Wizards of Waverly Place
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wizards of Waverly Place | |
|---|---|
 The show's title card showing from left to right David Henrie, Selena Gomez, and Jake T. Austin |
|
| Format | Children's TV series Sitcom |
| Created by | Todd J. Greenwald |
| Starring | Selena Gomez David Henrie Jake T. Austin Maria Canals Barrera David DeLuise Jennifer Stone |
| Opening theme | "Everything is Not What It Seems" by Selena Gomez |
| Country of origin |  |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 25 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Todd J. Greenwald Peter Murrieta |
| Running time | 22 min. approx. |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Disney Channel |
| Original run | October 12, 2007 – present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Wizards of Waverly Place is a live-action Disney Channel Original Series which premiered on October 12, 2007 on Disney Channel.[1] The series focuses on the three Russo children who, on the surface, seem to be normal teens, but are actually wizards in training. The Russo children are competing within their family to be the best wizard, as he or she will get to keep their powers as an adult.
On April 9, 2008, it was announced that Wizards of Waverly Place would return for a second season in 2008. [2] Season Two started filming May 2008.
Contents |
[edit] Premise
The show centers upon Alex Russo, her older brother Justin, and their younger brother Max. The three live with their stern, disciplinary father, Jerry, and their eccentric Latino mother, Theresa. Jerry was a wizard when he was young and lost his powers to his older brother, who proved to be the better wizard in the family. He married Theresa, who is not a wizard. Alex often gets into trouble by using magic unsupervised, and learns lessons and morals that span among friends, family, and school.
When they reach adulthood, the three will compete to see who gets to keep their adult powers.
A DVD release entitled Wizards of Waverly Place Wizard School is to be released July 29. This is the first volume of the series. Source: Tvshowsondvd.com
[edit] Cast
- Selena Gomez as Alex Russo
- David Henrie as Justin Russo
- Jake T. Austin as Max Russo
- David DeLuise as Jerry Russo
- Maria Canals Barrera as Theresa Russo
- Jennifer Stone as Harper Evans
[edit] Casting
Gomez, Henrie, Austin and Canals all had roles in another Disney Channel series. DeLuise and Stone have never, although Stone will soon. The writers originally struggled with naming the characters; there were originally supposed to be two children: Jordan (later Justin) and Julia (later Brooke, then Alex), but that was changed after Jake T. Austin was hired. Jennifer Stone plays Harper, Alex's best friend.
[edit] Recurring characters
- Amanda (Amanda Tepe) is the recurring character with the most appearances. She appears in almost every episode, playing a random character who speaks with a boring, monotone drawl. Jobs she has held include department store manager, waitress, frozen yogurt store manager, hotel maitre'd, security guard, and the information desk lady at Volcano Land. Her last job shows that she may know something about magic herself.
- Gertrude "Gigi" Hollingsworth (Skyler Samuels) is Alex's rival. She has tried to embarrass Alex ever since they were in kindergarten when Gigi spilled juice on Alex's mat during naptime and said Alex had an "accident." Another one of Gigi's targets is Alex's best friend, Harper. Gigi invited Harper to her annual tea party with the purpose of crowning her as the biggest loser at the tea. She has appeared in the episodes, Crazy Ten Minute Sale and Alex's Choice.
- Miranda Hampson (Lucy Hale) is Justin's gothic girlfriend. She really likes Justin - according to Alex, she "brightens from tragic to gloomy when they're together" and wants to kiss him. She is very fond of the color black and hates Corporate America. Harper believes that the reason Justin is dating Miranda is that Miranda looks very much like her. She has appeared in the episodes, First Kiss and Pop Me and We Both Go Down. However, in the episode The Supernatural, Justin and Miranda seem to have broken up because Justin tries to impress another girl by joining the school's baseball team.
