Disney Channel ushered in the New Year on a roll — finishing 2013 as TV’s most-watched network among the kiddie set (kids 2-11) for the second consecutive year and pulling its best numbers in tweens 9-14 in its 30-year history with shows like “Jessie” (starring Debby Ryan), “Austin & Ally” and “Shake It Up” and movies including “Phineas and Ferb” and “Teen Beach Movie” (which pulled in nearly 8 million viewers last July).
Disney Channel programming exec Paul DeBenedettis notes that Disney Channel doesn’t rely on “just one” franchise tentpole to prop it up.“We fortified our ratings strength by starting the day with a favorite lineup for kids age 2-7 — led by ‘Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,’ ‘Jake and the Never Land Pirates,’ ‘Sofia the First’ and ‘Doc McStuffins’ — and then transitioning to serve older kids with hit series and movies including ‘Liv and Maddie,’ which introduced Dove Cameron, and the must-see ‘Teen Beach Movie’ last summer,” he says.
DeBenedettis says he has high hopes for the dual Jan. 17 premieres of the movie “Cloud 9” (executive-produced by Ashley Tisdale) and the series launch of “I Didn’t Do It” starring [Disney XD star] Olivia Holt.
He’s not Joshin’ around
Quotes: If you’ve ever wondered what kind of belief system “Intelligence” star Josh Holloway ascribes to, you now have your answer.
Holloway tells the Jan. 20 issue of People magazine that the latest book he’s read is “Empire of the Summer Moon.”
“It’s about Quanah Parker, the last Comanche chief, who was actually half white,” he says. “I relate to the native American way of believing, their connection to nature and their respect and spirituality.” Well, that’s settled.
“Intelligence,” in which Holloway stars with Marg Helgenberger, premiered Tuesday night on CBS.
Just sayin’
There’s an uncanny resemblance between newly minted Ch. 11 talk-show host Serch (right) and ’60s parody king Allan Sherman. Serch’s new show, which premiered Monday (4 p.m.), opened to solid numbers on WPIX.
Last, but not least . . .
Actress Andrea Gabriel’s music video, “Andrea Gabriel Clever Girl,” has garnered over 1 million hits on YouTube since premiering in December. Her dad is actor/musician John Gabriel . . . PBS’s “Antiques Roadshow” will stop in New York next summer (Aug. 9, location TBD) for a 2015 episode.