I’ve just come back from a Disney Channel UK event at the Electric Cinema in London’s Portobello Road. As a Christmas treat, we had a singalong version of High School Musical 2 (to which none of us really sang along — well, it was a big cinema, few people, and it’s far more fun laughing at Zac Efron prancing around the golf course looking for all the world like he’s in a 1980s-era Cliff Richard video). We were also shown the first episodes of new animation Phineas and Ferb, which looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun. There’s certainly a lot of imagination going into the first few scripts, but time will tell whether the novelty of a pair of ingenious stepbrothers whose pet platypus is really an undercover spy will wear off. And that’s not a sentence I ever imagined typing…
Phineas & Ferb features the voice talents of High School Musical’s Ashley Tisdale (Sharpay Evens), but Disney Channel UK were trumpeting that British actor Thomas Sangster (the kid from romcom Love Actually, last seen as a pre-WWI public schoolboy in the Doctor Who episodes Human Nature and Family of Blood. If you think this means an invasion of British accents, you’d be wrong — Sangster’s character Ferb is mute throughout most of each episode, coming out with just one bon mot per animated short. Still, nice work if you can get it, I suppose.
These first episodes are being shown at various times on the Disney Channel, prior to the full series launching in February.
Also in 2008, Disney Channel will air a second series of the UK shortform live action comedy series As the Bell Rings, about a group of schoolchildren and their breaktime antics. Some of the cast from the first series return — including Daniel Anthony, who has since gone on to wider recognition as Clyde in CBBC’s The Sarah Jane Adventures. Among the new additions to the cast is Brad Kavanagh, who was one of the original boys playing cross-dressing Michael in Billy Elliot: The Musical. And Disney Channel have wasted no time in putting his musical abilities to good use: a single, also called As The Bell Rings, will be launched in the New Year, with the music video premiering on the Disney Channel at 11.00am on Christmas Day. It’s not a bad little pop number, if a little short (it runs for just 2 minutes 52 seconds), but is much better than anyone who has seen As the Bell Rings would expect. My press pack included the first episode of Series 2, and it hasn’t got any better.
Looking at the cast lists, both Kavanagh and Anthony (neither of whom turn up in the first episode of Series 2) stand out from the rest of the cast. Daniel Anthony, at least, has shown that he’s able to break out into more challenging roles; hopefully Kavanagh will follow.
Did you forget Phineas, played by Vincent Martella? He is on the hit show Everybody Hates Chris. Vincent just finished a film working along side Sean William Scott and Paul Rudd. Phineas does a lot of singing and you can you tube Vincent or go to his website.
www.vincentmartella.com
Thanks, 'M'. I didn't forget Vincent; I just mentioned Ashley because that was the direct link to the preceding talks of High School Musical, and then talked about Thomas Sangster because, well, he's a Brit (and we're a British TV blog), and because it's quite funny that Disney Channel UK are playing up his involvement when in reality it's so small.
Thanks for the link.
FYI Disney UK loves vincent! Everybody Hates Chris is one of the top shows there.
I am in the new series of as the bell rings as i background kid and i think the new episodes are quite good wate until you watch the rest on the disney channel
Yeah i just say, i'm from britan, i always watch Everybody Hates Chris and so do most of the people i know, it's great! And M. J is right is probaly is, well not even that, it is one of the top tv shoes there and Jack Glossop, good luck, even though your only a background kid thats a really good start!
Yeah can i just say*
And M. J is right it probaly is*
The top tv shows*
God tell you what i'm losing it, i made loads of mistakes and if i've missed one out i don't give one! lol.
erm hu dus mitchell russo play in phineas and ferb? coz it shows him on the advert
i havent seen brad kavanagh in any of the new series so far is he actually goin to be in any?
hes so fit! lol
hi everyone i think that jack glossop that background kid is great i have been watching him very closely.
hi guys thank you for the support conor and ellen b.hopefully i will make a nother tv or film apperance soon look on the website to keep getting updated.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW.
GO JACK :D
Brad Kavanagh is wow hot but has got a girlfriend?!