''Good Luck Charlie'' is an American
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
that originally aired on
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
from April 4, 2010, to February 16, 2014. The series' creators,
Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen
Philip Baker and Andrew Vaupen are an American television writing and producing team. They created the children's sitcom ''Good Luck Charlie'' for Disney Channel. Some of their other television credits include ''Pig Sty'', ''Suddenly Susan'', ' ...
, wanted to create a program that would appeal to entire families, not just children. It focuses on the Duncan family of
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
as they adjust to the births of their fourth and fifth children, Charlotte "Charlie" (Mia Talerico) and Toby (Logan Moreau). In each episode, Teddy Duncan (
Bridgit Mendler) adds to a video diary that contains advice for Charlie about their family and life as a teenager. Teddy tries to show Charlie what she might go through when she is older for future reference. Each video diary ends with Teddy (or another family member, even Charlie) saying the eponymous phrase, "''Good luck, Charlie''".
Among other decisions, executives included adult-centric scenes and changed the series title from ''Oops'' to ''Love, Teddy'' and finally to ''Good Luck Charlie'' in order to ensure the series would appeal to all family members. ''Good Luck Charlie'' premiered on
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
in the United States on April 4, 2010.
A feature-length Christmas
Disney Channel Original Movie
Many television films have been produced for Disney Channel, an American family-oriented basic cable channel and former premium television channel since its launch on April 18, 1983. Until October 1997, films were released under the banner nam ...
based on the series, entitled ''
Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas!'', premiered in December 2011. The series finale aired on February 16, 2014, with a one-hour episode.
Premise
Set in
Denver, Colorado
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, the series follows the Duncan family, who are still adjusting to the birth of their fourth child, Charlotte "Charlie" Duncan (Mia Talerico).
When parents Amy (
Leigh-Allyn Baker
Leigh-Allyn Baker (born March 13, 1972) is an American actress. She had recurring roles on ''Charmed'' and as Ellen on ''Will & Grace'', and a starring role as the matriarch Amy Duncan (Good Luck Charlie), Amy Duncan on the Disney Channel sitcom ...
), a nurse, and Bob (
Eric Allan Kramer
Eric Allan Kramer (born March 26, 1962) is an American actor and fight choreographer. Kramer has appeared in numerous feature films and television programs including ''True Romance'' and '' Robin Hood: Men in Tights'' and is also known for his ...
), an exterminator, return to work, they ask their three older children—PJ (
Jason Dolley
Jason Scott Dolley (born July 5, 1991) is an American actor and musician, known for his roles in Disney Channel shows and movies. These include List of Cory in the House characters#Newton Livingston III, Newton "Newt" Livingston III on ''Cory in ...
), Teddy (
Bridgit Mendler), and Gabe (
Bradley Steven Perry
Bradley Steven Perry (born November 23, 1998) is an American actor. He played the role of Good Luck Charlie#Gabe Duncan, Gabe Duncan on the Disney Channel family sitcom ''Good Luck Charlie'', and the role of Roger Ellison in Disney's ''High Scho ...
)—to help raise their little sister.
At the same time, Teddy, PJ, and Gabe try to deal with school and general social challenges in their lives.
The events in each episode become material for a video diary that Teddy is making for Charlie. Teddy hopes the videos will provide useful advice for Charlie after they have both grown up and Teddy has moved out.
At the end of each video, she (and/or other cast members) says, "Good luck, Charlie" or may even say it indirectly such as "Wish them good luck, Charlie." During the movie, Amy reveals to Teddy that she is pregnant with her fifth child, but this story plot is not brought into the series until the third season, during which Amy gives birth to a baby boy, Toby. Each episode ends, after the video diary, with an event that is weird and usually cannot happen in real life.
Episodes
Characters
Main
* Teddy Duncan (
Bridgit Mendler), Charlie's only sister, is the second-oldest Duncan sibling. Feeling that she will not be around as much when Charlie is grown, she produces and directs video diaries for her, hoping they will give her advice that will help her be successful as a teenager. She produces these video diaries at the end of every episode, and at the end of every video diary she says "Good luck Charlie".
* Amy Duncan (née Blankenhooper) (
Leigh-Allyn Baker
Leigh-Allyn Baker (born March 13, 1972) is an American actress. She had recurring roles on ''Charmed'' and as Ellen on ''Will & Grace'', and a starring role as the matriarch Amy Duncan (Good Luck Charlie), Amy Duncan on the Disney Channel sitcom ...
