Television Out of the Box: An Exhibit by Warner Bros.

Do you ever wish they had a Friends reunion show? Remember the "must see TV Thursdays of the 90's? How  about Mr. Kotter?
The multimedia exhibit is brought to you by Warner Brothers who has teamed up with the Paley Center to bring you over 60 years of Television history and memorabilia featuring set pieces, costumes, original animations, video clips, and more.

Click here for more information!    

Kiss The Ratings Goodbye

In my opinion, one of the best moments in television was the line "I got off the plane," said by Jennifer Aniston in the 2004 series finale of Friends. In a similar fashion, Miley Cyrus and the Disney Channel closed the doors on the channel's most successful series, Hannah Montana. The finale brought no surprises and few tears, but a sweetness that only the perfectly orchestrated cast could bring. 

Strangely akin to Friends, Hannah Montana ended in an airport, with a pending long term trip to Paris. Of course, half of the people watching Hannah Montana have never even heard of Friends, but the comparison is worth noting. The ending lacked the emotion that many other HM episodes brought. It felt like the writers got tired and needed to come up with a quick fix to round out the show. Nonetheless, Hannah Montana Forever, marks the end of an era- for not only Miley Cyrus, Emily Osment, and the rest of the cast, but for the fans, and the network that made having a double identity using some bling and a blonde wig famous. 

The future of Demi Lovato and Sonny With a Chance is uncertain, and Wizards of Waverly Place is in it's last season, which means Disney is running out of comedic singing superstars. Good Luck Charlie and Shake It Up are fairly new shows to the Disney Channel, but the shows and their stars have not caused anywhere near the revolution Cyrus did in the entertainment world. Hannah Montana was unique, and many of its the themes are repeated in newer shows. The kid with a dream is a tired theme (yet one that seems to work) in children's television, but for some reason, adding a blonde wig to it equated with success. I don't doubt that Disney will have countless other hits, but Miley Cyrus, Mitchel Musso, Jason Earles, and Emily Osment have become icons in pop culture and changed the way we view children's television.    .                 

The "New" Child Stars

In the wake of the death of former child star Gary Coleman, it's a good time to look at how the term "child star" has changed over the years. Coleman is more being remembered for a lack of a career than a successful one. His "Whatcha talking 'bout Willis," from Different Strokes will forever be used, even by generations that have never even heard of the show. This leads to the question- what is the best way for a child star to transition into more adult roles? Today's young stars have learned from their predecessors, and in some ways have to grow up faster than ever, if only to make important decisions that will affect their careers. 

Young stars like the Nick Jonas, Ashley Tisdale, and Zac Efron have all made moves to take their careers to the next level. Tisdale and Efron, in their twenties, have moved beyond their Disney roots to movies like Seventeen Again and Picture this; While Jonas took on a solo project to showcase his musical talents with a completely different sound than the Jonas Brothers with Who I am. These moves lead to rumors like "they don't appreciate their Disney roots," or "the Jonas Brothers are breaking up." But looking at Coleman's career, can you blame these "kids" for wanting to be taken seriously? The six actors from the television series, Friends have all gone in their own directions, but will forever be known as "the cast of Friends." This is not necessarily a bad thing considering the immense success of the show. One has to consider that young stars are not always trying to "break away" or ungrateful, but passionate about what they do. Along with that passion comes a desire for versatility in roles and being renowned for at least producing serious work. So the next time you read a negative article about a young star's work, or go to criticize them think of their personal reasons for producing a music video or choosing to star in a certain movie. Look beyond the money, fame, and management; look at the person behind the music or the role.