Liv and Maddie
| Liv and Maddie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | John D. Beck & Ron Hart |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer |
|
| Opening theme |
"Better in Stereo" by Dove Cameron |
| Composer(s) | Eric Goldman & Ken Lofkoll |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 80 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | Greg A. Hampson |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 21–24 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
|
| Release | |
| Original network | Disney Channel |
| Original release | July 19, 2013 – March 24, 2017 |
| External links | |
| Website |
disneychannel |
Liv and Maddie, titled Liv and Maddie: Cali Style for the fourth season, is an American sitcom created by John D. Beck and Ron Hart that premiered on Disney Channel on July 19, 2013, and ended on Disney Channel on March 24, 2017. The series stars Dove Cameron, Joey Bragg, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Kali Rocha, Benjamin King, and Lauren Lindsey Donzis. A significant feature of the series is that Dove Cameron plays dual roles, one being Liv, an actress who has returned to her home after starring on a popular television series in Hollywood for four years, and the other one being Maddie, Liv's identical twin who remained behind. Another significant feature of the series are documentary-style cutaways where characters speak to the viewers to explain their opinions on various situations in each episode.
Plot
Actress Liv Rooney is a girly girl who has just returned to her birthplace of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, after finishing a four-year stint in Hollywood, filming a popular television series called Sing It Loud! Her identical twin sister, Maddie, a tomboy with a facility for sports, but with a particular talent for basketball, welcomes Liv back home with open arms. The twins have two younger brothers: Joey, an awkward and a smart teenager who likes cat shirts, and Parker, a clever and precious tween with a slightly mischievous personality. Their parents are Karen, the high school psychologist and later the high school's vice-principal, and Pete, the coach of Maddie's high school basketball team who later accepts a position as the coach of a college team in Beloit, Wisconsin. The series revolves around Liv adjusting to normal family life after her successful career in Hollywood. Most events take place at the Rooney residence or at Ridgewood High School. At the end of the third season, the Rooney house collapses and Maddie enrolls in a college in Los Angeles, California. This prompts the rest of the Rooneys, except Pete who remains in Wisconsin to continue his coaching job, to move to Malibu, California, to take up residence with Karen's younger sister, Dena, and her daughter, Ruby, where the series' fourth season takes place.
Cast and characters
- Dove Cameron as Liv and Maddie Rooney
- Joey Bragg as Joey Rooney
- Tenzing Norgay Trainor as Parker Rooney
- Kali Rocha as Karen Rooney
- Benjamin King as Pete Rooney (seasons 1–3)
- Lauren Lindsey Donzis as Ruby (season 4)
Production
Development
Liv and Maddie began production in April 2013.[1] The series was created by John D. Beck and Ron Hart, both of whom also serve as executive producers alongside Andy Fickman. Beck and Hart are a production-writing team whose credits include According to Jim, Hey Arnold!, and Shake It Up!. Originally, the pair had shopped a script of a project called Bits and Pieces which featured a blended family similar to series like The Brady Bunch and Step by Step.[2] The series is produced under a joint venture by Beck & Hart Productions, Oops Doughnuts Productions, and It's a Laugh Productions.