), Bob's wife and the mother of PJ, Teddy, Gabe, Charlie, and Toby. She works as a hospital nurse and is often portrayed as dutiful, protective and comedic. It is revealed in the
movie, that she is pregnant again with her fifth child.
* Gabe Duncan (
Bradley Steven Perry
Bradley Steven Perry (born November 23, 1998) is an American actor. He played the role of Good Luck Charlie#Gabe Duncan, Gabe Duncan on the Disney Channel family sitcom ''Good Luck Charlie'', and the role of Roger Ellison in Disney's ''High Scho ...
), the middle Duncan sibling, being both the younger brother of Teddy and PJ and the older brother of Charlie and Toby. He is initially disconcerted by Charlie's arrival and is the last one of the family to get used to her, until his older sister, Teddy, helps him. He is a prankster and troublemaker, (a
rebellious teenager) and has a rivalry with their neighbor Mrs. Dabney, who is often the target of Gabe's pranks and stunts.
* Charlie Duncan (Mia Talerico), the title character and the second-youngest Duncan sibling. She is generally portrayed as being happy, but can also be mischievous at times. Many of the Duncan family's adventures revolve around Charlie.
* Bob Duncan (
Eric Allan Kramer
Eric Allan Kramer (born March 26, 1962) is an American actor and fight choreographer. Kramer has appeared in numerous feature films and television programs including ''True Romance'' and '' Robin Hood: Men in Tights'' and is also known for his ...
), the father of Teddy, PJ, Gabe, Charlie, and Toby, and husband of Amy. He owns a
pest control company, "Bob's Bugs Be Gone".
* PJ Duncan (
Jason Dolley
Jason Scott Dolley (born July 5, 1991) is an American actor and musician, known for his roles in Disney Channel shows and movies. These include List of Cory in the House characters#Newton Livingston III, Newton "Newt" Livingston III on ''Cory in ...
), the eldest Duncan sibling. He and Teddy often fight, although they care about each other, and he usually gets along well with his younger brother Gabe. He often appears awkward, somewhat careless, and childish, but on numerous occasions has been known to be resourceful, creative, and intelligent. He has also been shown to be a good cook. He and his best friend Emmett have their own band entitled "PJ and the Vibe". In season three, PJ moves into an apartment shared with Emmett.
Recurring
* Ivy Wentz (
Raven Goodwin
Raven Shamira Goodwin is an American actress. She made her debut with the comedy film ''Lovely & Amazing'' (2001), which earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination, and next received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her role in ...
), Teddy's best friend, who is seen spending most of her time with Teddy at the Duncan's residence. She often accompanies Teddy on her dutiful, or personal, excursions.
* Spencer Walsh (
Shane Harper
Shane Steven Harper (born February 14, 1993) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He is known for playing Spencer on ''Good Luck Charlie'' as well as Josh Wheaton in the independent Christian film '' God's Not Dead''. His self-titled d ...
), Teddy's
on-again, off-again boyfriend throughout the series, who she begins to date in the first season.
* Emmett (
Micah Stephen Williams
Micah Stephen Williams (born February 16, 1991) is an American former actor, best known for his recurring role as Emmett on the Disney Channel sitcom ''Good Luck Charlie''.
Williams began his acting career having a small guest role in the serie ...
), PJ's best friend. He has a one-sided attraction to Teddy, though Teddy constantly rejects him. Emmett accompanies PJ on the drums in his band "PJ and the Vibe", and sometimes assists PJ on his problematic excursions.
* Mrs. Dabney (
Patricia Belcher
Patricia Belcher (born 1954) is an American film, stage and television actress, known for her roles as Ms. Dabney in the Disney Channel sitcom ''Good Luck Charlie'', and as United States Attorney Caroline Julian in the FOX crime procedural c ...
), the Duncans' strict and easily annoyed neighbor, who is often suspicious of Gabe, because his pranks and troublemaking are frequently directed towards her.
* Debbie Dooley (Ericka Kreutz), the Duncans' neighbor who speaks with a strong
Upper Midwestern accent.
* Beau Landry (
Luke Benward
Luke Aaron Benward (born May 12, 1995) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Will in the Disney film '' Cloud 9'' (2014). His first starring role was Billy Forrester in ''How to Eat Fried Worms'' (2006), and as Char ...
), a later boyfriend of Teddy's who works for Bob's company after moving from Tennessee.
* Jo Keener (
G. Hannelius
Genevieve Knight Hannelius (born December 22, 1998) is an American actress, singer, and YouTube personality who made her acting debut starring as Courtney Patterson on the ABC series ''Surviving Suburbia'' (2009). She had recurring roles on the ...
