Saturdays (TV series)

Saturdays is an American coming-of-age comedy television series created by Norman Vance Jr. It aired from March 24 to May 12, 2023 on Disney Channel. The series stars Danielle Jalade, Daria Johns, Peyton Z. Basnight, Jermaine Harris, Tim Johnson Jr., Golden Brooks, and Omar Gooding.

Premise
Paris Johnson, a 14-year-old girl from Chicago, forms the "We-B-Girlz" skate crew with her best friends Simone and Ari. Together, they are determined to create the hottest skate routines in their local roller rink "Saturdays Rockin' Roller Palace" and are working to become goldens in the Battle 2-B Golden Skate Competition.

Main

 * Danielle Jalade as Paris Johnson, the leader of the We-B-Girlz skate crew, who has a tendency of doing too much with her big ideas
 * Daria Johns as Simone Samson, Paris' best friend, who is into the boho-chic style
 * Peyton Z. Basnight as Ari Stevens, Paris' best friend, who is into the butterfly aesthetic
 * Jermaine Harris as London Johnson, Paris' older brother, who is a DJ at Saturdays
 * Tim Johnson Jr. as Derek "D-Rok" Troy, London's best friend and fellow DJ at Saturdays, who is also an aspiring rapper
 * Golden Brooks as Deb Johnson, Paris' mother, who runs a baking business called "Cal & Deb B-Bakin'" with her husband. The episode "Feelin' Brand New New" reveals that her full first name is Debra.
 * Omar Gooding as Cal Johnson, Paris' father, who runs the baking business with his wife. The episode "Feelin' Brand New New" reveals that his full first name is Calvin.

Recurring

 * Yolanda "Yo-Yo" Whitaker as Duchess, the rink owner. The episode "Don't Clown the Duchess" reveals that her real name is Delilah Denise Williams.
 * Missy Fierro as Madison Ortiz, a DJ at Saturdays and London's girlfriend
 * Noah Cottrell as Ivan, a VIP skater at Saturdays and Simone's love interest

Notable guest stars

 * Da Brat as Princess, Duchess' former singing partner, who started dressing up as a clown after their singing duo broke up
 * Issac Ryan Brown as Booker, Paris and London's play cousin, who is visiting Chicago for the summer

Production
On March 11, 2021, Disney Channel gave a pilot order to Saturdays. Marsai Martin and Norman Vance Jr. serve as executive producers. Vance also served as the writer of the pilot. Charles Stone III directed the pilot. On November 30, 2021, the series was formally greenlit. All main cast members returned from the pilot, except Samantha A. Smith as Roxy. Production began on May 2, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois and wrapped in mid-September that same year. On April 7, 2022, Tim Johnson Jr. and Peyton Z. Basnight joined the cast as series regulars. On February 9, 2023, it was announced that the series would premiere on March 24, 2023. On April 26, 2023, it was announced that Saturdays and Raven's Home would have a special crossover episode, which premiered on April 28, 2023. On November 7, 2023, it was reported that the series was canceled after one season.

Release
Saturdays premiered on March 24, 2023 on Disney Channel. The first six episodes were released on Disney+ on March 25, 2023, resulting in episodes 3–6 being released prior to their televised premieres. Similarly, episodes 7–11 were added to Disney+ on April 26, 2023, resulting in episode 11 being released prior to its television debut later that week.

Critical response
Joel Keller of Decider asserted, "Saturdays has some of the broad physical humor that your kids will love, but it gives off a fun vibe and is just clever enough to keep parents engaged, too." Alex Reif of Laughing Place said "Saturdays adds another dimension to the series via the artistry of roller skating. In the same way that dance elevated Shake It Up, choreographed roller skating gives the show some artistic flair that sets it apart." He also adds "Colorful, musical, and fun, Saturdays leans into nostalgia with its approach to storytelling and the roller skating theme. The show is full of Black joy and Black American culture, and while Disney Channel has been tapping into this same demographic for decades, Saturdays is impacted by recent pushes for more culturally specific kinds of stories from major companies like Disney." Ashley Moulton of Common Sense Media gave Saturdays a grade of four out of five stars, noted the presence of positive messages and role models, citing friendship, complimented the humor of the show, and called the storylines "quite wholesome."