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So, there's my little history with ALL twenty-eight of these Disney Channel series and NOW, it's time to rank the pilot episodes from each of them! 😲🎉💙
Like I said before, I tried my VERY hardest to go into ALL of these episodes pretending I had NEVER seen the series before! 👌 So, these episodes are NOT ranked based on how much I like the overall series themselves because some might have taken turns that caused me to not enjoy the WHOLE series! 😳 This is a ranking solely for the VERY first episodes of these series! 💙
These episodes were actually really FUN to watch because pilot episodes are special to each individual series and are the starting points to what's to come and even what's to change throughout the series! 💙 While I watched each episode, I really was taking notes on how well each episode seemed like a TRUE pilot episode! 👌 Did it introduce the characters well? Did it just throw us into the storyline without any introductions? Did it make me want to check out the rest of the series? 🤔 Another factor was just my overall enjoyment when watching the episode! 💙 An episode might have ALL the proper introductions, but if I dislike MOST of the episode than those introductions don't matter! 😬
I can't wait to share my thoughts on the premises of these series and where they ALL began! 😀 So, why don't we start already?!? Let's go! ❄💙
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(from least to most favorite)
#28 - transplANTed (A.N.T. Farm ~ Premiered May 6, 2011)
This LAST placement was a BIG shocker to me! 😲
Like I said during my "history" of this series, I re-watched this show back in 2021 and enjoyed it A LOT! 💓 However, I do remember disliking this FIRST episode as a kid and I guess some things don't change because it's my VERY least favorite pilot out of these twenty-eight! 😳
This episode is a TRUE pilot episode because it lays down the foundational pieces needed for the rest of the series! 👌 It introduces who each character is and their talents, which will be a main focus during the series going forward! 💓 It mentions how Chyna is only ELEVEN years old during the FIRST scene of the episode and it made me realize that I was ELEVEN years old too when this aired! 😲 I did NOT remember how young I was when A LOT of these shows were premiering and it's CRAZY that I wasn't even a pre-teen when this came out like I thought I was! 😵
I did watch ALL of the theme songs for each episode and didn't skip them like I normally do because I've seen them a hundred times, but because I was pretending this was my FIRST time watching these episodes I watched ALL of the theme sequences and I did write in my notes that the theme song for this series is cute! 💓 Should I rank the twenty-eight theme songs that go with these series next?!? 🤔
I'm not going to lie, this series has some of my LEAST favorite Disney Channel characters in it like Olive, Fletcher, and Gibson! 😳 Sometimes Olive and Fletcher can be FUNNY and okay, but I do find myself being annoyed by their characters A LOT! 😬 Fletcher is creepy with his obsession with Chyna that starts SUPER quickly in this episode and Gibson gives me CREEPY male teacher vibes! ✖
Check out these TWO videos to see what I mean... 🠟
Gibson isn't even a real teacher and what kind of "teacher" goes to the student's house to check on how their first day went and what kind of teacher sits on the student's bed and talks about how another student wouldn't text him details for her party?!? Literal CREEP content here! 😳
Do Chyna and Lexi need to get restraining orders?!? 👀
The TWO funniest characters to me in this series is Chyna's dad and her brother Cameron! 💓 I mean, just this line delivery made me laugh more than any other lines in the episode... 🠟
But...
This episode turned even one of my FAVORITE characters of the series into a CREEP! 😲 One of the reasons why I HATE this episode is how they made Olive dress and how weird it was! 😳 It was NOT funny to me at ALL and it allowed the writer's to write a VERY weird line for the dad to say! ✖
Check this out... 🠟
The ONLY thing I liked about this episode was Chyna singing "Dynamite" at the end! 🎤 But, that one performance couldn't even turn this episode around to where I would call it a good episode! 😬
A.N.T. Farm's comedy style is usually dry humor and usually has A LOT of "taking things literal" jokes, like in the Christmas episode when Paisley comes dressed up as a rapper (singer) to her job and Lexi asks why and Paisley says Lexi told her to, but in reality Lexi was referring to their mall job of being present rappers! 🎁 A.N.T. Farm uses A LOT of "literal" jokes like that, which are usually FUNNY, but even the jokes in this episode didn't land for me! 😳
Like this one... 🠟
That one just wasn't funny. ✖
Overall, I'll leave this episode off with the final thoughts I wrote in my notes when I watched this episode... 🠟📝
"This episode was creepy, boring, and creepy. I am highly disappointed."
#27 - Magic Jersey (The Jersey ~ Premiered January 30, 1999)
This episode is
ONLY low on this list because it's a bit slower and does talk about a dead grandfather, which sort of brought down the mood! 😢
Random Note: This episode did not show the theme song/sequence that will be used for the rest of the series, which was sad because I'm not familiar with it and would have LOVED to see it! 💛
I do LOVE the 90s vibe of this episode and I LOVE how the main girl Morgan knows just as much about football as the boys! 🏈 Girl power! 👏
This episode sets the tone for the rest of the series and introduces the cousins to us (Nick and Morgan) and introduces us to Nick's best friends who are apart of the "Monday Night Football Club," which Morgan is wanting to join since she just moved to Chicago and only knows her cousin and his friends and LOVES football! 💛
Nick gets gifted the jersey and obviously from the title of this series we know that the jersey itself is going to play a HUGE role in this series! 🏈💛 The jersey's magical powers are shown in this episode as Nick is put into an actual football player's body when he puts on the jersey! 😲
I'm not a HUGE sports fan when it comes to watching them on TV and I don't know ANY of the players Nick ends up becoming in this episode, but I do think it's a COOL concept for this series! 👌 I'm not really the target audience for a series like this, but I can appreciate the fact that it's COOL that they brought on actual football players for this series and had the characters get to play as them on a real-life football field! 🏈 Also, I do think that more sports than just football are shown in this series! So, I am interested in watching more episodes to see what other sports players the jersey transports them into! 💛
I do think Nick was being mean to Morgan throughout this episode, but he does let her take little "tests" in order to see if she can join the Monday Night Football Club! 🏈 He should have just let her join though since they're cousins! 💛
I didn't put a clip of the other "test" they gave to Morgan, but it ended up with Coleman throw*** u* and I HATE even the words "thro* u*"! 😳 So, that's also why this episode is lower on the list! 😬
The ending of this episode sort of ends off on a bit of a cliffhanger of them not really discussing that the jersey is magical, but I'm guessing they discuss it more in the next episode! 🏈 There is a sweet cousin moment, though! 💛
Overall, this episode wasn't bad, especially if you're a football fan! 🏈 It did make me want to watch the NEXT episode and that is what a TRUE pilot is supposed to do! 👏 I just didn't like the thro* u* scene and it was a little too slow for me! 💛 But, I did LOVE the girl power and the characters weren't annoying like in A.N.T. Farm! 👌
#26 - A Time To Travel (Best Friends Whenever - Premiered June 26, 2015)
Like I mentioned in my "history" intro, I've only seen the holiday episodes of this series! 🎃🎄 So, this was my FIRST time actually watching a regular episode and it was actually better than I thought it'd be! 👏💛
Disney Channel began to have a specific "acting" style they were known for, which was usually over-the-top, high-energy, and cheesy-but-comedic! 💛 Sometimes that acting style worked GREAT for the actors, but this episode really showed that some actors/actresses come off as VERY robotic! 💛 Girl Meets World writing is the epitome of un-natural dialogue and this episode doesn't take it that far, but the lines do come across a little too forced, like they're trying too hard to make the characters funny or cool! 😬
It wasn't bad, but you could tell the actors were acting, like it didn't feel like "Hey, these characters are real. This is like real life!" 😬 Instead, it was like, "Hey, these are just characters. You're watching people act." It almost gave off "acting class" vibes! 💛
Besides that, though, there were some funny lines and even though they were clearly trying to show that Shelby is the upbeat friend and Cyd is the laid-back friend, they did have some good scenes together in this episode and came across as genuine friends! 👌
So, I find myself watching time travel movies/tv series more and more even when I don't know time travel is involved... it finds me EVERYWHERE! ⏳ I knew going into this episode that this series is ALL about time travel and I was actually kind of excited to see how it would play out! 💛
In this episode, we learn a few things about how time travel works for this series... 🠟
⏳ Shelby and Cyd have to be touching to time travel. 👯
⌛ Whatever time they think about, that is what time they travel to. 🕑
⏳ Whatever time they travel to, they enter their bodies from that time, but to each other they see what they looked like in the present before they traveled. Sounds confusing, but you'll see what I mean when you watch the clips! 👌
Okay. Here is my BIGGEST question about the time travel stuff...
Using the decorating the bedroom scene as an example, if they time traveled to the future so that they didn't have to decorate the bedroom and could just go to the future when it was done, does that mean they have NO memory of decorating the bedroom? 🤔 Does that mean if they ever time travel to the future, even if it's only a day or so from the present, will they not remember ANY of their memories from the days they missed? 👀 The ending clip of the episode makes it seem like when they time travel they don't remember anything they skipped over. Check this out... 🠟
I mean, I guess they could always just make sure not to stay in the time they time traveled to, but it's kind of scary to think they wouldn't remember what their memories were of doing things if they skipped over them! 😳
This episode wasn't terrible and for a while I actually had it higher on this list! 💛 But, the more I re-watched the clips, the more I found the acting to be a little too over-the-top and stiff during some scenes! 😬 It still kept my interests all the way through to the end, though, and it did have a sweet ending! 💛 I just wouldn't choose to re-watch it over the others right now if I had to watch ALL of these over again! 💛
#25 - Girl Meets World (Girl Meets World ~ Premiered June 27, 2014)
Okay. This is going to take me A LOT of meditation to get me through talking about this episode! 😂 Breath in. Breathe out. Okay. I'm ready. I think. 🙏😳
I could write a WHOLE speech about this series and how toxic the Boy Meets World/Girl Meets World universe truly is, but I'll try to keep all of this short. As short as I possibly can. 😶
So, I started this episode off with emptying my mind of how much I HATE the toxic teachings and relationships in this series and tried my hardest to give this episode a FRESH start! 💙 Before I start, I do want to mention how even my tablet didn't want me watching this episode because it literally wouldn't load, which was a warning sign that I was about to enter a universe I'd beg to leave after 25 minutes of torture that this episode is! 😳
My FRESH start didn't last long because in the VERY first scene I wrote in my notes...
