So let's come up with a bunch of episodes for Mike to watch (an evolving document/post)

Ok so Mike wants a list of episodes to watch for review of different Disney Channel and Nickelodeon shows. Not only that but he wants at least one episode for every such show. So let's go ahead and come up with that list!

Because I frequently forget that certain shows even exist I'll be coming back and adding those. Let's start with the ones I actually know off the top of my head!

I'm also going to assume Mike wants some actual good episodes to watch so I'll be strictly featuring those, with some exceptions that will be indicated with notes:

Jessie

I suggested to Christian and Sean that they should check out Green-Eyed Monsters and that turned out to be kind of a mistake.... So instead I'll recommend Mike check out Tempest in a Teacup instead. I think that one for the most part avoids all the stuff Christian and Sean didn't like in the previous episode.Also, probably a good idea to avoid the final season entirely.

Good Luck Charlie

Futuredrama seems to be one people like a lot, although I think that has less to do with the actual episode and more to do with the fact that future Charlie is played by none other than Heather Locklear's daughter, but hey, there's nothing wrong with the episode itself. I also really liked Up a Tree (which also seems to be regarded as a classic) and Teddy's Lonely Hearts Club.

ANT Farm

influANTces (yes that's how the episode is actually spelled) is probably hands-down the best of the series, although I'm partial to endurANTs for some weird reason. And as with Jessie it's probably best just avoid the final season entirely.

Wizards of Waverly Place

Eh, re-watching the show in rerun form, it's not as good as I remember. It's easier to come up with a list of episodes to avoid, although even the worst episodes aren't that bad either. Definitely something in Season 3 to get the full 720p benefit, but not Season 4 where everything went into that senior slump. Maybe Alex Russo, Matchmaker? (No, I'm not posing a question...well, I guess I am, but the question mark is also part of the actual episode title - yeah WoWP episode titles get wonky probably because for the most part they just didn't give a damn when coming up with them) Or if you have to go with a Season 4 episode I guess the whole Wizards vs. Angels arch (you'll get to see a pre-ANT Farm China Ann McClain in that one!)

Suite Life on Deck

International Date Line is by far the funniest, Party On! is an awful piece of shit that makes me want to punch people in the face and represents exactly why sometimes people actively hate this network. If you want to go with something in "glorious" 720p format Senior Ditch Day is probably going to be the best.

Bunk'd

The first Luke episode, or even the recent Halloween one. Avoid: pretty much the entire first season, most of the second season. It's still a pretty awful show, though I have to begrudgingly admit it's gone through the sophomore season improvement process. 

Bizaardvark

Yeah this show is a pile of meh so you might as well go with the Halloween episode since it's the funniest so far or the one with the cats because cats.

Stuck in the Middle

Eh the Rachel Platten one (Stuck in the Harley Car) because why not, or I thought Stuck in Harley's Comet was pretty good too.

Phineas and Ferb

The first Meep episode, full-stop (it's the episode that not only got me into Phineas and Ferb but the rest of Disney Channel and ultimately the existence of this very blog), or Where's Perry?

Gravity Falls

Honestly you just need to see the series in its entirety to really appreciate it, but Fight Fighters is the one that convinced me it's worth that time investment.

Shake it Up

Review-it-Up is the one with Ben Savage in it and honestly it's not that bad, and I really liked I Do-it-Up as far as episodes that come to mind, especially a decent S3 episode. The easiest episode to find, actually, might be Shake it Up, Up and Away because if you can find a copy of Geek Charming at your library it's automatically included in that disk (plus it's a two-fer-one!) I also really liked Made in Japan, which is effectively a multi-cam DCOM (it was even aired in one go).

Liv and Maddie

As long as you for the most part just avoid Season 1 you can't really go wrong (I even like Cali-style so far!) but Rate-a-Rooney is one of the few episodes of anything period to get GMW-like attention that isn't GMW, and for actual good reasons.

