In a banner year of creative leadership, strong ratings and a growth trajectory, Disney Channels Worldwide today presented to U.S. advertisers its 2010-11 programming highlights for Disney Channel and Disney XD, platforms and entertainment content that connects with hundreds of millions of kids, tweens and families.

Gary Marsh, president, Entertainment, and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, presented several new and returning Disney XD and Disney Channel projects. He also showcased the first look at Disney Channel’s next big “break into song” musical, “Camp Rock 2 The Final Jam,” a highly anticipated Disney Channel Original Movie set to premiere in late summer 2010. The projects are:

* “Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension” — new movie based on #1 animated series for Kids and Tweens, on Disney XD and Disney Channel
* “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” – new series from Marvel Animation on Disney XD
* “Pair of Kings” – new live-action series on Disney XD
* “Camp Rock 2 The Final Jam” — new Disney Channel Original Movie
* “Avalon High” – new Disney Channel Original Movie
* “Den Brother” – new Disney Channel Original Movie
* “16 Wishes” – new movie on Disney Channel
* “Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars” – new movie on Disney Channel
* “Fish Hooks” – new animated series on Disney Channel
* “Sonny With A Chance” — second season premiere on Disney Channel
* “Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream 2?– second season premiere on Disney Channel
* “JONAS” — second season premiere on Disney Channel
* “Handy Manny Big Race” – new animated Playhouse Disney primetime special on Disney Channel
* “Handy Manny Big Construction Job” – new animated Playhouse Disney series on Disney Channel
* “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” – new animated Playhouse Disney series on Disney Channel
* “Mickey Mousekercize” – new animated Playhouse Disney short-form series on Disney Channel
* “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally” – new animated Playhouse Disney primetime special on Disney Channel
* “Hannah Montana” – fourth season premiere on Disney Channel
* “Good Luck Charlie” – new series premiere on Disney Channel

AFTER THE JUMP: Details on the new upcoming movies and series

Emmy Award-winning Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor guest star in an action-packed episode of TV’s #1 animated series for kids and tweens, “Phineas and Ferb,” premiering MONDAY, MARCH 8 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD. It will also be presented Friday, March 12 (9:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel. The real-life husband and wife are the parents of “Phineas and Ferb” fans.

In the episode entitled “The Beak,” Stiller voices a super villain and Taylor plays his nagging wife. Stiller’s character arrives in Danville to challenge Phineas and Ferb after the boys are mistaken as a superhero (while wearing an indestructible suit they designed to safely conquer their newly built extreme skate-track) known as The Beak.  With the super villain wreaking havoc, it’s up to Phineas and Ferb to thwart him while Dr. Doofenshmirtz tells the people of the Tri-State area that he is in charge, in hopes that they will actually just go along with it.

Disney XD will premiere a second season of the live-action adventure series “Aaron Stone” with two back-to-back episodes on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT). The stories find champion video gamer Charlie Landers and his legendary crime-fighting avatar, Aaron Stone, taking their game to a whole new level when a group of new villains escape and threaten world domination.

Intriguing new characters are introduced this season, including Damaged, the son of Helix, who has telekinetic powers; Mr. Galapagos, a control freak with electro-kinetic powers; Steeltrap, who possesses an internal plasma energy source; Shackles, a super strength mutant; Silver, a super thin mutant who can squeeze through anything; and U, a faceless shape-shifter.

DisneyXD.com will debut two new “Aaron Stone” games for players to earn points and collect new items for their personalized avatars. In “Last Stand,” available now, players must defeat six Omega Defiance bosses in order to stop Kronis from taking over the world. In the second game, launching Tuesday, February 23, players can help Aaron hone his skills and dodge, run and jump faster in order to defeat the new villain Damaged and his henchmen.

Following the linear premiere, full episodes of “Aaron Stone” will be available via DisneyXD.com, Disney XD VOD, Disney XD Mobile VOD, iTunes and XBOX.