"Please somebody tell Cyd and Shelby to time travel back to the past and tell the writers of this show that this isn't how normal people talk!!!"
Seriously, they couldn't even talk like normal people in the FIRST scene! 😳 The series start off with HORRIBLE dialogue and I wouldn't be surprised if it ended like that too! 😬
Also, just seeing Cory coming through the window literally made me cringe because I DO NOT LIKE HIS CHARACTER! Have you seen the toxic edits of his character on YouTube?!? 👀
But, putting that aside and just focusing on him in this episode, he is a teacher that is weirdly wayyy too connected to his daughter's best friend and he is gaslighting his daughter the ENTIRE episode and guys... get this! I have spent the ENTIRE series thinking Riley is such an awful friend to Maya and gaslights her in EVERY episode when in reality she started off as a decent friend whose father (her own FATHER) turned her into a mini-gaslighting person just like him! 😲 Riley actually sticks up for Maya in this episode, but by the end of it she begins believing what EVERYONE keeps telling her about being different than Maya and it begins the ENTIRE "I need to save Maya" plot that makes Riley one of the MOST toxic Disney Channel characters of ALL-TIME! 😳
I literally was screaming in my mind the ENTIRE episode, "RUN MAY! RUN RILEY," because everyone was SO toxic around them including Topanga, Farkle, and Lucas! 😡
Cory's comment of calling Maya "future mini-mart employee of the month" erks me SO flippin' much! 😡 Like, "Cory, Maya would be tens times a harder worker and better person than you ever will be as a mini-mart employee versus you being a creep who is wayyy too invested in a twelve-year old girl's life!" ✋
Topanaga literally wondering why Riley wants to be like Maya and saying, "But, you're a good person" is one of the MOST gaslighting, sickening comments of the episode because Topanga's character is supposed to really "care" for Maya throughout the series, but she even thinks Maya isn't good enough! Please run, Maya! 🏃🙏
I can't believe this show was put on TV to influence kids because I swear it's like a cult or something! 😢 I mean, the amount of gaslighting in this series is seriously sickening to watch! 😳 And, I know. I know. This is just a TV show, but if you take a closer look at it, it is VERY toxic.
I just HATE how it's perceived that the Matthews are this "holier than thou" family and even the parents practically say Maya needs saving when in reality she makes TOTAL sense for wanting to have a "homework rebellion" and I agreed with EVERYTHING she said, including her not doing her homework! 👏💙
It's gross how at the end of the episode Maya tells Riley that her dad isn't going to let them be friends anymore and Riley says Cory loves her! 😳 I truly can't imagine a situation where it's healthy for a male teacher and a girl's best friend's father to be this worried over another child! 😶
Is it just me or did you also not understand the tie-in with the history lesson and Riley's speech about her and Maya's friendship when she goes home? Like, am I missing something? 🤔 I seriously didn't get half of what she was talking about, then the train station pass literally had me laughing SO hard because of course this show makes a train pass represent "the world" as if Cory is handing the world over to Riley because we ALL know Cory thinks the world is his to give with his "holier than thou" viewpoint! 🙄 But, it was actually really interesting that I liked Riley in this episode before ALL the gaslighting started and the train pass was like Cory handing over his toxic traits to Riley and instead of gaining the world at the end, Riley really just gains the thought that the world is hers and she will save Maya in her world! 😶
And I know you're wondering how this episode made it above the previous three with how much I had to rant about it, but I do still like Maya and Riley (before the gaslighting) in this episode! 💙 If it was just the two of them in this episode, then it would have been wayyy better! 💙
That was a presentation of my inner screaming throughout this episode! 😂
Because there weren't many positive things to say about this episode, two things I did
LOVE were the outfits and the theme song! 👏💙 Also, I do want to say that if you enjoy this series, then do
NOT take this as I'm judging you! I just have passionate feelings about this series, but my sister Alyssa (
Back to Disney) loves this series and she's a good person so.... 💙
#24 - Pilot (K.C. Undercover ~ Premiered January 18, 2015)
I feel like this episode was trying to be a mix of That's So Raven and A.N.T. Farm! 🤔 In That's So Raven, she's a psychic. In this series, KC is a teen spy! 👀 So, there's that "not a regular teenager" vibe going on! 👌
The A.N.T. Farm vibes are from the sibling relationship and the parents/son relationship! ❤ In A.N.T. Farm, Chyna's ONLY sibling is her brother Cameron who the dad ALWAYS makes fun of and everyone always makes jokes about Cameron, which are sometimes too mean, but sometimes funny too! 😬 Well, in this series, KC's ONLY sibling is her brother Ernie (at least in this episode he is because the robot girl that becomes their "sister" isn't introduced in this episode) and the parents make fun of him A LOT and it literally was mimicking A.N.T. Farm, but to me they went too hard with the "making fun" bit and it made me dislike the parents A LOT in this episode! Like, do they hate their son because they're CRAZY mean to him in this episode?!? 😳
This episode starts off with the theme song, which ONLY happens in ONE other series! 🎵 I do like the theme sequence for this series and think the silhouette spy moves are SUPER cool! ❤
For some reason, with ALL the episodes I've tried to watch of this series (not too many) I just have NEVER been able to get into it! 😬 I'm not really a fan of the parents and I'm not into TV series where they make this one character seem like a genius because they excel in school and this series goes even further and lists SO many things that make KC's character seem like she has a little bit of a big head! 😳
I mean, Shake It Up is my FAVORITE DC series and Rocky's character was the "all A's" student, but it was different when there was CeCe who was just as smart in her own way without being book smart or doing SUPER well in school! 👌There was balance and Rocky and CeCe were still shown as equals! ❤ But, in this series, they go for the basic "one SUPER smart friend and the friend who is obsessed with fashion and boys" trope! 😔 So, I not ONLY didn't vibe with the parents, but I was finding it hard to really care for KC or Marissa's characters too! 😬
I wrote in my notes that the dialogue seemed really flat in this episode and didn't have a spark and that is exactly how I feel about EVERY episode I've seen of this series! 👌 It just doesn't have that spark that keeps me interested! 😬
But, it places above the other episodes so far because of a FEW scenes that I did actually like! ❤ First off, the parents literally have KC kidnapped in order to test her if she's ready to be a spy and I was VERY concerned if they should even be parents when that happened! 😲 The spy stuff was mainly VERY cheesy in this episode, but I did like how KC is a girl power character who can kick butt! 👏❤
*Not every girl needs to be able to kick butt to have girl power. It lives inside all of us. Spy or no spy. But, you got to admit, it would be cool to be a spy!*
KC didn't have too big of a head throughout this episode like I originally thought and she even had a bit of a shy side, but there were a couple of cocky moments, mainly when her parents were hyping her up! ❤
This was a school dance episode, which I LOVE school dance episodes and the episode did get BETTER when the school dance began! ♪ I LOVE KC's dress and ALL of her outfits were actually SUPER cute in this episode! ❤
Even though I was bored throughout most of this episode, there was ONE scene that made it ALL worth it! 👏❤
If you've seen my previous posts, then you know I'm in my DWTS era and the reference to Zendaya's time on the show was a FUN reference and that scene made this episode have that spark that was missing throughout the rest of the episode! 👏❤
Also, that actor who played the other teen spy was SO good at the ballroom dance scene, like where's his Mirrorball trophy?!? 🏆
Overall, this episode had it's not-so-great moments like all the making fun of the brother moments and the boring/cheesy moments, but it had a few GREAT moments too! ❤ This episode still didn't spark my interest enough to make me want to watch the rest of the series, but maybe one day I'll check out the other episodes! 👌❤
#23 - Stan of the House (Dog with a Blog ~ Premiered October 12, 2012)
Is this the
FIRST Disney Channel series with a blended (step-siblings) family? 🤔 I think it is. Interesting!💓 I'm glad
Disney Channel explored that in a series because I know
A LOT of parents get remarried in the world and I'm sure it was nice for a kid to turn on
Disney Channel and watch a show with step-siblings and parents! 👏💓
I think this is also the FIRST Disney Channel series where the main characters have a dog! 🐕 CRAZY! 😲💓 Wait, actually I'm crazy because I'm forgetting about London's dog in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody... sorry Ivana! 😳
This episode starts off with Stan introducing everyone, which made this episode feel VERY much like a true pilot episode! 💓
Look, I LOVE Stan, but I have a really HARD time watching series with animals as main characters, especially a talking animal character because I ALWAYS end up just wondering how the animal was treated on set and how healthy the environment was for the animal! 😳 The dog that played Stan in this pilot episode passed away shortly after and I just hope that he wasn't too old to be working and that's why he passed away! 😢 I couldn't stop wondering about the behind the scenes of this episode and it distracted me from really enjoying it! 😬
I've heard that people think Stan's CGI facial expressions and stuff got better as the series went on, but I actually thought that the expressive faces were pretty good! 👏 Like, he had some eye rolling and raising his doggy eyebrows moments and they looked pretty realistic! 💓 Also, the mailman bit was genius! 👌
The ending had a VERY sweet step-siblings moment and I do LOVE that Stan found his forever home! 💓 This episode is just lower on this list because of my wandering mind thinking about all the BTS stuff and even though it was creative and cute, it didn't WOW me! 💓 It was a nice start to the series, though! 👌🐕 It had some sweet and funny moments! 💓
