That's So Raven

That's So Raven was an Emmy, Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and Teen Choice Award Award-winning American television sitcom. The show premiered on Disney Channel on January 17, 2003, and ended on November 10, 2007. It is The Disney Channel's longest running and most successful series having been on since 2003 - 2007 and has aired 100 episodes.

Premise

The plot revolves around teenager Raven Baxter, played by Raven-Symoné and how she gets herself, her friends Eddie and Chelsea as well as her family members, such as her brother Cory, out of various situations, usually by using her psychic powers and as a master of disguise. Her show is on Disney Channel and ABC Kids. It usually comes on after movies or in the afternoon,on Disney Channel. On weekends her show is on twice on ABC Kids at 10:00 a.m and 10:30 ET/PT. and Canada's hit channel, Family (TV channel).

Production

The original name for the main character was Dawn Baxter, and the show was originally named The Future Is On Me. However, they changed the main character's name to Rose Baxter, and the show was called Absolutely Psychic. Finally, it was changed yet again to Raven Baxter when Raven-Symoné won the lead part, and the show was changed to That's So Raven. Raven-Symoné originally auditioned for the role of the best friend, Chelsea, who's played by Anneliese van der Pol. Raven-Symoné is credited as Raven throughout the series. The series was the highest rated show in history on Disney Channel, before Hannah Montana. However, it is still the longest running show in Disney channel history.

The show first premiered in September 2002 in the U.K. before premiering in the United States on January 17, 2003.

Seasons 1-3 were produced by Brookwell McNamara Entertainment. The fourth and final season was produced by Raven-Symoné. It became the first Disney Channel Series to create a spin-off, Cory in the House, which followed her younger brother, Cory, as his dad becomes the head chef for the President of the United States, causing the two of them to move to Washington D.C.

In the 4th season of That's So Raven and in Cory In The House, Victor states that Tanya (T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh) is in England as a lawyer. In real life, Keymáh left for creative and personal reasons. The show shot its final two episodes in January 2006 but they weren't shown until a year later, with the series finale shown in March 2007 and the second-to-last episode shown that November.

Ratings

The ratings for That's So Raven increased each episode to the point where they were around 10 million views putting it in the top 50. Raven said during one of her concerts that That's So Raven was number 1 on the Disney Channel their entire run. Hannah Montana has yet to beat That's So Raven highest rated episode which was 10.8 but came close with 10.7 million viewers.

Opening sequence

The show's title theme song was written by John Coda, who also composed the music cues to signify scene changes and commercial breaks for this series and Even Stevens, was co-produced by Def Jef and Christopher B. Pearman (Raven-Symoné's), and was performed by Raven-Symoné, Anneliese van der Pol, and Orlando Brown.

Each season had opening credits composed of various clips from the episodes of that season. Season two followed the guideline when it first premiered, but once season three premiered, the opening credits from season two were replaced with the opening credits from season three, with no clips from season two episodes being shown at all. To this day, the season three opening credits are still being used in season two episodes. Each season also made an exception to the guideline by showing a few clips from the previous seasons, most of the time when it was needed. For example, if the group of clips being shown was of the characters dancing, then a clip of a character or chacters would be shown.

Each opening sequence, before going to the title card, always ended with the main cast being together (in clips that were not part of any episode). Seasons one, two, and three were of the Baxters sitting on their living room couch, and season 4 was of the Baxters (with the exception of Tanya), Eddie, and Chelsea coming down the Baxters' living room stairs.

At the end of the opening credits, Raven stands next to the title card and says "Yep, that's me." This remained in season four, except with a new addition. Raven's catchphrase "Oh, snap!" was dubbed in right before she says "Yep, that's me."

Raven-Symoné performs most of the theme, while Brown performs a rap near the end of the theme and some scattered vocals in the beginning of the theme. Van der Pol sings the show's title in the chorus. A full-length version of this theme was heard in a music video which aired a few months before the shows U.S. premiere and also can be heard on the show's first soundtrack, released in 2004.