Best Friends Whenever

I actually like this show but it does tend to be very consistent in quality so you might as well just pick any one that isn't part of a multi-episode arc. If I had to pick a specific one I'd go with When Shelby met Cyd.

Dog with a Blog

Guess Who's Dating Karl (yeah they didn't exactly put their most creative efforts into these titles) is probably the funniest one.

Austin and Ally

I really liked Diners and Daters and Albums and Auditions but it's one of those shows where either the whole series will have appeal, or it won't. That said it kind of has the weird effect of the middle two seasons being the worst (it's like they just stopped caring and started throwing up just whatever shit they felt like).

So Random!!

Uhhhh...besides not really being into variety shows, especially kids shows, and this series just bungling up this whole concept in the first place (there's a reason why it was a One Season Wonder) yeah, you might as well pick any but I think you'd be better off just skipping this series entirely. No one will judge you for it.

JONAS/JONAS LA

Again, of the few I have seen I think they're pretty interchangeable in quality and I haven't actually seen a single episode of L.A. so again you're on your own.

That's So Raven

Probably Save the Last Dance, that was a nice one.

Cory in the House

I did see a few episodes of this but I don't really remember them that well so yeah you're on your own for this one too.

Phil of the Future

It's just a really good series I think so just feel free to take your pick.

Even Stevens

Probably A Very Scary Story, though overall I think the series is pretty good too. You can also try the DCOM, which is one of my favorites.

Kim Possible

It might be a little hard to follow if you don't know all the characters and ins and outs since it tends to be very self-referential, but if you want to be really adventurous you can try the Sitch in Time arc (it's really a DCOM in all but name) or the actual DCOM, So The Drama. The Christmas one is also fondly remembered too, if only for The Six Tasks of Snowman Hank.

The Proud Family

The best episode I've seen, actually, is the DCOM.

The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

The reason why this is so far down the list is because it took me a while to think of one that I think would really appeal to a first-timer, but then I gave up and I'm just going to say Wish Gone Amiss (is that the episode title?)

Lizzie McGuire

I honestly find this series terminally boring to the point where it tends to literally put me to sleep, but I liked Magic Train (or at least the concept behind it)

The Thundermans

Mike seems to already have this covered as it is, but for the sake of other readers I really did like A Hero is Born.

School of Rock

I still think this show is awful, just not quite as awful, but I did somehow manage to like I Put a Spell on You (and it does have Daya in it). Pretty much avoid the entire first season at all costs as its pretty uniform garbage, yes including the Kira Kosarin one, in fact it's one of the worst of all.

Bella and the Bulldogs

I actually thought what turned out to be the series finale was the best.

Henry Danger

I mention an episode in one of the reviews so I need to go look up what it is.

Game Shakers

...I just can't stand this show and really I think you're better off avoiding it entirely so, no deal.

VicTORious

...am I nuts for really liking Wanko's Warehouse? Really, this and Drake and Josh is going to be Peak Schneider, yes even with iCarly. Speaking of which...

iCarly

iKiss Freddie, no really.


I have to get back to questing this month. I'm still sticking to Game Shakers and School of Rock being the next two shows.

Also, thank you for the work you put into this post, Unknown. Of course, to keep myself from going completely insane, I'm only tackling shows that are currently making new episodes. I have no relationship with Disney XD at all so, um......that's something that might have to wait. To make sure your work doesn't go to waste, I guess I'll give my thoughts on each show listed here.

Jessie: I might just check out the episodes Unknown suggested to save time. I was never a big fan of this show, but it was a lot better when the kids were younger. After Luke went through puberty and they tried ignoring the fact that Ravi's accent no longer worked, it fell off......hard. The series finale pretty much was a reflection of what the show turned into, while also reminding me of what it used to be. Also, I can't be the only one thinking this, but Bertram looks like Uncle Phil and somewhat acts like Geoffrey. Don't tell me you never thought about it.

