Eric Liebowitz, Disney Channel John Tartaglia (shown with sprite Basil) stars in "Johnny and the Sprites," a new Disney Channel program that teaches and entertains.

By Rob Owen
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pasadena, Calif. -- If you're the parent of a child between 8 and 13, you already know that this is a Disney world, we just live in it.

From "That's So Raven" to "High School Musical" to "Hannah Montana," Disney Channel has become the destination for tween viewers. They may not be the most discriminating TV watchers -- or maybe Disney has just become that adept at putting on programs members of this age group will eat up like, well, bubble-gum lip gloss.

	Illustration by Tony Tye and Curt Chandler, Post-Gazette Click for larger image. More TV, More OWEN 2007 Press Tour Journal

Disney's at it again at 8 tonight, premiering the new movie "Jump In!" -- starring "High School Musical" alumnus Corbin Bleu -- and following it with the new series "Cory in the House" (9:30 p.m.), a "Raven" spinoff that sends Raven's brother, Cory (Kyle Massey), and father (Rondell Sheridan) to Washington, D.C., where Dad works in the White House as a chef and Cory hangs with the dopey president.

It's a cute show that traffics in overly obvious comedy, but it's ultimately harmless and fills a niche the broadcast networks all but ignore.

"They gave up on the family audience," said executive producer Marc Warren. "And Disney, to their credit, stepped in and saw a void. So we're doing this show. It's a kids' show, but it's made for the whole family to enjoy, and there's no place else on television to do that kind of writing and do that kind of television."

For younger viewers, Disney Channel unveils "Johnny and the Sprites" (10 a.m. tomorrow), a smart, funny and entertaining new puppet series for the preschool set. Disney Channel Worldwide Entertainment president called "Johnny" "a little bit Mister Rogers, a little bit Broadway," and, for one brief, shining moment on the TV critics press tour, that's not hyperbole.

Former "Sesame Street" puppeteer John Tartaglia -- best known for his lead role in the R-rated Broadway puppet musical "Avenue Q" -- returns to his kinder, gentler children's TV roots as the title character in "Johnny." (Tartaglia also performs one of the puppets, the wisest Sprite, Sage.) Johnny lives in a country home surrounded by an enchanted forest populated by Sprites, puppet creatures he interacts with. The Sprites model children's behavior and face some of the same challenges as children do.

Whether it's insecurity a Sprite has about her appearance or Johnny's addiction to a video game that keeps him from playing games outdoors, "Johnny and the Sprites" addresses assorted issues associated with childhood development. And it does so with a song.

Each half-hour episode features two 11-minute stories, each with original songs penned by some of Broadway's top composers, including Stephen Schwartz ("Wicked"), Mark Hollmann ("Urinetown") and Gary Adler ("Avenue Q"). Schwartz also wrote the show's theme song.

"We're trying to make the music also educational by introducing new audiences to maybe more complex harmonies and chord progressions and lyrics than they might hear otherwise," Adler said. "If you think about children 200 years ago in Europe, they were easily able to accept Beethoven and Mozart, so why can't they accept Stephen Schwartz and Mark Hollman?"

Tartaglia said too often music in children's television is too simple and repetitive, "and I wanted to be able to tell a story with this music and also be able to maybe have kids be exposed to other kinds of music than they're used to, not just kids' music, but to country and R&B."

So far, the Broadway community has jumped at the chance to be involved. The grand poobah of American musical theater, Stephen Sondheim, has even expressed interest in contributing a tune if the show returns for a second batch of episodes.

"I think we're going to do a 'Sweeney Todd,'" suggested Ginger, one of the Sprites who appeared at press tour on the arm of her handler, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph.

Tartaglia first conceived of the Sprites as a teenager and put the series into motion after a Disney executive visited him backstage at "Avenue Q" and expressed a desire to work with the actor/singer/puppeteer.

"Dream come true?" Tartaglia said. "Sure."

That's just the Disney way.

Another home for 'MI-5'?

Since A&E fumbled season four of "MI-5" so badly, airing it for just a few weeks in a suicidal 11 p.m. Friday time slot in the fall before burning it off in a Saturday marathon, it's unlikely that A&E will air season five, which just finished airing in England.

But with another season in England and a spinoff about newbie agents planned, might the "MI-5' franchise find a home on BBC America?

"We've been talking to people about it," said BBC America general manager Kathryn Mitchell. She said the network would not want to co-produce additional seasons, but that BBC America might be interested in acquiring the show.

She's particularly interested to see if BBC America viewers tune in for "The State Within" (Feb. 17), a new terrorism drama set in Washington, D.C.

"In some ways, this leads into that," Mitchell said. "If 'The State Within' does well, we'll be even more encouraged to talk about it. 'MI-5' is hugely popular in the U.K."

G4 debuts 'The Block'

Comcast owned-G4, a cable channel targeting young men who play video games and want to watch "Star Trek: The Next Generation" reruns, premieres its first original reality series, "The Block," at 11 p.m. Sunday. (It will regularly air at 10 p.m. Monday.)

"The Block" is set at The Block, allegedly the first hotel for snowboarders that's operated and owned by snowboarders, including Marc Frank Montoya and hotelier Liko Smith. Clips from the series describe it as "a hotel where anything goes" and make it appear to be an alcohol-fueled romp in which bad behavior is good.

"The only real way to achieve authenticity with The Block is to have snowboarders run it, otherwise it's just another brand of corporate trickery," Smith said. "If you can't snowboard, if you can't talk the talk, can't walk the walk, you shouldn't work at The Block."

Montoya said he was inspired to open a hotel where pierced, tattooed snowboarders feel welcome after getting the evil eye in too many hotels himself.

"They could be so uptight. I can't even kick it in the lobby at 2 a.m. They didn't have what I needed, not even WiFi, and didn't deserve my money, even $49," Montoya said.

The Block isn't so inexpensive, with rooms averaging $144 per night at www.theblockattahoe.com.

"They can get a room [at the hotel] next door for 30 bucks, but they go to The Block because it's the only place where they feel understood," Smith said. "No one's gonna hate on you. It's a great scene."

The series began production just six weeks ago and chronicles the current winter season, with Block workers such as snowboarder Petey Marichalar, who admits he does his fair share of partying.

"I'm 22 years old, I'm a young'un, you know what I'm saying?" Marichalar said.

Another upcoming G4 show is "Code Monkeys," a rough-looking animated comedy about the early days of video games done in the old-school Nintendo style. The show, created by Adam de la Pena ("Minoiteam," "Crank Yankers"), follows two video game programmers who find themselves working for a crazed Texas businessman. No air date for that one yet.

In Pittsburgh, G4 airs on Comcast's Channel 67.

Channel surfing

A new season of Disney Channel's "Kim Possible" begins airing at 8 p.m. Feb. 10. ... "Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board," a sequel to Disney Channel's "Johnny Tsunami," begins production in New Zealand this month for a summer premiere. ... Disney Channel's "High School Musical 2" will premiere in August.