Wizards of Waverly Place (season 1) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wizards of Waverly Place |
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Wizards of Waverly Place season one cast
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| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 21 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Disney Channel |
| Original release | October 12, 2007 – August 31, 2008 |
The first season of Wizards of Waverly Place was shown on Disney Channel. It started on October 12, 2007, and ended on August 31, 2008.
This season introduces the Russo children: Alex (played by Selena Gomez), Justin (played by David Henrie), and Max Russo (played by Jake T. Austin). They are all learning to be wizards. The show is about their journey to see who will become the main wizard in their family. Maria Canals Barrera and David DeLuise play their parents. Jennifer Stone is also in the show as Harper Finkle, who is Alex's best friend.
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About the Show
Wizards of Waverly Place is set in Manhattan, New York. It follows the Russo family, who live on Waverly Place in the Greenwich Village area. The three Russo kids, Alex, Justin, and Max, are all training to be wizards. Their dad, Jerry (played by David DeLuise), used to be a wizard. Their mom, Theresa, is a mortal, meaning she doesn't have magic. Alex also has a mortal friend, Harper, who doesn't know about their magic at first.
How the Show Was Made
The show was created by Todd J. Greenwald. He started working on it after being a writer for Hannah Montana. The show was made by It's a Laugh Productions and Disney Channel Original Productions.
The theme song is called "Everything Is Not What It Seems." Selena Gomez sings it. It's a techno-pop song. The show is filmed at Hollywood Center Studios in Hollywood, California.
The Theme Song Story
The theme song shows a fun story about the Russo kids using magic. Alex wakes up and uses a spell to change the time on her alarm clock. Then, she pushes Justin aside in the bathroom. Justin gets annoyed and traps her in the mirror with magic.
In the kitchen, Max turns an orange into a cupcake. Harper meets Alex at the door, showing off her watermelon shirt. Max's mom, Theresa, makes him change his cupcake back into an orange. Their dad, Jerry, is seen in the wizard lair, where a laptop flies away from him. He goes to get it back.
At the sub shop, Alex opens her bag, and the laptop flies into it. Jerry then gives her a lecture. The main title of the show appears, and the four friends walk to school. You might notice that the furniture in the background seems to move around during the song!
First Airing and Viewers
The show first aired on Disney Channel on October 12, 2007. It was shown right after the movie Twitches Too. About 5.9 million people watched the first episode.
Later, an episode called "Helping Hand" broke a record in February 2009. It had 4.5 million viewers at 7:00 PM. In January 2010, a special one-hour episode, "Wizards vs. Werewolves," became the most-watched episode ever. It had 6.2 million viewers.
In 2009, the show was very popular with teens aged 9–14. It was also the second most-watched show for kids aged 6–11, just behind "The Suite Life on Deck."
Main Cast Members
- Selena Gomez as Alex Russo
- David Henrie as Justin Russo
- Jake T. Austin as Max Russo
- Jennifer Stone as Harper Finkle
- Maria Canals Barrera as Theresa Russo
- David DeLuise as Jerry Russo
Guest Stars and Recurring Characters
Many other actors appeared in the first season, making the show even more fun! Some of them include:
- Amanda Tepe as Monotone Woman
- Skyler Samuels as Gigi Hollingsworth
- Bill Chott as Mr. Laritate
- Daryl Sabara as T.J. Taylor
- Brian Kubach as Riley
- Shane Lyons as Manny Kin
- Eric Allan Kramer as Coach Gunderson
- Chelsea Staub as Kari Landsdorf
- Sara Paxton as Millie
- Julie Brown as Ms. Angela
- Jeff Garlin as Uncle Kelbo
Episodes of Season One
The first season has 21 episodes. They were filmed from July 2007 to December 2007. Each episode tells a new story about the Russo family's magical adventures and challenges.
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No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
U.S. viewers (millions) |
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| 1 | 1 | "Crazy 10-Minute Sale" | Fred Savage | Todd J. Greenwald | October 12, 2007 | 102 | 5.9 |
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Alex wants to go to a big clothing sale. Her dad says no because she has wizard class. Alex uses a spell to make a clone of herself for class. But the clone barks like a dog! Alex's enemy, Gigi, hides a jacket Alex wants. When her dad finds out she skipped class, he gets her. Max plays with Alex's clone, which affects Alex too. Alex then reveals Gigi's real name to get the jacket.
