Disney Channel is about to debut one of the most unique series from Disney Television Animation we’ve seen in quite some time with StuGo.
Everything I would have eaten up as a kid, this comedic series is set on a fantastic and tropical sci-fi island, where we follow six young students (Pliny, Chip, Larry, Merian, Francis, and Sara) all overachieving in some way, who have arrived to partake in a summer camp set up by a (mad?) scientist. Very quickly, we learn that this was a set up and the kids were swindled into a summer of sci-fi antics, doomsday devices, and mutant creations.
While still keeping a “G” rating, this series throws in the wildest, zaniest, most absurd humor I’ve seen in my numerous years watching Disney Channel animation as an adult. Each bit is insanely clever, whether it be dialogue, a visual gag, or something that takes a chunk of the episode to set up before paying off.
The island that they arrive on is a well established world, full of inventions and mutant residents who create an elaborate self contained environment that is full of creative possibilities that we’ve only just begun to explore. Even better, unlike other recent Disney Channel fare, each episode is standalone. Yes, they all follow the origin set up in the first episode – the kids are still stranded on the island, etc – but you can watch any episode without having to know what came first. There is essentially a full reset once those 11 minutes conclude. As an example, one kid might play with a device found on the island that extends his arm like a Stretch Armstrong doll, and for the remainder of the episode, we see that limb extended beyond belief, even if just in the background. However, once the next story starts – everything is back to normal.
StuGo also throws out the traditional family dynamic, stranding the six overachieving students on the island away from their parents, only under the supervision of the scientist who conned them in the first place, Dr. Lullah. While aided by her faithful assistant, Mr. Okay, she has a very passive tendency when it comes to the care of the children who will be living on the island…but she MIGHT have a bit of concern for their well being.
It’s a refreshing take, especially for a Disney Channel show, where morals are sometimes shoved down viewer’s throats in the hopes of preserving that G-rated Disney magic. StuGo definitely features those lessons, but takes a very unconventional route in doing so, and it helps make the series stand out from the rest of the typical fare.
Another unique feature – there are no songs. If you’re looking for catchy tunes, a la the current hits Hamster & Gretel or Kiff (P.S. still waiting on more of THAT music to arrive on streaming platforms) then this is not the show for you. Instead, this Sci-Fi island provides plenty of adventure and hijinx to keep these kids occupied without the need for bursting into song, and that’s a good thing. While the very premise of the show allows room for any idea the creatives can cook up, it stands to reason we might see some in the future. However, thus far the stories and adventures are strong enough that they don’t need any trademark tunes to move it along.
Kids and adults will likely find one of the students as their favorite (shout-out to Francis for me), whether they relate to them or not. Stories do center on one or two each, though all the students are featured in each episode. It’s the ensemble mentality, but it works very well in StuGo. This crowd grows even larger with the addition of Lullah and Mr. Okay, as well as the mutant residents of the island, who serve as the cherry on top of the wonderfully absurd sundae that is this series.
While geared toward a family audience, I wouldn’t be surprised if this series catches on with an adult following who, like me, have been chasing that feeling they got watching the animated programming of their youth that had no limits, was visually simple and appealing, and most importantly – was just plain fun, leaving them to still think about it today. StuGo is one of the most refreshing, entertaining, and laugh-out-loud things I’ve seen in quite some time, and I give it 4.5 out of 5 mutant townsfolk.
You can catch StuGo when it premieres on Disney Channel on Saturday, January 11th, at 8:00 PM ET/PT followed by new episodes weekly on Sundays at 9:00 AM ET/PT. The series will arrive later on Disney+ in the spring of 2025.