30 Best Disney Channel Shows Of All Time Ranked

The Disney Channel is practically synonymous with quality family entertainment. For decades, the cable network has been churning out programs that delight, amuse, and enlighten audiences of all ages. Not one to shy away from innovation, Walt Disney embraced television in the 1950s, airing "Disneyland" and "The Mickey Mouse Club" on the ABC network as a way to finance his dream project, Disneyland (via Disney). In the 1980s, Disney's successful television legacy continued with the launch of The Disney Channel in 1983. But what kind of programming would this new network embrace?

That answer has evolved over time, with the network using both Disney's storied catalog of characters and contemporary youth trends as sources for inspiration. From anthropomorphic elephants to wizards-in-training and all the wannabe pop stars in between, here are the best shows the Disney Channel has to offer.

Loosely based on Disney's 1941 movie "Dumbo," "Dumbo's Circus" is one of Disney's Channel's original program offerings. A live-action/puppet hybrid in the style of "Welcome to Pooh Corner," "Dumbo's Circus" follows Dumbo (Katie Leigh) as he flies from town to town, his magical circus wagon full of entertainment in tow. With animal pals such as Lionel the Lion (Jim Cummings), Lilli (Patricia Parris), and Barnaby Bowser (Will Ryan), Dumbo puts on the best circus that any anthropomorphic elephant could ever dream of. Each episode presents a problem to be solved or a lesson to be learned, like how to fix the popcorn machine or make new friends.

"Dumbo's Circus" is both delightful and unsettling, mostly due to the robotic nature of its puppet characters. Made with the same technology used to create the iconic '80s toy Teddy Ruxpin (via A/V Club), the "Dumbo's Circus'" animatronics movie with human agility, but their vacant eyes create an emotional disconnect that not even technological innovation can heal.

A Disneyfied version of the "The X-Files," "So Weird" chronicles the paranormal, but for the tween set. Teenager Fiona "Fi" Phillips (Cara DeLizia) travels around the country with her rock star mom, Molly (Mackenzie Phillips). Fi shares her paranormal encounters on her blog, "So Weird." She faces various monsters of the week, including spirits, ghosts, and mythical creatures. Fi discovers her penchant for the unexplainable runs in the family, with her late father's mysterious death becoming a driving narrative for the series.

DeLizia would eventually leave her starring role on "So Weird" after only two seasons. Without Fi, the show's focus turned to Phillips family friend Annie Thelen (Alexz Johnson), whose supernatural encounters take on a decidedly brighter tone, losing the ominous and somewhat melancholy appeal of "So Weird" in the process.

The first show to be given the Disney Channel original series label, "Flash Forward" captures the daily awkwardness of being a 13-year-old. Best friends since childhood, Tucker (Ben Foster) and Becca (Jewel Staite) must face the most challenging endeavor of their lives — eighth grade. They get help navigating their middle school drama from their friends Miles (Theodore Borders) and Chris (Asia Vieria). Working on the school newspaper, starring in the school play, and dealing with bullies are just some of the milestones Tucker and Becca must face.

"Flash Forward" is not groundbreaking teen television, but it's darn good. Carried by the charm of Foster and Staite's performances, the show's authentic and bittersweet portrayal of evolving friendships remains poignant. Both actors went on to have successful adult careers, with Foster appearing in a number of critically-acclaimed films and Staite co-starring in the cult TV show "Firefly."

In "Bizaardvark," Frankie (Maidson Wu) and Paige (Olivia Rodrigo) post funny videos on their Vuuugle channel, "Bizaardvark." The duo hit 10,000 subscribers, earning them a spot at the Vuuugle Studio, where all the hottest internet stars make their content. But Frankie and Paige must balance their Vuuugle life with the responsibilities of school.

Speaking to an extremely online audience, "Bizaardvark" captures the try-anything-for-a-laugh ethos of many content creators. Featuring unboxing videos, disgusting challenges, and quirky music parodies, the show covers all the hot 2010s online trends. But the show's dedication to authenticity backfired for Disney. Vine star and YouTuber Jake Paul was fired from "Bizaardvark" in 2017 after an incident with a local Los Angeles film crew investigating claims that Paul's house was the source of nuisance (via Hollywood Reporter). So unless obnoxious pseudo-humor is your vibe, "Bizaardvark" is not worth smashing the like button.

In "Sonny With A Chance," Demi Lovato plays midwestern girl Sonny Munroe, an aspiring comedian who lands her dream role on the sketch comedy show-within-a-show "So Random!" Sonny must balance her comedic ambitions on-screen with the behind-the-scenes drama between her show and its rival, the schlocky teen drama "Mackenzie Falls." Sonny eventually starts dating "Mackenzie Falls" heartthrob Chad Dylan Cooper (Sterling Knight), complicating matters even more. "Sonny With A Chance" is Disney Channel's response to adult TV shows like "30 Rock" and "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip," where the story behind the sketch comedy is the focus.

