Lizzie McGuire

''Lizzie McGuire'' is an American comedy television series created by Terri Minsky that premiered on Disney Channel on January 12, 2001. The series stars Hilary Duff as the titular character, who navigates the personal and social issues of her teenage years; and an animated version of the character voiced by Duff, who performs soliloquies to express Lizzie's inner thoughts and emotions. The series also stars Lalaine, Adam Lamberg, Jake Thomas, Hallie Todd and Robert Carradine. The series concluded on February 14, 2004, after a total of 65 episodes were produced. A feature film based on the series, ''The Lizzie McGuire Movie'', was released in 2003.

The series was nominated for two Emmy Awards in 2003 and 2004 for Outstanding Children's Program. The pilot received a nomination at the Writers Guild of America Awards for Best Children's Script. The series also received various awards and nominations at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards from 2002 to 2005.

A revival series was announced in August 2019 to be entering production for Disney+, with Duff reprising her role and Minsky returning as showrunner, but Minsky later departed from the role. Lamberg, Thomas, Todd and Carradine were also attached to return to the series in their original roles. The series began production in association with Disney Channel, but entered a hiatus after Minsky's departure and did not resume, being officially canceled in December 2020.

Premise

The series follows Lizzie McGuire, a 13-year-old girl who faces the personal and social issues of adolescence alongside her best friends, Miranda and Gordo, at junior high. Episodes depict Lizzie's transition into adolescence at home and school, including the friends' rivalry with their classmate, Kate, and affections for Ethan. Lizzie tries to develop her own identity, but is also attracted to the idea of popularity at school and longs for social acceptance by her peers. She has a close relationship with her family: her mother, Jo; her father, Sam; and her younger brother, Matt. Lizzie's thoughts and emotions are conveyed sporadically in the episodes through her animated persona, who sometimes speaks directly to the audience.

Cast and characters

Main

* Hilary Duff as Elizabeth "Lizzie" McGuire, a shy and clumsy girl who tries to find her place in the world and become popular. Her inner thoughts and emotions are expressed through the soliloquies of an animated version of herself.
* Lalaine as Miranda Sanchez, Lizzie's confident best friend, who enjoys singing and dreams of being a musician.
* Adam Lamberg as David "Gordo" Gordon, Lizzie's childhood best friend, who has a passion for filmmaking and playing hacky sack. He later becomes attracted to Lizzie.
* Jake Thomas as Matthew "Matt" McGuire, Lizzie's younger brother, who regularly develops schemes to create trouble around the house. He and Lizzie bicker but still care deeply about each other.
* Hallie Todd as Joanne "Jo" McGuire, Lizzie's mother, who sometimes struggles with the pressure of raising a teenager.
* Robert Carradine as Samuel "Sam" McGuire, Lizzie's father, who sometimes struggles with the pressure of raising a teenager and is a bit slow-minded.

Recurring

* Ashlie Brillault as Katherine "Kate" Sanders, a popular girl at school who was formerly the best friend of Lizzie and Miranda; she is now their frenemy.
* Clayton Snyder as Ethan Craft, who is friendly and popular, and whom Lizzie, Miranda, and Kate hope to date.
* Kyle Downes as Lawrence "Larry" Tudgeman III, a stereotypical geek who is treated like an outcast at school. He likes Miranda.
* Davida Williams as Claire Miller, Kate's new best friend who is jealous of the friendship Kate had with Lizzie and Miranda.
* Christian Copelin as Lanny Onasis, Matt's best friend, who does not speak.
* Carly Schroeder as Melina Bianco, Matt's best friend, who likes to create trouble for him.
* Arvie Lowe Jr. as Digby "Mr. Dig" Sellers, Lizzie's laid-back substitute teacher whom she perceives as cool.
* Rachel Snow as Veruca Albano, Lizzie's nerdy but tough classmate.
* Haylie Duff as Amy Sanders, Kate's older cousin.

