Disney Channel has ordered a new father/daughter comedy series titled Sydney to the Max from television producer Mark Reisman, according to Deadline.
- The new series will star School of Rock alumna Ruth Righi as the title character, as well as:
- Ian Reed Kesler (Suits, Kickin’ It)
- Christian J. Simon (The Amazing World of Gumball)
- Ava Kolker (Girl Meets World)
- Caroline Rhea (Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Phineas and Ferb)
- Jackson Dollinger (Puppy Dog Pals).
- Reisman, who has been nominated for two Emmy awards for his work on the show Frasier, will serve as the show’s writer, executive producer and showrunner.
- The new series will focus on a “sociable, goodhearted” middle schooler named Sydney Reynolds and her protective, yet clueless single dad Max, played by Kesler.
- The show will bounce between two timeframes: present day where we see the experiences of Sydney and flashbacks to the 1990s where we see a young Max as he goes through similar situations, all while Sydney’s grandmother Judy, played by Rhea, helps them realize they’re more alike than they think.
- Sydney to the Max is slated to premiere in early 2019 on Disney Channel.
What they’re saying:
- Jonas Agin, Vice President, Original Series, Disney Channels: “With Sydney to the Max,’Mark Reisman has given us a series full of heart, humor and honesty. On one level, it explores the beautifully complex relationship between a girl and her father and a boy and his mother. On another level, by existing in two distinct eras, it highlights how the smallest experiences of childhood have the biggest impact on who we become — and how every generation, despite its unique challenges, is filled with the universal truth that kids will always face the same joys, fears and excitement as their parents did. We couldn’t be prouder to have this as our next series on Disney Channel.”