Fanboy Moment.
OMG did you see the ratings for the Wizards of Waverly Place movie last Friday? It scored 11.4 million viewers, making it the most watched cable program of the year this far and the second highest Disney movie ever (High School Musical 2's 17+ millions are out of reach for everybody).
I have to confess that those numbers make me pretty happy. Wizards of Waverly Place is an awesome show. It's not even a guilty pleasure for me anymore, after a shaky first season the second season was totally enjoyable and subversive (at least for a show aimed at the tween demographics). It's even up for an Emmy right now and I hope it will win.
There are several things to like about the show, but it boils down to the awesome, awesome actors and actresses. You probably wouldn't notice but since I tend to watch most tween shows, I have to say that the acting on this show surpasses everything else on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon at the moment. Selena Gomez (whom I even watched Princess Protection Program and Another Cinderella Story for) and David Henrie (Ted's son in How I Met Your Mother! - and quite the hottie) are destined for greatness. Their comedic timing is excellent. The writing is also funny with some clever hidden jokes for grown-ups (the high school headmaster's name is "Mr. Laritate").
But I think what I love the most is that its main protagonist, Alex, is not the typical sweet Disney girl. She's not even the usual misguided prankster. No, Alex is a bitch. She cheats, lies, steals, is lazy, self-centered and most times downright mean. Of course she also comes through when she's really needed, and those family dynamics, especially the complicated relationship to her older brother Justin (and yes, there are way too many incest fanfics floating around for a Disney Channel show), sell the show for me.
The movie didn't really have this mean streak, but it was way more serious and dark than I would have expected. All in all, yes, I'm really looking forward to Season Three. I totally expect it to become better than most network sitcoms.