So Weird

So Weird, Disney Channel’s spooky original series, premiered on January 18, 1999, after heavy advertising and promotion from the network. The series was about Molly Phillips, a widowed rock star on a comeback tour. Many years ago she was in a band called the Phillips-Kane Band with her husband, Rick, and their friend John Kane. After the untimely death of her husband, Rick, the band fell apart. Molly then went into writing advertising jingles to support her family. Now, nearly eleven years later, she has decided to go back on tour. Along with her she brings her two teenage children, Jack and Fiona, as well as her manager, Irene Bell and her family, which consists of her teenage son, Clu, and husband, Ned, who also happens to be the tour bus driver. Together, they travel across the country on the tour bus, where strange phenomena have a way of following them wherever they go.

Molly’s daughter, Fiona “Fi” Phillips, is a computer-savvy young girl who is very interested in the supernatural and all things paranormal and is always keeping her eyes peeled for such things. Her older brother, Jack, who is very down-to-earth, hates his sister’s interests and often teases her about them.

In the second season, Fi makes a discovery as to why she is so drawn to the paranormal. It turns out that her father, Rick, investigated the same things she did before he died, and that it had something to do with his death. She also learns that the forces of Evil pulled him from his body before he died. Now more than ever, she tries to unlock the mystery behind everything, but soon finds out that the spirit world is none to pleased with her nosing around into their world.

In the third and final season, Fiona, who feels like she's missing out on living a normal life, decides to stay with her aunt and finish off the school year, while her family continues the tour. At this time, fifteen-year old musician, Annie Thelan, the daughter of Molly’s best friend, comes to stay with the Phillips family for a while. But Annie is no more normal than Fi is. In fact, she may be even weirder. She attracts the paranormal like a magnet, without even having to look for it. This season had a much lighter tone than the previous two and many fans weren't happy with it.

So Weird ended September 2001, when it reached it’s 65 episode limit, which Disney places on all of their series. The show stayed on the air for for about one year after the series had ended. It was then moved to the ridiculous time-slot of 3:00 AM, where only insomniacs would be able to watch it. Then, on September 8th, 2003, Disney took the show off the air completely to make room for their new fall schedule, and hasn't aired it since.

This series was definitely one of Disney Channel's more mature series, and due to its sometimes mature subject mater, it was given a rating of TV-PG- which no other Disney original series was ever given. These X-Files for a younger generation may no longer be on the air, but it will always be remembered as one of Disney Channel's most original and creative series.