#22 - Study Date (Good Luck Charlie ~ Premiered April 4, 2010)
This episode felt like a mix between a TRUE pilot and a regular episode! 💚 It introduced everyone and started off with Teddy's FIRST video diary to Charlie, which was cute and setup the series well! 📹
I was actually excited to watch this episode when I watched the FIRST scene, until a certain someone walked through the Dunkin's front door! 👀
I felt like this episode got taken over by Spencer and Teddy's storyline, which is what made this episode lower on this list! 💚 I was wayyy more into PJ's storyline with his best friend and dad and I thought he was the MVP of the episode hands down! 👏💚
When I saw Spencer walk through the door, I tried SUPER hard to pretend I don't know he's one of the WORST Disney Channel characters and tried to give him a fresh start for this pilot episode! 💚 Well... it didn't last long because Spencer is AWFUL and weird even in the FIRST episode! 🙄
He does A LOT of weird things in this episode that you're about to see! 👀 I can't believe Teddy actually was allowing him to be as weird as he was in this episode as if she found it attractive! 😳
Spencer is just EW! 😶
I didn't like how Teddy didn't stick up for PJ when Spencer called him a weird kid. What happened to the whole, "I can talk about my brother, but you can't," sort of thing? 👀
This episode felt SUPER chaotic because there were SO many storylines they were trying to push into the episode, but they didn't shorten the Teddy and Spencer storyline enough to give room for the other storylines to not feel rushed! 😬 They did give a chunk of time, though, to Gabe's character who was upset the ENTIRE episode that he was now a middle child and we ALL know how Disney Channel views middle children of a family because they made an ENTIRE show about it that you'll see at some point during this ranking! 👌
I'm not the biggest fan of the "middle child is ignored and not cared about" kind of storyline because it's not like that in ALL families, but it also makes the dad seem like a really bad parent in this episode because Gabe keeps asking him when his birthday is or what the name of his school is and the dad doesn't even know the answers, but somehow he knew the answers not even a year ago before Charlie was born?!? 🤔
There was a sweet moment between Teddy and Gabe, though, but it was ruined by a gross thro* u* moment! 😳
This was a decent foundation episode for the rest of the series, but it wasn't my favorite! 💚 I didn't care for ANY of the Spencer and Teddy scenes, which took up MOST of the episode! 😢 I would ONLY watch it again for the PJ scenes because he was FUNNY and had that sweet moment when he was cheering up his parents! 💚
But, sadly, the episode ended with MORE Spencer! 😡
#21 - Going Up! (The Famous Jett Jackson - Premiered October 25, 1998)
This pilot episode is SUPER special because it's the VERY first pilot episode of a Disney Channel original series EVER! 😲💙
Back in the day, Disney Channel wasn't as focused on straight up comedy sitcoms and shows like The Famous Jett Jackson, The Jersey, Even Stevens, and Lizzie McGuire didn't have laugh tracks and felt more homey and different! 💙
This series in particular has a VERY homey vibe that I LOVE, but obviously, it feels VERY different than the Disney Channel series I grew up watching! 💙 It's interesting because this pilot episode gave off some tiny Hannah Montana vibes with the plot and there was even a "best friend" fight moment over fame/seeing the "famous" friend as a celebrity and not treating them the same as before! 💙
Jett isn't a singer, though, he's an actor in a show called "Silverstone" where he plays a character named Silverstone and this FIRST episode actually opens up with a scene from Silverstone! 🎥 It's a scene within a scene! 💙
I actually thought the little Silverstone action scene was FUN and felt like Disney Channel's take on a Bourne movie scene! 🎥 Jett's series is moving locations to his hometown North Carolina and that's when the series really starts to feel homey and I do LOVE the southern vibes of the episode when he gets home! 🛪
The theme song does play in this episode and it shows clips of the character Kayla who will become one of Jett's best friends during the series! 💙 However, she is NOT in this pilot episode and is not even mentioned! 😳 There is another girl character that is introduced in this episode named Anna and I'm pretty sure her character get's replaced by Kayla in the next episode and I wonder why?!? 🤔 I think it would have been really COOL to keep Anna around because she was Latin American and could have brought more diversity to the show and I am someone who thinks there was not nearly enough Latin American culture represented on Disney Channel back in the day! 💙
The actress also could have literally played a young Jennifer Lopez because she not only looks almost EXACTLY like her, but she also sounds like her from The Wedding Planner (the MOST infuriating movie on the planet)! 💙
I just LOVE how happy everyone in this episode is! 💙 Jett is smiling in almost every scene and you can tell everyone is HAPPY to have him home! 💙
In this episode, Jett and JB hear a rumor about a lady in town who is a "witch" and they try to capture a picture of her casting a spell or something! 😳 I feel like this little sub-plotline took away from the original vibe of the episode, but it was a setup for JB and Jett to have their best friend "fight"! 😲
I LOVE that there was a thunderstorm/rainy scene in this episode, but I was glad for that little "witch" plotline to be over with so that we could get back to the feel-good homey vibe of the episode! 💙
This episode left me wanting to watch MORE episodes, which is what you should feel after watching a pilot episode! 👏 I'm invested into how Jett is going to fit back into his home life in North Carolina while also continuing his TV show Silverstone! 💙
#20 - Welcome To Camp Kikiwaka (Bunk'd ~ Premiered April 25, 2016)
This episode gives off the vibe that this is one of those series that has A LOT of strange comments and a weird supervisor as the adult in the series, but it's also intriguing at the same time and has some GOOD moments in between all the weirdness! 🤎
There was a bit of romance thrown into this episode, as well, that hints to a ship that will form throughout the season(s)! 🤎 If you know me, then you know I LOVE little Disney Channel ships and since I've NEVER seen an episode of this series before this one, then it was FUN to watch the beginning of a ship I knew nothing about! 🤎
It's CRAZY that the kids from Jessie are now being sent to a camp by their mom who was supposed to be wanting to spend more time with them... like, literally, the Jessie parents are the WORST! 😳
This episode didn't show the theme song, but it did flash the title of the series in the episode and started off with a little instrumental music moment of them getting to the camp! 🤎
Also, I thought ALL of the Ross kids from Jessie were going to be in this, but they mention that Luke is stuck in summer school, which means his character is NOT in this episode and I did feel like there was a little missing piece in the episode! 😢 It was kind of sad that the Ross kids got split up, but what I didn't know is that Cameron Boyce (who played Luke) got his VERY own DisneyXD series after Jessie that ran for TWO seasons and he was filming the second season while this series was filming it's FIRST season! 🤎 That's most likely why he wasn't in this! 👌
I actually LOVED the camp setting, which made this episode stand out because A LOT of series have houses, schools, and hangout spots, which are GREAT! 👌 But, this series is ALL about the cabins, firepit area, and just nature in general! 🤎 It was a nice break from the usual sets! 🤎
Because this series is a spin-off, then there are brand NEW characters added in and in this case, it's some NEW campers and camp counselors, which are actually what the Ross kids are coming to camp to be! 🤎 They are NOT just campers, they are camp counselors in training! 🤎
There were SO many wild comments that I NEVER knew Disney Channel had in their series when I watched ALL of these pilot episodes and one of the WILD comments in this episode is when Ravi calls the camp a cult, which is SO funny how this show can call something a cult, but no one wants to call the Matthews family one when they are the MOST gaslighting family to exist that somehow ALL the characters are written to want so badly to be apart of?!? 😳 Sorry, I'm still not over it! 😂
Even though it was a "love at first sight" trope, I did think Emma and Xander were CUTE in this episode! 🤎
I wrote in my notes that this episode was SO unhinged and I NEVER knew what CRAZY comment/moment was going to happen next! 😳
I liked how Emma learned to stick up for herself and gained confidence to become a GREAT camp counselor! 🤎 This episode laid A LOT of foundational pieces for the rest of the season! Each Ross kid got paired up with someone by the time the episode ended! 👌 Ravi was paired with Jorge. Zuri was paired with Tiffany. And Emma wasn't paired with another camper, but she was grouped in with the older camp counselors Xander, Lou, and Hazel! 🤎
It was a pretty SMART setup for the rest of the season and I'm strangely intrigued to watch the next episode even with ALL the weirdness that happened in this episode! 😲🤎
Oh, and it ends with a FUN campfire song, which I'm pretty sure turns into the theme song for the series! ♪🔥
#19 - Cody Simpson (So Random ~ Premiered June 5, 2011)
Am I shocked that this episode isn't lower on this list? 🤔 Yes. Yes, I am! 😲
If you know me, then you know that I'm NOT a fan of skit shows! ✖ They freak me out! 😳
So, why is this skit episode HIGHER on this list than the previous non-skit ones?!? 👀 Well, I actually found myself laughing OUT LOUD during some of it and if you also know me, then you know I LOVE when things can make me laugh! 👏💜
There were FIVE skits scattered throughout this episode and some I found boring and even one was VERY disturbing, but the FIRST one had me laughing and I actually re-watched it multiple times! 😲👏
After watching the FIRST skit, I wrote in my notes...
"Even if I hate every skit from this point forward, this first skit made watching this entirely worth it!" 👌💜
The FIRST skit was titled "Wheel of Fortune - All Stars" and it was a WILD one! 😂 First off, the host guy in it looked SO much like Sterling Knight to me! 👀 Secondly, I wrote in my notes while I was watching it...
