If last summer’s big thing was the Disney Channel movie “High School Musical 2,” this summer’s big thing might be another Disney musical.
It’s called “Camp Rock,” and it stars the Jonas Brothers, a trio of young brothers who are also a real-life rock band. Three months before the movie’s debut, the Brothers are generating a huge amount of excitement on fan sites like Jonasbrothersfan.com, where tween girls post odes to their dreaminess, and even on MTV, which plays the band’s videos.
“Camp” is one of several new upcoming cable kids’ programs expected to draw strong ratings over the next year or so, in stark contrast to the recent run of disappointing new shows on broadcast this year. All are based on already-established properties, like a popular performer, movie or foreign cartoon.
“Camp” will air this June on Disney, just months after the Brothers finished touring with Disney tween queen Miley Cyrus (“Hannah Montana”). Boosted by that exposure, their second album went platinum last fall while also selling more than 3 million digital singles.
The group has also gotten publicity from the internet rumor mill, which contends that Cyrus and 15-year-old brother Nick dated last year. The two never really confirmed it, but the Brothers have filmed a cameo on her Disney show, the No. 1 program among tweens, in advance of the movie.
Disney plans to follow up “Rock” with a new series, “J.O.N.A.S.,” in which the brothers will play secret agents.
Meanwhile, Disney sister network Toon Disney also has a new show on tap, “Monster Buster Club.” The show, acquired earlier this week, is produced by France’s Marathon Group and is one of the top cartoons in France among kids. It follows a group of kids who foil an alien invasion.
Disney rival Nickelodeon also has two new animated shows. The first, “Mighty B,” premieres next month. “Saturday Night Live’s” Amy Poehler provides the voice for Bessie Higgenbottom, a 10-year-old Honeybee scout bent on earning every possible scouting badge. The show has been picked up for 20 episodes.
There’s already buzz about “B” on online forums, and the show partly reflects a new Nickelodeon strategy this year. After a long string of live-action hits targeting kids, including “Zoey 101” and “Josh and Drake,” the network has upped its animation production by half for this year.
Another upcoming animated show is based on the penguins in the hit movie “Madagascar.” The cartoon seems have strong prospects, with an already established fan base for the film and the upcoming “Madagascar 2” to provide promotion.
Meanwhile, in other younger viewer ratings for the week ending March 2:
Among teens 12-17, Fox led with a 3.4 rating and 12 share, followed by ABC at 1.3/5, CW at 1.2/4, CBS at 1.0/4, Univision and NBC at 0.9/3, Telemundo and Telefutura at 0.2/1, and Azteca at 0.0/0.
Among kids 2-11, Fox was first with a 2.5/9, followed by Univision at 1.3/5, ABC at 1.0/4, NBC and CBS at 0.7/3, the CW at 0.6/2, Telemundo at 0.3/1, Telefutura at 0.2/1 and Azteca at 0.0/0.
The top five shows among kids 2-5: 1. Disney’s “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” (Saturday 9 a.m.); 2. Nickelodeon’s “Wonder Pets” (Monday 10:30 a.m.); 3. Nickelodeon’s “Dora the Explorer” (Tuesday 10 a.m.); 4. Disney’s “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” (Saturday 9:30 a.m.); 5. Nickelodeon’s “Go, Diego, Go” (Tuesday 9:30 a.m.)
The top five shows among kids 6-11: 1. Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” (Saturday 8 p.m.); 2. Disney’s “Phineas & Ferb” (Friday 7:30 p.m.); 3. Disney’s “Phineas & Ferb” (Friday 7 p.m.); 4. Disney’s “Phineas & Ferb” (Friday 7:15 p.m.); 5. Disney’s “Phineas & Ferb” (Friday 8 p.m.)
