Disney XD Has Launched

Friday the 13th may not seem like an auspicious date on which to launch a new network, but bad luck didn't seem to be in the cards for Disney, at least not initially. If you have not heard, the House of Mouse has retooled its channel Toon Disney into something more specifically boy-oriented (since the Disney Channel already receives a high percentage of girl viewership) and more rooted in live-action series. Though the latter may just be a trend, there's no denying that tween and teen boy viewers are a major demographic with a lot of economic pull that isn't always fully tapped in television, i.e. I'm guessing a lot of them are playing video games, like I was at that age. Hence the launch of Disney XD, a station geared specifically for this demographic that is beginning with what is essentially a tent-pole show based on a fictitious action video game: Aaron Stone. I've been catching the commercials during my many recent Phineas and Ferbathons. Here's the longest:

And at least in its opening weekend the show did not disappoint, as these articles by TVWeek and KidScreen attest (financially, at least--I haven't looked at reviews or viewer comments). But the viewers were there. Now I suppose we'll sit back and see how this series plays out and what other shows will be appearing. Being nostalgic I would like to think that there's room for old cartoons somewhere on there, be it Mickey Mouse shorts from the 40s or old episodes of Rescue Rangers, which I used to watch religiously around age ten. I'm dubious about that, though, and am content to see what new shows Disney can cook up in the wake of Kim Possible and to compete with the likes of Cartoon Network and shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which I believe has been renewed for a second season over there at Turner. If, as I heard more than once at the KidScreen Summit, boys over eight are being underserved by television, I don't think it will stay that way for long.