A.N.T. Farm
Encyclopedia
A.N.T. Farm is a Disney Channel television sitcom that premiered on May 6, 2011 as a special preview and continued as a regular series on June 17, 2011. The pilot episode, "TransplANTed" aired after the series finale of The Suite Life on Deck
. The series was created by Dan Signer
, a former writer and co-executive producer of The Suite Life on Deck and creator of the Disney XD
series Mr. Young
. In mid-November 2010, Disney Channel
green-lit the series, with production beginning in early 2011. The first promo was released during the premiere of Lemonade Mouth
.
The series stars China Anne McClain, Sierra McCormick and Jake Short
as middle-schoolers in a gifted program
at their local high school called "Advanced Natural Talents" program or A.N.T. program.
On November 30, 2011, A.N.T. Farm was officially picked up for a second season.
. On her first day, she meets Olive Doyle (Sierra McCormick), a girl who has an eidetic memory
, and Fletcher Quimby (Jake Short
), an artistic genius who deeply falls in love with her and they soon become her best friends at the high school. They proceed to go on multiple adventures, using their talents to their advantage.
The school's "it" girl, Lexi Reed (Stefanie Scott
), proceeds to bully Chyna, thinking of her as competition in being the star of the school. Chyna's older brother, Cameron (Carlon Jeffery), attempts to avoid Chyna in high school as much as he can, afraid she will be an embarrassment to him.
announced on November 11, 2010 that they had green-lighted the show for production, which began in early 2011. The show was first conceived when Dan Signer, creator of the show, saw China Anne McClain. "The girl had so much confidence. She can nail a joke. She can sing. She can play instruments. It's like China was some sort of child prodigy [...] And that's when it hit me: Why not build a show around a child prodigy? Someone who's got all of this natural talent & ability, but is still challenged when she's sent off to high school at the age of 11?" Signer said in an interview. After the first few episodes of the show were shown, Disney Channel bumped up their order of episodes for the show from 13 episodes to 21 episodes for the first season. On November 19, 2011, the series was renewed for a second season which would start filming in early December.
and Carlon Jeffery, it features two songs by China and her sisters as The McClain Sisters leading up to their debut album on Hollywood Records
in 2012.
, got 4.6 million.
The episode "The PhANTom Locker", is currently the most watched episode of the series, scoring 4.6 million viewers. It did better than its lead-in Wizards of Waverly Place
, which got 4 million viewers.
The Suite Life on Deck
The Suite Life on Deck is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...
. The series was created by Dan Signer
Dan Signer
Daniel "Dan" Signer is a Canadian-American television producer and writer. He is creator and executive producer of A.N.T. Farm for Disney Channel and Mr...
, a former writer and co-executive producer of The Suite Life on Deck and creator of the Disney XD
Disney XD
Disney XD is a brand of children's TV channels worldwide targeting young males, owned by The Walt Disney Company. The channel was formerly known as Toon Disney and/or Jetix in most areas. According to Gary Marsh, President of Entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, "XD" does not "stand for...
series Mr. Young
Mr. Young
Mr. Young is a Canadian television series that premiered on March 1, 2011 on YTV. The series is shot in front of a live audience in Burnaby, British Columbia....
. In mid-November 2010, Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
green-lit the series, with production beginning in early 2011. The first promo was released during the premiere of Lemonade Mouth
Lemonade Mouth (film)
Lemonade Mouth is a 2011 musical drama film based on the book of the same name by Mark Peter Hughes. The film was directed by Patricia Riggen and written by April Blair, and stars Bridgit Mendler, Adam Hicks, Hayley Kiyoko, Naomi Scott, and Blake Michael...
.
The series stars China Anne McClain, Sierra McCormick and Jake Short
Jake Short
Jake Short is an American teen actor, best known for his role as Nose Noseworthy in the 2009 film Shorts. Short stars as Fletcher Quimby in Disney Channel's comedy series A.N.T. Farm, along with China Anne McClain and Sierra McCormick. He has made appearances on several commercials, including a...
as middle-schoolers in a gifted program
Gifted education
Gifted education is a broad term for special practices, procedures and theories used in the education of children who have been identified as gifted or talented...
at their local high school called "Advanced Natural Talents" program or A.N.T. program.
On November 30, 2011, A.N.T. Farm was officially picked up for a second season.
Premise
A.N.T. Farm centers around Chyna Parks (China Anne McClain), an 11-year-old music prodigy, who has just become the newest A.N.T. (Advanced Natural Talents) in the A.N.T. program at Webster High School in San Francisco, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. On her first day, she meets Olive Doyle (Sierra McCormick), a girl who has an eidetic memory
Eidetic memory
Eidetic , commonly referred to as photographic memory, is a medical term, popularly defined as the ability to recall images, sounds, or objects in memory with extreme precision and in abundant volume. The word eidetic, referring to extraordinarily detailed and vivid recall not limited to, but...