The top five shows among kids 9-14: 1. Fox’s “American Idol” (Tuesday 8 p.m.); 2. Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” (Saturday 8 p.m.); 3. Fox’s “American Idol” (Thursday8 p.m.); 4. Fox’s “American Idol” (Wednesday 8 p.m.); 5. Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” (Sunday 7 p.m.)
|
TOP 10 PROGRAMS – BROADCAST & CABLE
Kids 2-5
Week Ended March 2 |
|
|
Program |
Net |
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE-03/01/2008
|
DSNY
|
7
|
1125
|
|
2
|
WONDER PETS-02/25/2008
|
NICK
|
6.4
|
1027
|
|
3
|
DORA THE EXPLORER-02/26/2008
|
NICK
|
6.2
|
996
|
|
4
|
MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE-03/01/2008
|
DSNY
|
6.2
|
989
|
|
5
|
GO, DIEGO, GO!-02/26/2008
|
NICK
|
6
|
963
|
|
6
|
SPONGEBOB-03/02/2008
|
NICK
|
6
|
963
|
|
7
|
SPONGEBOB-02/28/2008
|
NICK
|
6
|
958
|
|
8
|
NI HAO KAI-LAN-02/25/2008
|
NICK
|
6
|
954
|
|
9
|
SPONGEBOB-03/01/2008
|
NICK
|
5.9
|
949
|
|
10
|
WONDER PETS-02/26/2008
|
NICK
|
5.9
|
947
|
|
Source: Disney-ABC Television Group, based on data from Nielsen Media Research
|
|
TOP 10 PROGRAMS – BROADCAST & CABLE
Kids 6-11
Week Ended March 2 |
|
|
Program |
Net |
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
ICARLY-03/01/2008
|
NICK
|
9
|
2191
|
|
2
|
S PHINEAS & FERB-02/29/2008
|
DSNY
|
7.3
|
1777
|
|
3
|
S PHINEAS & FERB-02/29/2008
|
DSNY
|
7.1
|
1736
|
|
4
|
S PHINEAS & FERB-02/29/2008
|
DSNY
|
7.1
|
1734
|
|
5
|
PHINEAS AND FERB-02/29/2008
|
DSNY
|
7.1
|
1724
|
|
6
|
S PHINEAS & FERB-02/29/2008
|
DSNY
|
7
|
1701
|
|
7
|
AMERICAN IDOL THU SP-2/28-02/28/2008
|
FOX
|
7
|
1697
|
|
8
|
ICARLY-03/01/2008
|
NICK
|
6.9
|
1671
|
|
9
|
ICARLY-02/25/2008
|
NICK
|
6.7
|
1633
|
|
10
|
ICARLY-02/26/2008
|
NICK
|
6.7
|
1615
|
|
Source: Disney-ABC Television Group, based on data from Nielsen Media Research
|
|
TOP 10 PROGRAMS – CABLE
Kids 9-14
Week Ended March 2 |
|
Rank |
Program |
Net |
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY-02/26/2008
|
FOX
|
8
|
1954
|
|
2
|
ICARLY-03/01/2008
|
NICK
|
7.5
|
1825
|
|
3
|
AMERICAN IDOL THU SP-2/28-02/28/2008
|
FOX
|
7.5
|
1822
|
|
4
|
AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY-02/27/2008
|
FOX
|
7.3
|
1792
|
|
5
|
ICARLY-03/02/2008
|
NICK
|
5.8
|
1410
|
|
6
|
ZOEY 101-02/25/2008
|
NICK
|
5.3
|
1286
|
|
7
|
ZOEY 101-03/02/2008
|
NICK
|
5.3
|
1286
|
|
8
|
ICARLY-03/01/2008
|
NICK
|
5.2
|
1281
|
|
9
|
JJORDAN PICTURE ME ROLLIN-03/02/2008
|
NICK
|
5.2
|
1267
|
|
10
|
S PHINEAS & FERB-02/29/2008
|
DSNY
|
4.8
|
1170
|
|
Source: Disney-ABC Television Group, based on data from Nielsen Media Research
|