), Gabe's tomboyish bully-turned-friend.
* Mary Lou Wentz (
Ellia English
Ellia English is an American singer, dancer, stage and film actress. She is best known for her role as Aunt Helen King on the comedy sitcom ''The Jamie Foxx Show'' which originally ran from 1996 to 2001, where she was featured in a central role a ...
), Ivy Wentz's mother and Amy Duncan's friend.
* Harry Wentz (
William Allen Young), the husband of Mary Lou Wentz and the father of Ivy Wentz.
* Skyler (
Samantha Boscarino
Samantha Boscarino (born December 26, 1994) is an American actress from Ventura County, California. She is known for the film ''The Clique'', for her role as Molly Garfunkel on the Nickelodeon series ''How to Rock'', and for her lead role as Ell ...
), Teddy's friend and PJ's girlfriend.
* Jake (
Tucker Albrizzi
Tucker Albrizzi (born February 25, 2000) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Tyler Duncan on '' Big Time Rush,'' Jake on ''Good Luck Charlie,'' Randall Snyder on ''American Vandal'' and Colin McConnell on '' A.P. Bio''. He h ...
) is Gabe's empty-headed best friend.
* Toby Duncan (Logan Moreau), the fifth and youngest Duncan sibling.
* Karen (
Brooke Dillman
Brooke Dillman (born Brooke Alley; August 22, 1966) is an American actress and comedian best known as a series regular on the skit comedy '' Blue Collar TV''.
Early life and education
Dillman was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She attended Shawn ...
), Amy's boss at the hospital, who she holds a feuding relationship with.
* Vern Hardy (
Frank Collison
Frank Collison (born February 14, 1950) is an American actor known to television audiences as the hapless telegrapher Horace Bing in the series ''Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman''.
Early life
Collison was born in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Peg, ...
), an employee at Bob's Bugs Be Gone and a friend of Bob. At work, Bob usually likes to tell him about his family. In Rat-A-Teddy, it is mentioned that Vern quit and started his own extermination company.
Production
Development
''Good Luck Charlie'' was created by
Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen
Philip Baker and Andrew Vaupen are an American television writing and producing team. They created the children's sitcom ''Good Luck Charlie'' for Disney Channel. Some of their other television credits include ''Pig Sty'', ''Suddenly Susan'', ' ...
, who have been writing together since 1993 on shows ranging from ''
Suddenly Susan'' to ''
Sonny with a Chance''.
The pair aspired to create a program that would appeal to entire families rather than simply kids. Inspired by the success of reruns of shows such as ''
Full House'' and ''
George Lopez'' with young audiences, Vaupen and Baker turned to
family sitcoms. "We wanted to do a show about a family, to bring back a family sitcom and make it about a real family, not wizards, nobody's a pop star, nobody has a TV show", said Vaupen,
referring to ''
Wizards of Waverly Place'', ''
Hannah Montana
''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), a ...
'', and ''
Sonny with a Chance''. Veteran writer-producer
Dan Staley
Dan Staley is an American screenwriter and television producer.
Staley began his career in advertising, working as a copywriter at J. Walter Thompson and David Deutsch Associates, now Deutsch Inc. In his five years in advertising, he won the C ...
(''
Cheers
''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...
'') later joined the show as executive producer. Disney's Gary Marsh said "because most network television abandoned the traditional sitcom, Disney has been able to snatch up a lot of experienced talent for behind the camera, including executive producer Dan Staley..."
The series was publicly announced in July 2009 with a press release announcing the first season order as well as the primary cast.
''Good Luck Charlie''s central family, the Duncans from
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Colorado, was carefully crafted for broad appeal. While the series is still told primarily through the view point of the Duncan children, the children's parents, Amy and Bob, are less on the periphery and writers attempt to add scenes that adult viewers can relate to. For example, in one scene in the pilot episode Amy confesses to Bob that she is overwhelmed with becoming a working new mother again. "She's not sure she can pull this off", says Bonnet. "And just playing that scene the way we did, a very real scene between husband and wife, kind of makes this show different".
The writers also try to include jokes for adult viewers while remaining chaste enough for their young target audience.
Unlike most previous Disney Channel series such as ''
Sonny with a Chance'', ''
Hannah Montana
''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), a ...