"I almost just woke up my ENTIRE family because it's 4am and I'm laughing out loud because this just became SO unhinged!" 😆
Since I only really cared for the FIRST skit, I chose to share that one with you! 💜 I'm pretty sure it was the longest skit of the episode, but I'm glad because it was the funniest one and it did kick off the season with lots of laughs! 👏💜
I just CAN'T with that skit! 😂
The other FOUR skits were shown as follows... 🠟
During this skit, did the actors break character at the end or was it on purpose? 🤔
This skit was VERY disturbing! 😲🧟
There wasn't a tittle shown for the FOURTH skit... 🠟
You're NOT going to believe this, but that skit went on for FAR too long! 😉 If you've seen that skit before, you'd get that statement! 😂
I didn't really know what Saturday Night Live was as a kid and I still have only seen a couple of skits from it (I'm not a fan), but this literally was Disney Channel's version of SNL and they even had a special guest performer for each episode! 🎵💜
The FIRST skit and Cody Simpson's performance MADE this episode! 👏 If I had liked more of the skits, then this episode would have went even higher on this list! 😲 But, since I only really liked ONE of the skits and the performance, then I think this is a good spot for this episode because the NEXT episodes are ones I actually enjoyed watching mostly ALL the way through! 💜
Also, before we end off with Cody Simpson performing a VERY nostalgic song, I have to mention how the cast is still going by their Sonny With A Chance character names in this episode and I want to point out that we ALL know Chad Dylan Cooper would NOT have joined So Random, especially without Sonny being on it! 😬 They don't even mention Sonny's name at all in this as if she didn't even exist! 😳 I feel like they should have made up some reason as to why Sonny wasn't there! 👀
I'm NOT going to say that this episode made me into a skit-loving person, but I didn't HATE it! 👌 It kind of made me want to watch the next episode to see how unhinged that one would be and to see the music performance, of course! 💜 That's how they get ya! (Alyssa would know that insider!) 😂
#18 - Your Cheatin' Heart (Phil of the Future ~ Premiered June 18, 2004)
We have made it to one of the Disney Channel series whose TRUE pilot episode was not the FIRST episode aired on TV! 😲
For some reason, on June 18, 2004, Disney Channel decided to air FOUR episode for their brand new series "Phil of the Future" and these were the FOUR... 🠟
💛 Your Cheatin' Heart
💜 Unification Day
💛 Meet The Curtis
💜 Phillin' In
Now, the
TRUE pilot episode that makes sense as the pilot episode because it's Phil and Pim's
FIRST day of school and it's when Phil meets Keely is actually episode
TEN called, "
Future Tutor," which I just remembered I ranked (
here) for a back to school episodes ranking! 💛
Disney+ even has a different episode listed as the
FIRST episode out of the four that premiered on the same night! 😲 They have "
Meet The Curtis" as the
FIRST episode, but the websites I checked say that the
FIRST of the
FOUR episodes to premier was "
Your Cheatin' Heart." 😵 My sister Alyssa (
Back to Disney) ranked what
Disney+ had listed as the
FIRST episode (
here), but I wanted to stick with what the websites were saying premiered
FIRST! 😬 One of us has to be right! 😂
Even though "Future Tutor" is a wayyy better pilot, I wanted to rank what Disney Channel wanted ALL the viewers to see VERY first from the series and for some reason, it wasn't "Future Tutor." 👀
So, that's how we're here, looking at this episode that starts off with everyone already knowing each other! But, it's still a GOOD episode! 💛
This episode starts off with a little intro of Phil and Pim using a futuristic gadget where they can make themselves look like someone else! 👯 From what I remember of watching this series a couple years ago, anytime a gadget is shown in the intro it's a set-up for the gadget being used throughout the rest of the episode! 👌
Even though this isn't a TRUE pilot episode, at least the theme song basically tells the ENTIRE plot of what's happening! 👍💛
Right off the bat, this episode had me intrigued just by the CUTE best friend relationship between Phil and Keely! 💛 Is Phil jealous in this episode or just wanting to protect his best friend? 🤔
I completely forgot that London Tipton was in this series! 😲 She's Tia in this, though! 👌
The NEXT scene is the reason this episode didn't go higher than this on the list! 😬
I didn't like how Phil let a girl kiss him without stopping her, knowing full well she thought she was kissing her boyfriend NOT Phil! 😡 Some viewers might not find it a big deal, but I did! 👋 Phil was already acting a little "off" to me in this episode and that scene just pushed that feeling over the edge! 😳 Other than that scene, this episode felt VERY nostalgic and I LOVE the early 2000s vibes! 💛 Phil did begin to act like his usual self again after that scene and I liked his little talk with Keely at the end of the episode! 💛
The B storyline for Pim and Debbie's characters was actually pretty FUNNY because it had some WILD comments! 😂 I actually LOVED the whole Pim and Debbie frenemies dynamic when I watched this series a couple of years ago and this is one of the Disney Channel series where I usually like BOTH the A and B storylines, instead of just one or the other! 👏💛
Again, there were some WILD comments, though! 😅
Overall, this episode wasn't bad, but it didn't have that SPARK that a pilot episode should have! ✨ I liked the vibes of it and I enjoyed both storylines, but it got a negative point because of that one Phil scene, but it also got a point added because there was NO Curtis in this episode! 👏💛 But, that still doesn't take away the negative point! 👆
I would still watch it again, though! 💛
#17 - Sketchy Beginnings (Sonny with a Chance ~ Premiered February 8, 2009)
This episode is a TRUE pilot and it lays the foundational pieces needed for the rest of the series! 👏🧡 The VERY first scene is a skit from the show within the show and we ALL know how I feel about skits! 👀
The water coming out of Dolphin Boy's head was SO disturbing! 😲💦🐬
I didn't write A LOT of notes down for this episode for some reason! 🤔 I think it's because I remembered A LOT of it even though I hadn't seen it in YEARS! 😲
I knew ALL the funny bits, like the stuffed animal cat, but it was still funny to me and I found myself just relaxing and watching it without having to type too many notes about it! 👌🧡
Tawny was a bit annoying in this episode, but she also made it really FUNNY too with her reactions to Sonny trying to help her after getting injured! 🧡 I liked how Sonny gained her confidence by the end of the episode, but one thing I do want to point out was that Chad Dylan Cooper was NOT in this episode! 😲 It was a crime not to have him in the pilot episode! 😢
Overall, I enjoyed the hype energy of this episode and it didn't have too weird of an ending sketch! 👏 Chad Dylan Cooper would have made it BETTER, though! 🧡
One more little thing before we move on, does this transition music sound like "This Is Me" from Camp Rock to you too?!? 🤔
#16 - The Suite Life Sets Sail (Suite Life On Deck ~ Premiered September 26, 2008)
This is another episode I ranked in that "
Back to School" episodes ranking (
here)! 💙
I'm a little surprised this episode ranked this high on this list because I thought I didn't like this episode! 😳 But, when reading back over the "Back to School" post, I even said I enjoyed it then too, which I didn't remember until re-reading my own thoughts! 😲
I think my viewpoint of the series as a whole is what had me thinking I wouldn't enjoy this episode, but I actually LOVED seeing a fresh new set and NEW characters to join in with more Zack and Cody shenanigans! 💙 However, I did also miss the hotel and some of the original series characters like Maddie and Esteban! 😢
The ONLY thing that really annoyed me in this episode was the change in London's character, which to me is actually one of the BIGGEST downfalls of the switch from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody to Suite Life On Deck! 😳 London had A LOT more genuine moments in the The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and was the "spoiled rich girl," but also learned lessons alongside Maddie's character about being more humble too! 👌 Well, for this spin-off, the writers turned her character into full-on DIVA rich girl and she became VERY rude and judgmental, especially to Bailey and Ms. Tutweiller! 😢 But, they also made her that typical "dumb" Disney Channel character when they needed her to be! Like, her character was almost unrecognizable personality wise! 😳
Another thing I didn't like in this episode was ALL the "boys will be boys" comments about burping and icky bathroom talk! 😳 I didn't add ANY of those moments into these clips, but there were a pretty good bit of them when it came to them meeting Woody! 😦
I did really like Bailey's character in this, though, and thought she gave off Maddie vibes, but in her own unique Kansas girl way! 💙 She also is the boys' ages, which helps her blend better with Zack and Cody's storylines! 👌
Zack's character was actually my FAVORITE in this episode, though, because of him sticking up for Bailey even when he knew he of course wasn't going to be able to share a room with her, obviously! 💙
This pilot episode leaves off on a cliffhanger, which was an interesting choice! 😬 I don't think it was really needed because honestly, it didn't really make me feel the need to rush and watch the next episode to see what happens next! 👀 But, that's also because I already know what happens next! So, maybe I would have felt the affect of the cliffhanger if it was really my FIRST time watching this episode! 💙
Overall, this episode was good with some SWEET moments and a fresh new vibe to the Suite Life franchise! 💙
#15 - The New Kid In Town (Cory in the House ~ Premiered January 12, 2017)
I'm not going to lie, this episode probably was stuck in my mind when going over this ranking because I've turned into a HUGE Kyle Massey fan from his Dancing with the Stars era! 😲 I've been doing my own little Disney Channel season of DWTS for this blog and Kyle Massey is my FAVORITE contestant, even though I'm not supposed to have favorites because I'm the ONLY judge! 😲 Shhh! Don't tell anyone I said that! 🤫
Kyle has some funny moments in this episode where he isn't even trying to be overly funny, but he just delivers lines SO naturally sometimes that they're FUNNY! 💓
It is explained in this episode that Cory's mom is studying law in England and that Raven is in college! 👌 So, they explained where the rest of the family was, which set things up for them to begin this spin-off series plot! 👏💓
It was FUN how the new "teen" characters were basically introduced ALL in the same scene! 💓 Jason Dolly is of course in this (he was in EVERYTHING) and I didn't know it until I got older, but the boy who played Matt in Lizzie McGuire is the want-to-be security guard boy in this series! 😲