Good Luck Charlie: When I was younger, my best friend and I both had crushes on Bridgit Mendler. I got over it once she cut her hair. Anyway, I always liked this show. I remember reading that the creators wanted something more grounded and realistic than what was on kids TV at the time, and I can definitely see the attempt. It was always consistent, had some well-done comedy, and it felt like we could relate to the characters as viewers. Also, Gabe got a lot funnier as he aged, to the point where he became the most entertaining character in the last season. I'm ready to debate.

A.N.T. Farm: This show is a shining example of what happens when you change things for the sake of changing things. I don't know why they had the kids move to a new location in the last season. I don't know why they stripped away the best characters and replaced them with guys who weren't nearly as entertaining. I don't know why Fletcher became "special" in the other sense in season three. And I don't know why they had Olive and Fletcher play Sam and Freddie and start dating. Seriously, why not put Chyna and Fletcher together? No one wanted to see Olive and Fletcher get it on! Despite all that, the first two seasons were comedy gold and nobody will remember season three. Cameron was a riot all by himself, along with Chyna's father. The episode where Chyna made Cameron think he was a psychic cracks me up thinking about it, along with the one where Cameron had an imaginary girlfriend.

Wizards of Waverly Place: Okay, let's get this bandage off right now: I like the show, and I also dislike it. I liked the first two seasons when it was goofier and felt more relatable. The last two seasons felt way too melodramatic at times and you could tell that the movie had way too much of an influence on the writing at some point. It's like the writers felt the need to make every episode feel epic, when it used to be an everyday sitcom that had supernatural elements. The show went on too long, Max became way too much of an idiot (to the point where his own family was scared of the thought of him becoming family wizard), and that last episode they did a year after the finale was pointless. Max should have won the competition. I'm just saying, they could have pulled it off as a story arc if they wanted to.

Suite Life on Deck: Eh, pretty good show. The graduation episode was pretty emotional, and the characters......did their stuff. I remember the episodes after Cody and Bailey broke up being hard to watch, mostly because of how awkward their interactions were. You could tell there was no reason for them to break up at all and they just did it so they could inevitably get back together in dramatic fashion. I don't know whether or not I like this show better than the original because neither one was especially good or especially bad.

Bunk'd: Get out of here with that awful theme song. I know I'm going to hate whatever freaking episode I decide to review. If the original show was already declining, and this pointless spin-off has the exact same team working on it, then I have my work cut out for me. I'm not looking forward to talking about this show at all. The only thing I'm wondering is what snarky jokes I'll come up with.

Bizaardvark: I saw a little bit of this show weeks ago. All I remember was that it was painfully unfunny. My funny bone passed out upon absorbing whatever little bit what was on screen. I can't be sure, but I think this is Disney Channel's response to iCarly, even though nobody wanted one in the first place. I don't think this show is going to be very interesting.

Stuck in the Middle: That single-camera format really throws me off and makes me not even want to watch this show. I think it's not the format itself, just how they employ it. Like Bizaardvark, I really don't expect anything from this show at all. Hopefully, it just turns out decent and inoffensive.

Phineas and Ferb: Seriously one of the best kids cartoons I have ever seen. If early SpongeBob had a baby with early Simpsons, this would be the result. It's hilarious, it's fun, the music was always enjoyable, the characters were all charming in their own way. It was the last reminder of an old era of animation until The Loud House showed up. My only complaint is that it should have ended after the movie. That movie was pure, uncut perfection and the show never reached that height again. I'm serious. If you stop watching the show after the movie, it goes out in a blaze of glory. If you include the episodes they made after, it just ends peacefully. Either way, this was a really great show and deserves credit for thriving in an era of mediocrity.

Gravity Falls: Another bandage to rip off here. I haven't seen much of this show at all. What I have seen entertained me, and I don't doubt that it was one of the best cartoons out, but I just never had a big interest in watching it. Maybe I'll sit down and check out some more episodes one day. Also, props to Alex Hirsch for quitting while he was ahead and ending the show on a high note. Very few shows get the chance to go out on their own terms, especially when they're good enough to justify the ratings so he has my respect.