- Frankie (Paulie Litt) is Justin's rival. He seems to have a crush on Alex, and he is often seen scamming Justin. Although he is just a child, Frankie seems to have the personality of an old time Italian gangster. Frankie has a similar personality to Stanley in That's So Raven and Rico in Hannah Montana. They are all short in height, they seem to have a crush on the female main character, and they are seen scamming the male main character. He has appeared in the episodes, New Employee and Curb Your Dragon.
| Cast | Character | |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | ||
| Amanda Tepe | Various | 6 |
| Lucy Hale | Miranda | 2 |
| Brian Kubach | Riley | 3 |
| Skyler Samuels | Gigi | 2 |
| Heather Trzyna | Wannabe #1 | 2 |
| Paulie Litt | Frankie the Answer Man | 2 |
| Wayne Federman | Mr. Laritate | 2 |
| Bryant Johnson | Matt | 1 |
| Jack Plotnick | Pocket Elf | 1 |
| Daryl Sabara | T.J. Taylor | 1 |
| Kelsey Sanders | Wannabe #2 | 2 |
| Jim Wise | Mr. Malone | 1 |
| Malese Jow | Ruby Donahue | 1 |
| Candace Brown | Genie | 1 |
| Octavia Spencer | Dr. Evilini | 2 |
[edit] Episodes
| Season | Ep # | First Airdate | Last Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 21 | October 12, 2007 | August, 2008 |
| Season 2 | October, 2008 | 2009 |
[edit] Spells
Spell Improvisation/Makemup Spells:
- Satisfy my empty belly, make me a peanut butter and jelly turns someone into a PB&J sandwich. Used in the episode, Movies by Max Russo.
- Although I like such tasty snacks, I'd rather have my brother Max turned Max the PB&J sandwich back into a human. Used in Movies by Alex Russo.
- I'm old enough to hang with actress/model/spokeswoman Ruby Donahue, so get me into "Night of the Halloween Sorority Party Disaster 2" got Alex literally into the movie, "Night of the Halloween Sorority Party Disaster 2". Used in Movies by Alex Russo.
- We've had enough of all this fear, so hurry up and get us outta here got Alex and Justin away from the masked villain in the movie. Used in Movies by Justin Russo.
- I'm scared of what might happen next, so take us to the Mondoplex got Justin and Alex out of the movie and back into the theater lobby. Used in Movies by Justin Russo.
Additionally, there were spells used by T.J. Taylor in which no incantation was given.
[edit] Other magical items
| Spell | What It Does | Who Uses It First | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What Episode(s) It Is In | |||
| Edgebonoutwosis | Duplicates someone or something | Justin Russo | Crazy Ten Minute Sale |
| Macreary Timereary | Rewinds time; used as a "do over" spell to redo a mistake | Justin Russo | First Kiss |
| Take this girl with the skills of a bench, and turn her into a serving wench | Turns a waitress with no skills into a professional waiter | Alex Russo | New Employee |
| Take this girl who's a great serving wench, and give her back the skills of a bench | Turns a great waitress into a waitress with no skills | Alex Russo | New Employee |
| Stop all the racket, I'll wear a jacket | Zaps a jacket onto your body instantly | Alex Russo | Disenchanted Evening |
| Commakus Pankacus | Conjures up pancakes | Alex Russo | Disenchanted Evening |
| Transportium Nextorbitorium | Transports you to another planet | Alex Russo | Disenchanted Evening |
| Some people are a gem, some people are a rat, to learn who's who give me the ear of a bat | Gives you a bat's hearing | Alex Russo | Alex's Choice |
| Some are evil, some are kind, but now all must speak their mind | Forces someone to speak whats on their mind | Alex Russo | Alex's Choice Wizard School Part Two |
| Animosa Espinosa | Turns a human into an animal | Alex Russo | Curb Your Dragon |
| Huminosa Espinosa | Turns a human who's been turned into an animal back into a human | Alex Russo | Curb Your Dragon |
| Murrieta Animata | Animates an object | Max tried but failed/Alex Russo | Pop Me and We Both Go Down |
| Garybay Immobilitay | Unanimates an object that's been animated | Alex Russo | Pop Me and We Both Go Down |
