Disney rebrands Toon to XD

Disney is set to rebrand its Toon Disney channel in the US as Disney XD and has unveiled the new programming line-up, which features a number of international productions.

Disney XD will target boys aged 6-14. It will have a number of new shows including Italian animated series Hero and Not, Japanese coproduction RoboDz and two live-action series Aaron Stone and Mongoose and Luther.

Mongoose and Luther is a tween sitcom about two kids who want to grow up to be famous skateboarders and is produced by Turtle Rock Productions. Aaron Stone is a live action comedy, produced with Canada’s Shaftesbury, about a teenager who becomes the real life version of an online crime fighting video game character. Hero or Not is produced by Italy’s Studio Bozzetto and is an animated short-form series and RoboDZ is a 3D animated series produced by Toei Animation and Walt Disney Television International Japan.

Disney will start the rebrand in February 2009. It says that it will also look at any potential rebranding decisions for its international suite of channels – six Toon Disney channels and 19 Jetix channels – on a case-by-case basis. Until now, Jetix has been Disney’s primary boy-skewed destination, while the Disney Channel has swung towards girl-skewing shows.