Channel was involved in multiple controversies, such as being forced to pull episodes of their shows that featured subject matter deemed inappropriate due to its humor, the timing of the episode’s original airing with real-life events, or subject matter considered inappropriate for its target audience. For example, the Hannah Montana episode “No Sugar, Sugar” was banned from airing in the U.S. on its scheduled premiere (Sunday 11/2/2008) after parents complained that it featured some inaccuracies about Type 1 diabetes. The episode was luckily fixed and broadcast in the United States afterwards on Sunday 9/20/2009; while the Studiopolis Universe received the original episode with the lines of dialogue regarding Type 1 diabetes being rewritten (a la the original Studiopolis American English dub of Doogal), the Simtopia Universe got a complete reshooting of the episode that became part of the third season under the new title “Uptight (Oliver’s Alright)”.
 * 13) * While reshooting and rewriting such episode sounded good on paper, “Uptight (Oliver’s Alright)” was unnecessary since the writers could have fixed the Type 1 diabetes references in “No Sugar, Sugar” (which had required a bit of reshooting and rewriting of the scene where the characters mention diabetes) and request the Simtopian American Disney Channel to air the fixed edition of the latter episode like the Studiopolisian American Disney Channel did. It is worth noting that the revised edition of “No Sugar, Sugar” was broadcast on the Studiopolisian American counterparts of Disney Channel and Disney+, and made its way onto FoxToons Network after its initial Disney Channel broadcast.
 * 14) In 2008, Anne Sweeney (the worst president of Disney Channel) stated that Disney Channel, resulting from its multi-platform marketing strategy using television and music, would become "the major profit driver for the Walt Disney Company", falsely implying that she wants the company to win nothing more than money.
 * 15) * It does not help that the CEOs of Disney also performed sneaky tactics to gain money and abuse the legacy and requests of U.S. animator Walt Disney and his family (take a look at the “Disney’s business practices” page on Awful Movies Wiki for more info), causing The Walt Disney Company to receive tons of hate from the toxic cartoon community. At least the CEOs at FoxToons Studios admire the Disney family and do not perform such tactics!
 * 16) The website addresses for Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney XD now send internet surfers to the DisneyNOW website, which is unacceptable because not all of their favorite shows or games might be on the latter service and it’s considered click-baiting. Heck, even the Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, ABC Kids (pre-September 2011 and post-late June 2021), CW4Kids (pre-late August 2012 and post-late September 2018), Funimation, P Store, and FoxToons website links never redirected their attempted visitors to different sites!
 * 17) * Speaking of the CW4Kids website, the only time it redirected its visitors to a different website occurred from late summer 2012 to early fall 2014 due to Saban Brands acquiring The CW’s Saturday morning block (then called Vortexx), directing its viewers to the Vortexx website. Due to FoxToons Studios reviving CW4Kids in fall 2018, the aforementioned link currently sends its visitors back to the CW4Kids website.
 * 18) * The ABC Kids website suffered a similar issue as the CW4Kids website after the titular block ceased in late summer 2011. Since FoxToons Studios revived ABC Kids in early summer 2021, however, the aforementioned link new visitors get to check out the ABC Kids website once again.
 * 19) They expect viewers to watch such animated and live-action shows in their homes only, which is ridiculous since professional sports leagues and the FoxToons Networks display their own broadcasts outside of homes as well.
 * 20) Beginning in 2021, Disney no longer releases DVDs of their shows in the United States or other countries, instead opting to seldom releasing their movies on physical home media platforms. Although this action might be justified due to the launch of Disney+, it is very unsatisfying for DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD Blu-ray collectors since FoxToons Studios continues to release its shows and movies on physical formats even after the launch of FoxToons+ in 2019 (fun fact: both Disney+ and FoxToons+ launched in the United States on Tuesday 11/12/2019, alongside the YouTube uploads of the final trailers for Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)and Philly-Saban: Brawl of the Wild).
 * 21) * Speaking of Disney+, its Simtopia Universe counterpart requires its users to pay $30-35 to watch the latest movies upon their initial releases, which is also the price to buy 4K UHD Blu-rays in video stores.
 * 22) These channels not only try way too hard to be hip and cool with their viewers (Disney Channel and Disney XD), but they also go as far as to abusing their intelligence and treating them like idiots (Disney Junior).