In Disney Channel Asia, an Asian version of the show's theme song was made. The music video debuted on January 1, 2007 back-to-back with the 100th episode of That's So Raven.

Episodes

Main article: List of That's So Raven episodes

The show is one of the few Disney Channel Original Series to extend its contract from 65 to 100 episodes, next to shows like Kim Possible and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. The last episodes produced were "The Way We Were," but then the crossover called "Checkin' Out" was produced as part of That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana. Although it was chronologically the last episode, it did not air last; instead, "When There's Smoke" aired last.

Season	Ep #	First Airdate	Last Airdate
Season 1	21	January 17, 2003	March 19, 2004
Season 2	22	October 3, 2003	September 24, 2004
Season 3	35	October 1, 2004	January 16, 2006
Season 4	22	February 20, 2006	November 10, 2007

Characters

Main article: List of characters from That's So Raven

Main

Actor	Character	Status	# Episodes
Raven-Symoné	Raven Baxter	2003 — 2007	100
Orlando Brown	Eddie Thomas	2003 — 2007	99
Kyle Massey	Cory Baxter	2003 — 2007	96
Anneliese van der Pol	Chelsea Daniels	2003 — 2007	97
Rondell Sheridan	Victor Baxter	2003 — 2007	87
T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh	Tanya Baxter	2003 — 2005	66

Recurring

Actor	Character	Status Bold text	2003 — 2007	16
David Henrie	Larry	2004 — 2007	12
Bobb'e J. Thompson	Stanley	2004 — 2006	10
Rose Abdoo	Senorita Rodriguez	2003 — 2006	18
Lil' J	Devon Carter	2003 — 2006	10
Ashley Eckstein	Muffy	2003 — 2006	8
Andrea Edwards	Loca	2003 — 2006	7
Anne-Marie Johnson	Donna Cabonna	2006	11
Jodi Shilling	Tiffany	2006	6

Merchandise

The That's So Raven franchise has been modeled after fellow Disney Channel hit Lizzie McGuire. Raven has a clothing line, DVD releases, novels, bedroom sets, a perfume, a GirlTalk board game, three video games and two soundtracks, That's So Raven: Songs from and inspired by the hit TV show and That's So Raven Too!.

In February 2005, That's So Raven toys were featured in the McDonald's Happy meal. In April 2005, a doll based on Raven Baxter was released and another was released the following year. Also, two That's So Raven dolls have been released.

In September 2005, the show also spawned a fragrance and an MP3 player. That same month, the clothing line was shipped to Macy's stores. As of 2006, the That's So Raven merchandise has made $400 million. The show released its fourth DVD in July 2006, entitled Raven's Makeover Madness. Sales have reached to in estimated 650 million dollars.

Soundtrack albums

• That's So Raven
• That's So Raven Too!

Series Novelizations

1. What You See Is What You Get - Smell Of Victory & A Dog By Any Other Name
2. Rescue Me - Driven To Insanity & Mother Dearest
3. In Raven We Trust - Test Of Friendship & Saturday Afternoon Fever
4. Step Up - Dissin' Cousins & Party Animal
5. Family Affair - If I Only Had A Job & Teach Your Children Well
6. 2 Good 2 B True - To See Or Not To See & Ye Olde Dating Game
7. Tell It Like It Is - Campaign In The Neck & Separation Anxiety
8. Dueling Divas' - A Fight At The Opera & The Parties
9. Showtime! - Wake Up, Victor & A Fish Called Raven
10. Psyched - Psychics Wanted & Saving Psychic Raven
11. Boyfriend Blues - Four's A Crowd & Blue In The Face
12. Be Mine - Hearts And Minds & Close Encounters Of The Nerd Kind
13. The Real Deal - That's So Not Raven & Run Raven Run
14. Over The Top - Out Of Control & He's Got The Power
15. Rebel Raven - Clothes Minded & Spa Day Afternoon
16. Superstar - Radio Heads & The Road To Audition
17. House Party - Hizzouse Party & Leave It To Diva
18. Queen Of Hearts - There Goes The Bride & Royal Treatment
19. Raven Rocks - A Goat's Tale & Boyz 'N Motion
20. Extreme Fever - Extreme Cory & When There's Smoke