On January 13, 2014, Disney Channel renewed Liv and Maddie for a 13-episode second season slated to premiere in fall 2014.[3] The second season was later expanded to 24 episodes.[4] The second season premiered on September 21, 2014. The series was renewed for a third season by Disney Channel on April 3, 2015.[5] The third season premiered on September 13, 2015. On December 21, 2015, actress Dove Cameron stated that Disney Channel was picking up Liv and Maddie for a fourth season.[6] On June 19, 2016, series creator Ron Hart announced on Twitter that the fourth season would premiere in fall 2016.[7] On July 1, 2016, Dove Cameron stated that they had filmed the series' final episode.[8] On August 19, 2016, it was announced by the series' creators, John D. Beck and Ron Hart, that the final season would be called Liv and Maddie: Cali Style. They also stated that the fourth and final season would premiere on September 23, 2016.[9]
Casting
Casting took place during the spring of 2012;[10] however, only a pilot episode was produced. The series followed Kali Rocha, Dove Cameron, Joey Bragg, Benjamin King, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, and Tenzing Norgay Trainor portraying Jodie Sullenger, mother of Alanna and Sticky, who married Pete Fickman, father of Crystal and Brody, with all six adjusting to life under the same roof. Eventually, Disney chose to change the concept of Bits and Pieces into one about a pair of twins.[2] Instead of hiring a new cast, production chose to keep those whom they had already hired and film a completely new pilot. The story now focused on Dove Cameron playing dual roles with the same parents and brothers. Lead billing for Cozi Zuehlsdorff was later dropped to guest star. The family name of "Rooney" was picked because of Sullenger's enjoyment of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team owned by the Rooney family.[2]
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 21 | July 19, 2013 | July 27, 2014 | ||
| 2 | 24 | September 21, 2014 | August 23, 2015 | ||
| 3 | 20 | September 13, 2015 | June 19, 2016 | ||
| 4 | 15 | September 23, 2016 | March 24, 2017 | ||
Ratings
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired | Avg. viewers (millions) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Viewers (millions) |
Date | Viewers (millions) | |||
| 1 | 20 | July 19, 2013 | 5.78[11] | July 27, 2014 | TBD | 2.87 |
| 2 | 24 | September 21, 2014 | 2.04[12] | August 23, 2015 | 2.45[13] | 2.17 |
| 3 | 20 | September 13, 2015 | 1.80[14] | June 19, 2016 | 1.53[15] | 1.87 |
| 4 | 15 | September 23, 2016 | 1.66[16] | March 24, 2017 | 1.30[17] | 1.21 |
Broadcast
Liv and Maddie airs on Disney Channel in the United States and Family Channel in Canada. The pilot episode aired as a preview on July 19, 2013. The first promo for the series was seen on June 28, 2013. The series officially premiered in the United States on September 15, 2013, and in Canada on September 20, 2013. The series stopped airing in Canada on Family Channel on September 1, 2015, and started airing on Disney Channel on September 5, 2015. La Chaîne Disney in French Canada premiered the episode "Home Run-a-Rooney" on March 24, 2016, 17 days before the US and Canada airing on April 10, 2016. In the UK and Ireland, the series aired a preview on October 7, 2013, and later premiered on November 8, 2013. In Australia and New Zealand, the series premiered on October 11, 2013. The second season premiered on January 8, 2015.[18] The third season premiered on December 2, 2015. The series premiered in Southeast Asia on January 10, 2014. In the Balkans, Greece, the Middle East and Africa, the series premiered on March 8, 2014. The second season premiered on February 7, 2015.
Reception
Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave the series' quality a rating of three out of five stars, describing it as a "jovial family sitcom" and applicable for ages seven and above. Ashby credited the series' "comical spin" on common family issues, like sibling rivalry, stating: "As is true of most tween-targeted comedies, the series glosses over a lot, especially when it comes to teen issues, but that's what makes it a worry-free pick for kids."[19] Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times compared the series to The Patty Duke Show while describing it as "a gentle, moderately amusing comedy" and praising Dove Cameron's portrayal of the down-to-earth Maddie and diva Liv, stating: "...the premise gives the writers plenty of opportunities."[20]
Music
A full version of the Liv and Maddie theme song, "Better in Stereo", was recorded by Dove Cameron and released as a promotional single by Walt Disney Records on October 15, 2013.[21] A music video was filmed and aired on Disney Channel the night of October 29, 2013. The song was featured multiple times throughout the show, first in the season three finale, "Californi-a-Rooney", and then an acoustic version sung by Dove Cameron during the season four and series finale, "End-a-Rooney".
In the pilot, "Twin-a-Rooney", Liv shows Maddie a clip from the Sing It Loud! finale in which Liv's character, Stephanie Einstein, sings a cover of On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons. A full version of the song was recorded by Cameron and was released as a promotional single by Walt Disney Records on August 27, 2013.[22]
In "Fa-La-La-a-Rooney", Liv performs the classic "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" during the Steven's Point Holiday Spectacular. A full version of the song was recorded by Dove Cameron and is included on Holidays Unwrapped, a holiday album released by Walt Disney Records on October 15, 2013.[23]
In "Song-a-Rooney", Liv performs "FroyoYOLO" which goes viral, but Liv hates it. In the same episode, Liv performs "Count Me In". A full version of "Count Me In" was recorded by Dove Cameron and was released as a promotional single by Walt Disney Records on June 3, 2014.[24]
In "New Year's Eve-a-Rooney", Liv performs "You, Me and the Beat". A full version of the song was recorded by Cameron and was released as a promotional single by Walt Disney Records on December 2, 2014.
