Descendants: Wicked World

Descendants: Wicked World is an animated short-form series based on the Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants.[2] It premiered on September 18, 2015 on Disney Channel,[3][4] taking place in-between the events of the first film and Descendants 2. The series is the first Disney Channel Original Series based on a Disney Channel Original Movie. It picks up after the first film and introduces new characters from the Isle of the Lost and Auradon. Descendants: Wicked World ended on March 3, 2017. It received generally positive reviews from critics.

Descendants: Wicked World
Promotional banner
Also known asWicked World
Genre
Developed byJennifer Magee-Cook
Aliki Theofilopoulos
Written by
Story by
Directed by
Voices of
Opening theme"Rotten to the Core" by Sofia Carson
Ending themeBetter Together
ComposerKeith Horn
Country of origin
  • United States
  • Canada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes33 (+3 specials) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Jennifer Magee-Cook
  • Aliki Theofilopoulos
ProducerJennifer Magee-Cook
Running time2–3 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkDisney Channel
ReleaseSeptember 18, 2015 (2015-09-18) –
March 3, 2017 (2017-03-03)
Related

Providing the voices of the animated characters are Dove Cameron as Mal, Sofia Carson as Evie, Cameron Boyce as Carlos, Booboo Stewart as Jay, Mitchell Hope as Ben, Sarah Jeffery as Audrey, Brenna D'Amico as Jane, Dianne Doan as Lonnie, Ursula Taherian as Jordan, China Anne McClain in the first season, and Lauryn McClain as Freddie, Jennifer Veal as Ally, Myrna Velasco as CJ and Bradley Steven Perry as Zevon in the second season.

Premise

edit

After King Ben's coronation in Descendants, the villain kids Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay settle in at being good while their villainous parents are still roaming the Isle of the Lost. The story goes deeper at the arrival of new villain kids, Freddie (Dr. Facilier's daughter), CJ (Captain Hook's daughter) and Zevon (Yzma's son).

Characters

edit

Villain Kids

edit
  • Mal (voiced by Dove Cameron[5]) – Daughter of Maleficent and Hades. She possesses dark forms of magic, passed down to her by her mother, but because she is good now, she uses her magic for good purposes.
  • Evie (voiced by Sofia Carson[6]) – Daughter of The Evil Queen and Mal's best friend. She has a love of fashion and wields a Magic Mirror that knows everything.
  • Carlos (voiced by Cameron Boyce[7]) – Son of Cruella de Vil. He can talk to dogs and has claustrophobia as revealed in "Spirit Day" and "Trapped", respectively.
  • Jay (voiced by Booboo Stewart[8]) – Son of Jafar. Despite having chosen to be good, he has a bad habit of stealing.
  • Freddie (voiced by China Anne McClain in Season 1 and Lauryn McClain in Season 2[9]) – Daughter of Dr. Facilier. Despite initially having a difficult to Auradon's unrotten ways, she had no problem adapting to the delicious food. She is the sister of Celia from Descendants 3. Also, she appears in the Descendants novel Return to the Isle of the Lost.
  • CJ (voiced by Myrna Velasco[10]) – Daughter of Captain Hook and Freddie's former best friend. She is the sister of Harry Hook from Descendants 2.
  • Zevon (voiced by Bradley Steven Perry[11]) – Son of Yzma. In the second season, he plans to fuse the VK's birthright jewels so he can combine their power and take over Auradon.

Auradon Kids

edit
  • Ben (voiced by Mitchell Hope) – Son of Belle and the Beast and Mal's boyfriend. He is the current king of Auradon.
  • Audrey (voiced by Sarah Jeffery) – Daughter of Aurora and Prince Phillip. She was initially mistrustful towards the villain kids, especially Mal, but is learning to warm up to their presence.
  • Jane (voiced by Brenna D'Amico) – Daughter of The Fairy Godmother. Like Mal, she has magic, but unlike Mal, she has light forms of magic and isn't fully trained in her magic yet.
  • Lonnie (voiced by Dianne Doan) – Daughter of Fa Mulan and Li Shang. Unlike Audrey, she is friendly towards the VKs and is willing to help them adapt in Auradon.
  • Jordan (voiced by Ursula Taherian) – Daughter of The Genie. She runs a web show and lives in a magic lamp. Also, she appears in the Descendants novel Return to the Isle of the Lost.
  • Ally (voiced by Jennifer Veal) – Daughter of Alice. She has the same curious personality as her mother. Also, she appears in the Descendants novel Return to the Isle of the Lost.

