The tween sensation

The Jonases,who now boast two platinum albums,their own Disney Channel show,Jonas,and a 3-D concert movie,are among the youthful stars who owe their big break to Ross,the man who could be called the father of ‘Tween TV’.

Ross has led TV’s pursuit of the 9- to 14-year-old “tween” audience,creating wildly popular personalities and shows that have muscled their way into mainstream popular culture: Hilary Duff as Lizzie McGuire,Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana,the High School Musical movies and now,the Jonas Brothers.

After his graduation,Ross took a job in the talent department at Nickelodeon. Those early experiences with young actors he cast in live-action Nickelodeon series such as Hey Dude and Clarissa Explains it All— would shape his later work at Disney.

There were no marquee stars like Cyrus or the Jonases when Disney/ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney persuaded Ross to join her at Disney Channel. “He was one of my first,and most important,hires when I got to Disney Channel,” said Sweeney.

Disney Channel’s principal rival,Nickelodeon,had emphasised animation in the mid-’90s to compete with Cartoon Network. Ross responded by creating live-action programmes that featured teen protagonists who reflected the audience the network hoped to capture.

By 2001,Disney had launched Lizzie McGuire,about a 13-year-old middle-schooler who expressed her thoughts through a cartoon alter ego. Disney’s 2006 hit High School Musical catapulted the channel into the cultural zeitgeist.

As Disney and Nickelodeon compete for the affections of tween girls,Ross has set his sights on an elusive audience: tween boys. He renamed Toon Disney as Disney XD with the action-adventure show Aaron Stone. Ross believes if Disney can fill the vessel with the right content,the boys will get on board.