'', or ''
Cory in the House'', both parents are seen in the Duncan family. "It felt like the right time to have a show with two parents, to debunk the myth that Disney never has the mom in the picture", says Adam Bonnett, Senior Vice President of original programming for Disney Channel. "Because it is a myth".
Because a series about the rich and famous might alienate viewers in a
troubled economy, the Duncans were made
middle class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Commo ...
. According to
Gary Marsh
Gary Marsh was President and Chief Creative Officer for Disney Branded Television, where he used to develop and produce Disney Channel Original Series, Disney Channel Original Movies and Disney Junior Series (formerly Playhouse Disney). He also o ...
, Entertainment President of Disney Channel Worldwide, "What we want to do is acknowledge the reality of the times in which we live, where two parents work, where kids are expected to help out around the house in meaningful ways. Real-life issues happen. Everyone isn't living 'The Life of Riley' all the time."
Broadening Disney Channel's appeal was a concern when choosing the names of the characters and the title of the program. "You want a title that says, a) this is a sitcom and, b) this is something that will interest the main demographic but also we're trying to expand the Disney brand beyond just girls", Vaupen commented.
The series' title was originally "''Love, Teddy''", the phrase Teddy had used to end her video diary entries during development. However, "''Love, Teddy''" immediately felt feminized and almost excludes boys", Vaupen said. "We also didn't want to have the word 'Baby' in the title because that would exclude certain people".
The Duncan baby was originally named "Daisy" during development, but producers thought that "Charlie", which is generally a masculine name, would attract more boys.
(Copy of original)
Casting
As ''Good Luck Charlie'' is low concept and character-driven, "the actors not only had to carry the show, they also had to have "pitch-perfect" chemistry with each other to make the family dynamic believable".
Bonnet says Disney Channel executives "just fell in love with"
Bridgit Mendler, who stars as teenaged Teddy Duncan.
"She has all the attributes of a Disney star", said Bonnet.
Mendler had previously auditioned for ''
Sonny with a Chance'', and network executives wanted to find a role for her.
Mendler first heard about ''Good Luck Charlie'' in late November 2008. After several rounds of auditions and cast reads, she finally secured the part in January 2009.
[Rosenberg, Alex (March 2010).]
Former Tam student turned starlet
. Tamalpais High School. Retrieved April 15, 2010. Mendler and
Jason Dolley
Jason Scott Dolley (born July 5, 1991) is an American actor and musician, known for his roles in Disney Channel shows and movies. These include List of Cory in the House characters#Newton Livingston III, Newton "Newt" Livingston III on ''Cory in ...
, who plays Teddy's older brother PJ, have starred in preceding Disney Channel series and movies before both were cast in ''Good Luck Charlie''; Mendler had a recurring role on ''
Wizards of Waverly Place'' and Dolley starred in ''
Cory in the House'' and numerous Disney Channel television movies. ''Variety'' magazine's Brian Lowry says their careers "
eflectthe Disney Channel's knack for identifying young performers and rolling them from one project to the next, in a fashion reminiscent of the old studio system".
The character of PJ was initially called Casey.
Both
Eric Allan Kramer
Eric Allan Kramer (born March 26, 1962) is an American actor and fight choreographer. Kramer has appeared in numerous feature films and television programs including ''True Romance'' and '' Robin Hood: Men in Tights'' and is also known for his ...
, who plays Bob Duncan, and
Leigh-Allyn Baker
Leigh-Allyn Baker (born March 13, 1972) is an American actress. She had recurring roles on ''Charmed'' and as Ellen on ''Will & Grace'', and a starring role as the matriarch Amy Duncan (Good Luck Charlie), Amy Duncan on the Disney Channel sitcom ...
, who plays Amy Duncan, have also guest starred in preceding Disney Channel shows, and both Kramer and Baker had respectively guest starred in one episode each of the
NBC sitcom ''
My Name Is Earl'', where ''Charlie'' writers Erika Kaestle & Patrick McCarthy had served as writers and supervising producers. Both Baker and Kramer were in the same episode of the
NBC sitcom ''
Will and Grace'', entitled "
Sour Balls". Baker says Disney had been "courting
er to play a mom", but she had always felt too young. "I kind of feel like hey, you know what? When I'm done with this stint, I'll actually be the age everyone thinks I am to be able to play the part". Baker, who was a new mother herself, was nine months pregnant at the time she was auditioning for the role.
Like most series featuring baby actors, producers of ''Good Luck Charlie'' had originally intended to have identical twins play Charlie Duncan, the title character and the Duncans' new baby.