In "Rate-a-Rooney", Liv uploads "What a Girl Is". Two versions were created: the first being the one shown on Liv and Maddie and the other, including Christina Grimmie and Baby Kaely, was eventually recorded. Both versions are included in the Liv and Maddie soundtrack. The second version was released on iTunes on March 5, 2015, while the original version was released on March 17, 2015. On March 17, 2015, the Liv and Maddie soundtrack was released. The soundtrack includes "Better in Stereo", "On Top of the World", "FroyoYOLO", "Count Me In", "You, Me and the Beat", and both versions of "What a Girl Is". The soundtrack also includes "Say Hey", "As Long as I Have You", and "True Love", the last one of which would be morphed into two versions: Ballad, which would be sung by Jordan Fisher, and a piano duet featuring Jordan Fisher and Dove Cameron. On March 5, 2015, with the announcing of the soundtrack, the singles for those songs, minus FroyoYOLO, will no longer be available.
In "Prom-a-Rooney", Liv performs "True Love" at the school prom. Dove Cameron, like the other songs, recorded a full version of the song which was released as part of the Liv and Maddie soundtrack on March 17, 2015.
In "Band-a-Rooney", Liv's band, "The Dream", performs "Say Hey" at the Battle of the Bands. A full version was recorded by Dove Cameron, with the band member's actor doing the chorus. The song was released as part of the Liv and Maddie soundtrack on March 17, 2015.
In "Video-a-Rooney", Liv's band performs "As Long as I Have You". Dove Cameron recorded a full version which was released as part of the Liv and Maddie soundtrack on March 17, 2015. The song was the final song from the soundtrack that was played in the series.
In "SPARF-a-Rooney", Andy Grammer performs "Honey, I'm Good". This is one of the few songs in Liv and Maddie not to be part of the soundtrack.
In "Sing It Louder!!-a-Rooney", Liv and Ruby perform "One Second Chance" on the set of "Sing It Louder!!" The song was recorded by Dove Cameron and Lauren Lindsey Donzis and was released as a promotional single by Walt Disney Records on November 4, 2016.
In "Falcon-a-Rooney", "The Power of Two" is performed again by Liv and Ruby for "Sing It Louder!!" Like the previous song in season four, Dove Cameron and Lauren Lindsey Donzis recorded a full song, released on January 20, 2017.
In "Sing It Live!!!-a-Rooney, Liv sings "My Destiny" for the special episode of "Sing It Louder!!" Again, a full song was recorded by Dove Cameron and released as a promotional single on March 3, 2017.
Songs
| Title | Performed by | First episode |
|---|---|---|
| "Better in Stereo" | Dove Cameron | "Twin-a-Rooney" |
| "On Top of the World" | Dove Cameron | "Twin-a-Rooney" |
| "Up on the Housetop" | Dove Cameron and Ella Anderson | "Fa-La-La-a-Rooney" |
| "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" | Dove Cameron | "Fa-La-La-a-Rooney" |
| "FroyoYOLO" | Dove Cameron | "Song-a-Rooney" |
| "Count Me In" | Dove Cameron | "Song-a-Rooney" |
| "You, Me and the Beat" | Dove Cameron | "New Year's Eve-a-Rooney" |
| "What a Girl Is" | Dove Cameron | "Rate-a-Rooney" |
| "True Love" | Dove Cameron | "Prom-a-Rooney" |
| "Say Hey" | Dove Cameron | "Band-a-Rooney" |
| "As Long as I Have You" | Dove Cameron | "Video-a-Rooney" |
| "Honey, I'm Good" | Andy Grammer | "SPARF-a-Rooney" |
| "Key of Life" | Dove Cameron | "Dream-a-Rooney" |
| "One Second Chance" | Dove Cameron and Lauren Lindsey Donzis | "Sing It Louder!!-a-Rooney" |
| "Power of Two" | Dove Cameron and Lauren Lindsey Donzis | "Falcon-a-Rooney" |
| "My Destiny" | Dove Cameron | "Sing It Live!!!-a-Rooney" |
Merchandise
Brand marketing promotion from Liv and Maddie still continues strongly, with ACCO Brands, under the Day Dream brand, featuring a 2015 wall calendar and Disney D'Signed clothing line from selected retailers: Target and Kohl's. Wooky Entertainment owns Style Me Up, a creative fashion brand for tween girls, featuring Liv and Maddie: Dreams Come True and Liv and Maddie: A Rising Star sketchbooks. Footwear retailer Payless ShoeSource conducts Liv and Maddie-themed character footwear based on the series.[25]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Kids' Choice Awards Mexico | International Program | Nominated | |
| Kids' Choice Awards Mexico | International Program | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | Kids' Choice Awards Colombia | International Program | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Show: Comedy | Nominated | [26] |
| Kids' Choice Awards Mexico | Favorite International Program | Nominated | [27] | |
| Kids' Choice Awards Colombia | Favorite International Program | Won | [28] | |
| Kids' Choice Awards Argentina | Favorite International Program | Won | [29] |
References
- ↑ "Newcomer Dove Cameron Lands Dual Roles in Upcoming Disney Channel Sitcom Liv and Maddie". Screener. March 8, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Monica Disare (September 15, 2013). "Steelers fanatic behind Disney's new series 'Liv and Maddie'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
- ↑ Philiana Ng (January 13, 2014). "Disney Channel Renews Liv and Maddie". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ↑ John D. Beck [@JohnDBeckTV] (September 12, 2014). "Why haven't we got 21 episodes for season 2:(" we have 24." (Tweet). Retrieved September 13, 2014 – via Twitter.
