Wizards of Waverly Place

**Wizards of Waverly Place** is a live-action television series created by Todd J. Greenwald. The series premiered on October 12, 2007 and aired for four seasons until January 6, 2012.

## Plot

Alex, Justin and Max Russo are three teenage wizards-in-training living in an apartment on Waverly Place in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. Their father Jerry Russo, a former wizard, provides his children with daily lessons in their secret lair on how to use magic responsibly in his spare time. Jerry and his wife Theresa run a family business, a sandwich shop designed to look like a subway station, on the ground level of their apartment building. According to the rules of the "Wizard World", once they complete their training, the Russo children will compete to determine which sibling will retain their powers permanently and become the sole wizard of the family. Since the other children will eventually lose their powers, Jerry tries to teach them not to become dependent on magic. Jerry descends from a family of wizards and won his own family's competition as a teenager, but relinquished his powers when he married Theresa, who is a mortal. His powers were transferred to his younger brother, Kelbo. Alex must keep her powers hidden from her best friend, Harper Finkle, which causes an occasional strain on their relationship. Alex reveals her secret to Harper in the second season; however, the existence of wizards must remain hidden to the wider mortal world.

In the third season, Harper moves in with the Russo family and Max's efforts to win the family wizard competition become more serious. Leading into the fourth season, Alex and Justin are both tricked into exposing the existence of wizards to government officials and a group of reporters. It is revealed that the whole scenario was a test devised as part of their training, and consequently, Alex and Justin are demoted to lower positions in the family competition. Alex is overwhelmed by her loss of progress and quits; she later re-joins to continue dating her werewolf boyfriend, Mason Greyback. Meanwhile, Justin becomes a tutor for a group of delinquent wizards, which assists him in recovering his position in the competition. At the conclusion of the series, the siblings compete to see who will retain their supernatural abilities. Alex wins the family wizard competition and is awarded full magic powers, while Justin is allowed to retain his abilities when he assumes the role of headmaster at WizTech, a boarding school for young wizards-in-training. Max loses his powers but becomes the new manager of the family's sandwich shop, also securing investments from the wizard world.

## Episodes

See Also: List of Wizards of Waverly Place Episodes

 2 | 30
 3 | 28
 4 | 27

## Cast and Characters

### Main

* Selena Gomez as Alexandra Margarita "Alex" Russo
* David Henrie as Justin Vincenzo Pepé Russo
* Jake T. Austin as Maximillian Alonzo Ernesto "Max" Russo
* Jennifer Stone as Harper Roseanne Evans Finkle
* Maria Canals Barrera as Theresa Russo
* David DeLuise as Geraldo Pepé "Jerry" Russo

### Recurring

* Zeke Beakerman as Dan Benson
* Bill Chott as Mr. Herschel Laritate
* Gregg Sulkin as Mason Greyback
* Bridgit Mendler as Juliet van Heusen
* Daniel Samonas as Dean Moriarty
* Ian Abercrombie as Professor Crumbs
* Josh Sussman as Hugh Normous
* Jeff Garlin as Kelbo Russo
* Amanda Tepe as Monotone Woman
* Hayley Kiyoko as Stevie Nichols
* Leven Rambin as Rosie
* John Rubinstein as Gorog
* JD Cullum and Anne Ramsay as Alucard and Cindy van Heusen
* Brian Kubach as Riley
* McKaley Miller as Talia Robinson
* Skyler Samuels as Gertrude "Gigi" Hollingsworth
* Kelsey Sanders and Heather Trzyna as The Wannabes
* Andy Kindler as Chancellor Rudy Tootietootie
* Moisés Arias as Conscience
* Paulie Litt as Frankie / Joey