Hiring two babies would allow for longer work days without violating child labor laws as well as the ability to substitute one child for the other if one was unavailable. However, the show makers were unsuccessful in finding the proper set of twins and decided to cast Mia Talerico instead.
Marsh says casting Talerico, who was ten months old at the time of her casting for the role, was their highest risk while creating the show: "It's like flying without a net. She may have a bad day and we can't shoot and it'll cost us tens of thousands of dollars. But so far, so good. She's the most obedient actor I've ever worked with".
The role of Toby was cast for the fourth season;
Logan Moreau was selected for the role.
Filming
The ''Good Luck Charlie'' pilot, entitled "Study Date", was shot in February 2009,
at Sunset Bronson Studios (where ''Hannah Montana">version of this article when reference was added on April 15, 2010, the episode was shot in 2009, not 2010. --->,
at Sunset Bronson Studios (where ''Hannah Montana
'' was taped) and the series was picked up later that year.
The show's production occurs at Sunset Bronson Studios in Los Angeles even though the show is set in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Colorado. The house that is used as the Duncan's house throughout the show is located in Pasadena, CA. Starting with the second season, the series is taped at
Los Angeles Center Studios
Los Angeles Center Studios, located in the Westlake District of Los Angeles, California, is a multipurpose facility in the former Unocal Center building (opened as Union Oil Center in April 1958) next to the 110 Freeway. Architect William Perei ...
, where ''
Shake It Up Shake It Up may refer to:
* ''Shake It Up'' (Boney James & Rick Braun album), 2000
* ''Shake It Up'' (The Cars album), 1981
** "Shake It Up" (The Cars song), the title song
* "Shake It Up" (Divine song), 1983
* "Shake It Up" (Koda Kumi song), ...
'' was also taped. The show operates on a weekly schedule. Scripts for a new episode are issued on Monday before a
read-through, Wednesdays are
rehearsal and network run-through day, final scripts are issued on Thursday, and the episode is shot in front of a live studio audience on Friday night. According to Mendler, occasionally "episodes are too big to handle with a live audience
nd aretaped without an audience, but mostly they're live".
''Good Luck Charlie'' was renewed for a second season in July 2010, three months after its premiere.
The third season was ordered in August 2011.
In June 2013, Disney Channel announced that the series would end its run after four seasons. The finale aired on February 16, 2014, with a one-hour episode.
Reception
The series earned positive reviews. Robert Lloyd of ''
The Los Angeles Times
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' described it as a "professional sitcom from sitcom professionals" with efficient jokes and typical sitcom characters, and situations which are "willfully arranged".
However, Lloyd praised the series for offering a "contextually novel picture of a teenage girl taking care of her baby sister with a persuasive nonchalance and practical ease that transcends the strenuous comedy that surrounds it".
Neal Justin of the ''
Star Tribune
The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...
'' said the "slapstick heavy, laugh-track fueled sitcom" had no redeeming qualities other than "keeping your 11-year-old sedated for a half hour". Rob Owen of the ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...
'' said ''Good Luck Charlie'' would appeal to kids, but not adults. "Parents have seen the same sort of show done before and better in
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
's 1980s-era
TGIF lineup", wrote Owen. Contrarily, Brian Lowry of ''
Variety'' magazine said ''Good Luck Charlie'' was "a surprisingly refreshing throwback to ABC's "TGIF"-style sitcoms".
He commented that while the series did not "push sitcom boundaries", it was "sprightly" and "pleasantly handled".
On June 20, 2013,
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
announced that Season 4 Episode 19, "
Down a Tree", would feature a
married lesbian couple, making ''Good Luck Charlie'' the first Disney Channel series to do so.
LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 33 ...
organization
GLAAD
GLAAD (), an acronym of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals ...
as well as actresses
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
and
Evan Rachel Wood
Evan Rachel Wood (born September 7, 1987) is an American actress and activist. She is the recipient of a Critics' Choice Television Award as well as three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations for her work in ...
expressed their support and lauded Disney for the inclusion of the characters. By contrast, the
One Million Moms
The American Family Association (AFA) is a Christian fundamentalist 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States. division of the
American Family Association
The American Family Association (AFA) is a Christian fundamentalist 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States. protested and asked Disney not to air the episode. In a statement to ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'', a Disney Channel spokesperson stated that the episode was "developed to be relevant to kids and families around the world and to reflect themes of diversity and inclusiveness."
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
aired the episode as planned on January 26, 2014.
