DISNEY HIGH: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire

St. Martin’s Press

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An Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best History

One of Bustle's "Best New Books of Fall 2024"

"Spencer’s book finds a compelling, grown-up workplace dramedy in the last place you’d expect it...her thorough reportage is impressive in both its depth and breadth." ―Washington Post

“[A] must-have book for any Disney fan." ―Glamour

"Spencer's new book invites us all to reminisce." ―Vanity Fair

“If you can scrupulously recite the lyrics to ‘Best of Both Worlds’, then this book is for you. Equal parts sentiment and scoop, Disney High is chock full of details about the child stars of Disney's once-prized asset, and the journey to questioning whether wearing those mouse ears was ever really worth it.” ―Lynette Rice, New York Times bestselling author of How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy

“An unprecedented level of dish and detail! Spencer pulls back the curtain on one of modern pop culture’s most important (and drama-filled) eras.” ―Omid Scobie, New York Times bestselling author of Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family

"An obsessive, loving deep dive into the 2000s-era Disney Channel that launched Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Hilary Duff, the Jonas Brothers, and many other icons. This is the book millennials have been waiting to read since childhood." ―Andy Greene, New York Times bestselling author of The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s

“With deep reporting and sharp prose, Ashley Spencer takes us inside the stunning rise and fall of Disney Channel. You’ll come for the stories behind Miley and Raven―and, wow, will you get them―but it’s the merciless grinding of the cable TV machine that will stay with you long after you’ve finished." ―Zac Bissonnette, New York Times bestselling author of The Great Beanie Baby Bubble

"Dishy." ―New York Post

Synopsis

The first unauthorized look at the inner workings—and ultimate breakdown—of the Disney Channel machine

For many kids growing up in the 2000s, there was no cultural touchstone more powerful than Disney Channel, the most-watched cable channel in primetime at its peak. Today, it might best be known for introducing the world to talents like Hilary Duff, Raven-Symoné, Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, and Zendaya.

It wasn't always destined for greatness: when The Disney Channel launched in 1983, it was a forgotten stepchild within the Walt Disney Company, forever in the shadow of Disney’s more profitable movies and theme parks. But after letting the stars of their Mickey Mouse Club revival—among them Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Ryan Gosling—slip through their fingers, Disney Channel reinvented itself as a powerhouse tween network. In the new millennium, it churned out billions of dollars in original content and triple-threat stars whose careers were almost entirely controlled by the corporation. Suddenly, everyone wanted a piece of the pie—and there were constant clashes between the studio, network, labels, and creatives as Disney Channel became a pressure cooker of perfection for its stars.

From private feuds and on-set disasters, to fanfare that swept the nation and the realities of child stardom, culture journalist Ashley Spencer offers the inside story of the heyday of TV’s House of Mouse, featuring hundreds of exclusive new interviews with former Disney executives, creatives, and celebrities to explore the highs, lows, and everything in between.