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.