The premiere schedule is:

• “Aaron Stone” (8:00 p.m.) In the Season Two premiere, “Damage Control,” a new threat arises when the hooded villain, Damaged, frees himself and a bus full of failed experiments, criminals and mutants and begins picking off the remaining Omega Defiance members. Dr. Necros comes looking to Aaron Stone for protection but instead leads him into Damaged’s clutches. Meanwhile, Jason is determined to get Charlie a dream job working at the video game and comic store, Never-ending Comics.

• “Aaron Stone” (8:30 p.m.) In the episode “In the Game of the Father,” when Charlie discovers that his father worked for the Omega Defiance, the news sends him into a tailspin as he tries to prove that his father wasn’t evil. Charlie follows clues left by his father to track down an intelligence serum, which leads Aaron Stone to a rematch with Damaged . With new threats to the world, T. Abner Hall enlists Vas and Ram to create a ‘Hero Rising’ expansion pack to help Charlie train for his inevitable confrontation with these new villains..

A new segment of Disney Channel’s “Express Yourself” short form series, one coinciding with kids, families and educators’ discussions surrounding the Haiti earthquake, will premiere TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 on Disney Channel and Disney XD channels around the world, on Disney.com (including Disney Channel.com and DisneyXD.com) and on You Tube.

The 60-second interstitial, featuring the message, “Join the world as we shine a light on Haiti,” has themes of connection, empowerment, compassion, outreach and being a part of a global community. It features popular Disney Channel stars Selena Gomez (“Wizards of Waverly Place”), Emily Osment, Jason Earles (both of “Hannah Montana”), Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Brenda Song and Doc Shaw (all of “The Suite Life on Deck”) encouraging kids to explore and communicate their feelings and to get inspired to make a difference.

Gary Marsh, president, Entertainment and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, said the new interstitial is all about empowering kids. “Our hope is that we can encourage kids all over the world to share their feelings in positive ways — and simultaneously be heartened by the world’s response to those who need help.”

Established in January 2001, “Express Yourself” is designed to effectively reach Disney Channel’s audience of kids age 6-14 with a wide array of messages relevant to their demographic. The series does not reference details about specific tragedies, but includes messages that address feelings of fear and anxiety caused by world events and is instructive on how kids can deal with those feelings.

Nikki Reed has been named Vice President, Original Series, overseeing live-action development for Disney Channel and Disney XD, it was announced today by Adam Bonnett, Senior Vice President, Original Programming, Disney Channel, to whom she will report.

Reed, who has more than 13 years’ experience overseeing feature films and television series development, will be responsible for developing new live-action series geared towards kids, tweens and families on Disney Channel, Disney XD, as well as numerous platforms around the world.

Bonnett said, “Disney Channel is a home for outstanding comedy writers. Nikki’s breadth of experience in both film and television makes her the perfect executive to help us maintain our dominance in kids programming and grow Disney XD into a top destination for live action comedies.”

In her new role, Reed will oversee the development and execution of Disney Channel and Disney XD Original Series pilots, recruit series creators, executive producers, writers and directors and collaborate with the Casting department to identify new talent.

Reed most recently served as Vice President of Current and Development at Universal Cable Productions. From 2003-08 she was a development executive for executive producer Barry Kemp’s Bungalow 78 Productions while it was based at Disney’s Touchstone Television. Previously she served as Vice President of Development for Director Jon Turtletaub’s Junction Entertainment for Disney Studios. There she spearheaded the development of the feature films “National Treasure” starring Nicholas Cage and “The Kid” starring Bruce Willis.

In 2005 Reed served as an executive producer on the feature film “Invincible” starring Mark Wahlberg. Reed was part of the team responsible for negotiating the rights for Vince Papale, overseeing the screenplay script development and was involved in all aspects of the film.

The Los Angeles native is a graduate of the University of Arizona where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

Disney XD will premiere a new original 2-D animated series “Kick Buttowski – Suburban Daredevil,” a comedy about an extraordinary kid named Kick who is determined to become the world’s greatest daredevil, on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13 (8:30 a.m. ET/PT).  Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series premiere will air between two brand new episodes of the hit animated series “Phineas and Ferb.”

