Top 16 Disney Channel Shows With The Most Episodes

Summary

• Disney Channel once had a 65-episode rule, but now allows for longer-running shows, launching careers of stars like Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus.
• Shows like Liv and Maddie, Austin & Ally, and Kim Possible defied the 65-episode rule, earning high episode counts and fan followings.
• Memorable shows like That’s So Raven and Wizards of Waverly Place paved the way for longer-running series on Disney Channel, with over 100 episodes each.

The longest-running Disney shows not only proved huge successes for the Disney Channel but also helped to define a generation of children’s television. The Disney Channel has been a staple in children’s programming since its inception in the 1980s. Since then, Disney Channel has consistently created some of the most popular live-action sitcoms for children and pre-teens, providing entertaining and funny adventures that maintain a wholesome feel. With so many successful shows under its belt, it might surprise people to know that Disney Channel doesn’t have that many long-running shows.

Prior to 2004, Disney Channel had a strict “65 Episode Rule” which meant no show could stay on the air longer than 65 episodes. This is the reason many of Disney Channel’s beloved shows were canceled despite having a strong fanbase. Since the ending of the rule, Disney Channel shows have started to stay on air a lot longer than their predecessors once did. The change allowed big franchises to grow on the channel, amassing huge followings, creating beloved franchises, and launching the careers of many young stars, including Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus.

16 Liv And Maddie (2013-2017)

80 Episodes

Premiering in July 2013, Liv and Maddie ended its 80 episodes run in March 2017. The series centers on identical twin sisters Liv and Maddie who could not be more different if they tried. While Maddie lives an ordinary high school life and is a star on the basketball team, her twin sister has lived out her days in the world of Hollywood. When Liv returns home, the girls must learn how to interact with each other and their very different worlds.

Liv and Maddie
became a fan favorite partially due to Dove Cameron and her ability to play both Liv and Maddie.

Liv and Maddie became a fan favorite partially due to Dove Cameron and her ability to play both Liv and Maddie. She infused each of the characters with their own personality, making them two unique people. Her performance helped the series stand out from other similar projects aimed at a young audience. The show also set itself apart from other Disney Channel comedies by featuring the mockumentary format.

15 Austin & Ally (2011-2016)

87 Episodes

Austin & Ally followed the traditional Disney Channel sitcom mold featuring teenagers who are aspiring to be musicians, turning the teen show into a musical with some catchy tunes and dance sequences. The show was set in Miami and followed the outgoing musician and singer Austin and the awkward and soft-spoken songwriter Ally. Despite not being extremely original, the series managed to stay on the air for 87 episodes, ending its run in January 2016.

Much of the show’s success rested on the leads Laura Marano and Ross Lynch, both of whom could actually sing with the latter belonging to a band with his siblings. They played their opposite personalities off each other well, showing different aspects of what it means to be a musician. Not only was the show successful but they also put out three albums with original songs created for the show.

14 Kim Possible (2002-2007)

87 Episodes

Kim Possible has an interesting history with the Disney Channel 65 episode rule. In fact, the series originally ended after it broadcasted 65 episodes with the film Kim Possible: So the Drama serving as the series finale. However, Kim Possible: So the Drama performed so well and the series remained relevant that Disney Channel revived the animated series for a fourth and final season pushing its episode count to 87.

In a lot of ways, Kim Possible is now widely regarded as helping the network end the archaic rule. The popular animated series centered on the young teenager Kim Possible who doubled as a superhero alongside her best friend Ron Stoppable and his naked role mat Rufus. The show was designed to appeal to all audience members thanks to a strong female lead and the action of the series being in the vein of the James Bond movies.

13 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody (2005-2008)

87 Episodes

Premiering in March 2005, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody ran until September 2008 where it managed to rack up 87 episodes. Dylan and Cole Sprouse then got a spin-off of the series, The Suite Life on Deck which also brought back many of the original cast members. While the new show was also quite successful on Disney Channel, it did not surpass The Suite Life of Zack & Cody’s episode count.

The Suite Life of Zack and Cody follows the lives of twin siblings Zack and Cody who find themselves living in The Tipton Hotel after their mother gets a singing job there. The show also featured a couple of future stars in the cast with Brenda Strong and Ashley Tisdale. The Sprouse brothers also managed to move onto successful careers after their time on the Disney Channel.

DID YOU KNOW: Ashley Tisdale originally auditioned for the role of London Tipton, while Brenda Song read for Maddie Fitzpatrick. They were later asked to switch roles.

12 Good Luck Charlie (2010-2014)

97 Episodes

Disney Channel took a different approach when it came to creating Good Luck Charlie. The series centered on the large Duncan clan who unlike some of the other Disney Channel families, were an ordinary, everyday family. The series premiered on Disney Channel in April 2010 and wrapped in February 2014 after 97 episodes and an underrated Disney Channel Original Movie.

