Disney Channel's new series "Good Luck Charlie" isn't about wizards or teen superstars. It's a simple family sitcom - and that's the whole point.
"Most of our shows are driven by high-concept ideas. That's been our stock in trade for quite some time," said Gary Marsh, chief creative officer for Disney Channel Worldwide.
"What we decided, to change it up a little bit and dimensionalize the network, was to go for something very low-concept, very traditional, where it's the characters that have to drive viewership," said Marsh.
"Good Luck Charlie" centers on the Duncan household - teens PJ and Teddy, tween Gabe, mom Amy and dad Bob - and what happens when one more - baby Charlie - comes along. In each episode, older sister Teddy creates a personalized video diary for Charlie, with all the information she needs as she gets older.
The series stars Disney vet Bridgit Mendler ("Wizards of Waverly Place"), Jason Dolley, Bradley Steven Perry, Leigh-Allyn Baker, Eric Allan Kramer and Mia Talerico as Charlie. "Good Luck Charlie" premieres Sunday at 8:30.
"Family sitcoms have been a part of television history for a long time, and we pride ourselves on being a kid-driven, family-inclusive network," said Marsh. "What I think ‘Good Luck Charlie' does is push a little bit harder on the family-inclusive side of that spectrum."
Marsh said because most network television has abandoned the traditional sitcom, Disney has been able to snatch up a lot of experienced talent for behind the camera, including co-creator and executive producer Drew Vaupen, who worked on "What I Like About You," and executive producer Dan Staley, who worked on "Cheers."
As for the cast, Marsh said the bar was set high because the actors not only had to carry the show, they also had to have "pitch-perfect" chemistry with each other to make the family dynamic believable.
The biggest risk was hiring 10-month-old Mia Talerico. Usually, when shows hire baby actors, they find twins so that if one is not cooperating, the other can fill in. It also allows them to work longer days without violating child labor laws. But Mia was too cute to pass up, he said.
"It's like flying without a net. She may have a bad day and we can't shoot and it'll cost us tens of thousands of dollars," said Marsh. "But so far, so good. She's the most obedient actor I've ever worked with. My own daughter, who's 4 now, would never perform this well in front of a camera."
In fact, Marsh is already comparing Mia to another star Disney discovered at an early age.
"Miley Cyrus never acted in her life in any meaningful way and was 12½ years old when we met her and thought, ‘This is a giant risk, but if it works, there's a giant upside,' " Marsh said. "I felt the same way about Mia."
The first season of "Good Luck Charlie" will feature story lines involving all members of the family. "The topics are all very real and very relatable," said Marsh. "The show is capturing the honesty of these relationships."
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