The Good Qualities of FoxToons Networks (FN)

 * 1) FoxToons Network and its sister channels (Toon Pilkey/Radix, FXTS, FXTS Holiday, FoxToons+) broadcast themselves and their shows in 4:3 pan-and-scan full screen (this is excusable due to the fact that the Studiopolsian American Standards and Practices require each television network to broadcast their provided content in 1.33:1 full screen); each channel and FoxToons+ broadcast U.S. prints of their original and acquired shows and movies.
 * 2) FoxToons Networks’ schedules contain more variety, consisting of reruns and original broadcasts of their own original series (utilizing the post-2020 FNO, FoxToons+, Toon Pilkey/Radix, FXTS Signature or FXTS Holiday Originals logos) and Disney Channel's (from 2001-08, utilizing the 2002-11 DCO logo); shows that originally aired on FoxBox/4Kids TV and TheCW4Kids/Toonzai; digitally recolored editions of shows licensed in the United States by Pioneer/Geneon and Viz Media (released on home video platforms by FoxToons Home Entertainment and Radical Media respectively); and even shows originally broadcast on The Disney Afternoon, Disney's One Saturday Morning/ABC Kids, Disney's One Too, and Toon Disney/U.S. Jetix.
 * 3) * FoxToons Studios even managed to revive Saban Productions in September 2017, the CW4Kids/Toonzai and ABC Kids Saturday morning blocks in November 2018 and September 2021 respectively, and BVS Entertainment in October 2019, due to them singing an agreement with 4Kids (prior to their shutdown), Saban/BVS, the FCC, and the Big Six major film studios (whose television channels aired various Saturday morning blocks such as ABC, Fox and The CW respectively broadcasting the ABC Kids, FoxBox and CW4Kids/Toonzai blocks) to broadcast Saturday and weekday morning cartoons on their channels over the years during their morning schedules. These include shows based on the Marvel Comics superheroes, the American English dubs of anime from 4Kids Productions, pre-2010 shows created by Walt Disney Television Animation and Warner Bros. Animation, and various video game adaptations like the Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog and Donkey Kong Country cartoons.
 * 4) * With permission from the FCC, ABC, Fox and The CW, FoxToons Network, The X (the original incarnation of Toon Pilkey) and FXTS also broadcasted the original FoxBox, 4Kids TV, CW4Kids, Toonzai, and ABC Kids blocks during their own original broadcasts.
 * 5) * On Tuesday 6/22/2021, FXTS announced that ABC Kids would return on Sunday mornings on both FXTS and FXTS Holiday beginning in the 2021-22 television season as ABC Kids on FoxToons. ABC Kids’ new lineup consists of upcoming FoxToons Network original series co-produced by Saban Productions and/or BVS Entertainment such as the seventh and eighth seasons of Queen Doogal and I Am Busted, Cellmate, Cellmate, and Philly of the Future, along with the television premieres of FXTAS’ FoxToons+ shows Short Circuit and Zenimation (the latter of which was suggested by the FCC to offer meditation content to viewers). ABC Kids on FoxToons is scheduled to premiere on the FoxToons Networks on Sunday 9/12/2021, making it the second Saturday morning block to be revived by FoxToons following Toonzai on the CW4Kids on FoxToons.
 * 6) FoxToons Networks air a variety of major live-action and animated feature films rated G to PG-13 by the MPAA (although in 1.33:1 pan-and-scan or open matte full screen format and, for many PG-rated and all PG-13-rated films, even edited for content due to Studiopolisian American television broadcast regulations) along with their FNOMs and pre-2009 DCOMs (containing the post-2020 FXO and 2002-11 DCO logos respectively).
 * 7) FoxToons’ own animated shows and movies are consistently produced in colored-outlined digital ink and paint animation or realistic CGI animation, even containing appealing character designs that stand out from one another.
 * 8) * Best of all, their cartoons feature colored lineart and soft shading techniques that look very similar to feature-length animated movies from Disney and other major animation studios. This is most likely due to them being produced on high budgets and outsourced to their CAPS digital ink and paint system (as also the case for their digitally recolored editions of anime licensed by Pioneer/Geneon and Viz Media), Toon Boom Harmony, and/or overseas animation studios such as Wang Film Productions, Yeson Animation Studios, Sei Young Animation, Dong Woo Animation, Rough Draft Studios, Top Draw Animation, Digital eMation (although both studios would be fired from providing animation for their projects as stated below), Toei Animation, TMS Entertainment, OLM, Madhouse, AIC, and FXTAS C&D Boston.
 * 9) * The art styles of shows animated by Top Draw Animation and Digital eMation were inspired by VHS covers of UAV Gold and UAV Silver releases, explaining the inconsistently thick-thin outlines in the character designs on Top Draw’s part and digital coloring on Digital eMation’s part. However, Top Draw’s work on the original edition of The X’s Arnold 5000, Ultimate Teenage Robot, the first season of The Secret World of Arnold Mack and each episode of The Arnold Chronicles animated by both companies received backlash from fans for being stolen from the first season art style of Johnny Test(which was also animated by Top Draw and Digital eMation and, in the Simtopia Universe edition of the show, contained black lineart instead of colored lineart) and looking unfaithful to the art style of the other Arnold 5000 cartoons, which were animated by Wang Film Productions, Cuckoo’s Nest Studios, Sei Young Animation, Dong Woo Animation, and Yeson Animation Studios. In response, The Arnold Chronicles creator Tony Leech commanded both companies not to provide animation for subsequent episodes of the show (which were animated by CAPS instead) or future FoxToons Animation Studios projects.