Good Luck Charlie episodes were anchored by eldest daughter Teddy Duncan’s (Bridgit Mendler) video diaries where she gave advice to her younger sister Charlie (Mia Talerico). The sweet concept made for a heartwarming show with the intent of appealing to families as a whole rather than the Disney Channel’s typical children’s audience. However, it also made for a smart coming-of-age story with the experiences of kids being something that they can pass down to younger siblings.

11 Jessie (2011-2015)

98 Episodes

Disney Channel decided they didn’t want to stop working with Debby Ryan and this created a new show for her to star in.

After appearing on The Suite Life on Deck, Disney Channel decided they didn’t want to stop working with Debby Ryan and this created a new show for her to star in. Jessie follows Jessie, a young teenager from a small town with dreams of finding a more exciting and extravagant life. This leads her to walk away from her strict father and take a job as a nanny for the wealthy Ross family in New York.

Jessie premiered on Disney Channel in September 2011 and completed 98 episodes before the series ended in October 2015. The series was so successful that several of the younger stars, like Karan Brar and Skai Jackson, managed to land their own spin-off, Bunk’d. The show also has several crossover episodes with other long-ruinning Disney Channel shows like Good Luck Charlie and Austin & Ally.

10 Hannah Montana (2006-2011)

98 Episodes

Always among Disney Channel’s most popular shows, Hannah Montana stayed on the air for four seasons, racking up 98 episodes during that time. Like many other hits, the series also earned its own Disney film based on the show. Hannah Montana followed the life of Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), an ordinary teenager by day and international pop sensation Hannah Montana by night.

Cyrus became a breakout star on the Disney Channel with the series providing a great avenue for her acting and comedic skills as well as her talents as a singer. The duality of the main character also made for some very fun moments. She even went on tour as Hannah in real life for a time. The series was extremely successful and profitable for the Disney brand and also helped launch Miley Cyrus’s singing career.

9 That’s So Raven (2003-2007)

100 Episodes

That’s So Raven premiered on Disney Channel in 2003 and stayed on the air until November 2007 when it did the impossible and hit the 100-episode mark. The series was highly successful and is credited for being the first Disney Channel series to earn more than 3 million views. That’s So Raven stars Raven-Symone as Raven Baxter, a young teenager who just so happens to be able to see into the future. Though she tries to use her visions for good, they often end up getting her and her friends into trouble.

Raven-Symoné was already an established television star by the time she took on the lead role in the show with her career going back to her early scene-stealing roles on The Cosby Show. However, she truly shined in this series, which led to a spinoff sequel in 2017 with Raven’s Home.

8 Wizards Of Waverly Place (2007-2012)

106 Episodes

Though Hannah Montana might get the credit for being one of the greatest Disney Channel shows of the 2000s, Wizards of Waverly Place actually aired longer and earned more episodes. The series premiered in October 2007 and wrapped in January 2012 with a total of 106 episodes and a DCOM.

Wizards of Waverly Place centered on the Russo family’s three children who happen to have inherited magical powers from their father. With their dad’s help, the siblings must learn how to manage their magical powers in order to be prepared for the day when they will one day compete to see which sibling gets to keep the powers into adulthood. The series helped to launch Selena Gomez’s career which led to roles like Only Murders in the Building. However, Gomez returns to her early famous role with theWizards of Waverly Place sequel series.

7 Dumbo’s Circus (1985-1986)

120 Episodes

Disney Channel has been around since 1983, but it didn’t have its 65-episode rule early in the network’s history. That rule was developed when the network began airing more content during the primetime hours aimed at tweens, those between the ages of 10 and 12. Before that, Disney Channel had quite a few long-running programs, especially those for even younger children.

Dumbo’s Circus was one of those early programs. The series featured Dumbo the flying elephant after he had grown up and was making his own successful circus. The series, however, wasn’t animated, but instead, featured people in the same kind of character suits they might have seen walking around Disney’s theme parks at the time as well as puppets.

While the series didn’t snag any awards, it did feature the debut of Jim Cummings doing voiceover work. The character actor has gone on to have a prolific voice acting career for Disney. Cummings has voiced Tigger in various animated Winnie the Pooh projects, Ray in The Princess and the Frog, and has voiced multiple characters for different Star Wars projects.

6 Welcome To Pooh Corner (1983-1986)

120 Episodes

While most people are familiar with the animated projects featuring Winnie the Pooh (and Disney’s networks still have some of those series today), this live-action series was the first of its kind for A.A. Milne’s character. The show employed animatronics and puppetry to create the live-action characters from the Hundred Acre Wood.

