Apparently “Hannah Montana” is so hot these days that even her nemesis is getting her own show.
To be specific, actress Selena Gomez – who once again guest- starred as pop-star rival Mikayla on Friday’s episode of “Hannah” – received a big Disney Channel reward: She’s starring in a new sitcom, “Wizards of Waverly Place,” which settled into its cozy post-“Hannah” time slot (9:30 p.m. Fridays on Disney, Comcast digital channel 29).
“It’s almost like being asked to follow ‘Friends,”‘ says “Wizards” Executive Producer Peter Murrieta, referring to NBC’s retired hit. “Having written on one show that followed ‘Friends,’ I can say I’m … hopeful we’re going to get a lot of people looking at what we’ve got – who end up liking the show for different reasons than ‘Hannah Montana.”‘
But, he adds, “If I went to sleep and thought we’d build on that audience, I think I’d be crazy.”
“Hannah” is cable’s No.1 series for kids, averaging 2.6 million total viewers. The show’s pop-culture reach continues to skyrocket, with teen singing star Miley Cyrus (Hannah) now the hottest concert ticket on the planet. (She performs in Denver Thursday night at the Pepsi Center.)
Gomez’s new character is Alex Russo, one of three siblings who learn they have magical powers. The Russo family is half Italian (dad, played by David DeLuise) and half Mexican (mom, Maria Canals Barrera) and runs a sandwich shop. Gomez, who got her acting start as one of the kids on “Barney” at age 6, is the mischievous one, and clearly the show’s star.
Dad once had the wizard powers (it runs in his family) but surrendered them upon marrying a mere mortal. Now he’s trying to teach his kids – Alex and sons Justin (David Henrie) and Max (Jake T. Austin) – how to use them properly. Each episode’s moral is that while it might seem cool and simple to use a little magic to correct everyday mishaps, messing with the universe tends to always have other, unintended consequences.
“Wizards” doesn’t have the musical aspect that propels the success of “Hannah” and that other massive Disney phenomenon, the “High School Musical” franchise. But it does capitalize on what has suddenly become a hot television genre for adults: the supernatural.
“It seems like entertainment always moves toward more of a fantastic realm when the world is dealing with a lot of stuff – it would be great if we had a bionic person who could fix everything,” Murrieta says, referring to the remake of “The Bionic Woman” in prime time.
Although the glut of prime-time supernatural shows is a recent trend, the appeal of magic and wizardry has always been popular as TV fare for kids. The Russo siblings can do everything from rewind time to fly magic carpets to create love potions that entice the interest of the boy or girl they like in school.
“The reason why it’s so successful, and especially for young kids, is because kids wish they could be invisible and kids wish they could rewind time,” says Gomez, 15. “And we bring that on screen. I know I wished that when I was younger.”
