From Vampirina: Teenage Vampire to Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Season 2, Should You Add These To Your Watchlist?
What if Hannah Montana was hiding a double life as a vampire? From a band of besties to pop star vamps and wizards, we’re entering the Revival Era of Disney Channel as nostalgia meets the next generation of stars.
Electric Bloom Season 1
Electric Bloom is the biggest pop band in the world, but how did they get their start? In the new series, the best friends share their origin story from middle school to super stardom through their “Ask Us Anything” livestreams.
Lumi Pollack plays lead singer and guitarist Posey Parker who thrives on schedules and rules, while Carmen Sanchez is rebellious keyboardist Jade Castillo. Ruby Marino rounds out the trio as quirky DJ Tulip Aoki. Alongside them are cool guy Lucas Jasper (Nathaniel Buescher), fixer The Vince (Luke Busey), Jade’s boyfriend Dante (Van Brunelle), and the band’s musical rivals The Shellys (J’Adore Elizabeth and Trisha Macaden).
Actresses Pollack, Sanchez, and Marino really embody their characters. Even though they’re so different, they come together as friends with a wholesome and supportive energy. Featuring original music written by the legendary Diane Warren, Electric Bloom celebrates individuality, friendship, and girl power. While I’d love to see them continue to develop their superstar personas, the show really shines in the zany situations the friends get up to in their middle school days.
Electric Bloom is streaming on Disney+.
Vampirina: Teenage Vampire Season 1
A live-action reimagining of Vampirina has hit Disney Channel! Led by newcomer Kenzi Richardson, it finds a teenage Vee leaving Transylvania to attend a prestigious performing arts boarding school. She balances her passion for music with hiding her vampire identity. At the same time, her classmate Elijah (Shaun Dixon) tries to hide his Van Helsing heritage. With her new friends, Vee comes across bad energy vampires, divas, and wizards while doing everything she can to reach her musical potential.
With catchy songs, crossovers, and star-studded guest stars, Vampirina: Teenage Vampire will have you hooked. Richardson is pitch perfect as the fish-out-of-water Vee as she learns to adjust to the human world, works on being true to herself, and follows her dreams. What really stands out about the show is that it parallels everyday school antics with deeper supernatural plots that build each episode. The stakes feel high as Vee faces unseen forces and power fritzes that may mean she has to leave the school.
Vampirina: Teenage Vampire is streaming on Disney+.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Season 2
Billie’s (Janice LeAnn Brown) not the only wiz kid in Staten Island anymore as Roman (Alkaio Thiele) and Milo (Max Matenko) have developed powers after the events of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place season 1. Now the second season changes everything we know... forever.
Like Vampirina, what makes Wizards Beyond Waverly Place stand a part from other Disney Channel shows is the way it dives deeper into the lore. While there are humorous episodes that tackle different magical spells and monsters, there has been an overarching evil targeting Billie since the show began. It makes you more invested in the story, especially as we find out Billie’s true connection to the Russo family.
The Russos have treated Billie like a daughter and this season we find out that’s not too far off. When a memory spell is undone, we learn that Billie is Alex’s (Selena Gomez) daughter. She married reformed villain Damian Penwolf and erased all of their memories to protect Billie and her power from her evil grandfather. In the jaw-dropping season finale, Alex sacrifices herself to another dimension to save her daughter. It’s a no brainer that the family will need to find a way to bring her back, making the potential third season can’t miss television. Plus I can’t wait to see how the rest of the Russos react to learning Billie truly is part of the family!
Both seasons of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place are streaming on Disney+.
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