There's enough Disney for everyone, small and big screen! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most memorable and entertaining shows from Disney.
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00:00 I'll make you talk! It's only a matter of time! Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting
00:09 down our picks for the most memorable and entertaining shows from Disney.
00:14 This will not include any shows imported from other countries or studios. Sorry Bluey fans!
00:29 Number 20. The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
00:31 I was just passing by and I thought if it were not too much trouble might I borrow a small
00:39 smackerel of honey. A decade after the release of the many adventures of Winnie the Pooh,
00:45 Christopher Robin's silly old bear was given an all-new set of stories in the aptly titled
00:50 New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Although it ended in 1991, the series is still considered
00:56 a beloved adaptation by modern day fans, with Tokyo Disneyland releasing merchandise based on
01:01 one of its episodes as recently as 2021. The show was praised for its faithfulness to A.A.
01:08 Milne's original stories, as well as its instantly lovable cast of characters.
01:13 This included old favorites like Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore, as well as new additions like
01:18 Kesey, Rabbit's adopted daughter, who would go on to appear in the puppet-based series The Book of
01:24 Pooh. Number 19. Fillmore. Recess wasn't the only Disney cartoon that portrayed school as a
01:39 microcosm of the real world. Fillmore frequently dealt with metaphor and parody, translating serious
01:45 societal ills into a child-friendly setting. The difference being Fillmore's narrow focus on crime,
01:52 inspired by 1970s police procedurals. Smart, witty writing allowed the show's main character
01:58 to investigate attempted assassinations, chemical terrorism, and even police corruption without
02:04 threatening its place in a kid-friendly cartoon lineup. Its pilot episode even directly parodied
02:10 the R-rated Silence of the Lambs. Although the
02:21 series largely flew under the radar and was cancelled far too soon, its creator would later
02:27 make his mark on television in a big way, serving as a writer and showrunner for The Walking Dead.
02:32 Number 18. Amphibia.
02:40 Whether you're looking for a complex coming-of-age story in a fantasy setting,
02:50 or a lighthearted and comedic adventure, Amphibia has it all. Created by a former
02:55 Gravity Falls director, Amphibia's story began with a girl named Anne finding herself trapped
03:01 in a magical world of talking amphibians after opening a multi-dimensional music box.
03:06 The unconventional instrument is stolen by the character at the insistence of her friends,
03:11 Sasha and Marcy, who are also transported to the strange new amphibious land.
03:16 Coming from three very different perspectives, the girls are finally given a chance to grow,
03:30 on their own and together. It's a cleverly written and fast-paced story that has appealed
03:35 to child and adult fans alike. Number 17. Milo Murphy's Law.
03:41 Weird Al Yankovic stars as Milo Murphy in this entertaining animated series from the creator
03:55 of Phineas and Ferb. Milo is the descendant of real-world aerospace engineer Edward A. Murphy
04:00 Jr., who coined the adage "Murphy's Law," which states that anything that can go wrong, will go
04:06 wrong. As one might expect, this translates literally for the show's hapless protagonist,
04:11 whose entire life seems to be an endless parade of bad luck. Fortunately, Milo's perpetual positive
04:18 disposition and close friends Melissa and Zack help to even things out. The show is directly
04:25 connected to its creator's previous series, with more than a few fun easter eggs referencing
04:30 Phineas and Ferb's adventures, while also being a hilarious and charming show in its own right.
04:35 Number 16. American Dragon Jake Long.
04:42 This cool teen has a hidden hot temper. American Dragon Jake Long's title character is a Chinese
04:54 American kid living in New York City, whose grandpa has been preparing him to take on the
04:58 mantle of the American Dragon. This title naturally leads to a lot of action-packed
05:03 fight-and-chase sequences, as Jake attempts to safeguard the city's magical creatures against
05:08 the evil Hunts clan. There's just one catch. One of the Hunts clan's members is Jake's schoolboy
05:14 crush, Rose. This tricky dynamic complicates the show's good-versus-evil setup and creates a
05:27 compelling enemies-to-lovers drama that makes American Dragon stand out from its peers.
