Disney Takes On New Musical Pilot

2012 may or may not bring about the end of the world as the Ancient Mayans predicted, but the year could see a different kind of apocalyptic intrusion on society, after the Disney Channel announced that they are planning to continue their long line of musical movie history onto their network’s screen with new pilot order Madison High.

Said to be heavily inspired by the tween sensation of the High School Musical movie trilogy, Madison High, is a planned ‘music and dance-driven comedy’, which will feature ‘the melodramatic drama teacher’ Ms. Darbus (Alyson Reed) from High School Musical, alongside a troupe of theater students. The genre of the show has been growing in the past few years, with High School Musical also inspiring the likes of Glee and Smash.

The Disney Channel had in November put the Madison High project (said to be the network’s first-ever ‘musical comedy’) on a fast-track development course, and is already in the process of preliminary casting. Pilot production is to begin in March, while the potential launch is earmarked for early in 2012.

Disney Channel executive Gary Marsh said of the move: “High School Musical introduced the joys of musicals and musical theater to a whole new generation and kids and families. And now, with Madison High, we hope to give kids a whole new set of characters with whom to engage – along with more great original music, dance numbers and songs.”

Executive producers of the project are Bill Borden and Barry Rosenbush (High School Musical), Lester Lewis (The Office) (pilot writer), and Paul Hoen (Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam) (director). Meanwhile, original songs will be written by a 8-person team, including industry names such as Kara DioGuardi, Faye Greenberg, and Robbie Nevil.

On the acting side of the project, Alyson Reed will be joined by a new batch of ‘Disney stars’, including G Hannelius (Den Brother), Luke Benward (Minutemen) and Leah Lewis, while the remaining main cast roles will be filled in the coming months, in what Disney believe could be their most ambitious series to date. If this pilot is put through, then you can probably expect tween viewers to be listening to new songs, and many parents looking for earplugs, or a nice cave to hide in when 2012 comes around. Will Madison Highmanage to better its cheesy teen singing inspiration?

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