Episodes

Production

Development

In 2000, Hilary Duff was asked to audition for a series on Disney Channel. Created by Terri Minsky, the series was known by the working title ''What's Lizzie Thinking?'' throughout development. The series was later retitled ''Lizzie McGuire'', and Duff successfully auditioned for the title character of Lizzie, who was described as a regular teenager. The premise for the series was based on a script previously written by Minsky, which featured the main character's inner thoughts and emotions as narration. Producer Stan Rogow conceived a high-concept version of the script in which an animated version of the character would be featured to convey these thoughts. This concept became known the "animated Lizzie" persona; and was also voiced by Duff. Rogow stated that the visual design of the show was inspired by the film '' Run Lola Run''.

In July 2001, a second season of 22 episodes were ordered, to begin production in September and air in 2002. Lalaine's character Miranda did not appear in the last 6 episodes filmed for the second season, or ''The Lizzie McGuire Movie'', due to Lalaine leaving the series early to work on other projects such as '' You Wish!''. and Radio Disney Concert Tours. Filming of the movie and series concluded in December 2002 after 65 episodes were produced; a standard limit for Disney Channel's series.

Canceled spin-offs

In May 2003, it was revealed that ''Lizzie McGuire'' would end production due to contract disagreements between Duff and Disney. The company was interested in transitioning the program into a high school-centered series for ABC and expanding the franchise with a further film, while Duff was receiving offers for lucrative roles with other studios. After the series ended its original run, Disney Channel also considered producing an animated version of the series. In November 2004, a pilot for an intended spin-off was ordered, which was to center on Miranda's younger sister Stevie Sanchez and her Latino family. The series would follow the 12-year-old central character, who was played in the pilot by Selena Gomez, and would also feature an animated version of the character like Lizzie. It was to star LaLaine and be produced by Minsky and Rogow. The pilot was produced in 2005, but the series was not picked up in favor of Disney choosing ''Hannah Montana''.

Canceled revival

In 2014, Duff stated that she would be open for a reunion, and in December 2018, stated that there had been discussions about reviving the series.

On August 23, 2019, it was announced at the D23 Expo that Disney was developing a revival television series of ''Lizzie McGuire''. The series was revealed to be in production for exclusive distribution on the Disney+ streaming service, with Duff reprising her role as the title character; the original series creator, Terri Minsky, planned to serve as the reboot's showrunner. The sequel series would have centered on Lizzie at the age of thirty, navigating life as an apprentice to an interior decorator, while living in an apartment in Brooklyn, New York City, engaged to a man who owns a restaurant in SoHo, Manhattan. When she discovers him cheating on her, she returns home to Los Angeles. It was revealed that the animated alter ego of Lizzie would also have appeared in the series. The series was to be produced by Salty Pictures in association with Disney Channel as part of an overall deal with Minsky. Duff was to serve as an executive producer, alongside Rachel Winter, and co-executive producer Ranada Shepard. In October 2019, it was announced that Thomas, Todd and Carradine would also return to the series, reprising their roles as Matt, Jo and Sam McGuire respectively. Production on the sequel series began on October 29, 2019 on location in Washington Square Park in New York. Further filming for the series would have taken place in Los Angeles. In November, it was revealed that Federico Dordei would be joining the cast as new character, Dominic Shaw, and that Lamberg would be reprising his role as Gordo.

Minsky departed as the showrunner of the revival in January 2020 after the first two episodes of the series had been filmed, due to creative differences with Disney. Production of the series was placed on a hiatus and delayed until a new showrunner would be decided, with speculation that Minsky had been fired and the series would be canceled. In February 2020, Duff hinted on social media that production had stopped because the series was not thought "family-friendly" enough by Disney+ executives. Disney reaffirmed that the development of the series was ongoing and that a new showrunner had not yet been decided. Duff later posted a statement publicly pleading for Disney+ to move the series to Hulu as had been done with ''Love, Victor'' and ''High Fidelity'', stating that it would allow the series to fully represent the life of a thirty-year-old without the constraints of a "family friendly" classification. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' stated that the first episode's script featured references to sex and involved cheating as a central plot point. It was reported in April that Minsky was in contact with the writers of the series, and Duff was still in talks with Disney; however, in December 2020, Duff announced that the revival was officially canceled.

