I'm going to state this like it's more of a fact rather than an opinion but That's so Raven WAS, is now, and ALWAYS will be the best television series EVER on Disney Channel, or on television for that matter. When it was on Disney Channel, I'd watch it EVERY time it would air, even in the year 2013, all these years later and I'm still a huge fan of that show. I'm surprised I don't have That's So Raven on DVD or any of the novels but regardless, I cannot begin to put into words how much of a weakness I have for That's So Raven. It still appalls me to this very day that That's So Raven fails to be among the many Disney Channel shows that didn't have a movie (I'll get more to that a little later in this review).
I love Raven-Symone, and I loved her in the Raven Baxter character. Well, I love her in all her performances, no matter who she protrays or what show she is on. But Raven really hit this one out of the park. Also, I'm going to put out there that I even wrote to Raven back in fall of '05 asking her to ask her producers if I can be in an episode of her show, even if only to be an extra, because I loved the show so much so to actually be on the set of the best show on television, getting to be with the cast and crew... OF the best show on television would've been like a magical dream come true. But unfortunately the letter never got sent because my mum found it and took it from me. Unfortunately my dream of being on the Raven show didn't come to fruition but I'm not letting that stand in the way of jump-starting my acting career. Oh, guess what? I still have the letter I wrote to Raven eight years ago and I do plan to show Raven my letter one day (give it to her in person, not mail it off).
Let me also just say how the show's ratings were OFF THE CHARTS. Usually, Disney shows seem to have this limit (I'm guessing because they think kids have shorter attention spans) to 64 or 65 episodes per show but That's So Raven BUSTED THAT LIMIT! Oh, yes! The high ratings must have gave Disney the okay to order more episodes made. The only explanation I can think of why the movie didn't happen was because maybe Disney thought the show had enough episodes for a movie to not happen or it might've been a loss for Disney, my other explanation is that it could be a race thing because a lot of other Disney Channel shows get turned into films and they weren't even remotely as successful as That's So Raven so I don't know if it would've been a loss to Disney. As far as I know the script for a movie was written but never made it into the production phase.
That's so Raven was ALMOST everything I could ever want in a television show. I say "almost" because I'm more of a drama queen than a comedy critic, so I could easily do without all the comedy aspects of the show. Give That's So Raven more drama and a lot (and a mean a LOT) less comedy and it would've been a real stunner, that being the reason why I'm giving it a 9 although I should give it a perfect 10 to do it justice. If I could vote 9 and a half, I could but I can't so I'mma go ahead and give a full 10. No offense to the actress, T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh, but I'm glad she left the show because her character didn't feel right on the show. I don't know if T'Keyah left of her own accord or if Disney wrote the character off the canvas but the Tanya Baxter character felt kind of useless to me.
OH! I LOVE the opening theme song! I even have the theme on my iPhone and I listen to the theme over, and over, and over, and over again. I even like that the show has a cold opening (a cold opening is a show with a teaser opening scene, and then the opening credits). I like shows to start like that.
This show would've been perfect just kill the stupid, annoying comedic- sitcom aspects of it. Give it the feel that The Cheetah Girls movies had and it would've been absolute perfection. But this show was absolute gold.
Even though That's so Raven aired its series finale in 2007, it's a shame that in these days, the show is no longer airing on television. ABC would air it on Saturday mornings during the Saturday morning ABC Kids block, which unfortunately is no longer airing. There was the one time, ABC aired That's So Raven at 5:00pm for a full hour. *Sighs* I wish I had a DVR so I could record those two episodes. But I still hold out hope one day ABC Kids will return with a full hour of That's So Raven.
And as I am an aspiring television/film actress-producer, I also hold out bigger hope to be part of a show that's even better and more successful than That's So Raven, and I co-star on that show WITH Raven- Symone!
I love Raven-Symone, and I loved her in the Raven Baxter character. Well, I love her in all her performances, no matter who she protrays or what show she is on. But Raven really hit this one out of the park. Also, I'm going to put out there that I even wrote to Raven back in fall of '05 asking her to ask her producers if I can be in an episode of her show, even if only to be an extra, because I loved the show so much so to actually be on the set of the best show on television, getting to be with the cast and crew... OF the best show on television would've been like a magical dream come true. But unfortunately the letter never got sent because my mum found it and took it from me. Unfortunately my dream of being on the Raven show didn't come to fruition but I'm not letting that stand in the way of jump-starting my acting career. Oh, guess what? I still have the letter I wrote to Raven eight years ago and I do plan to show Raven my letter one day (give it to her in person, not mail it off).
Let me also just say how the show's ratings were OFF THE CHARTS. Usually, Disney shows seem to have this limit (I'm guessing because they think kids have shorter attention spans) to 64 or 65 episodes per show but That's So Raven BUSTED THAT LIMIT! Oh, yes! The high ratings must have gave Disney the okay to order more episodes made. The only explanation I can think of why the movie didn't happen was because maybe Disney thought the show had enough episodes for a movie to not happen or it might've been a loss for Disney, my other explanation is that it could be a race thing because a lot of other Disney Channel shows get turned into films and they weren't even remotely as successful as That's So Raven so I don't know if it would've been a loss to Disney. As far as I know the script for a movie was written but never made it into the production phase.
That's so Raven was ALMOST everything I could ever want in a television show. I say "almost" because I'm more of a drama queen than a comedy critic, so I could easily do without all the comedy aspects of the show. Give That's So Raven more drama and a lot (and a mean a LOT) less comedy and it would've been a real stunner, that being the reason why I'm giving it a 9 although I should give it a perfect 10 to do it justice. If I could vote 9 and a half, I could but I can't so I'mma go ahead and give a full 10. No offense to the actress, T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh, but I'm glad she left the show because her character didn't feel right on the show. I don't know if T'Keyah left of her own accord or if Disney wrote the character off the canvas but the Tanya Baxter character felt kind of useless to me.
OH! I LOVE the opening theme song! I even have the theme on my iPhone and I listen to the theme over, and over, and over, and over again. I even like that the show has a cold opening (a cold opening is a show with a teaser opening scene, and then the opening credits). I like shows to start like that.
This show would've been perfect just kill the stupid, annoying comedic- sitcom aspects of it. Give it the feel that The Cheetah Girls movies had and it would've been absolute perfection. But this show was absolute gold.
Even though That's so Raven aired its series finale in 2007, it's a shame that in these days, the show is no longer airing on television. ABC would air it on Saturday mornings during the Saturday morning ABC Kids block, which unfortunately is no longer airing. There was the one time, ABC aired That's So Raven at 5:00pm for a full hour. *Sighs* I wish I had a DVR so I could record those two episodes. But I still hold out hope one day ABC Kids will return with a full hour of That's So Raven.
And as I am an aspiring television/film actress-producer, I also hold out bigger hope to be part of a show that's even better and more successful than That's So Raven, and I co-star on that show WITH Raven- Symone!