Raven Baxter Biography
The name “Raven Baxter” is without a doubt a part of my childhood memories. Portrayed by actress Raven-Symoné, Raven Baxter, star of Disney Channel’s TV show “That’s So Raven,” was the fashionista just trying to make it through high school whom I used as a guide for what my 17-year-old self might face one day. With her dynamic duo of best friends Eddie and Chelsea, her money-loving younger brother Cory, and her funny and sweet parents Victor and Tanya, it is no surprise that Raven was such a memorable character—not to mention the fact that she was sidekick. Now, nearly 10 years since the show ended, the world has been blessed with the announcement that Disney Channel will be making a spinoff of “That’s So Raven,” starring Symoné. She will still play Raven Baxter, but rather than the teenager we all know and love, she will be a divorced mom with two kids (one of whom is also psychic), according to a Variety article. And I have mixed feelings about it.
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I absolutely think a “That’s So Raven” spinoff has a ton of potential.
However, my concern lies within the way that Disney Channel could possibly execute it. I was absolutely in love with Disney Channel shows as a kid. Of course “That’s So Raven” was amazing, but “Lizzie McGuire,” “Even Stevens” and “Phil of the Future” were also contenders for my all-time favorite series. With my still-unwavering fondness toward my era’s Disney Channel shows, I, in letting my curiosity wander, and have found myself putting on Disney Channel just to see what “the kids” are watching these days. Rarely am I able to keep the channel on for more than a few minutes, though, because, much to my dismay, I am always quite unimpressed. I find that today’s Disney Channel shows are much less sophisticated and far tackier than those of my childhood. The sense of humor is cliché, and the acting is poorly over-dramatic, making the shows more immature and much less
relatable. Yes, I realize that I am giving an opinion on these shows from a perspective that is much older and wiser than that when “That’s So Raven” was aired. That being said, in the last few years, I have on multiple occasions watched reruns of “Lizzie McGuire” and “That’s So Raven” when I have spotted them on late-night Disney or found them online, and noticed that I still enjoy them. They have a level of depth and maturity that still make the show relatable beyond simple nostalgia for the past. Therefore, I am worried with what Disney Channel might do to the upcoming “That’s So Raven” spinoff. Take, for example, the show “Boy Meet’s World,” which, although was not aired on Disney Channel, had a similar vibe to the Disney shows I used to watch. So, it’s no wonder that in the last few years, Disney decided to air a spinoff of the show called “Girl Meets World” that stars the two leads of the original series. However, I find the same issue in this series that I do in many of Disney’s series today: it is hackneyed and overdone. Maybe Disney Channel is trying to relate to a younger audience and ONLY to a younger audience, but I cannot imagine that’s the case – why would it want to backtrack if it used to be able to reach a wide range of ages? Nevertheless, I hope and pray that the “That’s So Raven” spinoff will be more reminiscent of the channel’s older ways. I would hate to see it forfeit the show’s original spirit for something else that would totally diminish the point of a spinoff; otherwise, it may as well just be a new show altogether.
I absolutely think a “That’s So Raven” spinoff has a ton of potential.
However, my concern lies within the way that Disney Channel could possibly execute it. I was absolutely in love with Disney Channel shows as a kid. Of course “That’s So Raven” was amazing, but “Lizzie McGuire,” “Even Stevens” and “Phil of the Future” were also contenders for my all-time favorite series. With my still-unwavering fondness toward my era’s Disney Channel shows, I, in letting my curiosity wander, and have found myself putting on Disney Channel just to see what “the kids” are watching these days. Rarely am I able to keep the channel on for more than a few minutes, though, because, much to my dismay, I am always quite unimpressed. I find that today’s Disney Channel shows are much less sophisticated and far tackier than those of my childhood. The sense of humor is cliché, and the acting is poorly over-dramatic, making the shows more immature and much less
relatable. Yes, I realize that I am giving an opinion on these shows from a perspective that is much older and wiser than that when “That’s So Raven” was aired. That being said, in the last few years, I have on multiple occasions watched reruns of “Lizzie McGuire” and “That’s So Raven” when I have spotted them on late-night Disney or found them online, and noticed that I still enjoy them. They have a level of depth and maturity that still make the show relatable beyond simple nostalgia for the past. Therefore, I am worried with what Disney Channel might do to the upcoming “That’s So Raven” spinoff. Take, for example, the show “Boy Meet’s World,” which, although was not aired on Disney Channel, had a similar vibe to the Disney shows I used to watch. So, it’s no wonder that in the last few years, Disney decided to air a spinoff of the show called “Girl Meets World” that stars the two leads of the original series. However, I find the same issue in this series that I do in many of Disney’s series today: it is hackneyed and overdone. Maybe Disney Channel is trying to relate to a younger audience and ONLY to a younger audience, but I cannot imagine that’s the case – why would it want to backtrack if it used to be able to reach a wide range of ages? Nevertheless, I hope and pray that the “That’s So Raven” spinoff will be more reminiscent of the channel’s older ways. I would hate to see it forfeit the show’s original spirit for something else that would totally diminish the point of a spinoff; otherwise, it may as well just be a new show altogether.