| Levitatus Liquidatus | Levitates any Liquid | Max tried but failed | Potion Commotion |
| We are now small and teeny weeny, take us inside to see the genie | Gets you inside a genie's lamp | Justin Russo | Justin's Little Sister |
| We are now small and teeny weeny, we are done visiting the genie | Gets you out of a genie's lamp | Justin Russo | Justin's Little Sister |
| Mailus Spontaneous (name of person or place) | Sends any object or person to the person or place mentioned in the spell | Alex Russo | Wizard School Part One |
| From your chin to your toes, an elephant trunk grows | Grows an elephant truck on a human | Alex Russo | Wizard School Part One |
| Scream Politty NellyQuitty | Controls someone to not quit something they don't want to do | Dr. Evilini | Wizard School Part Two |
| Tomunane Kaneses | Moves objects and defies the law of gravity to your liking | Alex Russo | The Supernatural |
| Cerebellum Erasus | Erases everybody's mind in the area where the spell is being performed, including wizards | Justin Russo | The Supernatural |
| Item | What It/They Do(es) | Who First Introduced It | What Episode It Was First Shown |
| Pocket Elves | These little creatures live in gold and silver eggs and can help you in any subject. They are also addicted to chocolate and if they bite you, you'll be addicted to chocolate. | Jerry Russo | I Almost Drowned In a Chocolate Fountain |
| Flying Carpet | You learn to fly a carpet and get a license to do so. | Jerry Russo Theresa Russo Alex Russo |
You Can't Always Get What You Carpet |
| Wizard Internet Shopping | You can buy dragons and wizardly items on special laptops. | Alex Russo | Curb Your Dragon |
| Emotion Potions | If you drink this potion, your emotions will change. If you and someone else drink two bottles of the same type of potion, you will both have the same emotion. | Justin Russo Jerry Russo |
Potion Commotion |
| Genie Genie Lamp |
A con-wizard that grants you three wishes. You can take those wishes away if you press the Reset button. Wizards can go inside the genie's lamp to visit the genie. | Jerry Russo | Justin's Little Sister |
| Wizard Mail Wizard Mail Key |
If you use a special key and open with it in mid-air, you will get the mailing system. Say Mailus Spontanius and a place where you want to send your mail, then it'll be sent. | Jerry Russo | Wizard School Part One |
| Twelve-Ball | A wizard game. It is played with 2-12 balls. To hit the balls, you need two two-sided paddles. Every few seconds, a hand throws in another ball. The winner of any twelve-ball tournament would win a "Heavyweight Champion"-type belt. It is played on a dodecahedron-shaped table. | Dr. Evilini | Wizard School Part One Wizard School Part Two |
| The Power Hat | When your wizarding powers start to kick in, you must wear a goofy-looking hat so your wizarding powers don't go out of control. | Max Russo Alex Russo |
Potion Commotion |
| Magic Broom | Allows a wizard to fly, but at super slow speeds- which is why most wizards use carpets | Theresa Russo | Unseen, but mentioned in You Can't Always Get What You Carpet |
[edit] DVD Releases
Wizard School, is a 4 episodes DVD, already listed in Amazon.com, to be released in July 29, 2008 in the US.
| Name | Included Episodes | US Release Date | Plot | DVD Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School | Wizard School Part 1 and Wizard School Part 2, Curb Your Dragon,Disenchanted Evening | July 29, 2008[3] | TBA |
[edit] Production
iTunes released the pilot episode as a free download on October 5, 2007, and on October 12, 2007 iTunes required it to be purchased. It first aired in Canada on October 26, 2007, airing on Family Channel, and first aired on Disney Channel UK on November 3, 2007. On its premiere night, it received 5.93 million viewers.[4]
The tag lines in advertisements are "They've got the power!", "Three typical teens, where everything is not what it seems" and "Being a teenager can be tricky."