Lovato left the series after Season 2, citing their ongoing health recovery as the reason for their departure (via People). The show officially became "So Random!," with the show-within-a-show becoming the actual program. The show lasted one more season, but without the star power of Lovato, "So Random!" didn't really stand a chance of continuing.

Zendaya and Bella Thorne star as two Chicago teens who kick and stretch their way to dance stardom on "Shake It Up." Rocky Blue (Zendaya) and CeCe Jones (Thorne) are best friends who want nothing more than to strut their stuff on the show-within-a-show "Shake It Up, Chicago!" Their main competition for the spotlight is the dancing brother-sister duo, Gunther (Kenton Duty) and Tinka (Caroline Sunshine) Hessenheffer.

A buddy comedy with legs, "Shake It Up" mixes teen hijinks with high-energy choreography. Dancing on "Shake It Up, Chicago!" provides ample opportunities for shimmies, costume changes, and general tween wish fulfillment. Zendaya and Thorne have great on-screen chemistry, despite reports that the actors did not get along in real life. "Shake It Up!" is best remembered as a mere jumping-off point for both Zendaya and Thorne's careers.

Before Zack Morris was king of Bayside High School, he was just another Indiana middle schooler. The origin story of the classic teen sitcom "Saved By The Bell" actually starts on the Disney Channel: It began life as a retooling of the sitcom "Good Morning Miss Bliss." Miss Bliss (Hayley Mills) is a junior high school teacher in Indianapolis, dedicated to her students Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), Screech Powers (Dustin Diamond), and Lisa Turtle (Lark Voorhies). The show is named after Miss Bliss, but the students drive most of the stories.

"Good Morning Miss Bliss" was actually produced by NBC for The Disney Channel and after its cancellation, the show was reimaged as "Saved By The Bell" with Zack, Screech, Lisa, and Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins) making the move to Bayside High School. Episodes of "Good Morning, Miss Bliss" were repackaged as "Saved By the Bell" episodes, with special introductions from Zack framing the stories for context. Truly humble beginnings for such an iconic show.

A show for the entire family, "Good Luck Charlie" follows the Duncans as they adjust to their growing head-count, with the addition of babies Charlie (Mia Talerico) and Toby (Logan Moreau). Working parents Amy (Leigh-Allyn Baker) and Bob (Eric Allan Kramer) recruit their three older children PJ (Jason Scott Dolley), Teddy (Bridgit Mendler), and Gabe (Bradley Steven Perry) to help raise their younger siblings. Teenage Teddy, knowing their age gap will make it challenging to spend time together as they grow up, makes video diaries for future Charlie.

"Good Luck Charlie" is one of the more mild-mannered Disney Channel original series. Deliberately made with both kids and parents in mind, it is, as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes, "by design, retro in its ordinariness." "No one wants to be a pop star, dancer, or secret agent. It's just a family working together to take care of each other. As exciting as escapist fantasies can be, "Good Luck Charlie" is soothing in its comparative banality.

Mix a dash of "Eloise" and a sprinkle of "The Parent Trap" with a touch of "Fawlty Towers," and you have "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," the Disney Channel show about a pair of twins who make a luxury hotel their home. Zack (Dylan Sprouse) and Cody (Cole Sprouse) live with their lounge singer mom Carey (Kim Rhodes) at the Tipton Hotel. Her gig in the Tipton Hotel lounge gives her sons a semblance of stability, but other characters lurking in the hotel halls bring zany chaos. Shopaholic London Tipton (Brenda Song), whose father owns the hotel, has her own suite at the Tipton. Maddie (Ashely Tisdale) works the candy counter and inadvertently becomes London's tutor and friend, while hotel manager Marion Moseby (Phillip Lewis) tries his best to keep the Tipton running smoothly.

"The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" was so popular that it spun off into a new series, "The Suite Life On Deck," and an original movie, "The Suite Life Movie." In both spinoffs, Zack, Cody, and London set sail on the SS Tipton, attending high school at sea. "The Suite Life Movie" shifts gears from goofy sitcom to sci-fi action thriller, and while the change in tone is quite baffling, it proves the popularity of the Sprouse brothers.

Juggling the expectations of her family with those of her friends, Penny Proud (Kyla Pratt) is an average 14-year-old just trying to make it through the day. Penny might be a straight-A student, but she's easily lured into troublesome situations by her best friend Dijonay (Karen Malina White). She must also deal with her overprotective but well-meaning father, Oscar (Tommy Davidson), and her frenemy LaCienega (Alisa Reyes).

Upon its debut on Disney Channel in 2001, "The Proud Family" was one of TV's first animated depictions of a Black family (via New York Times). Wanting to tell stories from the perspective of a Black teenage girl, show creator Bruce W. Smith teamed up with "Moesha" creator Ralph Farquhar, to craft Penny's world as authentically as they could. Two decades after its initial release, the legacy of "The Proud Family" continues with the Disney+ series "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder."