### Guest Stars

* Heidi Swedberg as Miss Majorheely
* Austin Butler as George
* Cindy Crawford as Bebe Rockford
* Rachel Dratch as Future Harper/H.J. Darling
* Julia Duffy as Ms. Angela
* Willie Garson as Mr. Frenchy
* Dwayne Johnson as Himself
* Lee Meriwether as Battle Diva
* Belita Moreno as Magdalena Larkin
* Sara Paxton as Millie
* Rob Reiner as Himself
* Adam Irigoyen as Conscience's Conscience
* Phill Lewis as Marion Moseby
* Debby Ryan as Bailey Pickett
* Brenda Song as London Tipton
* Cole Sprouse as Cody Martin
* Dylan Sprouse as Zack Martin
* Chelsea Staub as Kari Landsdorf
* Malese Jow as Ruby Donahue
* Tiffany Thornton as Susan
* Misty May-Treanor as Herself
* Eric Allan Krameras Coach Gunderson
* Jo Anne Worley as Maggie
* Bella Thorne as Lancy Lukey
* Laura Ashley Samuels as Sara
* Shakira as Herself
* Kate Flannery as Elaine Finkle
* Scot Robinson as Marty Finkle
* Wilmer Valderrama as Uncle Ernesto
* John O'Hurley as Captain Jim Sherwood
* Bailee Madison as Maxine Russo
* Shane Harper as Fidel
* China Anne McClain as Tina
* Jackie Evancho as Choir Girl / Herself
* Valente Rodriguez as Bob "Muy Macho"
* Tim Conway as Cragmont
* Joely Fisher as Meg Robinson
* James Urbaniak as Rob Robinson

## Films

* Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009)
* The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex (2013)

## Production

### Development

In the early 2000s, The Walt Disney Company found success through its pay television network Disney Channel with a pattern of original comedy series for a tween and family audience, such as Lizzie McGuire, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Hannah Montana. The network planned to build on these successes with a new comedy series aimed at girls. Wizards of Waverly Place was created by Todd J. Greenwald, who had previously worked on the first season of Hannah Montana. He had also worked on a pilot for NBC; Disney hired him after seeing it. Greenwald adopted the network's idea of a show centring on a family of wizards. The series is set in a fictionalized version of Waverly Place in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. Peter Murrieta had worked previously on the sitcom Hope & Faith in New York City and had moved to Los Angeles before being approached by Disney to help develop the series. When Murrieta joined the project as an executive producer, it was titled The Amazing O'Malleys; he thought they would only produce a pilot. He had never produced a show targeted at a youth audience and was apprehensive about being involved. Murrieta helped guide the writing and casting throughout the development process and re-wrote the pilot. Adam Bonnett, a Disney Channel programming executive, cited the influence of sitcoms Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie on the series.

Disney executives first became aware of Selena Gomez at an open casting call in Texas at age twelve, and she went on to appear in guest roles on Disney Channel programs, including The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. The network saw potential in Gomez and wanted her to star in a full series. She filmed two pilots for the network, Arwin! (a spin-off of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) and Stevie Sanchez (a spin-off of Lizzie McGuire); neither of these series were green-lit, but Gomez was ultimately cast in Wizards of Waverly Place. The unaired pilot was set in a magic store and featured only two siblings, Jordan and Julia. The show was green-lit after this pilot. Gomez was attached to the series by February 2007, as well as David Henrie and Jake T. Austin; the characters were named Brooke, Sully and Max O'Malley at this stage. In March 2007, the network officially announced Disney's Wizards as an upcoming comedy to premiere in the fall. At the time of the announcement, the characters were named Alexa, Aaron and Max Esposito. Greenwald and Murrieta served as executive producers; Murrieta changed the family's surname to Russo and wrote the children as mixed-race. Gomez appeared in a guest role on Hannah Montana as cross-promotion for the new series; Wizards would eventually be aired in a timeslot after its peer series.

### Casting

Selena Gomez portrays the central character of Alex Russo. Gomez had left traditional school after the seventh grade and moved to Los Angeles. She sings the series' theme song, "Everything Is Not What It Seems". Her band Selena Gomez & the Scene was signed by Disney to their label, Hollywood Records; Gomez subsequently pursued a prominent solo music career. Alex has been described as dark, crass and a jerk, as well as a "wisecracking underachiever". She is characterized by her tomboyish, rebellious and lazy attitude. Gomez asked for her character to remain edgy to resemble her own style. Jennifer Aniston's portrayal of Rachel Green on Friends inspired Gomez, who adopted similar mannerisms while playing Alex.