05:32 The show's second season thankfully recognizes the romance as the show's heart and cements the
05:38 series' spot amongst Disney Channel greats. Number 15. Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure.
05:44 Reuniting film actors Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure is the kind
05:49 of sequel that fans dream of. It brilliantly expands on the characters introduced in Tangled
05:55 as they settle into their new environment and features award-winning original music on par
06:00 with the songs of the film. In contrast to the Disney Princess series that came before it,
06:14 the show focuses on season-long story arcs in addition to traditional episodic adventures,
06:20 allowing Rapunzel, Eugene, and new additions Cassandra and Varian to grow as individuals.
06:26 Thrilling twists and compelling drama bookend each of the seasons, keeping new and old fans
06:31 alike on their toes until the very end. Number 14. Lilo and Stitch the Series.
06:51 Lilo and Stitch's once small ohana grows exponentially in this Disney Channel spin-off
06:56 of the 2002 film. The series, which begins with a direct-to-video film,
07:02 seeks to give names and faces to Stitch's 625 predecessors, whom he and Lilo refer to as his
07:08 cousins. Each experiment has its own unique look, interests, and powers, which the audience
07:14 discovers alongside the show's protagonists. It's a cute concept, not unlike a laid-back
07:20 and battle-free version of the then-popular Pokemon anime. Interestingly, the show also
07:25 provided Disney Channel with some of its best animated crossover episodes, featuring characters
07:30 from American Dragon and Kim Possible, as well as the typical fantasy-free Recess and the Proud
07:35 family. Number 13. Star vs. The Forces of Evil. Disney's very own magical girl show, and the first
07:49 show on Disney XD to be helmed by a female creator. Star vs. The Forces of Evil follows
07:54 reluctant mutant princess Star Butterfly, who is sent to Earth by her parents to continue training
08:00 after a magical mishap. There, she meets human boy Marco Diaz, with whom she has a series of
08:12 madcap adventures. Over the course of its four seasons, the pair's relationship became the show's
08:18 beating heart, which dismayed some fans and delighted others. Regardless of shipping drama,
08:23 however, the show's story-driven plots about Star's disenchantment with Mewni always spoke
08:28 to its true potential as a series, and ensured its longevity in the hearts of kid and adult fans
08:34 alike. Number 12. House of Mouse. If you ever
08:48 wish you could see all your favorite Disney characters together in one spot, House of Mouse
08:52 is the show for you. One of Disney+'s most glaring omissions, this unique animated series stars the
08:59 Fab Five as hosts and waiters at the titular cartoon club. While each episode introduces a
09:05 new problem for the gang to solve, the most memorable aspect of this cartoon is not its
09:10 plot, but its creative use of pre-existing characters to create new scenes. Everyone
09:15 from Pinocchio to the Haunted Mansion's hitchhiking ghost show up at Mickey's club throughout its 52
09:21 episodes, in two feature-length films. For lifelong Disney fans, it's like a dream come true.
09:27 Number 11. Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers. Before they were voiced by Andy Samberg and John Mulaney
09:41 in the darkly satirical live-action hybrid film, Chip and Dale were solving crimes with their
09:46 pals on the small screen in Rescue Rangers. Premiering in 1989 before being reran as part
09:56 of the Disney Afternoon lineup, this series rode the line between revolutionary 80s cartoon and
10:02 90s kid classic. Regardless of which generation you belong to though, there is no denying how
10:08 fun it was to tune into the show's small crime adventure setup week after week. Alongside the
10:13 rest of Disney Afternoon, Rescue Rangers' popularity eventually inspired comics, video games,
10:19 and a Disney park stage show featuring Gadget alongside Chip and Dale in their ranger outfits.