Video Games

That's So Raven has spawned three video games:

• That's So Raven, Game Boy Advance
• That's So Raven 2, Game Boy Advance
• That's So Raven: Psychic on the Scene, Nintendo DS

DVD Releases

Volume 1: Supernaturally Stylish

(Released December 7, 2004)

Episodes:

• If I Only Had a Job
• He's Got the Power
• That's So Not Raven
• Boyz 'N Motion

Special features:

• Supernatural (music video)
• That's So Raven (music video)

Volume 2: Disguise the Limit

(Relased August 17, 2005)

Episodes:

• Art Breaker
• Country Cousins (part 1)
• Country Cousins (part 2)
• The Grill Next Door

Special features:

• Master of Disguises (featurette)
• Visual commentary by Raven on selected scenes

Disney Channel Holiday

(Released November 1, 2005)

Episodes:

• Escape Claus

Volume 3: Raven's House Party

(Released December 6, 2005)

Episodes:

• Opportunity Shocks
• Too Much Pressure
• Double Vision
• Four Aces
• Vision Impossible

Special features:

• That's So Raven (Radio Trivia Game)
• Bloopers and outtakes

Volume 4: Raven's Makeover Madness

(Released July 18, 2006)

Episodes:

• Pin Pals
• Dues and Don'ts
• Adventures in Boss-Sitting
• Hook Up My Space
• When 6021 Met 4267

Special features:

• Road trip
• The Cheetah Girls 2 sneak peek.

That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana

(Released January 16, 2007)

Episodes:

• Checkin' Out

Special feature

• So You Think You Know Raven (Volume 2, trivia game)

Hannah Montana Volume 4: One In A Million

(Released January 28, 2008)

Episodes:

• Run Raven Run

Spin-Off

Cory in the House

Main article: Cory in the House

Cory in the House is the first Disney Channel spin off and premiered on January 12, 2007. It was the one chosen out of the many pitched and proposed spin-offs that were to have aired after the completion of That's So Raven, including one about Raven going off to college and another centering around Donna Cabonna's ventures hiring a new intern at her office.The spin-off has not seen the same success as "Thats So Raven".

The storyline involves Cory and his father Victor adjusting to life in Washington D.C.; Victor has received a job as the Head chef to the President. The show takes place while Raven is attending fashion college and Cory's mom is still in London. Raven has guest-starred on the show.

The series is similar to its sister show, That's So Raven. Cory has two best friends, one a boy, Newton Livingston III (Jason Dolley), and one a girl, Meena Paroom (Maiara Walsh). Note that in "That's So Raven", the main character also has two best friends, one a boy and one a girl. Cory attends a middle school in Washington DC. Also in the series, the president's daughter, (Madison Pettis) Sophie, constantly pesters Cory, like Cory did to Raven in That's So Raven. Cory also participates in crazy situations in which he learns a moral lesson and will most likely get punished. Candy Smiles plays in Cory's love life multiple times, and Stickler continuously spies on the Meena, Newton and especially Cory.

On one episode, Raven Symone guest starred as Raven, who came to show designs of new tour guide uniforms to President Martinez. Unfortunately, she has a vision of a clock falling on the President, and tackles him, earning the Secret Service a chance to chase her around the grounds. Cory poses as his sister to display the uniforms, modeled by Newton and Meena. Raven is discovered outside the Oval Office window, and chased, until she actually does save Mr. Martinez from the clock. The episode ends with the credits sequence for That's So Pooshnick, a show from Meena's country about a psychic girl who can see the past and always ends up messing up trying to stop the vision from happening.

External links

• That's So Raven Disney Channel U.S. website
• That's So Raven Disney Channel UK website
• That's So Raven Disney Channel Asia website
• Brookwell McNamara Entertainment official site
• That's So Raven DVD reviews with pictures
• Numerous online games at Disney Channel U.S. website
• That's So Raven wiki

[1] That's So Raven on OpenStreetMap