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Wizards of Waverly Place

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Wizards of Waverly Place
File:Wizard of waverly place logo.PNG
The show's title card showing characters Justin Russo, Alex Russo, and Max Russo.
GenreSitcom
Created byTodd J. Greenwald
StarringSelena Gomez
David Henrie
Jake T. Austin
Jennifer Stone
Maria Canals Barrera
David DeLuise
Opening theme"Everything is Not What It Seems" by Selena Gomez
Country of originUnited States USA
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes44 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersTodd J. Greenwald
Peter Murrieta
Vince Cheung
Ben Montanio
Running time22-23 minutes
Original release
NetworkDisney Channel
ReleaseOctober 12, 2007 –
present

Wizards of Waverly Place is a live-action Disney Channel Original Series which premiered on October 12, 2007 on Disney Channel. The series was created by Todd J. Greenwald, and is produced by It's a Laugh Productions, Inc. and Disney Channel Original Productions.[1] The show stars Selena Gomez, David Henrie and Jake T. Austin as three siblings with magic abilities. In April 2009, Disney Channel had announced it was renewing the series for a third season, to begin production in late July 2009 and to be filmed in High Definition.

Production

It first aired in Canada on October 26, 2007, airing on Family Channel, and first aired on Disney Channel UK on November 3, 2007. On its premiere night, it received 5.93 million viewers.[2] The tag lines in advertisements are "They've got the power!", "Three typical teens, where everything is not what it seems" and "Being a teenager can be tricky."

Series

The show is about the Russo family, which includes Alex (Selena Gomez), Justin (David Henrie), and their younger brother Max (Jake T. Austin), Alex's best friend Harper (Jennifer Stone) is also part of the storyline. The three are wizards and live with their Italian-American father Jerry, and their Mexican-American mother, Theresa. The children aren't allowed to use magic without supervision, and according to the premise, only one of the three will keep their magic abilities once they are adults, and this will be determined by a magic competition. Jerry (their father) once did this competition and won, but gave his powers up to marry their mortal mother (Theresa) as a wizard is not allowed to marry a mortal. Alex often gets into trouble for using magic unsupervised, and learns lessons and morals relating to friends, family, and school.

Main settings

The show is primarily set on Waverly Place, a street in Manhattan.

  • Waverly Sub Station is the Russo Family's sandwich shop. All three kids work and hang out there.
  • The Magic Lair is where the Russo kids have magic class with their father. Often, the freezer is used as a portal between the Waverly Sub Station, and the Russo home.
  • The Loft is where the Russo family lives. It is also connected to the magic lair and the Waverly Sub Station.
  • Waverly Place is outside of the Waverly Sub Station. Mainly, the pedestrian-only alleyway is shot and Waverly Place is only shot on certain occasions like in the episode First Kiss, prior to the crystal ball scene.
  • Tribeca Prep is the school that Justin, Alex, Max, and their friends attend.
  • WizTech is the magic school where Alex and Justin attend in "Wizard School" and that Max also attends in "Saving WizTech".

Characters

Main article: List of Wizards of Waverly Place characters
  • Alex Russo (Selena Gomez), a wizard in training, is the middle child and only daughter in the Russo family.
  • Justin Russo (David Henrie), a wizard in training, is the oldest child in the Russo family.
  • Max Russo (Jake T. Austin), a wizard in training, is the youngest child in the Russo family.
  • Jerry Russo (David DeLuise), a former wizard, is Justin, Alex, and Max's father. Jerry runs the family's sandwich shop and trains the Russo children in magic.
  • Theresa Russo (Maria Canals Barrera) is Jerry's wife and Justin, Alex, and Max's mother. Although she isn't a wizard, Theresa knows about the magical world.
  • Harper Finkle (Jennifer Stone) is Alex's best friend. While she was originally unaware of the Russos' magical secret, in the episode Harper Knows Alex told her, and she was able to keep the wizard Magic a secret.

Episodes

Main article: List of Wizards of Waverly Place episodes
Season Ep # First Airdate Last Airdate
Season 1 21 October 12, 2007 August 31, 2008
Season 2 30 September 12, 2008 Still Airing

Film

Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie

Main article: Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie

A Disney Channel Original Movie based on the series has been announced and is currently in post production. Most of the movie was filmed in Puerto Rico (where Selena Gomez filmed Princess Protection Program) and New York City.

Merchandise

After announcing a 3rd season, Gary Marsh, president of Disney Channel Worldwide said, "We knew we wanted her (Selena Gomez) as a star in the Disney Channel universe."[3] Disney will release merchandise based on the series in the fall of 2009.[4] A Nintendo DS game based on the series has been announced[5] it will be released on 4th September 2009 and will be based on five episodes of the show. A soundtrack based on the series will be released by Walt Disney Records on August 4, 2009.[6]

DVD releases

Name Included Episodes US Release Date DVD Extras
Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School Wizard School Part 1, Wizard School Part 2, Curb Your Dragon, Disenchanted Evening July 29, 2008[7] Work it like a wizard - Selena, Jake, and David's favorite things to do. A Typical day on the set- Selena, Jake, and David's life on set
Wizards of Waverly Place: Supernaturally Stylin Credit Check, Smarty Pants, Beware Wolf, Graphic Novel February 10, 2009[8] Fashionista Presto Chango! Go Behind The Scenes With The Stars For Some Wardrobe Magic!