 * 10) Each television channel owned and operated by FoxToons Studios rebranded themselves with excellent feedback for their inclusion of creativity and nostalgia.
 * 11) * FoxToons Network revived the Bounce Era since their current rebrand on Monday 4/27/2020, and even created a brand new icon that looks similar to the 2002-10 Disney Channel Mickey Mouse ears icon to coincide with the rebrand.
 * 12) * Toon Pilkey/Radix revived the 2004-09 Toon Disney and Jetix eras since its launch on Saturday 5/1/2021. In addition, Radix only broadcasts itself and its content during the evenings only.
 * 13) * Since its launch on Sunday 3/1/2020, FXTS Holiday revived the 2002-04 ABC Family Action Block era for its action-oriented programming schedule and the 2006-16 ABC Family era for its non-action-oriented schedules.
 * 14) * FXTS has consistently followed ABC’s rebrand eras since their launches.
 * 15) * Logo plastering on FoxToons Networks is more consistent than on Disney Channels. Following each rebranding of FoxToons Network, newer copies of shows that originally contained an older FNO logo would be updated to include the FNO logo created for stated rebrand. Most recently, on Monday 4/27/2020, FoxToons Network rebranded itself to the Bounce Era, and current issues of shows that contained the 1989-2009 and/or 2007-20 FNO logos at the end were plastered over with the post-2020 FNO logo on television, home video and FoxToons+ (as soon as they were added onto the service) beginning that day. Big Bad Mecha-Beetleborgs and VP Troopers were the first new FoxToons Network original series to contain the post-2020 FNO logo.
 * 16) FoxToons Network and its sister channels broadcast shows and original movies that contain the post-2020 FoxToons Network Originals and 2002-11 Disney Channel Originals logos (even plastering the 1989-2009 and 2007-20 FoxToons Originals logos and the 1997-2002, 2000-04, and 2007-12 Disney Channel Originals logos in the process since they are sourced from the U.S. Bounce Era and pre-February 2008 DC Ribbon Era issues). They also utilize on-screen logos for their own shows and movies, unlike Disney Channel nowadays.
 * 17) Even though Disney shut down their channels in various Simtopian countries since 2020, FoxToons Studios continues to operate their own channels as of this day since cable television is far from gone.
 * 18) FoxToons Networks’ shows present subject matter in a serious way, being sure to abstain from including humor deemed inappropriate for the subject matter or modifying questionable content from the episode in question! For example, after FoxToons Network advertised the season two finale of their original series Britney Connolly, “No Sugar, Sugar” on Saturday 7/1/2006, it received complaints from viewers for its inaccuracies regarding Type 1 diabetes. Instead of pulling it from its original rotation, FoxToons Network rewrote the references to the disease to mention more accurate info prior to its broadcast (instead of Oliver stating that he wants to consume sugar really badly but he cannot have it like in the sneak preview, he states that he can as long as he checks his diet and blood sugar in the actual episode; other lines of dialogue from the episode remained its their original states), and “No Sugar, Sugar” was broadcast the next weekend with the accurate Type 1 diabetes references intact and to positive reception.
 * 19) FoxToons Studios remains humble and donates their money to people in need, indicating their approach to fame to be very modest.
 * 20) The FoxToons Studios, P Store, FoxToons Network, Toon Pilkey, Radix, FXTS, FXTS Holiday, FoxToons+, (since their fall 2018 revival courtesy of FoxToons Studios) CW4Kids, and (since their summer 2021 revival courtesy of FoxToons Studios) ABC Kids website addresses send their visitors directly to the aforementioned websites, enabling them to watch episodes of their favorite shows and movies especially during livestreams (a la Freeform), play online games, download wallpapers, buy merchandise and physical video releases, and whatnot.
 * 21) Unlike many other television channels currently, FoxToons Studios managed to install jumbotrons across various environments in the Studiopolis Universe to help allow individuals to watch programming on the FoxToons Networks outside of their residences. How awesome does that sound?
 * 22) Their shows received physical home video releases as of this current date, courtesy of UAV Gold (for VHS tapes of their post-2010s shows and movies), Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (for DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K UHD Blu-ray releases of their shows and movies, along with VHS tapes of their pre-2008 shows and movies), and Shout Factory (for distribution of their complete series box sets).
 * 23) None of their channels try too hard to be hip and cool with its viewers, nor do they insult their intelligence or treat them like idiots.

'''AND THE CHAMPION IS... FoxToons Network!'''

Resources

 * “Disney Channel” on Best TV Shows and Episodes Wiki
 * Personal experiences with Disney Channels
 * Internet Archive