- ↑ Elizabeth Wagmeister (April 3, 2015). "Liv and Maddie Renewed for Third Season on Disney Channel". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
- ↑ Dove Cameron [@DoveCameron] (December 21, 2015). "Friends. Guess what?! Disney Channel is picking up #LivandMaddie season 4" (Tweet). Retrieved October 16, 2016 – via Twitter.
- ↑ Ron Hart [@Scatter] (June 19, 2016). "Thank you for your amazing support this season. We hope to see you all back this fall for #LivAndMaddie #Season4" (Tweet). Retrieved June 20, 2016 – via Twitter.
- ↑ Jennifer Maldonado (July 1, 2016). "Dove Cameron Officially Says Goodbye to Liv and Maddie". M-Magazine. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
- ↑ Marc Snetiker (August 19, 2016). "Liv and Maddie Gets New Title for Final Season". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Disney Channel Casting Starring Roles for New Comedy Series Bits and Pieces". Film Television Auditions. October 16, 2012. Archived from the original on May 7, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
- ↑ Sara Bibel (July 22, 2013). "Friday Cable Ratings". Screener. Archived from the original on July 25, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
- ↑ Mitch Metcalf (September 23, 2014). "Top 25 Sunday Cable Originals: 9.21.2014". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- ↑ Mitch Metcalf (August 23, 2015). "Top 100 Sunday Cable Originals: 8.23.2015". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ↑ Mitch Metcalf (September 15, 2015). "Top 100 Sunday Cable Originals: 9.13.2015". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- ↑ Mitch Metcalf (June 21, 2016). "Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals: 6.19.2016". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ↑ Mitch Metcalf (September 26, 2016). "Top 150 Friday Cable Originals: 9.23.2016". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
- ↑ Mitch Metcalf (March 27, 2017). "Top 150 Friday Cable Originals: 3.24.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- ↑ D Higgins (January 5, 2015). "200+ New and Returning Foxtel Shows". Foxtel. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ↑ Emily Ashby. "Liv and Maddie TV Review". Common Sense Media. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- ↑ Neil Genzlinger (September 13, 2013). "Liv and Maddie Offers Shades of The Patty Duke Show". The New York Times. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- ↑ "Better in Stereo". iTunes. October 15, 2013. Archived from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
- ↑ "On Top of the World". iTunes. August 27, 2013. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
- ↑ "Disney Holidays Unwrapped". Target. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ↑ "Count Me In". iTunes. June 3, 2014. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
- ↑ "Liv and Maddie Character Shoes and Accessories". Payless. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- ↑ Mike Vulpo (May 24, 2016). "Teen Choice Awards 2016 Nominations Announced". E! Online. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ↑ "Kids Choice Awards Mexico 2016". Mundo Nick (in Spanish). Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ↑ "Kids Choice Awards Colombia 2016". Mundo Nick (in Spanish). Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ↑ "Los Pre-Nominados a los Kids’ Choice Awards Argentina 2016". television.com.ar (in Spanish). August 10, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
External links
- Official website
- Liv and Maddie at Disney ABC press
- Liv and Maddie on IMDb
- Liv and Maddie at TV.com