It was one of the many shows affected by the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike. Just shortly after the show's premiere, the writing was halted due to the strike.[5] They are currently producing finished scripts of new episodes.
David Henrie has confirmed that he has written an episode for Season 2.
[edit] Settings
The show is primarily set on the Waverly Place street in Manhattan.
- Waverly Sub Station is the Russo Family's sandwich shop. All three kids work and hang out there. It resembles a typical New York City Subway station.
- The Magic Lair is where the Russo kids have magic class with their father. Normally, it is a freezer but can be turned magically into the Lair.
- The Loft is where the Russo family lives. It is also connected to the magic lair and the Waverly Sub Station.
- Waverly Place is outside of the Waverly Sub Station. Mainly, the pedestrian-only alleyway is shot and Waverly Place is only shot on certain occasions like in the episode First Kiss, prior to the crystal ball scene.
- Tribeca Prep is the school that Justin, Alex, Max, and their friends attend.
- Suburban Outfitters is the store where the Crazy Ten Minute Sale occurred.
- Medium Rare is the restaurant where Alex, Harper, Riley, and their friends went to in the episode, I Almost Drowned in a Chocolate Fountain.
- Gurt Barn is a frozen yogurt shop where Harper worked when she quit/was fired from working at the Waverly Sub Station in the episode, New Employee.
- Mars is the planet where Justin, Alex, and Max transported to in the episode, Disenchanted Evening.
- Hotel "Fleur-De-Vla De-Vra Flu-Fla De-Vra Du-Fla" is the hotel where Gigi had her "loser tea" in the episode, Alex's Choice. The name is French.
- The Hudson Dog Show is where the dog show occurred in the episode, Curb Your Dragon.
- The Mondoplex is the cinema where Justin's older friends invited Alex to see an R-rated movie, "Night of the Halloween Sorority Party Disaster 2". It is presumed that this is the same cinema where Justin and Miranda went to for a date.
- The Zeta Theta Beta Sorority House is where Alex accidentally ended up in when she tried to see an R-rated movie, in which she was not old enough to see.
- China is the country where the Loft moved to when Max's full powers were settling in.
- Hawaii is the state where the Loft also moved to.
- Genie's Lamp is the place where Jerry taught Justin, Alex, and Max about genies in the episode, Justin's Little Sister.
- Wiz Tech is the wizard school that Justin and Alex attend over the summer in the two-part episode, Wizard School.
- Volcano Land is a volcano on the outskirts of Wiz Tech that Alex traveled to, and the place that Dr. Evilini planned to drain Justin's powers, in the two-part episode, Wizard School.
- Baseball Field is where Jerry's baseball team (The Aztecs) played baseball. Justin was part of the team.
- The Store is the place Alex animated a Mannequin in the episode Alex's Spring Fling (This episode hasn't aired yet but can be seen on Youtube.)
[edit] International Broadcast
Wizards of Waverly Place is broadcast on the following stations around the world:
[edit] References
- ^ Disney Channel Media Net (September 6, 2007). "Premier of Kids and Family Sitcom "Wizards of Waverly Place" ... "Friday, February 15 on Disney Channel"". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-09-20. “premiere episode, "Crazy Ten Minute Sale,"”
- ^ Disney Channel MediaNet
- ^ Amazon.com: The Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School: Todd J. Greenwald: Movies & TV
- ^ Top Ratings
- ^ http://hollywoodstrike.blogspot.com/2007/11/wga-strike-updated-strike-affected-show.html
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Wizards of Waverly Place at the Internet Movie Database
- Wizards of Waverly Place at TV.com
- Wizards of Waverly Place Fans
- Save Wizards?
- Behind-the-scenes pictures
- Wikia has a wiki on this subject: Wizards of Waverly Place
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