The "High School Musical" kids have graduated. Miley Cyrus is wrapping up "Hannah Montana" this year. And the Jonas Brothers' latest show just got canceled.
Time for the Disney Channel to find the latest batch of tuneful tweens. With that in mind the channel has put "Madison High" into development, hoping it can create a "Glee" for a younger set.
Disney has high hopes for the series, which is a brainchild of Lester Lewis, the co-creator of "The Office" and a writer on more adult-oriented fare such as "Flight of the Conchords" and "The Larry Sanders Show."
The new show will be a true "break-into-song" series, building on the success that Disney has had with music-heavy shows such as "Hannah Montana."
"We have brought the 'break-into-song genre to this generation of viewers," a channel spokesperson told TheWrap.
Disney has the record sales to prove it. The company sold 9.1 million albums off of its "High School Musical" trilogy, 4.1 million records from its "Cheetah Girls" original movies, and 2.6 million copies of its "Jonas Brothers: Camp Rock" soundtrack. Clearly if "Madison High" hits big, one major beneficiary will be Disney's record label.
Unlike "Glee"s' covers of pop-standards, the music in "Madison High" will be all original. The target audience will be 6 to 14 year olds.
News of the project was first reported on Deadline.