I remember as a kid being excited to see Madison Pettis in something else Disney related because I LOVED The Game Plan movie SO much! 💓
The dog-licking scene was wayyy too much for me and I was grossed out and couldn't believe Kyle Massey had to lick that guy's hand like that! 😳 Way to commit Kyle! 👏💓
I do wish the horse scene would have been a bit funnier, but I get there's ONLY so much you can do when working with a large animal on set! 🐎 As long as the horse was safe that's ALL that matters! 💓
This episode had it's FUNNY moments and I loved Cory's energy, but it was missing a bit of pizazz! 💓 I didn't know Newt and Nina were basically rich kids in this series who flaunted their money, but they didn't act CRAZY spoiled in a mean way like London did in the previous episode! 👌
This episode had a really GOOD lesson about not changing who you are to fit-in and to not lie to people before you even give them a chance to get to know the real you! 💓
#14 - Pilot (Stuck in the Middle ~ Premiered February 14, 2016)
I just realized this premiered on Valentine's Day and I have it as #14 on this list! 💜
I was SUPER excited to watch this episode because like I said at some point during this post, I think Disney Channel should have had A LOT more Latin American representation in their series! 💜
Wizards of Waverly Place had a Latin American family, but other than that, there wasn't ANY other Disney Channel series to have a Latin American family! 👀 Until, this series! 👏💜
Now, I'm not saying Latin American families in the States are SO different than typical American families because I don't want to be stereotypical or anything! 💜 I'm just sure that there are some FUN differences, like speaking Spanish and having Latin American traditions, like Quinceaneras! 💜
I will say, though, that I've been watching season one of this series because the pilot episode interested me SO much and there is more of an emphasis on having a BIG family versus being apart of a Latin American family! 💜 So, there aren't as many Latin American vibes as I thought, but there are some "Abuela" comments thrown in here and there! 👌
At first, I was NOT sure about the whole "middle child get's treated different/is ignored A LOT" plot because I am a younger sibling and I don't feel I treat my middle sibling ANY differently! 💜 I feel like there is a side to EVERY place in a family, like I have a viewpoint of the younger sibling who gets the rep of being the "baby" of the family, like they can do no wrong and never get punished or anything, which is SO not the correct viewpoint of a younger sibling! 😬
So, I'm not saying I know anything about being a middle child, but I didn't feel it was right to project that middle children are like the "forgotten" children of a family because what if middle kids watched this series and started to feel bad, like they weren't important in their family or something! 😢
There are SEVEN kids in the Diaz family, which does make the "middle child" plotline more plausible because I'm sure it is easy to get looked-over in a BIG family, but I'm sure every sibling has had a "looked-over" moment, not just the middle child! 💜
However, I was pleasantly surprised at where the "middle child" storyline went and I did really like how things turned out in the end! 💜
But, before I get too ahead of myself talking about the ending of the episode, let's back up a bit to the beginning! 💜
*This is another series that did NOT show it's theme song in the FIRST episode!*
I wrote in my notes that something felt different when watching this episode compared to the others on this list and when I was watching episode two, I FINALLY figured out what it is! 👏 This is the ONLY Disney Channel series since Phil of the Future to NOT use a laugh track! 😲 Newer Disney Channel shows ALWAYS had laugh tracks, which work for MOST series and I usually don't mind laugh tracks, but this series went back to the OG style of NO laugh track! 👌 Each episode even includes a music moment too that uses a montage of some sort kind of like Lizzie McGuire, which is also going back to Disney Channel's OG style of editing! 💜
This episode did seem pretty "scripted" to me though and I wrote in my notes that the acting didn't' seem as authentic and natural to me, but I think I was just needing to get used to the style of the series as a whole because now that I'm almost done with season one, I have NO problem with the way this series comes across and I actually think it's VERY good for "newer" Disney Channel! 👏💜
Disney Channel had different ways for some of their series to break the fourth wall! 🎥 Some styles had true "breaking the wall" moments where the characters actually turned to the camera and spoke to us viewers, but some styles had characters just looking at the camera, but not really "talking" to us! 💜Lizzie McGuire had animated Lizzie. 💗 Bizaardvark had their Vuuugle videos. 🎥 Teddy had her video diaries. 📹 Stan had his blog. 💻 Liv & Maddie had it's "interview" type moments. 🎤 And, then there's this series with Harley's camera talks! 💜
Now, I do have a preference when it comes to styles of breaking the fourth wall! 👌 I prefer Harley's way versus the "interview style" way of Liv & Maddie! 💜 I like when the "breaking the fourth wall" happens during a scene because it's more in the moment and it doesn't feel like we're watching some reality show with interview/recap moments switching from past to present like with Liv & Maddie! 😬
I liked the brother and sister moment in this episode and I do know that their relationship continues to be one of the strongest throughout the FIRST season, which is really SWEET when comparing them to the dysfunctional relationship of Alex and Justin from WOWP! 💜 No offense Alex and Justin! 😬
There's definitely some WILD comments in this episode, but one of my FAVORITE comebacks from a Disney Channel show might be when the dad in this episode says, "No problem. All our kids look great in orange!" 😂🧡 You'll see what I'm talking about in a second! 💜
I liked how the older sister was volunteering, but I do remember not LOVING the homeless shelter bit and I can't remember exactly why because I don't think there was anything offensive said. I think I just didn't love how nonchalant it was talked about! 💜
Here was the music moment for this episode, which seemed a little out of place at first, but again... I'm used to the style of this series now and expect a song to play at a random point in each episode! 👌🎵
Overall, this episodes plot definitely redeemed itself with Harley learning that she is important to her family! 💜 The episode had me start watching the ENTIRE series! So, it was obviously pretty good and kept me intrigued to see more! 👏💜 It was different and unique in it's own way and I LOVE the family dynamic that is explored more throughout the rest of the season! 💜
#13 - First! (Bizaardvark ~ Premiered June 24, 2016)
I knew Disney Channel would at some point figure out a way to create a "YouTube" type series and this is what they came up with! 👌 Instead of YouTube, though, the website the characters upload ALL their videos to is called Vuuugle! 💓
I was already NOT watching Disney Channel when this series aired, but I did watch it a couple years ago and actually really enjoyed it! 💓
This pilot episode has a VERY emotional storyline of Frankie and Paige feeling like TOTAL outcasts and being SO happy when they hit 10,000 subscribers, which allows them to film at Vuuugle headquarters! 👏💓 But, they soon feel out of place there too and that's when the episode takes a sad turn and I actually felt for Frankie and Paige A LOT throughout this episode! 💓
The episode started off FUN, though, with Frankie and Paige filming a video for their channel and it was CUTE how it even showed their little outtakes! 💓
I will ALWAYS stand by the statement I wrote in another rankings post, "Bernie is the MVP of Bizaardvark!" 👏💓 His character is just so FUNNY to me and he gives a little pep-talk to Paige and Frankie in this episode, which is really SWEET! 💓 Liam is the runner-up MVP because he's ALWAYS so over everything! 😂
That comeback song was um... give me a second... it was um... it was totally... um... hold on... one more second... oh! I'll just comeback and tell you later! 😂
Overall, this episode had a solid beginning, got a little shaky in the middle, but picked things back up in the end and left off with a really SWEET message! 💓 Everyone's channels and characters were introduced and it set-up the rest of the series well! 👏💓
#12 - Swap.com (Even Stevens ~ Premiered June 17, 2000)
I've talked about this pilot episode and my thoughts on the series as a whole when I ranked my top
TEN favorite episodes (
here)! 💛
This series is definitely one of my top TEN Disney Channel series, but this pilot episode sadly didn't make it to the top ten! 😢
Technically, the TRUE pilot episode they filmed is referenced in the LAST episode of season one titled, "A Weak First Week," where clips from the original pilot that NEVER aired were shown as flashback scenes! 😲
This pilot episode jumps right into the plot without ANY character introductions! 😬 This is another series, though, that starts off with the theme sequence playing, which has ALWAYS creeped me out! 😂 This pilot episode is definitely on the slower side, but I LOVE the early 2000s vibes! 💛 One thing I didn't LOVE, though, is ALL the gross food scenes in this episode! 😳
I'm not going to explain why I edited that FIRST scene with another clip from a childhood movie, but you're welcome! 😂
It's Ren's birthday in this episode and I LOVE birthday episodes! 🎂 It was a FUN plot for a pilot episode, even though this still doesn't feel like a pilot episode! 💛
This episode has one of my FAVORITE scenes from the ENTIRE series! 💛 I LOVE how Ren learns a lesson from Louis in this episode while Louis learns a lesson from her too! 👏💛 This episode has a really GREAT message of not just pointing fingers at others who do wrong and learning to recognize when you do something wrong too! 👏 I was happy with how the situation was handled at the end! 💛
I go more in-depth about this episode in my
Even Stevens post (
here), but I do feel Ren carried this episode because Louis's character doesn't hit his stride just yet in this episode! 😬 He was still good, just not his full-on
CRAZY self yet! 💛
This episode was missing a little something to really grab my attention, but the SWEET moment at the end and the overall early 2000s vibe of the episode made up for it! 👏💛 This episode is definitely a more dialed-down version of what's to come throughout the rest of the series! 💛
#11 - Rumors (Lizzie McGuire ~ Premiered January 12, 2001)
Okay. This series is on the judge-y side! So, I was VERY shocked when it ranked this high! 😲 But, I'm not ranking the series, just the pilot episode, which still has it's judgmental comments so... I don't really know why it's this high! 😂