“Kick Buttowski – Suburban Daredevil” follows Clarence “Kick” Buttowski, an extraordinary kid living in the world’s most ordinary town. Determined to become the world’s greatest daredevil, Kick rebels against the mundane and knows that when life throws him an obstacle, his only choice is to jump it. Small in stature but big in heart, Kick makes the most out of his suburban surroundings by devising such stunts as riding down Dead Man’s Drop on an ironing board or racing the school bus with a soda-powered jet pack. If one of his stunts goes awry, Kick responds with his customary “I’m good!” then picks himself up and tries it again. Aided by his loyal sidekick, Gunther, Kick takes on every stunt with unwavering enthusiasm.

Leading up to the premiere, DisneyXD.com will launch a “Kick Buttowski – Suburban Daredevil” show page featuring action-packed games, activities and videos, including “Loco Launch-o,” a high energy game where users help Kick perform the ultimate daredevil jump.  Beginning Saturday, February 13, kids can create their own Kick Buttowski catch phrase by submitting their favorite saying customized with a selection of backgrounds, props, sound effects and graphics; some of the catch phrases may be selected to appear on-air.

“This series embodies the new Disney XD brand.  It delivers the perfect mix of action and comedy that our audience wants,” said Eric Coleman, Senior Vice President, Original Series, Disney Television Animation.

“Kick Buttowski – Suburban Daredevil” stars Charlie Schlatter (“Kim Possible,” “Loonatics Unleashed”) as Clarence “Kick” Buttowski; Matt L. Jones (“Breaking Bad”) as Gunther; Danny Cooksey (“Tiny Toon Adventures,” “Dave the Barbarian”) as Brad; John DiMaggio (“Futurama,” “Chowder”) as Mr. Vickle and Eric Christian Olsen (“Brothers & Sisters”) as Wade.

The series was created by Sandro Corsaro and is executive-produced and directed by Chris Savino. “Kick Buttowski – Suburban Daredevil” is produced by Disney Television Animation.  It carries a TV-Y7 parental guideline.

Full episode previews will be available free of charge on iTunes beginning Friday, January 29 and via Disney XD VOD beginning Friday, February 5. The series will air regularly on Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m. ET/PT.  Following the linear premiere, episodes will be available on DisneyXD.com

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Disney has made its first move since it acquired Marvel Entertainment this past year and it could prove to be a promising one for the company. But before we fly to conclusions, sorry, legions of Ant-Man fans, it’s not about him. Not yet.

In stark contrast to bringing to life some of the lesser characters, Disney’s first Marvel gesture relies on an established character who will literally be box office gold (and red) for Paramount when it releases Marvel’s Iron Man 2 this summer.

Disney has officially registered IronManOnDVD.com. No telling what Disney’s plans with the domain name are, but please allow us to speculate:

3. Disney could simply be doing nothing with it and just flexing their internet muscles
2. There could be an upcoming new animated straight-to-dvd film to coincide with the theatrical release as its been a common practice with comic films as of late
1. Disney could be planning to finally release Iron Man, the animated series that first debuted as part of The Marvel Action Hour in 1994-1996, on DVD. The series was previously released by Disney in Europe (DVD Region 2) in 2007 but they have never released it in North America, but have run the series on Disney XD.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Disney XD, a cable channel targeting young boys, is going royal with a series order for the live-action comedy pilot “Pair of Kings.”

The series, which will start production in March for a fall premiere, stars “Hannah Montana” veteran Mitchel Musso and “House of Payne” regular Doc Shaw as 16-year-old fraternal twins (one white and one black). They are typical teenagers in Chicago raised by their aunt and uncle until they find out that they are heirs to the throne of the island of Kinkou; they relocate there to become kings.