10:25 Number 10. The Owl House. Protagonist Luz Naceda and Amity Blight broke new ground for LGBTQ
10:38 plus representation when they became the first same-sex couple made up of lead characters in
10:43 a Disney-owned property. The pair would also provide Disney with its first same-sex kiss
10:48 between two protagonists while recurring character Rain Whispers became the studio's first ever
10:53 non-binary character. This massive step for Disney's TV animation department was only made
11:04 better by the show's commitment to engaging storytelling and character development. One
11:09 of the channel's most lore-heavy shows since Gravity Falls, The Owl House built up a complex
11:14 magical world that its human protagonists discovered alongside its viewers. Unfortunately for the
11:19 viewers, the show was unceremoniously cut short, leading to what some considered a rushed final
11:24 season. Number 9. Star Wars Rebels. Although live-action Star Wars series like The Mandalorian
11:44 and Andor have taken Disney+ by storm, the franchise's animated stories shouldn't be
11:49 discounted. Rebels is one of Lucasfilm Animation's most impressive achievements, giving audiences a
11:55 glimpse into life in a galaxy far, far away 14 years after the rise of the Galactic Empire.
12:02 It stars a ragtag group of rebels headed by orphaned teenager Ezra Bridger, who grow up to
12:07 become a makeshift family by the series' end. Their story allowed for an easy introduction
12:13 to the world of Star Wars for new fans, while cameos by beloved heroes and villains were
12:17 enthusiastically welcomed by older ones. Number 8. Darkwing Duck. When a Rocky and
12:37 Bullwinkle reboot fell through at Disney due to a misinterpretation of the studio's rights to
12:42 the characters, a DuckTales spinoff was proposed as a replacement. Inspired by select episodes of
12:48 the popular series, Darkwing Duck was born, starring a new character by the name of Drake
12:53 Mallard. Though it would never reach the same level of popularity as its inspiration, the show
12:58 held its own as a witty slapstick superhero series with a lovable cast of anthropomorphic
13:03 avians. Despite its comedic angle, its action-packed fight sequences would add a necessary
13:09 punch to the Disney afternoon lineup, an iconic programming block that it would continue to be
13:15 part of for five years after its final episode. Number 7. Gargoyles.
13:35 While other Disney cartoons may be able to point to a handful of scenes that felt too intense for
13:41 their target audience, few shows on the network were as consistently dark as Gargoyles. The series
13:47 didn't pull any punches when it came to depicting conflict, choosing to show blood, and even
13:52 including Nazi adversaries for its protagonists to face when they travel back to the 1940s.
14:03 A cast of fleshed-out characters and the addition of romance added depth to the darkness and made
14:09 the show a weekly must-see for an older demographic. It's admittedly hard to imagine this
14:14 show airing alongside the likes of Timon and Pumbaa in Jungle Cubs, but we're very glad it did.
14:19 Number 6. The Proud Family. At a time when most black characters were relegated to sidekick or
14:26 background roles, The Proud Family burst onto the scene with a diverse cast headed by a young black
14:32 girl and her chaotic family. The show was a frequently funny and always heartfelt coming-of-age
14:38 story that interpersed African-American culture and history into its episodes. This included some
14:44 pretty significant cameo appearances from the likes of Alicia Keys, Kobe Bryant, and even famed
14:50 R&B singer Lou Rawls. For its efforts, the show received several NAACP nominations,
15:02 ultimately winning for Cedric the Entertainer's hilarious performance as Oscar's brother,
15:06 Bobby Proud.
15:07 Number 5. Recess.
15:16 When the bell rings for recess, the kids of Third Street Elementary School are set free.
15:28 From their teachers, that is. On the playground, a new social order has been created,
15:33 with sixth-grader King Bob serving as its purportedly impartial ruler. Series protagonists
15:39 TJ, Mikey, Spinelli, Vince, Gretchen, and Gus serve as the show's beacons of individuality,
15:45 often fighting against what they consider to be injustices. On its surface, the show is a
15:51 fun ensemble-based cartoon with an interesting premise for kids, but for adults, the seemingly
15:56 simplistic show will gain new meaning as they catch more of the series' metaphorical plotlines
16:02 meant to mirror the world we live in.