This is the only version of Disney’s take on Pooh that allows the audience to see the narrator of the stories. The narrator would greet the audience at the top of each episode and then tell the audience a story about Pooh and his friends as if reading from a storybook.

In addition to the story, there would also be a music video featuring the character (with music written by the iconic Sherman Brothers), and a crafting segment in which a character would teach the audience how to make their latest project. The show might have ended in 1986, but reruns ran on Disney Channel until 1997. That’s how popular it was at the time.

5 Raven’s Home (2017-2024)

123 Episodes

Raven’s Home is a sequel series for That’s So Raven. While the series ran for six seasons on the Disney Channel, Disney opted to end the series and order a spin-off focusing on one of the young characters in the series, Raven’s niece, Alice.

This series follows Raven as an adult while she raises her children as a single mom. Raven has spent most of her life hiding her psychic abilities from those around her, and she’s been hiding them from her children as well. One of her children inherits her psychic abilities, which complicates their lives. The first four seasons of the show see Raven’s childhood best friend Chelsea and her children move in with her, but following season four, Raven moves to San Fransisco to be closer to her father.

The series was nominated for multiple NAACP Image Awards and Daytime Emmy Awards during its run.

4 You And Me Kid (1983-1986)

130 Episodes

You And Me Kid was one of the very first shows on the Disney Channel. It premiered on the network’s launch day, April 18, 1983. The aim of the series was to get parents to engage with their toddlers, so the segments of the program were built as activities for parents to do with their kids.

Among those segments were things like “Let’s Go,” which encouraged parents to teach children different active or exercising skills. This is one of the rare series at the time that the Disney Channel also produced VHS tapes for so that parents would have episodes they could rewatch with their kids anytime. It was a smart move since, at the time, Disney Channel was a cable network that not every household would have.

The series, however, wasn’t as popular as Welcome to Pooh Corner. The network continued airing reruns until 1991, but then pulled the program from their slate.

3 Bunk’d (2015-2024)

162 Episodes

Bunk’d begins as a spinoff of Jessie. Three of the Ross children head to the same camp where their parents originally met for the summer, so it appears like it’s just a fun summer adventure for some familiar characters. Eventually, however, the Ross family buys the camp when it’s in disrepair and the previous management disappears. As the Ross kids grow up and pursue their own dreams, however, they sell the camp to Lou, played by Miranda May, who is the only cast member to appear in the entire run of the show.

The series features a rotating cast of campers from that point on as new kids come to the summer camp every year. Season 6 also provides the show with a new location as Lou purchases a ranch to serve as a second camp, giving the show something of a facelift for the final two seasons.

Initially, it was believed that the series would end with the departure of the Ross siblings in season 3, but Disney found a way to keep the show fun and engaging for kids. The show was repeatedly nominated for Children’s and Family Emmy Awards and Kids’ Choice Awards.

2 Phineas And Ferb (2007-2015)

222 Episodes

Phineas and Ferb made their Disney Channel debut in August 2007 and managed to stay on the air until June 2015 racking up a total of 222 episodes during its historic run. Despite not being on air anymore, the series continues to be popular with a brand new Phineas and Ferb film premiering on Disney+ in 2020. The show has also been nominated for six Daytime Emmy Awards, winning two.

The series centers on stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb who are determined to have the best summer vacation ever.

The series centers on stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb who are determined to have the best summer vacation ever. With the help of their friends, the two go on wild adventures while their older sister Candace tries to rat them out. The show was a mix of comedy, music, and adventure while also being a celebration of the imagination of young kids and their ability to get the most fun out of any situation.

The series has proven so popular that Disney has ordered two more seasons of the show in 2023. The new seasons will stream on Disney+

1 The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989-1996)

322 Episodes

In 1989, the Disney Channel decided to revive the Mickey Mouse Club. The original series had aired in the 1950s on ABC, but the 1989 update sought to appeal to young kids, families, and older kids with skits and pop songs. Technically, between the original series on ABC and the numerous revivals of the Mickey Mouse Club as a whole, there are over 600 episodes, but 1989-1996 is the most episodes for a continuous run.

Initially, the series aired daily with each day of the week having a different theme. Skits, music videos, and even live concerts became regular parts of the show, which means the 35 Mousketeers that were cast members throughout the run had to be triple threats. This iteration of the show is responsible for launching the careers of Nikki DeLoach, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Keri Russell, Ryan Gosling, and NSYNC members Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez among others.

The final season of the show actually stretched its episodes to last multiple years as the show moved from a daily to weekly format. It allowed the network to keep the show running long past when filming was completed in 1994. To this day, it is the Disney Channel series with the most episodes