19 years ago, High School Musical premiered on Disney Channel. The film became a global phenomenon, and is the shining artifact of the Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOM) golden age.
From the release of Brink in 1998 to Camp Rock in 2008, DCOMs were at their best over that illustrious decade. Why? Yes, they followed a standard cookie cutter formula. But it’s clear the producers and story creators were given a high degree of latitude (for better or worse) to throw crazy ideas at the wall and see what stuck. That’s a far cry from the sequel and IP-driven content we’re inundated with today.
True to its name (Disney Channel Original Movie), originality makes these movies memorable. If you’re a millennial who watched TV as a kid, there’s a solid chance you’re hit with a tidal wave of nostalgia at the mention of Eddie’s Million Dollar Cook Off or listening to the DCOM theme song
In celebration of High School Musical’s final year as a teenager, we compiled a list of golden era Disney Channel Original Movies that are worth rewatching–for the laughs, tears, smash singles, memes, and WTFs.