, and Fletcher Quimby (Jake Short
Jake Short
Jake Short is an American teen actor, best known for his role as Nose Noseworthy in the 2009 film Shorts. Short stars as Fletcher Quimby in Disney Channel's comedy series A.N.T. Farm, along with China Anne McClain and Sierra McCormick. He has made appearances on several commercials, including a...
), an artistic genius who deeply falls in love with her and they soon become her best friends at the high school. They proceed to go on multiple adventures, using their talents to their advantage.
The school's "it" girl, Lexi Reed (Stefanie Scott
Stefanie Scott
Stefanie Scott is an American actress and singer. Scott is best known for her roles as Dana Tressler in the feature film Flipped in which she won a 2011 Young Artist Award and in No Strings Attached as Young Emma. In the television industry, Scott currently portrays Lexi Reed on Disney Channel's...
), proceeds to bully Chyna, thinking of her as competition in being the star of the school. Chyna's older brother, Cameron (Carlon Jeffery), attempts to avoid Chyna in high school as much as he can, afraid she will be an embarrassment to him.
Development
Disney ChannelDisney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
announced on November 11, 2010 that they had green-lighted the show for production, which began in early 2011. The show was first conceived when Dan Signer, creator of the show, saw China Anne McClain. "The girl had so much confidence. She can nail a joke. She can sing. She can play instruments. It's like China was some sort of child prodigy [...] And that's when it hit me: Why not build a show around a child prodigy? Someone who's got all of this natural talent & ability, but is still challenged when she's sent off to high school at the age of 11?" Signer said in an interview. After the first few episodes of the show were shown, Disney Channel bumped up their order of episodes for the show from 13 episodes to 21 episodes for the first season. On November 19, 2011, the series was renewed for a second season which would start filming in early December.
Casting
Sierra McCormick was cast after an audition where she continually talked about tigers. Dan Signer stated "And as I heard her continually talking about tigers, I thought 'That's just how Olive would sound,' because Olive is a fast talking, intelligent student who's talent is memory. Which is how Sierra got that part." Jake Short was the last of the three core characters to be cast.Characters
Main characters
- Chyna Parks (China Anne McClain) is the A.N.T. programs musically gifted one, because at eleven she can play more instruments than most people can name, including guitar, piano, violin, trumpet, saxophone, flute, cello, harp, bagpipes, French horn, Theremin, drums, harmonica, and the spoons. She also sings a little, actually a lot, blowing people away with her big, soulful voice. Never afraid of a challenge, she sees high school as an exciting place. Unfortunately, she’s going to have to drag her new friends out of their shells to experience it.
- Olive Doyle (Sierra McCormick) is a human computer. Thanks to her eidetic memory, everything she’s ever read, heard, or seen is permanently etched in her brain. Unfortunately, there are some things you want to forget. Olive, always ready with a fact about pretty much everything, is something of an over-thinker. She’d rather hide in the safety of the Ant Farm, but her new friend Chyna is not going to let that happen.
- Fletcher Quimby (Jake ShortJake ShortJake Short is an American teen actor, best known for his role as Nose Noseworthy in the 2009 film Shorts. Short stars as Fletcher Quimby in Disney Channel's comedy series A.N.T. Farm, along with China Anne McClain and Sierra McCormick. He has made appearances on several commercials, including a...
) is an artistic genius, gifted in all media – painting, sculpture, drawing, you name it. But to him, the most beautiful work of art is Chyna. He falls for her the first moment he sees her, though has trouble keeping his crush a secret when he’s constantly immortalizing her in his art.
- Lexi Reed (Stefanie ScottStefanie ScottStefanie Scott is an American actress and singer. Scott is best known for her roles as Dana Tressler in the feature film Flipped in which she won a 2011 Young Artist Award and in No Strings Attached as Young Emma. In the television industry, Scott currently portrays Lexi Reed on Disney Channel's...
) Lexi Reed is Chyna’s biggest rival at Webster High. She is the series main antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
. Chyna may be the leader of the ANTs, but Lexi is Queen Bee. This teen is super popular and she super knows it. She is the star of every school play. At least she was, until Chyna showed up. She becomes Student-Body President. She is a sophomore.
- Cameron Parks (Carlon Jeffery) is Chyna’s older brother, though he spends a lot of time in her shadow. While she’s a prodigy, he’s not especially gifted at anything, but is determined to find something at which he excels. He’s not thrilled that his kid sister is at his school, so he tries to keep his distance. But, when push comes to shove, Cameron will step up to help her. Though more often than not, she even comes to his rescue. He is under five feet tall, even as a sophomore.