Theme song and opening sequence

The show's theme song "Everything is Not What It Seems", was written and composed by John Adair and Steve Hampton (who also wrote the themes for the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, its spinoff The Suite Life on Deck and Phil of the Future). Performed by Selena Gomez, the theme is of techno-pop style and the music cues used to signal scene changes and promo breaks (also composed by Hampton and Adair) are styled similarly. A couple of instrumental versions of the theme have been used over tag sequences during the closing credits (moreso in season one, less in season two). The theme song is featured as a track on the Disney compilation album, "Disney Channel Playlist," released by Walt Disney Records on June 9, 2009.

The opening sequence which accompanies the theme features the main characters getting ready for school and work. It opens with a barely ready for school Alex reversing time; then transitions to Justin and Alex fighting to get to the bathroom sink, only for Justin to use a spell to put Alex inside the mirror. It then switches to the kitchen with Max using a spell to turn an orange into a cupcake, followed by a shot of Harper showing off her fashion ensemble featuring a shirt with a watermelon design. It then switches back to the kitchen where Theresa spots Max with the cupcake, which he turns back into an orange, and then to the lair where Jerry fails to catch a flying spell book. The sequence ends with the four younger characters heading out the door, zooming to a shot of the Waverly Place setting. The cast members' and creator Todd J. Greenwald's names expand when displayed.

Reception

Viewership

Wizards of Waverly Place debuted on Disney Channel in the US on October 12, 2007 (airing immediately following the premiere of the Disney Channel Original Movie Twitches Too) earning a rating of approximately 5.9 million viewers, earning the series the distinction of being the most-watched original series premiere in Disney Channel's history, beating the record set by the March 24, 2006 premiere of Hannah Montana (which earned 5.4 million viewers).

With Hannah Montana as a strong lead-in for the entire first season and part of its second, the series performed strongly as well with children ages 6 to 11 and pre-teens ages 9 to 14, with some first-run episodes even outpacing veteran series Hannah Montana, which aired before it on Friday (and then later Sunday) nights.

On February 16, 2009, the episode "Helping Hand" broke the record for the largest audience in the 7pm time period in Disney Channel history, with a total of 4.5 million viewers.[9]

On June 26, 2009, the episode "Paint By Committee" became the series' most-watched episode to date with 6.0 million total viewers. The episode aired after the Disney Channel Original Movie Princess Protection Program[10], which contributed to the episode's high ratings.

iTunes

Before the series officially made its debut on air, the first episode of Wizards was made available as a free download on iTunes. The show's first and second seasons are available on iTunes, with some of the unaired episodes also available on iTunes.

Broadcasting

Wizards of Waverly Place is broadcast on the following channels, in the following countries:

Channel/Region(s) Series premiere Series Title in Country
Disney Channel USA October 12, 2007 Wizards of Waverly Place
(Airing in The Netherlands with Dutch subtitles)
Digiturk Turkey October 24, 2007
Disney Channel Turkey October 12, 2007
Disney Channel Australia October 19, 2007
Disney Channel New Zealand October 19, 2007
Family Canada October 26, 2007
Disney Channel UK November 3, 2007
Disney Channel India May 5, 2008
Jetix Netherlands May 2009
Arutz Ayladim (Kids Channel) Israel June 2008
BNT 1 Bulgaria March 28, 2009 Магьосниците от Уейвърли Плейс
Disney Channel France January 22, 2008 Les Sorciers de Waverly Place
Disney Channel Italy January 26, 2008 I Maghi Di Waverly
Disney Channel Poland February 29, 2008 Czarodzieje z Waverly Place
Disney Channel Middle East February 29, 2008 Wizards of Waverly Place (Airing the show with Arabic subtitles)
Disney Channel Scandinavia February 29, 2008 Waverly Placen velhot
Disney Channel Deutschland Germany March 8, 2008 Die Zauberer vom Waverly Place
Disney Channel Asia March 9, 2008 Wizards of Waverly Place(all)
(Airing the show with Indonesian, Malay, Chinese and Vietnamese Subtitles)
(Dubbed in Hong Kong, Thailand, and South Korea, China)
Disney Channel Latin America March 23, 2008 (Advance)
April 11, 2008 (Premiere) 		Os Feiticeiros de Waverly Place
Disney Channel Taiwan March 28, 2008 《少年魔法師》
Disney Channel Japan April 18, 2008 ウェイバリー通りのウィザードたち
Disney Channel Spain January 18, 2008 Los Magos de Waverly Place

References

  1. ^ "Premier of Kids and Family Sitcom "Wizards of Waverly Place" ... "Friday, February 15 on Disney Channel"" (Press release). Disney Channel Media Net. September 6, 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-20. premiere episode, "Crazy Ten Minute Sale,"
  2. ^ Top Ratings
  3. ^ http://www.seattlepi.com/tvguide/405780_tvgif1.html
  4. ^ http://www.atamaii.com/selena-gomez.html
  5. ^ http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=61351
  6. ^ "Wizards of Waverly Place [SOUNDTRACK]". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
  7. ^ Amazon.com: The Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School: Todd J. Greenwald: Movies & TV
  8. ^ DisneyDVD.com: The Wizards of Waverly Place: Supernaturally Stylin': Todd J. Greenwald: Movies & TV
  9. ^ [1]
  10. ^ Princess Protection Program is TV’s No. 1 Entertainment Telecast of 2009 in Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14


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