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That's so-so Raven
By Mackenzie Porter
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 13, 2003
As yet another Disney-flavored attempt at comedy falls short, you have to start wondering what is going wrong.
[Photo: Disney]
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The cast of That's So Raven, the newest original Disney Channel program, set to air Jan. 17, is capable and talented. The premise could be used to Disney's advantage.
Raven, formerly Raven-Symone of The Cosby Show fame, plays Raven Baxter, a normal teen with paranormal powers. She has visions that show her how a certain event will turn out. Each situation has Raven doing some sort of "hilarious" gag, stupid whether she is dressed up in a disguise or acting as a snake wrestler.
The pilot begins in a high school classroom. The first minute was filled to the brim with overused cliches, already-been-done scenarios, and what Disney Channel adds to every show it creates, bad jokes. For example, the teacher asked questions of several students and as he did, labels such as "clueless," "gum chewer" or "show off" popped up on the screen. Not very original for an original series.
Yes, from time to time Raven contains a punch line that will make you chuckle, or a stunt that causes a smile, but generally That's So Raven is just something to watch when MTV is playing videos and Nickelodeon is showing Sponge Bob reruns.
I believe that if Disney would take all the money going toward Movie Surfers and The Jersey (i.e. things that are bad with the network) and funnel it into obtaining better writers, this show could get better.
Even Stevens and Lizzie McGuire, the channel's highest-rated original shows, have become funnier with time, and maybe that's all Raven needs. For now, I'm going to wait on TiVo-ing it.
-- Mackenzie Porter, 13, is in eighth grade at St. Mary's Episcopal Day School in Tampa.
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