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| 2 | 2 | "First Kiss" | Joe Regalbuto | Vince Cheung & Ben Montanio | October 19, 2007 | 104 | 4.8 |
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Justin is dating Miranda but is too nervous to kiss her. Alex uses a spell to rewind time so Justin can try again. She rewinds time 17 times! This spell also makes Max's sandwich taste boring to judges, ruining his chance to win a contest. Jerry figures out Alex is using magic. In the end, Justin finally gets his first kiss.
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| 3 | 3 | "I Almost Drowned in a Chocolate Fountain" | Joe Regalbuto | Gigi McCreery & Perry Rein | October 26, 2007 | 105 | 3.7 |
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Alex cheats on a Spanish test using magic elves. She passes and goes on a date. To get back at her, Justin and Max put an elf in her purse. The elf bites her, making her crave chocolate like crazy! This causes her to act silly in front of everyone at the restaurant.
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| 4 | 4 | "New Employee" | Bob Berlinger | Peter Murrieta | November 2, 2007 | 107 | N/A |
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Alex gets Harper a job at the family sub shop. Harper is very clumsy. Alex uses a spell to make Harper a great waitress. But Harper becomes too strict! Alex has to use another spell to make her clumsy again so they can be friends. Meanwhile, Justin starts a tutoring business.
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| 5 | 5 | "Disenchanted Evening" | Mark Cendrowski | Jack Sanderson | November 9, 2007 | 114 | 4.6 |
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Alex meets T.J. Taylor, a wizard who charmed his parents to let him use magic freely. Alex wants this too. She uses a magic noodle dish to make her parents obey her wishes. But Alex soon dislikes their relaxed attitude and tries to change them back.
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| 6 | 6 | "You Can't Always Get What You Carpet" | Fred Savage | Peter Murrieta | November 10, 2007 | 101 | 4.0 |
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Alex finds her dad's old magic carpet. Jerry tries to teach her to fly, but he's impatient. Alex asks Justin for help, and he gives her lessons. When Jerry gives Alex another chance, he sees she has gotten much better.
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| 7 | 7 | "Alex's Choice" | Bob Berlinger | Matt Goldman | November 16, 2007 | 109 | N/A |
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Gigi invites Alex and Harper to her tea party. Alex learns Gigi plans to embarrass Harper. Meanwhile, Justin and Max send a prank letter using wizard mail. This gets them and their mom, Theresa, into trouble with emergency wizards.
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| 8 | 8 | "Curb Your Dragon" | Bob Berlinger | Gigi McCreery & Perry Rein | November 30, 2007 | 108 | N/A |
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Alex buys Justin a dragon disguised as a dog. They have to hide that it can breathe fire and fly. The dragon seller comes back and takes the "dog" to a dog show. Alex, Justin, and Max must outsmart the seller to get their dragon back.
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| 9 | 9 | "Movies" | Mark Cendrowski | Justin Varava | December 14, 2007 | 113 | N/A |
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Alex wants to see a horror movie but is too young. She accidentally transports herself into the movie! Justin has to save her. Meanwhile, Theresa treats Max like a baby because she's having trouble accepting that Alex and Justin are growing up.
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| 10 | 10 | "Pop Me and We Both Go Down" | Bob Berlinger | Vince Cheung & Ben Montanio | January 6, 2008 | 103 | N/A |
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Justin gets a big zit before the school dance. Alex tries to get rid of it with magic but accidentally brings it to life! The animated zit causes trouble at the dance. Alex needs to find her dad's trophy to reverse the spell.
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| 11 | 11 | "Potion Commotion" | Bob Berlinger | Todd J. Greenwald | February 10, 2008 | 110 | N/A |
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Justin wants to go to a school summit. Alex plans to use a love potion on a popular classmate to help Justin. But Alex accidentally drinks the whole potion! She becomes obsessed with herself. Max's wizard powers start to grow, so he has to wear a silly hat.