I didn't realize how many pilot episodes I've ranked in other posts, but this is one that I ranked in my
Cheerleading themed episodes post (
here)! 💓
I wasn't a fan of Gordo in this episode with ALL of his weird thoughts on cheerleading! 🙄 He says cheerleading is evil because it forces people to be happy and um, that's a weird observation! 😶 Lizzie's dad also says he never liked cheerleaders because they were all snooty and Lizzie is no snoot, which is another weird observation, especially coming from Lizzie's dad! 😟 Sorry Mr. McGuire that no cheerleader wanted to go out with you, but that doesn't mean they were snooty and doesn't mean you should put that idea into your daughter's head to have her stereotype ALL the cheerleaders at her school! 😳
The ONLY characters I actually liked in this episode were Lizzie, Miranda, Matt, and his dead lizard! 💓 So, how did it rank this high then? Well, there's just something SO nostalgic about it and it does have some good messages about not letting people take the blame for your actions, sticking up for yourself, and admitting when your wrong! 💓
The computer chat room scene, the outfits, the cheer that shouldn't be funny to me, but it is... the mom/daughter talk, the brother/sister moment... there are lots of things to like about this episode! 💓
I wasn't the biggest fan of the parents/Matt storyline because it had a pet funeral scene, which wasn't too serious, but it did put a somber mood on the episode for a few minutes! 😢 I'm also just not a fan of the parents in general so... yeah. 😳
I was bored throughout some of this episode, which isn't a good sign for a pilot episode! 😬 But, again, the good moments were worth getting through the boring parts! 👌 I also was probably bored because I've seen this episode A LOT and knew everything that was going to happen! 💓
So, I might not have liked EVERYTHING about this episode, but it gave me SO much nostalgia and it reminded me that Lizzie had just an awkward (or even more awkward) time in middle school as I did! 😂
Oh, I almost forgot to mention that you can tell the FIRST episode filmed of season one was NOT this episode! 😲 In episode four, "Pool Party," you can clearly see that the actors look younger than in this episode! But, even if they put that episode as the FIRST one, neither of the episodes introduce the characters in a TRUE pilot fashion! 👀
Everyone was in this episode, though! 💓 Lizzie's family and friends and even the "mean girls" of the school were ALL shown in this episode! 👌
This episode didn't really have me laughing A LOT because it was mainly just a "good lesson learned" type episode! 💓 But, the editing was VERY unhinged and chaotic and VERY nostalgic, which kept things interesting! 👌
I haven't seen an episode of this series since I was probably under the age of ten, which is CRAZY! 😲 I'm not a fan of "psychic" stuff, but I figured I'd give this episode a shot anyways! 👌 Well, I'm glad I did because I was laughing SO hard while watching it! 😂
The actor who played the teacher in this episode also played Mr. Carosi in Saved By The Bell, my FAVORITE 90s series! 🧡
The ENTIRE middle/ending of this episode is why it made my top ten! 🧡 Usually, I'm NOT the biggest fan of when a character dresses up into a costume and pretends to be someone different, which is probably the reason I'm NEVER going to be a fan of KC Undercover because that's what she does in EVERY episode! 😳 But, yeah. I'm not really a fan of costumes like the one in this episode where someone dresses up in a "fat suit" (I don't believe in the word fat when it is used to describe people)! ✖ However, in this episode it's NOT a "making fun of weight" bit and the costume bit is handled well and Raven is SO funny in these next scenes! 🧡
Also, there is a certain song they used whenever Raven walked in the hallway wearing the costume and I literally laughed SO hard when she danced through the hallway and did a leg lift thing! 😂 You'll see what I'm talking about and I bet you'll be laughing too! 🧡
Other than ALL the funny moments, one thing I REALLY appreciate about this episode is the message at the end! 🧡 Raven's parents realizing they put A LOT of pressure on telling Raven she was the "new Raven" because she was doing SO well in school and then, realizing that it wasn't a fair thing to say to her because it made her feel like she couldn't make ANY more mistakes was a good storyline! 🧡
Everyone makes mistakes throughout their ENTIRE lives and I'm glad Raven's parents ended up putting the blame for Raven's feelings on themselves rather than saying Raven took it the wrong way! 👏🧡 Everything was cleared up well in the end! 👌
Overall, I was
SHOCKED at how much I enjoyed this episode, but I
LOVE laughing and this episode had me doing just that! 🧡
#9 - Hotel Hangout (The Suite Life of Zack & Cody ~ Premiered March 18, 2005)
Technically, this is not the TRUE pilot episode for this series because it's VERY clear when you watch episode five of season one titled "Grounded on the 23rd Floor" that it is the FIRST episode they filmed! 🎥 There are a couple of different characters and Maddie's hair is different and even London acts a bit different in that episode too! 😲
However, even though that episode was filmed FIRST, this episode actually had A LOT of pilot vibes! 💚 I can TOTALLY see why they chose to air this one FIRST! 👀
Zack and Cody's storyline is about them struggling to make new friends at school, which goes with a classic pilot episode theme of being "new kids in school" and they even point out to the kids at school what their mom does as a job at the hotel! 💚 So, it's explained in this episode why they live at the Tipton! 🏨
I didn't write many notes while watching this episode because I was just genuinely enjoying the episode! 👏 I think Carrie is one of the BEST Disney Channel parents and it was sweet to see how Zack and Cody really respected their mom and appreciated her advice to them in this episode! 💚 The boys were really trying to do the right thing in this episode, even though they got caught up with the "cool kids" for a bit, they eventually realized who their true friends were! 💚
Maddie and London's storyline didn't have any "pilot" vibes and was just about Maddie being asked by Mr. Moseby to help London with her schoolwork, which ends up with London helping Maddie with her crush on the lifeguard! 💚
One of my FAVORITE Disney Channel lines is said in this episode by Lance! 👏 Basically, Lance is OBSESSED with water, you know cause he's a lifeguard! 💦 So, when he goes over the date plans with Maddie, he tells her that they'll watch Sea Biscuit and Maddie asks, "You know it's about a horse?" And Lance has this confused/sad expression and goes, "A seahorse?" And I don't know why, but that line was SO funny to me! 😂💚
There's was ONLY one comment I didn't like during Maddie and London's storyline that was a sarcastic comment about a dress size, but everything else was good! 👌
Overall, I enjoyed BOTH storylines and thought this was a solid and nostalgic pilot episode! 💚 Also, the WHOLE "living in a hotel" was a FUN concept for a series! 👌
#8 - New York, New Nanny (Jessie ~ Premiered September 30, 2011)
There is NO question that this is a TRUE pilot episode because it starts off with Jessie just arriving to New York City and it introduces ALL the main characters! 👏💓
Is this the FIRST Disney Channel series where the main character is an adult and out of high school? 🤔 I know Jackson (Hannah Montana) and PJ (Good Luck Charlie) graduate high school during their own series, but Jessie is like a main "main" character and it's definitely more of a focus that she is a young adult out of school! 💓 I LOVE how her character isn't put down for not going to college and gets a full-time job in this episode, instead! 👏💓
I know that the Ross kids age down the show for Disney Channel, but it was still FUN seeing a young adult female character be the MAIN character in an episode and that she was trying to find a job in this episode too! 💓
I wrote during the episode that Tony was CUTE and I already ship him and Jessie, but I really don't know if his character becomes toxic or not, but at least he didn't give off ick vibes right away like *cough* SPENCER *cough*! 😳
Some of the comments were VERY aged-down and cheesy, but some were also VERY wild for Disney Channel! 😲 The main thing I LOVE about this series is that it's about a blended family of adopted kids (besides Emma) and that concept was a FIRST for a Disney Channel series! 👏💓
I hadn't seen this episode in YEARS, but found myself knowing MOST of the lines, which I do remember watching this episode A LOT because the WHOLE ending/solar system scenes were SO familiar to me, like I had just watched them a day ago and not YEARS ago! 💓
I LOVED how this episode introduced ALL the kids' own little personalities and how it showed Jessie getting to know each of them! 💓 They were VERY sweet scenes, but one was just plain-out FUNNY and is the scene where Jessie goes to see how Ravi is doing! 👀
We ALL know the Ross parents are the WORST! 😳 This episode starts off with sharing just that with us! 😬 They were AWFUL from the VERY beginning! 😶
The teacher in this episode who talks to the students about their science projects should literally NOT be a teacher! 😡
Overall, this episode felt VERY long, but it introduced EVERYONE really well! 💓 It got a little too cheesy here and there, but it had A LOT of sweet moments too and I like the premise of the series! 💓
#7 - Rockers & Writers (Austin & Ally ~ Premiered December 2, 2011)
Even though this episode is in my top ten and I do really LIKE it, I did expect to like it MORE than I did! 😲 I found Austin to be a little annoying and VERY selfish in this episode, which is something I never really realized before! 😳
First off, during the FIRST scene, Ally’s dad says "no" when Ally asks to put a new piano in the practice room and his reasoning is that “the odds of making it in the music industry are a bazillion to one,” which is a set-up line for when Austin later shares with Ally that his dad said that too, which in turn gets Ally to help him write one more song. 📝 It was SO obvious it was a set-up line because Ally’s dad literally OWNS a music store! Why would he be the character to tell Ally that she couldn’t make it in the music industry when literally he OWNED a store supporting the music industry! 😳
It was a bad set-up that didn’t make any sense and I didn’t even like how that became the reason Ally helped Austin. ✖ Ally NEVER said in this episode that she wanted to be in the music industry. She just liked playing the piano and writing songs for herself and wanted a better piano in the practice room because of that. 🎹 So, yeah. That’s something that didn’t really make sense to me in this episode.
