Many
television films have been produced for the U.S.
cable network,
Disney Channel, since the service's inception in 1983. In its early years, they were referred to as
Disney Channel Premiere Films, and later
Premears. From late 1997 onwards, such productions have been branded under the
Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOM) banner.
Most hit films were subsequently released on
VHS, DVD, or, more recently, Blu-ray. However, many more in the DCOM library have never been released in any home video format. Before, DCOMs would be released months on DVD after it premiered on Disney Channel, but after
Princess Protection Program aired, the DCOM DVDs are released a week after it premiered on Disney Channel. Also, although DCOMs have been produced in widescreen HD format since mid-2005, the 2009 release of
Princess Protection Program became the first DCOM to receive a widescreen DVD transfer.
The highest-rated premiere for the brand came in August 2007, when
High School Musical 2 set a record for basic cable with more than 17 million viewers. The second highest-rated premiere is held by
The Movie, which premiered with 13.5 million viewers. Other major DCOM franchises include
Camp Rock,
The Cheetah Girls,
Twitches,
Halloweentown, and the
Zenon trilogy.
Movies that are no longer broadcast on Disney Channel are marked with an *. Only movies with a confirmed air date are listed. Movies marked with ** indicate that they are not listed or advertised as Disney Channel Original Movies by...
Read More