Recurring characters
- Angus Chestnut (Aedin Mincks) is a computer genius who often runs illegal programs on his computer disguised as video games. Though finds Chyna unattractive, he has a huge, but unrequited, crush on Olive. Because of the extensive time he spends on his computer, he is quite lazy and often complains about doing basic physical tasks, such as walking in between classes. Because of this, all classes that he's chosen are on the ground floor of the school so he never has to walk up or down stairs. He also has an outrageously endless appetite.
- Paisley Houndstooth (Allie DeBerryAllie DeBerryAlexandria "Allie" DeBerry is an American teen actress, DeBerry has landed notable guest roles in True Jackson VP as "Cammy" and guest starred for two episodes of Disney Channel's Shake It Up as Flynn's crush "Destiny". She is mainly recognized for her major-recurring role on the Disney Channel...
) is best friends with Lexi. She is also on the cheer squad, even though she's clueless about almost every cheer. She is often confused about everything that's going on. However, she thinks different from Lexi, because she usually cares about people. She's a sweet-spirited and dim-witted girl, but cluelessly gets roped into Lexi's schemes. Both easily fooled and free with compliments, she is treated badly by Lexi despite them being "best friends." - Susan Skidmore (Mindy SterlingMindy SterlingMindy Lee Sterling is an American actress. Although she had worked in film for over 30 years, she only began to garner attention after playing Frau Farbissina, the diminutive and domineering Germanic cohort of Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, and has a recurring role as Ms...
) is the school principal. She's completely convinced herself that she is young and beautiful, to the point where she cannot believe her own reflection is her. She uses the A.N.T Program like a sweatshop. She says the reason for the A.N.T Farm is for her to use their talents for her own use. - Darryl Parks (Finesse MitchellFinesse MitchellAlfred Langston "Finesse" Mitchell is an American actor, author and stand-up comedian. From 2003-2006, he was a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Mitchell has also appeared on such television shows as Showtime at the Apollo, BET's ComicView, Comedy Central Presents and NBC's Late Friday.-Life...
) is Chyna's and Cameron's dad. He loves his daughter dearly, but he can be very overprotective at times, going to extreme and often ridiculous measures to ensure her safety. He is also known to be relatively cheap. Though known as a 'highly decorated' police officer, he is occasionally seen not taking his job very seriously. - Gibson (Zach Steel) is the counselor, tutor, and therapist of the A.N.T. Farm. He is shown to be caring, sensitive, and somewhat dim-witted, as well as acting more like a child. He likes knitting, mahjongMahjongMahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players...
, and feeding pigeons. He doesn't like his grandmother's boyfriend, Bob, and in "Bad RomANTs", he has gotten back together with his childhood girlfriend despite the fact that she's in jail. - Wacky the Wolf (Christian CamposChristian CamposChristian Campos is an American actor. He acts in a Disney Channel original series called A.N.T. Farm as "Wacky the Wolf." His real appearence is never shown when he is "Wacky the Wolf." But he is good friends with Chyna,Olive,and Fletcher....
) is the taciturn school mascot. The person inside the mascot is never shown. He is good friends with Chyna, Olive and Fletcher. Wacky is shown to take his job as school mascot very seriously. - Roxanne Parks (Elise NealElise NealElise Neal is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Neal, a Memphis, Tennessee native, was born on March 14, 1966, the daughter of a nurse and a construction worker. She attended Lakeview Elementary. She was a ballet dancer and a cheerleader...
) is Chyna's and Cameron's mom. She is a children's party entertainer. So far, she has appeared in three episodes, but has been mentioned in some episodes. Although she is busy with her work, she still loves her kids.
Soundtrack
The A.N.T. Farm Soundtrack is a Disney Channel soundtrack from the TV series, A.N.T. Farm. It was released on October 11, 2011. In addition to songs by China Anne McClain and cast members Stefanie ScottStefanie Scott
Stefanie Scott is an American actress and singer. Scott is best known for her roles as Dana Tressler in the feature film Flipped in which she won a 2011 Young Artist Award and in No Strings Attached as Young Emma. In the television industry, Scott currently portrays Lexi Reed on Disney Channel's...
and Carlon Jeffery, it features two songs by China and her sisters as The McClain Sisters leading up to their debut album on Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
in 2012.
Track listing
Ratings
The sneak preview of the series earned 4.4 million viewers on its premiere night, ranked as TV’s No. 1 Telecast in Total Day among Tweens 9-14 (441,000/1.8 rating) and was also TV’s No. 1 Telecast among Kids 6-11 (544,000/2.2 rating). Its lead-in, the series finale of The Suite Life on DeckThe Suite Life on Deck
The Suite Life on Deck is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...