David Henrie plays Justin Russo, who is considered to be sarcastic. Greenwald described Justin as a nerd, in comparison to Alex's "tough female character". Henrie wrote two episodes of the series, "Alex's Logo" and "Meet the Werewolves". Max Russo is portrayed by Jake T. Austin, who said the character was unintelligent, but becomes slightly smarter toward the end of the series. His character was temporarily transformed into a younger female in the fourth season because of a magic spell; Bailee Madison played the female counterpart, Maxine, while Austin took a hiatus from the program. Maria Canals-Barrera plays the children's mother Theresa Russo; David DeLuise plays their father Jerry Russo. The parents are described by Barry Garron of The Hollywood Reporter as loving but "slightly goofy". DeLuise was not featured in the unaired pilot. Jennifer Stone portrays Alex's best friend, Harper, who was described as "comic relief" by Boston.com's Joanna Weiss. Stone had previously auditioned for a Disney Channel pilot called Bus Life, which was not picked up. Guest stars during the course of the series include Bridgit Mendler as Juliet van Heusen, Justin's vampire girlfriend, and Gregg Sulkin as Mason Greyback, Alex's werewolf boyfriend.

### Writing and Filming

Wizards of Waverly Place was filmed at Hollywood Center Studios. The series was renewed for a third season in May 2009, with eight episodes added to the order in September.

Murrieta chose to write the Russo family as mixed-race, and he felt that the argumentative relationships between the Russo siblings resembled those of his childhood. Greenwald believed that the brother-sister dynamic was at the heart of the show.

The series was renewed for a fourth season in June 2010; Murrieta left the program in April prior to the renewal. Vince Cheung and Ben Montanio became the new showrunners and executive producers alongside Greenwald; Gomez announced in July that it would be the final season of the program. Austin claimed the series ended to allow Gomez to pursue more mature roles; The A.V. Club's Marah Eakin speculated Gomez had become more popular than the show itself and that it was time for her to move on. The series finale aired on January 6, 2012; the episode depicts the family's wizard competition.

## Reception

### Critical Response

Wizards of Waverly Place has received positive reviews for its actors and their comedic skills. Marah Eakin felt that it was a positive departure from Disney's typical series, with minimal slapstick humour but still having exaggerated acting. Gomez was praised for her comic timing and sarcastic delivery; the Los Angeles Times's Mary McNamara described her portrayal of Alex as "sweet and sassy". Additionally, McNamara believed that Justin and Max did not serve as comic relief; Jake T. Austin was called "absurdly hilarious" by blogger Mark Robinson. The central characters were described as "cute, precocious, but far from angelic" by Garron, who said that child viewers would want to watch more. In addition to the cast and humour, the series' concept and themes were also praised. Critics suggested that the series capitalized on the success of the Harry Potter franchise, and it was also compared to Bewitched for the similarities in their magical elements. It was listed as one of Disney's best sitcoms by Robinson, who wrote that the series combined fantasy and comedy "seamlessly". While the fourth season was on air, Eakin said that the quality of the series had not diminished, and has a lot of heart, depth and "actual feeling". McNamara praised the show for not relying on shtick or its laugh track.

Some characters were criticized by reviewers; Paul Asay of Christian website Plugged In did not view Alex as a positive role model because of her rebellious nature, and the parents were described as foolish by Weiss. Ackerman found fault with the show's contradictory messages, saying that there are never consequences for the Russo children abusing their magical powers; he felt that the characters seem to forget the lessons that they learn and continue to make the same mistakes. The lessons Jerry teaches about how to live life without magic were interpreted as pointless, as when the series ends, both Alex and Justin retain their abilities. The setting of Greenwich Village was also problematic for Ackerman, as he suggested that the Russos, a working-class family, would not be financially able to live in one of the most expensive New York neighbourhoods. The show has been criticized for its predictable premise and supernatural elements, described as "less magical than milquetoast" by Weiss. Reviewing the series finale, Eakin criticized the quality of the wizards' robe costuming and the use of a laugh track. Critics have found fault with the program's special effects, such as the computer animation of a griffin. Asay referred to the program's depiction of angels as "spiritually misleading".

### U.S. Television Ratings

The series premiere of Wizards of Waverly Place aired on October 12, 2007, on the same night as the network's premiere of Twitches Too, and attracted 5.9 million viewers. The one-hour series finale, "Who Will Be The Family Wizard?" aired on January 6, 2012 and became the show's most-watched episode, with an audience of 9.8 million. It was the highest-rating finale for any Disney Channel series.

## Merchandising

Walt Disney Records released a soundtrack album for the series on August 4, 2009, including songs from, and inspired by, the series and film. Disney Interactive Studios released two video games based on the series for the Nintendo DS: Wizards of Waverly Place in August 2009, and Wizards of Waverly Place: Spellbound in November 2010.