Production

edit

The production of the series was announced right after the film Descendants finished airing on Disney Channel.[12] Former Phineas and Ferb storyboard artist Aliki Theofilopoulos Grafft announced on Twitter that she was directing the series, with Jenni Cook as producer, and that the original cast would be reprising their roles. Each episode of the series is going to be under five minutes long.[13]

On July 13, 2016, it was announced the series was renewed for a second season,[14] and that Bradley Steven Perry would be added to the cast as Zevon, the son of Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove, and Lauryn McClain would take over voicing Freddie from her sister China Anne McClain, who was cast as Ursula's daughter Uma in Descendants 2.[15][16]

Episodes

edit
Season Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
1 18 September 18, 2015 (2015-09-18) July 15, 2016 (2016-07-15)
2 15 October 21, 2016 (2016-10-21) February 24, 2017 (2017-02-24)
Specials 3 December 13, 2015 (2015-12-13) March 3, 2017 (2017-03-03)

Release

edit

Descendants: Wicked World premiered on September 18, 2015 on Disney Channel and its digital platforms, including WATCH Disney Channel.[17] The series was subsequently made available to stream on DisneyNow.[18] It was later released on the Disney+ streaming service.[19][20][21]

Reception

edit

Viewership

edit

In July 2016, it was announced that the first season of Descendants: Wicked World generated over 30 million total viewers in the US and over 100 million engagements on Disney Channel’s app, VOD, and YouTube platforms, since its launch in September 2015.[22][23]

Critical response

edit

Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave Descendants: Wicked World a grade of three out of five stars, and complimented the depiction of positive messages and role models through the series, writing, "The show illustrates the value of considering a person's actions rather than his reputation before judging him, which is always a good message for kids."[24] Ashley Jones of Romper included Descendants: Wicked World in their "13 Shows For Kids Who Love Princesses" list, stating, "Your princess-loving kids have likely seen one, two, or all three of the Descendants movies on the Disney Channel. If they love the adventures of Evie, Mal, Carlos, and Jay, the spinoff series Descendants: Wicked World is a must-watch. Each episode is an animated short, but they’re packed with plenty of royal content."[25]

Accolades

edit
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2016 Teen Choice Awards Choice Animated TV Show Descendants: Wicked World Nominated [26][27]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Minezaki, Jennifer; Woo, Chrissy (July 13, 2016). "'Descendants' Demand Brings On Second Season of Animated Short-Form Series 'Descendants: Wicked World'". Disney ABC Press. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  2. ^ Dickson, Jeremy (August 6, 2015). "Disney's Descendants gets animated spin-off series". Kidscreen. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  3. ^ "Descendants Wicked World". D23. The Walt Disney Company. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  4. ^ Schneider, Michael (August 9, 2015). "Ratings Watch: Disney's 'Descendants' Scores Hefty Viewership Lift". TV Insider. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  5. ^ "Voice Of Mal – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  6. ^ "Voice Of Evie – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  7. ^ "Voice Of Carlos de Vil – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  8. ^ "Voice Of Jay – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  9. ^ "Voice Of Freddie – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  10. ^ "Voice Of CJ – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  11. ^ "Voice Of Zevon – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  12. ^ Teaser | Descendants: Wicked World on YouTube
  13. ^ Aliki Theofilopoulos [@alikigreeky] (July 31, 2015). "#DisneyDescendants #WickedWorld produced by the amazing @JJmageecook & directed by me! Voice talent from the cast!" (Tweet). Retrieved August 1, 2015 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ Pedersen, Erik (July 13, 2016). "Disney Renews 'Descendants: Wicked World' For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  15. ^ "Breaking News - "Descendants" Demand Brings on Second Season of Animated Short-Form Series "Descendants: Wicked World" | TheFutonCritic.com". The Futon Critic. July 13, 2016. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  16. ^ Swift, Andy (July 13, 2016). "Descendants: Wicked World Renewed for Season 2, Taps Disney Channel Star to Voice Son of Emperor's Yzma". TVLine. Archived from the original on February 10, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  17. ^ "Breaking News - Animated Short-Form Series "Descendants Wicked World" to Premiere September 18 on Disney Channel and Its Digital Platforms | TheFutonCritic.com". The Futon Critic. August 5, 2015. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  18. ^ "Watch Descendants: Wicked World TV Show | Disney Channel on DisneyNOW". DisneyNow. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  19. ^ "Watch Descendants Wicked World | Disney+". Disney+. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  20. ^ Tyler, Adrienne (September 19, 2019). "Every Movie & TV Show Available On Disney+ At Launch". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  21. ^ Foutch, Haleigh (August 20, 2020). "Disney Plus: Every Movie & TV Show Confirmed for the Streaming Service". Collider. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  22. ^ Getzler, Wendy Goldman (July 14, 2016). "Disney orders more Descendants toons". Kidscreen. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  23. ^ "Disney Announces Second Season of 'Descendants' Short-Form Series". Animation World Network. July 13, 2016. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  24. ^ Ashby, Emily. "Descendants: Wicked World TV Review | Common Sense Media". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  25. ^ Jones, Ashley (June 5, 2021). "13 Streaming Shows For The Kid Who *Loves* Princesses". Romper. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  26. ^ Swift, Andy (May 24, 2016). "Teen Choice Awards 2016: CW Dramas, Pretty Little Liars Lead Early Noms". TVLine. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  27. ^ Goodman, Jessica (July 31, 2016). "Teen Choice Awards 2016: See the full list of winners". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2023-08-16.

Notes

edit
  1. ^ A production studio based in Vancouver, Canada.
edit