Now, because I just ranted about something I DIDN’T like, here is something I LOVED… all the MUSIC! 🎵💛
♪ Song moment #1 - Ally was working on a song at the beginning of the episode. 💓
♪ Song moment #2 - Austin stole that song and made a music video for it. 💛
♪ Song moment #3 - Austin sang a bit of that song during his FIRST visit to the Helen Show. 💓
♪ Song moment #4 - The song Austin and Ally were “working on” writing together played during the montage of them working on it. 💛
Lots and lots of music moments! 👏 My FAVORITE one was the montage moment because even though I was a little annoyed with Austin throughout this episode, I still thought that scene was SUPER cute! 💓 #auslly
Dez and Trish also had a FUN little dance moment with instrumental music, which that leads into another thing I LOVED about this episode was seeing the friend group form and come together! 💛
One more thing before we watch the clips, Trish had FOUR jobs in this episode in total. 😳 I am Trish. Trish is me. 😂 Her fifth job in the episode is one she keeps, which is being Austin’s manager. 💓
I didn’t LOVE the fact that Austin tried to help Ally overcome her stage fright when she stated MANY times she was uncomfortable even playing the piano behind a curtain! He literally said “You’re welcome,” and for some reason that bothered me SO much! 😡 He really just seemed to care about himself in this episode and was VERY selfish! 😢
I also didn’t like the Helen Show bit. ✖
Overall, there were some things I didn’t like about this episode, which you can clearly tell by how passionate I got talking about those things! 😂 But, there were also A LOT of things I LOVED too and I feel like it deserves to be in the top ten and in seventh place because of the music and the fact that one of the ULTIMATE Disney Channel friend groups was formed! 👏💓
#6 - Twin-A-Rooney (Liv & Maddie ~ Premiered July 19, 2013)
Honestly, I’m not shocked that this pilot made the top ten! 💜 This is one of those pilots that I feel like I’ve seen a THOUSAND times because Disney Channel released like a five or ten minute sneak peak after the Teen Beach Movie premiere and I remember watching that sneak peak over and over and over again! 👀
For some reason, I remember being SO flippin’ excited for this series to come out and I think it’s because The Parent Trap (1998 version) is my ALL-TIME favorite movie and it’s about twin girls and this series features twin girls too! 👌💙
I ATE this series up for the first couple of seasons, then just dropped Disney Channel and this series like it was nothing! 😂 So, I’ve NEVER seen the ENTIRE series before, but I have seen the FIRST episode a billion times! 💜A Billion Hits is what this gets! 🎵 That was a bad Austin & Ally reference! 😳 I’m sorry you had to witness that! 😬
Moving on…
This pilot episode actually had me teary-eyed by the end of it! 😢 I actually felt REALLY bad for Liv and Maddie for different reasons throughout the episode! 🥺
💜 Reasoning For Feeling Bad For Liv 💜 Liv’s parents allowed her to live with her Aunt for the past four years in Hollywood and they state she is ONLY fifteen in this episode. 😲 So, whether you count her current age or not, she was living in Hollywood without her family from the ages of 11-14 or 12-15! 😳 When Liv gets in a fight with Maddie in this episode and wants to move back in with her Aunt, the parents say they refuse to let her go back and that she is ONLY fifteen and isn’t old enough to make that decision, but um… somehow she was allowed to make that choice at eleven years old?!?!? 🤔 So, even if Liv did really want to go back to the only home she’d known for the past four years, she wasn’t allowed to. 😕 Can you imagine your “home” not being the same one as your family and realizing how everyone has lived fine without you for four years?!? 😢 I watched episode two and during a breakfast scene in that episode, Liv doesn’t even have a seat at the table and she watches her whole family sit together and you can see the sad distant look in her eyes. 🥺 But, backing up to this episode, I was sad for Liv in this episode because she tried SO hard trying to fit back in with her family, which is even just a sad statement to type! 😢
💙Reasoning For Feeling Bad For Maddie 💙 Honestly, I mainly felt bad for Liv the MOST, but it was sad that Maddie told Liv not to do something and she did it anyways resulting in Maddie’s crush saying he didn’t want to go to the dance with her. 😳 Maddie blew up at Liv, but I think it was mainly her projecting her sad feelings about Diggy onto the situation. ✋ The adjustment of Liv moving back in was obviously tougher on Liv because Maddie wasn’t really affected that much by it, except for Liv just butting into her crush situation. 👀 But, it was interesting seeing Maddie adjusting to Liv moving back home versus Liv adjusting. I’m sure it affected Maddie A LOT when she did feel the disconnection from her twin sister when she thought everything would just go back to normal, like the four years never happened. 😬 But it was clear that Maddie realized that time did change their sister relationship, but that they were still best friends and would have that bond forever! 💜💙 Sisters by chance. Friends by choice! 💙💜
Yeah… I’ve gone VERY deep with this episode! 😂
The brothers' storyline wasn’t bad, but I obviously was more into Liv and Maddie’s! 💙 One of my FAVORITE scenes in the episode is when Liv shows Maddie her singing “On Top of the World” and I literally not only remembered that scene line for line, but I also remembered ALL of Liv’s hand motions when Maddie is watching Liv's performance! 😲 CRAZY! 💜
I talked a bit about my preference when it comes to “breaking the fourth wall” scenes when I talked about Stuck in the Middle. 🎥 I don’t LOVE the whole “interview” reality show style that Liv & Maddie uses because like, are the characters in a reality show? 🤔 Is Liv & Maddie a fictional reality show about the WHOLE family and we are just supposed to know that from the get-go because of the interview segments?!? 👀 It confuses me and I’m not the biggest fan of that style! I did get used to it, though, by the time I finished the episode! 💙
I appreciated that Dove Cameron didn’t use a different voice for Liv in this episode because she does start to have a “Liv voice” in the other seasons and you can tell the voice is NOT natural and it sounds VERY forced! 😬 I don’t know if that was a directors/creators/writers note, though. So, maybe she had no choice and HAD to try and differentiate Liv and Maddie’s voices. 😳 But, I prefer how she voiced BOTH characters in this episode! 💙💜
One other thing, I don’t know much about Diggy's character and if he gets to be Spencer Walsh’s kind of toxic, but I actually found him to be really SWEET in this episode! 👌 I liked that he wanted to go to Maddie’s house right after school to explain why he said no to the dance! 👏 Like, that was VERY green flag of him because he knew Liv would tell Maddie what happened and so, he came over right away to clear things up! ✅ Honestly, that scene was VERY very cute! 💙
Now, that could have potentially been a red-flag situation because Diggy could have just told Liv he knew it was her pretending to be Maddie when asking him to the dance. 🚩 But, maybe he didn’t know if Maddie had asked Liv to do that or maybe he didn’t want to embarrass Liv in the school hallway. 👀Who knows? I’m just glad he did go right over to their house to clear things up. 👍💙
The argument/family meeting scene was also a VERY good scene! 👏 It felt VERY raw and real and now, I’m realizing just how many scenes I LOVED in the episode! 💜
I have typed SO much about this episode and I really didn’t think I’d become this invested in the characters, but here I am! 😂 I’m definitely going to give this series a re-watch and try to finish it after I finish Stuck in the Middle! 💙 However, for now, this pilot episode was VERY good and I’d happily watch it again for the billionth and one time! 💜💙
#5 - Wrong Song (JONAS ~ Premiered May 2, 2009)
This episode doesn’t have any “pilot” vibes and just jumps right into the plot! 👌 Now, the Jonas Brothers play themselves in this series, which gives off Naked Brothers Band vibes! 😲 But, I’m confused if they wanted viewers to think this series was like a reality show and wanted us to think that’s really the school they went to and that they really lived in a fire station. 🏫 Like, even just typing that, it's obvious people weren’t going to think this was a “reality” type show. 👀 So, why did they use their actual names and make the show seem like a documentary about how the Jonas Brothers just try to live a normal life?!? 🤔 Why not use a fictional band name like in Camp Rock? I don’t know what they wanted us believing as viewers, but I DO know that I ATE this episode up! 😂
I never was a Jonas Brothers fan growing up and I’m still not really one in present time, but I will say I have come to LOVE their songs from this series and even the episodes themselves! 💙 Well, I haven’t seen ALL of the episodes. So, I’ll just say I LOVE this episode! 💙
Did I think it’d make the top five? No. But, once I watched it, I couldn’t see it placed anywhere else! 👏💙
I was wayyy too invested in this episode and literally was smiling throughout the ENTIRE thing! 😊 Like, am I a 2009 Jonas Brothers fan now?!? I don’t even recognize myself anymore! 😂
I actually liked how this episode didn’t have a laugh track, even though you’d think the Jonas Brothers acting would need one. They actually did VERY good in this episode without one and I think a laugh track would have made it seem too cheesy! 👌💙
I also really liked the setup of the school! 🏫 I LOVE the atrium and thought it was a CUTE little setting for Nick to play his song for Penny! 💙 Nick literally wrote a song for her and ran throughout the school as soon as he finished it and found her and asked her if he could sing it for her! 😲 My heart! 💙
I was VERY invested in the love triangle between Penny, Nick, and Jimmy in this episode! 😬 I also thought Nick was really sweet to Penny when she thought she had led him on! He didn’t put ANY blame on her and even stuck up for her singing the song he wrote for her to Jimmy! ✅ Like, Nick was a total green-flag in this episode! 💙 I don’t know about in real-life, but fictional 2009 Nick was a sweetheart! 💙
I wrote in my notes that this episode felt like a breath of fresh air and I really feel like it was! 🌞 I enjoyed it A LOT and was SUPER invested in the little love story happening throughout it! 💙
I LOVED the song, angsty “in love” Nick, the supportive brothers, and the Stella and Macy moments were good too! 👌 But, I mainly cared about the Nick storyline! 💙
This episode was a VERY feel-good and refreshing episode that I’d gladly watch again RIGHT now! 💙
#4 - The Pilot (I Didn't Do It ~ Premiered January 17, 2014)
As much as I LOVED that little love story JONAS episode, this episode had a CUTE sibling moment and had me laughing A LOT! 💓
I remember watching this episode SO clearly with my sister Ariel! 👯
I Didn’t Do It’s special format for the series was to have the beginning of the episode take place after a CRAZY situation happened and have the rest of the episode flashing back to the events that led up to the craziness unfolding! 😵 It was a unique style for the show, but they got rid of it for season two, which to me took away that unique edge the series had! 💓 It was FUNNY to have the characters say “I didn’t do it,” then have the episode show that they in fact did do it! 😂 Them taking that away was kind of sad! 😢
But, season one’s foundation was the “I didn’t do it” bit that began in this episode! 💓
This episode was SO unhinged and I literally CAN’T believe they had Lindy and Logan still have their house party when they thought their babysitter had died! 😲 Like, literally the definition of unhinged! 😂
The party itself, though, actually looked pretty FUN for a Disney Channel party! 🎉 People weren’t just standing around in the background looking awkward and instead, were actually enjoying themselves! 👏 And that made the whole “babysitter is dead but the party must continue” thing even more CRAZY! 😂
Like, the fact that Disney Channel tried to rationalize teens throwing a party while thinking there is a dead body in the basement is literally WILD! 😳 But, it was what weirdly made the episode standout and what had me laughing and my jaw-dropping at the same time! 💓
I know the friend group can be toxic in some episodes of the series, but in this episode I actually really liked the friend group! 👌 My favorite moment, though, was when Lindy stuck up for her friends and her brother to the guy she had a crush on! 👏 Like, Teddy would NEVER! 😬
