Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-2012)

About Wizards of Waverly Place

Wizards of Waverly Place is an American fantasy teen sitcom, created by Todd J. Greenwald and produced by It's a Laugh Productions for Disney Channel. The series centers around Alex Russo (Selena Gomez), an ordinary teenager except for one peculiarity -- she comes from a family of wizards. Along with her brothers Justin (David Henrie) and Max (Jake T. Austin), Alex vies for the privilege of being the family’s sole keeper of its magical lineage, with many comical mishaps occurring along the way.

Making / Production

The show is shot at Hollywood Center Studios, like many Disney Channel productions. It is written by a team that includes Peter Murrieta, Todd J. Greenwald, Vince Cheung, and Ben Montanio. The direction team includes Bob Koherr and Victor Gonzalez.

Actors

• Selena Gomez as Alex Russo: The middle child and only female amongst her siblings. Gomez portrays her as mischievous and quick-witted.
• David Henrie as Justin Russo: The oldest Russo sibling. Henrie plays Justin as the hardworking and studious son who often serves as the voice of reason amongst the trio.
• Jake T. Austin as Max Russo: The youngest Russo. Austin's character is portrayed as the fun-loving, carefree sibling.
• Maria Canals-Barrera as Theresa Russo: The mother of the Russo siblings. She is a mortal and not a wizard.
• David DeLuise as Jerry Russo: The father of the Russo children. Jerry gave up his powers to marry Theresa, reflecting the family-first theme of the show.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• During its four-season run, the series was watched by 104 million viewers in the US.
• It was the first Disney Channel series to hit the 100-episode landmark.
• Raven Symone was originally considered for the role of Alex Russo.
• Justin, Alex and Max's names were originally going to be Brad, Julia, and Max.

Awards

The series has won numerous awards including a Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Children's Program" and “Alma Award” for "Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series" for Selena Gomez among others.

Quotes

• “I’m responsible, I’m the responsible one!” - Justin Russo
• “We make a pretty good team, don’t we?” - Alex Russo
• “Aw, it's okay. I understand. It's me, not you.” - Max Russo

Music, Soundtrack

• "Everything Is Not as It Seems" - The show's theme song, performed by Selena Gomez.
• "Make It Happen" - Performed by Selena Gomez in the episode "Dancing with Angels".
• "Magic" - Performed by Selena Gomez for the Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie soundtrack.