Shake It Up: I liked this show from the moment it came out. I don't know, I just did. I liked the feeling it gave me and those season one episodes have that charming innocence I gravitate to. I'm just glad the show ended before Davis Cleveland lost his cute kid charm because......he did. Watch the movie Rufus if you don't believe me. I was devastated. Also, the episode where we find out about Cece's dyslexia was......genuinely emotional. Bella Thorne had the performance of her life near the end. I say this now because I have no idea what she's good at these days. I liked her extra-pop songs in 2011/2012, I confess.


Liv and Maddie: I'm just going to avoid the first season and the current one because one of them is apparently garbage and the other one most likely has three years of stories invested in it so I'll stick to the middle. This is apparently the best, of the best.........of the best, of the best, of the best.......that Disney Channel has to offer. I'll be the judge of that.

Best Friends Whenever: Landry Bender grew up and turned out pretty cute. Who knew? Anyway, I don't know what to say about this show. I liked the Halloween episode, and the guest appearances by Riley and Lucas were pretty funny, but I feel like I'm going to be disappointed. I mean, there was one episode where I literally could not understand what Shelby and Cyd were talking about. What the hell is a slamrito? This is not Seinfeld, I shouldn't have to tune in at the beginning to know what's going on. Or at the very least, have to use a translator because apparently, teenagers talk like that now.

Dog with a Blog: No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. NO. Hey, remember when Avery had that social media thing and she ended up getting stalked by a bicycle shop owner? Wait, wrong show.

Austin and Ally: I agree with Unknown. You either like the whole show or you don't. I personally liked the show, but you could take or leave a handful of episodes. Also, I liked the remix they did on the theme song in the last season. I didn't like Austin's stupid haircut though.

So Random: Without Demi Lovato, this show has no legs to stand on. Instead of getting season three of Sonny with a Chance, we were stuck with this. I know why things turned out the way they did, but still, it's disappointing. I don't know what to say about this show either. If I ever tackle a sketch comedy show here, it will be either Chappelle's Show or In Living Color. Also, this might be a nitpick, but why didn't this show have the same theme song it did when it was a part of SWAC?

JONAS/JONAS L.A.: Nobody ever talks about this show. The Jonas Brothers themselves want to forget this show ever happened, and honestly, if I were them, I might feel the same way. But I really liked the first season. It was goofy, it was fun, it was charming, it was easy to enjoy. Then they moved to Los Angeles and everything I liked about this show was destroyed. The music was good but it's the Jonas Brothers so I expected that. I don't know how I feel about Macy's character change. I know they address it, but it's like, they completely changed her character around. In season one, she had an actual personality. In season two, she has none. It's weird. The first season was great though. The second season can kick rocks, I don't mess with it.

That's So Raven: Arguably the best live-action show Disney Channel has ever put out. We can debate it, but this series has way too many classics. The Black History Month episode, the Pushover Patterson episode, the uniform/stinky cheese episode, the musical episode. Okay, maybe not way too many, but this was definitely a show worth watching again. By the way, that reboot they have planned will most likely be mediocre but hopefully, this blog will still be around on premiere night.

Cory in the House: I don't think there was a reason for this show to exist. Cory was never the best character and with a new location, he had to play off of people who he didn't gel with like on That's So Raven. That's what I hate about spin-offs. They take the funniest character and build a show around them without giving them comedic foils or straight men. That's what made them funny on the original show! I don't know. This show was probably just unsalvageable.

Phil of the Future: He's a 21st-century man! I remember bits and pieces of episodes but it's been a long time since I've seen anything so my memory is almost completely shot. I remember it being an entertaining show.

Even Stevens: Without this show, Disney Channel wouldn't have inspired an entire generation of smart-mouthed kids with their brilliant comedies. I think this show might just be a product of its time. I don't know what I'm saying, it's been a really long time since I've seen anything from this show. I definitely remember it being an innovator.