Release

Broadcast

The series premiered on Disney Channel on January 12, 2001, as a special sneak preview, following the premiere of the film '' Zenon: The Zequel''. The series officially premiered on January 19, 2001. ''Lizzie McGuire'' was scheduled to begin airing in reruns on ABC as part of Disney's One Saturday Morning on September 15, 2001. On September 14, 2002, Disney's One Saturday Morning was rebranded as ABC Kids, where ''Lizzie McGuire'' continued airing until September 10, 2005 when it was removed from the lineup.

In 2006, Superstation WGN acquired the rights to ''Even Stevens'' and ''Lizzie McGuire''. The series was broadcast in Australia on the ABC.

Home media

A DVD box set containing 22 episodes from the first season, titled "Volume 1", was released by Walt Disney Home Entertainment on November 23, 2004.

Other media

Film

Walt Disney Pictures released a film based on the series, ''The Lizzie McGuire Movie'', on May 2, 2003, in the United States. Set after the conclusion of the series and her middle school graduation, the film follows Lizzie and her classmates on a school trip to Rome, Italy. The movie was filmed in Rome, at locations such as the Trevi Fountain. It earned $42.7 million at the U.S. box office and $12.8 million internationally, for a total of $55.6 million worldwide. It received mixed reviews, with a 41% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 99 reviews. The website's critical consensus states it is a "harmless piece of fluff that ought to satisfy fans of the TV show".

Merchandising

Throughout the early 2000s, the series' popularity led Disney to release merchandise, including a series of books and comics, a Lizzie McGuire character doll, a bedroom set, board games and video games. Toys were also released through a partnership with McDonald's in 2004. ''Fortune'' estimated in 2003 that ''Lizzie McGuire'' merchandise had earned nearly $100 million. Two soundtracks for the series were produced, ''Lizzie McGuire'' and '' Lizzie McGuire Total Party!''

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, ''Lizzie McGuire'' has an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from 5 critics. Common Sense Media commended the series' realistic representation of friendship noted its relatability for both boys and girls. Reviewing the series premiere in 2001, Laura Fries of ''Variety'' called the program "good-natured", and praised the writers' ability to include adolescent vernacular and pop culture references. A review on the ''DVDizzy'' blog called early episodes "clever, funny, and pretty sincere", but suggested that the show later suffered from a creative decline in favor of more celebrity guest appearances. A DVD review by '' Dove.org'' in 2003 called the series "wholesome", and noted its real-world lessons.

Katie Minard of ''Entertainment Weekly'' listed "Picture Day" as the best episode of the series in her 2016 ranking, due to its relatable plot and important moral. Writing for ''The Gateway'', Ashlynn Chand said that "One of the Guys" teaches young viewers that "femininity and masculinity aren't so binary". Chand also described Duff and her character as a "style icon" in reference to the fashion of the episode "Last Year's Model".

Accolades

References

External links

*
*
Lizzie McGuire
' at Rotten Tomatoes

{{Portal bar, Television, United States, Disney

2000s American comedy television series
2000s American school television series
2001 American television series debuts
2004 American television series endings
ABC Kids (TV programming block)
American television series with live action and animation
Disney Channel original programming
English-language television shows
McGuire, Lizzie
McGuire, Lizzie
McGuire, Lizzie
McGuire, Lizzie
Middle school television series
Television series about families
Television series about siblings
Television series about teenagers
Television series by Disney
Television series created by Terri Minsky
Television shows filmed in Los Angeles
Television shows set in Los Angeles
Coming-of-age television shows