Viewership
The series premiered to 4.7 million viewers, making it the highest-rated series premiere for a
Disney Channel Original Series since ''
The Suite Life on Deck
''The Suite Life on Deck'' is an American teen sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/Spin-off (media), spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody''. The ser ...
'' in 2008, and the week's highest-rated cable program. ''
Maclean's
''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...
'' reported that overall, the first season "has been doing about as well as Disney's more successful shows – ''The Suite Life'' and so on".
On June 24, 2012, the episode "Special Delivery" became the most watched episode ever of ''Good Luck Charlie'', earning 7.48 million viewers, surpassing the episode "Snow Show (Part 1)" which had 7.24 million viewers as well as the episode "Good Luck Jessie NYC Christmas" that garnered 5.8 million viewers and the series' pilot episode "Study Date" which had 4.68 million viewers. The most-watched episode of the series was "Special Delivery" with 7.5 million viewers. The least watched episode was "The Unusual Suspects" with 1.9 million viewers. The most viewed episode in the United Kingdom and Ireland was "Special Delivery" with 602,000 viewers when it aired on October 12, 2012.
Awards and nominations
In other media
Film and adaptation
After being ordered in July 2010, a feature-length Christmas
Disney Channel Original Movie
Many television films have been produced for Disney Channel, an American family-oriented basic cable channel and former premium television channel since its launch on April 18, 1983. Until October 1997, films were released under the banner nam ...
entitled ''
Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas!'' began production in March 2011.
The film premiered December 2, 2011, on the Disney Channel. The film was directed by
Arlene Sanford
Arlene Sanford is an American film and television director.
Sanford has directed for several notable television series and several motion picture and television films which include ''A Very Brady Sequel'' (1996), ''I'll Be Home for Christmas'' ...
and written by
Geoff Rodkey
Geoff Rodkey (born September 9, 1970) is an American screenwriter and author.
His most recent novel is the suburban-apocalypse comedy ''Lights Out in Lincolnwood''. Previously, he co-wrote comedian Kevin Hart's 2021 debut middle grade novel ''Ma ...
. The
Disney Channel Original Movie
Many television films have been produced for Disney Channel, an American family-oriented basic cable channel and former premium television channel since its launch on April 18, 1983. Until October 1997, films were released under the banner nam ...
follows the Duncan family on their road trip to Amy Duncan's parents' house for Christmas.
An Indian adaptation of the show titled ''
Best of Luck Nikki'', premiered on
Disney Channel India on April 3, 2011.
Sheena Bajaj
Sheena Bajaj (born 16 June 1992) an Indian actress known for portraying Dolly Singh in the Disney channel sitcom '' Best of Luck Nikki'' and Meher Khan in Star Plus drama ''Mariam Khan - Reporting Live''. She has also worked in '' Jassi Jaissi ...
plays
Dolly Singh
Dolly may refer to:
Tools
*Dolly (tool), a portable anvil
* A posser, also known as a dolly, used for laundering
* A variety of wheeled tools, including:
**Dolly (trailer), for towing behind a vehicle
**Boat dolly or launching dolly, a device fo ...
, a character similar to that of Teddy Duncan, Ananya Kolvankar portrays
Nikita "Nikki" Singh a character similar to that of Charlie and
Gurdeep Kohli portrays
Himani Singh, a character similar to that of Amy. The series ran for 4 seasons, 104 episodes and 3 special episodes and ended on April 16, 2016. A Pakistani adaptation of the show titled ''Peek-A-Boo Shahwaiz'' premiered on
Play Entertainment from 15 July 2018.
Music
Although a soundtrack for the show was not released, several songs were produced for the show. "Hang in There Baby", performed by
Bridgit Mendler, was written by Aris Archontis, Jeannie Lurie, and Chen Neeman. The premiere was on
Radio Disney
Radio Disney was an American radio network operated by the Disney Radio Networks unit of Disney Branded Television within the Disney General Entertainment Content, headquartered in Burbank, California.
The network broadcast music programming ...
on March 26, 2010. "
My Song for You", performed by Mendler and Harper, was featured in the
Season 3 Christmas episode "A Duncan Christmas". "My Song for You" peaked at number two on ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Kid Digital Songs
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
and three on
Holiday Songs
A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...
.
References
External links
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''Good Luck Charlie''on
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
{{It's a Laugh Productions
2010 American television series debuts
2010s American comedy television series
2010s American teen sitcoms
2014 American television series endings
Disney Channel original programming
English-language television shows
Television series about families
Television series by It's a Laugh Productions
Television shows set in Colorado