Disney Jr. (programming block): Difference between revisions

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On May 26, 2010, Disney-ABC Television Group announced the launch of Disney Junior, a relaunching of Playhouse Disney that would serve as the brand for the Disney Channel block and a new standalone digital cable and satellite channel in the United States, as well as the new brand for the existing Playhouse Disney-branded cable channels and program blocks outside the US.<ref name="PreSchool Programs Replace SOAPnet">{{cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Brooks |title=PreSchool Programs Replace SOAPnet |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/business/media/27disney.html?src=busln |url-access=subscription |access-date=19 January 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530054727/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/business/media/27disney.html?src=busln |archive-date=2010-05-30}}</ref><ref name="EW">[http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/05/26/soapnet-will-go-dark-to-make-way-for-disney-junior SOAPnet Will Go Dark to Make Way for Disney Junior] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527032646/http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/05/26/soapnet-will-go-dark-to-make-way-for-disney-junior/ |date=2010-05-27 }}, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', May 26, 2010.</ref> The Playhouse Disney block ended its 14-year run on February 13, 2011, with the last program to air being an episode of the short series ''Handy Manny's School for Tools'' at 8:55&nbsp;a.m. Eastern Time.

The Disney Junior block debuted on February 14, 2011.<ref>{{cite web |first=Christy|last=Grosz |url=https://variety.com/2011/digital/news/disney-junior-acing-frosh-year-1118043061/ |title=Disney Junior acing frosh year |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=September 26, 2011 |access-date=September 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Stuart|last=Levine |url=https://variety.com/2010/scene/markets-festivals/doc-mcstuffins-set-for-disney-1118021002/ |title="Doc McStuffins" Set for Disney |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=June 24, 2010 |access-date=September 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/network-press-releases/disney-junior-to-debut-in-february-2011-on-disney-channel/ |title=Disney Junior to Debut In February 2011 on Disney Channel |publisher=Disney Junior |via=[[TV by the Numbers]] |date=November 5, 2010 |access-date=September 18, 2019}}{{dead link|date=October 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Sofia M.|last=Fernandez |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-junior-shifts-focus-educational-35845 |title=Disney Junior Shifts Focus Away From Educational Programming |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=November 4, 2010 |access-date=September 18, 2019}}</ref>{{failed verification|reason=None of these sources even mention ''Little Einsteins''.|date=September 2019}} Several former Playhouse Disney series were carried over to the relaunched block including ''[[Mickey Mouse Clubhouse]]'', ''[[Special Agent Oso]]'', ''[[Imagination Movers (TV series)|Imagination Movers]]'', ''[[Handy Manny]]'', and ''[[Little Einsteins]]''. With the relaunch of the block, the block's mascots Ooh and Aah were retired and several of its older programs were entirely discontinued (however, ''Ooh and Aah & You'' was later briefly available on the Disney Junior website as a part of the Fan Favorites week of July 18, 2011 and was also later carried in reruns on the Disney Junior cable channel). Additionally, its episodes are available on Disney Junior's YouTube channel as of January 6, 2011.

The 24-hour Disney Junior cable channel debuted on March 23, 2012, with the ''[[Mickey Mouse Clubhouse]]'' episode "Mickey's Big Surprise" as its first program, mainly featuring a mix of original series and programs held over from the Playhouse Disney library (which largely aired as part of the channel's overnight schedule until mid-2014 when over time, more Playhouse Disney shows were taken off the air completely after premiering their series finales and ceased to air in reruns).<ref name="EW"/><ref>

[https://www.deadline.com/2010/05/disney-junior-to-replace-soapnet-in-2012 Disney Junior to Replace SOAPnet in 2012], ''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'', May 26, 2010.</ref> Disney Junior took over the channel space held by the Disney-owned [[soap opera]]-focused channel [[Soapnet]], largely due to that channel's existing subscriber reach (being carried in 75 million households with pay television). An automated Soapnet feed remained in operation for providers that did not yet reach agreements to carry the Disney Junior channel or providers that were required to continue carrying Soapnet in addition to Disney Junior<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/News/Disney-Junior-SoapNet-March-1041380.aspx|title=Disney Junior to replace Soapnet in March|last=Schneider|first=Michael|work=TV Guide|date=January 9, 2012|access-date=January 9, 2012}}</ref><ref>Villarreal, Yvonne. "''Show Tracker: What You're Watching'' — [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2012/03/disney-junior-247-channel-launches-friday.html Disney Junior 24/7 channel launches Friday], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', March 22, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2012.</ref> until Soapnet fully ceased operations by going quietly dark on December 31, 2013, at 11:59 pm, following the last program to air being an episode of ''[[General Hospital]]''.<ref name="soapnetdrain">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-fi-ct-disney-soapnet-20131109,0,3311291.story|title=Disney's SOAPnet channel headed for the drain|last=James|first=Meg|work=Los Angeles Times|date=November 9, 2013|access-date=November 10, 2013}}</ref>