Kim Possible: This show was originally going to end after So the Drama (great movie by the way) but Disney Channel wanted more episodes so in came season four, which the writers actually put their work into. They could have easily let the show decline once it was revived but they took it seriously. "Grande Size Me" is one of the best episodes in the series. I have nothing bad to say about this show. Definitely one of the best ones the network ever put out.

The Proud Family: This show was originally pitched to Nickelodeon. Could you imagine what they would have done to it? This show was right where it needed to be. It was hilarious, had some nice lessons sprinkled in, and really treated the black community with respect instead of talking down to it. Next month, I might even review the Kwanzaa episode because, let's face it, it was a really entertaining episode. The movie was hyped up for weeks but ended up living up to the hype and was a great way to end the series. Seriously, what the hell happened to Disney Channel?

The Suite Life of Zack and Cody: The Suite 613 episode. That's all I'm going to say about that. It's a classic. Anyway, I really don't know about this show. I think some of it doesn't hold up years later and some of it does. I liked it when it was out, but whether or not it was better than the spin-off is anyone's guess. I can't believe they got Chris Brown as a guest star. You know, before all that stuff happened.

Lizzie McGuire: Unknown's opinion is very refreshing. I recognize that this show was a pioneer and everything, but I was never crazy about it and I feel like it might be overrated. Was it a bad show? Of course not, but it was definitely a product of its time. The theme song is classic without a shadow of a doubt, even though I have no idea if that's a man or a woman singing it.

The Thundermans: To quote Birdman, "I said it already. I did it already."

School of Rock: I don't have an opinion on this show yet so give me time, but I just wanted to talk about the Daya episode for a bit. When the promos first came out, I literally had no idea who Daya was. I thought she won American Idol or something. Then I look her up and I see she was never on American Idol but she was on a Chainsmokers single. So she's just a rising singer and in the promos, it looks like she's this world famous pop star? What the hell? Just because someone famous appears on a show, doesn't mean you have to treat them like the second coming. Daya's not even that big a name yet for the audience to care about her like that. I bet kids were soiling themselves just to see what Daya would do on a sitcom where she probably only has three generic lines.

Come on, man, give me a break. These kids never heard "Don't Let Me Down," Daya is not a big name to them at all. That would be like if Cimorelli showed up on The Thundermans and everybody creamed their pants. It's not realistic because acts like Cimorelli are unknown to the general audience. Like I said, I didn't even know who Daya was before the promos so having Dewey treat her like Taylor Swift or, screw it, Beyonce is ridiculous and laughable.

Bella and the Bulldogs: From what I've seen, this is not a bad show at all. I really wish Nickelodeon would have given this more of a chance but the review will hopefully put everything in perspective.

Henry Danger: "I said it already. I did it already." - Birdman

Game Shakers: I'll get to you. You know what, while we're on the topic, the pilot was absolutely horrendous and a bad remake of the iCarly one.

Victorious: This probably deserves its own review, but let me just save time here: I loved the first season, liked the second season, wasn't crazy about the third season and hated the fourth season. I don't know what Nickelodeon was thinking when they cancelled it, but it was an inconsistent show anyway so maybe there was a good reason. This show was actually really good at taking odd ideas (April Fools, blooper episode) and doing them really well, in stark contrast to when iCarly did them. Speaking of which......

iCarly: One of the last good kids shows we had. It was more clever than it had any right to be and the early seasons hold up pretty well. The show went on longer than it should have and was on autopilot for an entire year before it ended, but there was something special about it that a lot of kids shows right now are lacking. It felt like the show everyone should be watching. New episodes felt like big events. Its roster of guest stars was really impressive for a kids show, ranging from Jim Parsons to Michelle Obama to Jimmy Fallon and The Roots. It even got mentioned by Family Guy. iCarly may very well be the last show of its kind.