In "K.C. Undercover," K.C. Cooper is an undercover spy for The Organization, but she's also a high school student who just wants to go to the dance. K.C. comes from a family of spies, her parents Craig (Kadeem Hardison) and Kira (Tammy Townsend) as well as her brother, Ernie (Kamil McFadden), all being clandestine operators who balance their mild-mannered facades with their high-octane careers. Together, they work to thwart The Organization's sinister rivals, The Other Side and The Alternate, from bringing their heinous plots to fruition. Her genius math skills and expert karate moves make her a valuable asset, but K.C. must balance her spy life with being a normal teen.

Zendaya drove a hard bargain to star in "K.C. Undercover," telling Disney that she'd only do the series if she was also made a producer — she wanted to tell stories with families of color and "girls in a powerful and strong position" (via Variety). She also vetoed any singing or dancing in the series and wanted K.C. to be super-smart, but awkward (via Vogue). With her efforts behind the scenes, "K.C. Undercover" succeeds as a smart series with strong girls realizing their full potential.

The animated series "Gravity Falls" follows twin siblings Dipper (Jason Ritter) and Mabel (Kristin Schaal) Pines to Gravity Falls, Oregon, where they spend the summer with their Grunkle Stan (Alex Hirsch). But all is not as it seems in Gravity Falls. When Dipper unearths an old, unfinished journal buried in the woods that details the town's mysterious dark side, he decides to pick up where the journal left off and chronicle his own encounters with the strange and unusual. Unruly lawn gnomes, bottomless pits, and kidnapping pterodactyls are just some of the oddities Dipper and Mabel encounter in Gravity Falls.

"Gravity Falls" has garnered quite a cult following. Beloved for its complex storytelling, quirky characters, and genuine weirdness, the show has been compared to other bizarre, yet insightful animated series like "Adventureland" and "Steven Universe." "Gravity Falls" only aired for one season on Disney Channel before transitioning to sibling network Disney XD, but Disney Channel's willingness to step away from their usual tween sitcom formula should be applauded.

Kim Possible (Christy Carlson Romano) is a crime-fighting high schooler who makes it home in time for curfew in the animated series "Kim Possible." Assisted by her sidekick Ron Stoppable (Will Friedle), Ron's naked mole rat pet Rufus (Nancy Cartwright), and computer genius Wade (Tahj Mowry), Kim takes on evil-doers bent on world domination. Her main adversaries are mad scientist Dr. Drakken (John DiMaggio) and his sidekick Shego (Nicole Sullivan), whose inventive plots to take over the globe are consistently thwarted by Kim and her crew. Kim's no secret agent, though, and while her penchant for justice is world-renowned, she's fully supported by her family — as long as she gets good grades and makes it home by a reasonable hour.

Action-packed, stylishly animated, and funny, "Kim Possible" is not just for kids: The show has plenty of hidden humor to please adults, too. The younger set can enjoy the fantastical gadgetry and quirky pets, and the adults can appreciate the impeccable voice casting and homages to heavy metal music legends.

Hilary Duff launched into tween superstardom starring in the titular role of "Lizzie McGuire." Lizzie takes on the challenges of middle school life with the help of her friends Miranda (Lalaine Vergara-Paras) and Gordo (Adam Lamberg). It's hard out there for a 13-year-old, and Lizzie does her best to navigate the desire to be her own person and the pull of being popular. A cartoon version of Lizzie puts her life in context, giving insight into her true feelings. She might seem confident asking a boy out to the dance, but on the inside, she's crashing off a diving board.

In the early 2000s, "Lizzie McGuire" was a pop-culture phenomenon, even finding a super fan in Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, who sang the show's praises to the New York Times. A Forbes report from 2003 estimated that "Lizzie McGuire" franchise and merchandising had earned Disney $100 million. "Lizzie McGuire" was a winning story-telling formula, targeting the then-underserved preteen demographic, and it shaped how Disney Channel did business. Still cherished by its initial audience, an adult "Lizzie McGuire" reboot was in the works until it was canceled for reportedly being too mature for Disney+, but even Duff admits the project is "it's not dead and it's not alive."

It really is the best of both worlds for Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) in the Disney Channel juggernaut series "Hannah Montana." Miley is an average teenager who also has a career as a music superstar. With the help of a blonde wig and sparkly outfits, Miley rocks the stage as Hannah Montana. Her father, former country music star Robby Ray (Billy Ray Cyrus), moves Miley and her brother Jackson (Jason Earles) from Tennessee to California to cultivate Miley's music career. She might be a pop sensation, but Miley does the best she can to keep her public and private life separate, with her friends Lily (Emily Osment) and Oliver (Mitchel Musso) keeping her grounded in reality.

The success of "Hannah Montana" is the stuff of pop-culture legend. Two years after the show's debut in 2006, NBC News reported that Cyrus' "Hannah Montana" empire infiltrated every merchandising sector, with CDs, DVDs, books, video games, a sold-out national tour, and 140 other items launched by Disney to cash in on Miley-mania. Since the show ended in 2011, Cyrus has remained an entertainment fixture, and she seems at peace with her Disney past, sharing with fans her appreciation to Hannah Montana in an open letter posted to social media (via Glamour).