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| 12 | 12 | "Justin's Little Sister" | Andrew Tsao | Eve Weston | March 9, 2008 | 117 | N/A |
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Alex is tired of being compared to Justin. She wishes with a Genie that no one would compare them. But the Genie tricks her, and everyone forgets who Justin is! Alex messes up her last wish, making Justin invisible. They have to find a way to fix everything.
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| 13 | 13 | "Wizard School" (Part 1) | Mark Cendrowski | Vince Cheung & Ben Montanio | April 6, 2008 | 111 | 3.7 |
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Jerry and Theresa send Alex and Justin to Wiz Tech, a wizard school. Justin does very well, but Alex keeps getting into trouble. Alex soon discovers an evil plan to steal Justin's powers. Meanwhile, Max and Jerry camp outside after Theresa questions their "man-hood."
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| 14 | 14 | "Wizard School" (Part 2) | Mark Cendrowski | Gigi McCreery & Perry Rein | April 6, 2008 | 112 | 3.7 |
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Alex tries to stop Dr. Evilini from taking Justin's powers during a wizard sport called 12 Ball. Justin plays against Jerko Phoenix. Alex uses a truth spell on Dr. Evilini to get her arrested and save Justin's powers. Meanwhile, a woman tries to close the Waverly Sub Station.
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| 15 | 15 | "The Supernatural" | Mark Cendrowski | Matt Goldman | May 18, 2008 | 115 | N/A |
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Justin uses magic to get on the school baseball team. He wants to impress a girl named Kari. Alex tries to impress Riley by making him think she's the team's good luck charm.
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| 16 | 16 | "Alex in the Middle" | Bob Berlinger | Matt Goldman | June 15, 2008 | 106 | N/A |
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Jerry's wizard brother, Uncle Kelbo, visits. He lets the kids use magic more freely than Jerry does. Alex chooses Kelbo as her new wizard teacher. But Kelbo is just as irresponsible with magic as Alex! Jerry saves them and reveals he gave up his powers for Theresa.
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| 17 | 17 | "Report Card" | Andrew Tsao | Gigi McCreery & Perry Rein and Peter Murrieta | June 29, 2008 | 118 | N/A |
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The kids get their wizard report cards. Alex tries to destroy hers because she got a bad grade. When her parents get suspicious, Alex turns them into guinea pigs! Professor Crumbs finds out and takes away Alex's powers. Justin stands up for her, and Alex gets her powers back.
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| 18 | 18 | "Credit Check" | Fred Savage | Todd J. Greenwald | July 6, 2008 | 121 | N/A |
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Alex starts an internship at a fashion magazine. Her boss takes credit for all her ideas. Alex plans a fashion show with Harper's unique clothing to get revenge. Meanwhile, Justin tries to impress a new girl, Millie, at the Sub Station.
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| 19 | 19 | "Alex's Spring Fling" | Victor Gonzalez | Matt Goldman | July 20, 2008 | 119 | 3.7 |
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Riley breaks up with Alex because she's too jealous. Alex decides to make him jealous instead. She brings a mannequin to life, names him "Manny Kin," and pretends they're dating. Manny actually falls in love with Alex! Alex then brings Justin's action figure to life to make Manny fall for her.
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| 20 | 20 | "Quinceañera" | Andrew Tsao | Gigi McCreery & Perry Rein | August 10, 2008 | 116 | 3.7 |
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The family gets ready for Alex's Quinceañera, a special 15th birthday celebration. Theresa takes over the planning, making it the party she always wanted. Alex gets annoyed and switches bodies with Theresa. Grandma Magdalena also joins the party. In the end, Theresa realizes her mistake and lets Alex have the party she wants.
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| 21 | 21 | "Art Museum Piece" | Victor Gonzalez | Vince Cheung & Ben Montanio | August 31, 2008 | 120 | N/A |
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Alex uses magic for her Art History assignment. She brings famous artworks to life, like the Mona Lisa and The Blue Boy, to answer questions. Meanwhile, Max and Jerry play football in the house using a spell that affects Theresa too.
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