Rounding out the cast are Geno Segers as the Royal Secretary, Kelsey Chow as his daughter and Ryan Ochoa as their disgruntled cousin and wannabe king. “Kings” was created by Dan Cross and Dave Hoge of the Disney XD flagship series “Aaron Stone.”

Musso, who is signed by Walt Disney Records, was a regular on “Hannah Montana” and might appear on the show’s upcoming fourth season, reprising his role as Oliver. He also voices a character on Disney Channel’s “Phineas and Ferb.” In addition to his co-starring role on “Payne,” Show has had a recurring role on Disney Channel’s “The Suite Life on Deck.”

Disney XD’s next series, “I’m in the Band,” premieres January 18.

Reporting by Nellie Andreeva

Disney Media Sales and Marketing and Xbox 360 have teamed with pop culture powerhouse the Jonas Brothers to star in a national campaign for Xbox 360 called “It’s More Fun Time.” The campaign is seen across multiple Disney platforms including Disney Channel, Disney XD, ABC Kids, Disney Online and Family.com’s “Get Plugged In” video portal, which provides families with information on internet safety for kids.

As part of the campaign, Disney and Xbox 360 launched the “It’s More Fun Time” with the Jonas Brothers Sweepstakes. Open to kids age 8 and up, the sweepstakes provides one lucky winner and a friend the grand prize of an Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the experience of playing Xbox 360 with the Jonas Brothers. Sweepstakes entries are accepted at Disney.com/MoreFunTime or by texting XBOX to DISNEY (347639) — message and data rates may apply.

Tricia Wilber, executive vice president, Disney Media Sales and Marketing, said: “This campaign is an example of how we can partner with clients in a creative approach to leverage Disney’s powerful kid-driven, family-inclusive media platforms, and the widely appealing Jonas Brothers who bring their authenticity as Xbox 360 players and their superstar momentum to the sponsorship.”

Fans also invited to produce and upload their own video telling the Jonas Brothers how they spend their “More Fun Time.” Videos can be completed with one of the many pre-recorded responses from Jonas Brothers to reflect an actual “virtual chat” with Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas. Select videos will be posted at Disney.com/MoreFunTime, where guests can vote for their favorite user-generated video.

In conjunction with this campaign Xbox LIVE members will receive a single episode of the Jonas Brothers hit series, “JONAS,” free to view on Xbox LIVE Zune Marketplace through December 31, 2009. No longer solely a video game console, Xbox 360 is a full-blown entertainment system with “more fun” for everyone. Consumers can connect with friends and family via Twitter and Facebook, enjoy thousands of instant HD movies in full 1080P, and listen to their favorite tunes on Last.fm – all on Xbox 360.

Disney Channel invites viewers to create their own New Year’s Eve programming event by voting for their favorite episodes, moments, music videos and more in online polls at DisneyChannel.com. Beginning FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, three new polls will roll out each Friday inviting viewers to vote in a total of 18 categories, including Favorite Episodes and Favorite Guest Star. Fans can also vote for their Top 10 favorite music videos of 2009, and the songs will air on Radio Disney. Voting will determine the New Year’s Eve programming lineup, entitled “New Year’s Star Showdown,” airing THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 (6:00 p.m.–12:30 a.m. ET/PT) on Disney Channel. Throughout the night, Disney Channel will air sneak peeks of upcoming Disney Channel and Disney XD series and original movies including the much-anticipated “Camp Rock 2 The Final Jam.”

Last year nearly 33.7 million online votes were cast during the “Totally New Year” programming event. This year, every time one of the online polls is completed, users will unlock that week’s digital prize and reveal a piece of the mystery puzzle. Prizes include a 2010 printable calendar, New Year’s Eve party decorations and games. Fans can also test their Disney Channel knowledge in new online trivia games every week.

During the “New Year’s Eve Star Showdown” programming lineup, favorite Disney Channel stars will compete in five Game Show challenges: “So Random,” “Last Star Standing,” “Sound Off,” “Quick Draw” and the “New Years Eve Countdown Game.”

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