I want to note real quick that once Liv & Maddie aired, Disney Channel really went CRAZY with the whole twin siblings concept! 👯 Lindy and Logan are twins in this series. 💓 There are twin brothers in Best Friends Whenever. 💜 And the two youngest boys in Stuck in the Middle are twins. 💗 Lots and lots of twins! 👯 I guess they missed the Zack & Cody era! 💓
This episode had its sweet, CRAZY, and funny moments and kept me intrigued the ENTIRE time! 💓 I LOVED the sweet brother and sister moment at the end! 😊 The episode flew by and when it was over, I wanted to go watch it again with my sister Ariel for old times sake! 💓
When re-searching this pilot, I found the ORIGINAL pilot on YouTube and the CRAZY part is that people in the comments felt like Disney Channel had actually aired this one FIRST and just acted like they NEVER did and I don't know if that's true, but when watching it I felt like I had SEEN it before! 😲
The original pilot is almost an EXACT duplicate of the actual one, even the outfits! 💓 However, there are SIX friends, instead of five, and the babysitter actually dies! 😲 Yes, you read that right! The babysitter originally did die! 😳 I think that is why this pilot was either taken off air or NEVER aired at all because I guarantee this episode got a note that actually having the babysitter die was NOT appropriate for the channel! 😶
Some dialogue is different, but MOST of it is the same, which you'll see! 👀 I actually think it was a good idea, though, to not have THREE boys because the third boy they ended up getting rid of wasn't really that BIG of a missing piece because his lines ended up just becoming Garrett's and at the party, he was the DJ and wasn't really seen! So, they just got a random boy to be the DJ in the second version of the pilot! 💓 Like, I do feel bad that the actor was probably excited to be on a DC show, then got cut! 😬 But, I do think it actually made the episode BETTER by not having SIX friends! 💓
Also, am I the only one that thinks Olivia Holt was wearing a wig in this episode? It makes me wonder if this was just a "mock-up" pilot to basically screen test how the series would look, but they did go ALL out with even the sets and everything, which I don't see happening if it was just a "practice" episode! 🤔
Do you remember watching this version?!? 👀 Did it air on TV? 📺
ORIGINAL PILOT
Okay. So, the babysitter did die, but she was electrocuted back to life! 😲 What the heck was this episode?!? 😂 Either version of this pilot has to be the MOST bizarre Disney Channel storyline EVER! 💓
#3 - The Crazy 10 Minute Sale (Wizards of Waverly Place ~ Premiered October 12, 2007)
My sister Alyssa (
Back to Disney) listens to the
Wizards podcast and told me that they said the
FIRST episode filmed was episode six titled, "
You Can't Always Get What You Carpet," and Alyssa said she
ALWAYS knew that episode felt different and that even the characters acted different in the episode and she thinks that would make a wayyy
BETTER pilot than this one, but I disagree! 😲
Even though this episode does jump right into the plot without ANY introductions, there are actually SOME things I NEVER noticed before that do give this episode some pilot vibes! 💜
✨ Alex explains who Gigi is and why they aren't friends. So, there's ONE character introduction in this episode! 💜
✨ Jerry explains why wizard training is important and even lists the days they have class, which are Tuesdays and Thursdays! 💗
✨ Max's storyline is ALL about him waiting for his FIRST wand, which is the training wand he gets in this episode! 💜
So, even though this isn't a TRUE pilot episode, it definitely has some FIRST episode feels! 💜
I've seen this episode MANY many times in my life and there was NO doubt it'd be high on this list because it's like a comfort episode that is just chill and enjoyable to watch! 👌 To me, this is a CLASSIC pilot episode that is filled with nostalgia! 💜
There wasn't anything I disliked about it and I actually enjoyed EVERY storyline! 👏 I liked seeing the Sub Station and the Russo family ALL working a more "normal" job because not many Disney Channel parents have a "regular' job that isn't SUPER high-paying and I LOVE that about this show! 💜
This episode has it's FUNNY moments, but it's mainly just a chill episode that is relaxing to watch and will fill you with ALL the nostalgic feels! 💜 One of my FAVORITE scenes was the ending when the dad is asking each kid if they used magic for the things they were "in trouble" for! 😬 The boys and the dad's responses and reactions were really FUNNY in that scene! 😂
The ONLY thing I didn't think went well with the overall plot of the episode was the "tag" scene when Jerry asks Alex to duplicate him! 😳 She was just punished for using that spell, but then he wants her to use it on him for his own benefit?!? Hmm... it didn't make sense for the episode! 😕 Good thing it was just the ending tag scene! 💜
#2 - Lilly, Do You Want To Know A Secret? (Hannah Montana ~ Premiered March 24, 2006)
Now, this is an episode I have seen a MILLION times in my life and it's the beginning of a HUGE era of my childhood! 💕
First off, I want to note how I literally NEVER noticed that they use the SAME twirl "Miley turning into Hannah" clip TWO times in the theme song! 👀 I think they should have had the first twirl as Hannah turning into Miley, then the LAST twirl as her turning back into Hannah! 🤔 Do you agree? 💟
They say Miley Stewart is fourteen years old in this and I just realized that even though that is SO flippin' young, it's still NOT as young as Chyna's character in A.N.T. Farm who was eleven! 😲 It's CRAZY how young these Disney Channel stars were! 💕 They seemed SO much older when I was a kid because I was ONLY six years old when this premiered and of course, watching a series about a fourteen year old made me feel like I was watching a VERY mature show! 😂 In reality, Miley was literally a BABY in this! 😲
We HAVE to talk about the original wig... actually we don't! 😂 The second wig is SO much better and the reason I wanted bangs for years as a kid! 💓
I wrote in my notes that this episode is ICONIC and how I know EVERY line! 💕 I still enjoyed it SO much, though, and felt SO much nostalgia while watching it! 💗
Am I the only one surprised that Lilly would be a fan of Hannah Montana? 🤔 I mean, they make her out to be this tom-boy skater girl in the first season and it just doesn’t seem like Hannah’s pop-country music fits that description! 😳 But, hey... Who am I to question that considering everyone can listen to so many different types of music! 🎵 Your outward appearance doesn’t have to be a reflection of the type of music you listen to! 👏 Wow! I just preached a lesson to myself! 😂 Now, I can hear Robbie Ray Stewart saying, "Well, bud. You can't judge someone based on what they look like. You'd be madder than a wet hen if someone judged Miley Stewart for being Hannah Montana?" 💓 Yes, I just came up with dialogue for Robbie's character and yes, I think I did pretty good! 😂
Even though I've seen this episode SO many times, I realized something for the FIRST time EVER when I re-watched it this time around! 😲 It's stated MANY times that Miley and her family had recently moved to Malibu, which means Miley, Lilly, and Oliver did NOT grow up together and it even means Lilly and Miley hadn't been best friends for long in this episode! 😳 It gave me a WHOLE new perspective on Miley not telling Lilly she was Hannah Montana because Miley literally had only known her for a short amount of time! 😲
I ALWAYS felt Lilly was too dramatic over Miley not telling her the Hannah secret, but now I definitely think Lilly was being selfish by getting upset because how did she expect Miley to tell her BIGGEST secret when they hadn't been friends for that long?!? 😬 But, I do understand that at a young age you don't perceive time as you do as an adult! 🕑 So, a friend you might have only known for one school year might have felt like you'd known them your ENTIRE life at that age! 💕
Lilly was a sweet friend at the beginning of the episode when she was being Miley's "hype-girl" when it came to convincing Miley to talk to her crush, but her character arc took a turn from being fun and sweet to being inconsiderate of Miley's feelings! 😳 But, thankfully, her character was redeemed in the end when her and Miley made up! 💟
This episode mainly featured Lilly and Miley's friendship, but I do want to note that Oliver was such a stalker in this episode! 😲
Overall, this episode was the start of something HUGE and had an impact on A LOT of our childhoods! 💓 It was SWEET, funny, had some GREAT music scenes, and had me talking in a country accent while I typed my thoughts about it! 😂💗
Oh, and I forgot to note that I LOVE Robbie and Miley's father/daughter talks! 💓 Zack and Cody might have had a GREAT single mom as a parent, but Miley had an AMAZING single dad as a parent, which is relatable, since I was raised by a single dad from the age of eleven! 💟
#1 - Start It Up (Shake It Up ~ Premiered November 7, 2010)
I've stated MANY times that Shake It Up is my FAVORITE Disney Channel series! 💗 So, it was pretty obvious that it was going to be NUMBER-ONE on this list! 👀 However, I did save this episode to watch LAST after ALL the other ones on this list because I wanted to put my biased opinions to the side and really see if this was my FAVORITE pilot episode or just my love for the overall series making me biased! 🤔
Well, I watched EVERY episode on this list and had ALL my thoughts about them ready to compare to this one and... it's crazy to admit this... but...
This episode hit all the other ones out of the number-one spot and solidified my decision just with the FIRST scene! 😂💗
I literally got emotional just seeing the little train station set and had SO many nostalgic and HAPPY feels! 💗 I LOVE everything about this episode! 💛
I LOVE the dancing, the outfits, the dialogue, the characters, the storyline... EVERYTHING is perfect! 👌💗
This FIRST episode had me glued to the TV when it aired and my sister Alyssa and I immediately started learning the FIRST dance! 💛 As a kid, I was not the singer of my family... those spots were taken by my sisters who could actually sing! 😂 I was known more for my dancing along with my cousin who was my assistant choreographer... shhhh... don't tell her I called her that! 😅
Now, I was NOT the best dancer, but I had A LOT of sass and in my head, I would have easily been on Shake It Up: Chicago! 💗 Truthfully, I was A LOT like CeCe in this episode who said she had SO much confidence in her dancing, then froze when she was auditioning! 😳
This series meant A LOT to me as a kid because my parents divorce happened the year it came out and I had moved schools and had left ALL of my friends and even left a small piece of myself behind too! 😢 I wasn't the same girl at school that I once was and didn't have friends who wanted to come up with dance routines and hang out, but I had this series! 💗 I would watch this with my sister and we'd learn the dances and I felt like this series allowed me to hold onto a piece of who I was before my parents divorce for a little longer! 💗
It's sappy, but it's true! 😂 I LOVE this series SO much and this FIRST episode killed it! 👏💗
The only thing I noted that I didn't LOVE was when Gary Wilde kept telling people they had the "look" and it was weird that he looked CeCe and Rocky up and down and told them that! 😳 Now, I know he was just talking about their fashion, but it was still a little creepy! 😬 He even spanked one of the guy's auditioning on the butt, which was something else that bothered me! 😲
But, we are going to ignore creepy Gary in this because he isn't creepy in any of the other episodes! 👀
One more thing to note about this episode is how the train station set was NOT utilized to it's full potential throughout the rest of the series! 🚆 After this episode, it's only used TWO more times in the ENTIRE series, but it was one of my FAVORITE sets of theirs! 😢 I thought it gave off SO many Chicago vibes and I wished they had used it more! 💗 But, that's also one of the reasons this pilot episode stands out SO much is the fact that it's shown the MOST in this episode! 💗
Overall, it wasn't surprising that this episode is my FAVORITE Disney Channel pilot! 💗 It holds A LOT of special memories for me and A LOT of nostalgia! 💗 The concept of a Disney Channel series focused on dancing was brilliant and executed perfectly! 👏💗
Doesn't $40 a week sound too little to be on a dancing show? 🤔 That's only $160 a month! 😳 I guess it's because they're background dancers and under sixteen, but still! 😬
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Before we officially wrap things up, let's take a look at a couple MORE lists! 👀
First up, is a comparison between my pilot episodes ranking and my sister Alyssa's (Back to Disney)! 💙
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