, got 4.6 million.
The episode "The PhANTom Locker", is currently the most watched episode of the series, scoring 4.6 million viewers. It did better than its lead-in Wizards of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place is a Disney Channel Original Series that premiered on October 12, 2007. It won "Outstanding Children's Program" at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009...
, which got 4 million viewers.
International release
| Country / Region | Channel | Series premiere | Title in country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disney Channel Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in... |
May 6, 2011 (sneak peek) June 17, 2011 (premiere) |
A.N.T. Farm | |
| Family | May 23, 2011 (sneak peek) June 24, 2011 (premiere) |
A.N.T. Farm | |
| Disney Channel | September 16, 2011 (sneak peek) October 7, 2011 (premiere) |
A.N.T. Farm | |
| Disney Channel Turkey Disney Channel Turkey For the Disney Channel in other countries, see Disney Channel . For the original Disney Channel, see Disney Channel.Disney Channel Turkey is a children's television that broadcasts children's & youth shows in Turkish or with Turkish subtitles. It was first launched on April 29, 2007 by Digiturk,... |
December 10, 2011 | Yetenek Çiftliği | |
| Disney Channel Disney Channel (Hungary) Disney Channel is a children's television channel owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group broadcast in Hungary. It was previously known as Fox Kids, and later as Jetix.-History:The channel has launched on November 2000 as Fox Kids.... |
December 10, 2011 | Zsenipalánták (Little Geniuses) | |
| Disney Channel Romania Disney Channel Romania Disney Channel Romania is a Romanian language children's television channel that broadcasts in Romania and Moldova since September 19, 2009, after replacing Jetix .... |
Decembrie 10, 2011 | Bobocii isteti | |
| Disney Channel Disney Channel (Czech Republic) Disney Channel is a children's television channel owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group broadcast in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It was previously known as Fox Kids, and later as Jetix... |
December 10, 2011 | Farma R.A.K. | |
| Disney Channel Greece Disney Channel Greece Disney Channel launched on November 7, 2009 and is available to the subscribers of Conn-x TV and Nova Greece in Greece and in Cyprus it is available in Cytavision, Cablenet and Nova Cyprus.... |
December 10, 2011 | Πρόγραμμα παιδιά- τσακάλια | |
| Disney Channel Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in... |
December 10, 2011 | Фермата Г.О.Т. | |
| Disney Channel Germany | 2011/2012 | A.N.T. Farm | |
| Disney Channel Australia Disney Channel Australia For the Disney Channel in other countries, see Disney Channel . For the original Disney Channel, see Disney Channel.Disney Channel Australia is a television channel that is broadcast in Australia and New Zealand... |
August 15, 2011 | A.N.T Farm | |
| Disney Channel Japan Disney Channel Japan For the Disney Channel in other countries, see Disney Channel . For the original Disney Channel, see Disney Channel.Disney Channel Japan is a television channel that is broadcast in Japan.-The Current Shows:* JONAS... |
January 2012 | 天才学級アント・ファーム | |
| Disney Channel Korea Disney Channel Korea Disney Channel Korea is a television channel which is a local version of the Disney Channel for South Korea. It launched on July 1, 2011... |
2012 | 개미 농장 | |
| Disney Channel France | October, 2011 | Section Genius | |
| Disney Channel Russia | TBA, 2012 | Академия Новых Талантов (Academy for new talent) | |
| Disney Channel Spain Disney Channel Spain Disney Channel Spain is a free-to-air television channel and is an edition of the The Walt Disney Company-owned Disney Channel, broadcasting in Spain. It is marketed to mostly children; however, in recent years the diversity of viewers has increased with an older audience. It is owned by Disney-ABC... |
November 11, 2011 | A.N.T. Farm Escuela de Talentos | |
| Disney Channel Poland Disney Channel Poland For the Disney Channel in other countries, see Disney Channel . For the original Disney Channel, see Disney Channel USA.Disney Channel Poland is an edition of the The Walt Disney Company-owned Disney Channel broadcasting to Poland... |
December 10, 2011 | Nadzdolni | |
| Disney Channel Brazil | August 21, 2011 (Sneak Peek) September 16, 2011 (Premiere) |
Programa de Talentos | |
| Disney Channel Latin America Disney Channel Latin America Disney Channel Latin America is an cable television channel and is an edition of The Walt Disney Company-owned Disney Channel, broadcasting to Latin America and the Caribbean. It is broadcast in five feeds, North Zone, Center Zone, South Zone,and the Pacific Zone... |
August 21, 2011 (Sneak Peek) September 16, 2011 |