16:03 Number 4. DuckTales. It's difficult to reboot a show as iconic as DuckTales,
16:21 but the 2017 version of the show may be even better than its popular predecessor.
16:26 Huey, Dewey, and Louie have been given distinctive personalities in this modern retelling,
16:31 and Webby finally feels like a full-fledged character instead of a female sidekick.
16:36 The show also thankfully manages to avoid the kind of racial insensitivity
16:46 that led to some of the 1987 series' episodes being omitted from Disney+.
16:51 Although this reboot was primarily made to attract newcomers to the old franchise,
16:56 it's not without its nods to the 80s and 90s Disney eras. Eagle-eyed fans have noticed cameos
17:02 from Max Goof, Bonkers, and even the characters of the one-off TV special, Fluffy Dog.
17:08 Number 3. Kim Possible. You know the drill. Call her, beep her, if you want to reach her,
17:24 if you want to page her. Well, maybe we need to travel back to the 2000s for that one.
17:29 That is when Kim Possible was popular after all.
17:32 Although the show was far from the first about a female action hero,
17:43 it set itself apart from its peers by making its protagonist a regular girl.
17:48 Kim had no special powers. She was just a cheerleader with an arsenal of spy gadgets,
17:53 a relatable heroine, and girls and boys alike loved it. The series was the first from Disney
17:59 Channel to debut at number one in the US and had the highest rated premiere for the channel
18:04 at the time of its release. Number 2. Phineas and Ferb. Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today.
18:18 There's 104 days of summer vacation, and if anyone knows how to spend them, it's Phineas and Ferb.
18:26 The stepbrothers spend their finite days of freedom creating their own forms of adventure
18:30 and excitement, accomplishing everything from becoming a one-hit wonder to producing their own
18:35 animated cartoon. Meanwhile, the boy's pet platypus Perry misses out on these day-long
18:41 activities for adventures of his own with the hilarious incompetent Dr. Doofensmurf.
18:45 What kind of a plumber are you? A platypus plumber? Perry the platypus plumber?
18:52 Though the series originally ended in 2015, future seasons were announced to be in the
18:57 works in 2023, and honestly, we can't blame Disney for wanting more. The show is timeless,
19:04 with catchy songs and brilliant humor sure to entertain kids for generations.
19:09 "He'll twist your melody, he'll turn you cat, and he'll boost my sweet old world, ah, ah, ah."
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19:34 Number 1, Gravity Falls. Could it have been anything else? After a short period of cartoon
19:39 releases that flew under the radar, Gravity Falls re-established Disney Channel as the
19:44 place to watch children's animation. "Who's that?" "Well, time to spill the beans.
19:48 Beans." The show's twin protagonists were instantly likable, and its ever-unfolding mystery
19:56 provided welcome fodder for animation fans of all ages to dig into and dissect. Bill Cipher's
20:01 addition to the cast provided a genuine threat to the typically lighthearted series, while
20:06 mysteries surrounding Dipper and Mabel's grunkle Stan had fans questioning who could really be
20:11 trusted. "Why would they call him unnamed? Unless Stan isn't Stan?" The series has also continued to
20:20 make an impact on the Disney brand well after its finale, with shows like Amphibia and The Owl House
20:26 coming directly from former Gravity Falls crew. "Trust us, we beat him before, and we'll beat him
20:32 again!" Did we miss any of your favorite animated shows from Disney Channel, Disney XD, or even ABC's
20:39 One Saturday Morning? Let us know in the comments down below. "Dipper and, Dipper and, what's your
20:45 core for seventh grade? No, it's cooler than Dipper and..." Did you enjoy this video? Check out these
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20:57 [Music]