RYAN TUCHOW

What I loved this year: 

I’ve really enjoyed watching a trend form around prank shows for kids. I wrote about it over the summer, highlighting broadcasters including SBT in Brazil and France’s TF1 showing a growing interest in this niche subgenre. And then earlier this month, BBC Children’s and Education commissioned Gladiators: Epic Pranks (15 x 15 minutes), a new series from Hungry Bear Media and MGM Alternative UK that puts elite athletes in funny and unexpected situations, like having to wear a bunny costume for a photo shoot. With this kind of content hitting so hard with younger viewers on YouTube and TikTok right, it’s not surprising that prank shows are having something of a resurgence on TV. And at a time when kids are dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety in their lives, I’m glad to see the industry responding to their need to escape with some schadenfreude-driven laughs sometimes.

What I’m looking forward to: 

Heading into 2025, I’m counting down the days until CBC Kids premieres season two of its CBBC co-commission Gangnam Project (season one is pictured above) on March 3. And I’m not the only one. In June, France Télévisions, ABC Australia, NRK (Norway), YLE (Finland) and TV3 Group (Baltics) all picked up the first season of this live-action series from Pillango Productions that follows two Canadian-Korean siblings training at a K-pop school in South Korea. Season two promises more teen drama and a killer soundtrack. 

COLE WATSON

What I loved this year:

Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers action figure series from Jada Toys

My favorite toy line of 2024 was the Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers action figure series from Jada Toys. I’ve spent countless hours playing Capcom’s Street Fighter arcade games since I was a kid, and Jada has captured the essence of each iconic character, from the plastics used to create unique textures in the costumes, to the awesome effect parts included to recreate their special combat techniques. 

Jada is really leaving its mark in the action figure market and setting new standards for what can be done at a US$25 price point. And with 18 characters in the full set, I’m excited to continue hunting down each new wave at retail in the new year to fill out my display case. 

What I’m looking forward to: 

Gundam Card Game.

Bandai Namco’s Gundam brand has been near and dear to my heart since I was a teenager, and while I’m always excited to see the next chapter in the mecha franchise, I can’t wait for the Gundam Card Game to land at hobby shops in 2025. 

The Gundam brand has repeatedly failed to sustain a TCG throughout its 45-year history, but I’m hoping this is the one that finally sticks and makes it past 10 booster sets. I already like many of the initial mechanics, such as pilots being able to pair up with mobile suits to enhance their abilities. And the inclusion of battleships to protect the player’s life points is a great way to add some mecha flair to the gameplay. While I wasn’t able to secure any of the beta starter sets, I’ll definitely be one of the first people in line for booster boxes when pre-orders go live. 

SADHANA BHARANIDHARAN

What I loved this year: 

High School Musical.

I recently had a chance to pick up Ashley Spencer’s Disney High, a book that chronicles Disney Channel’s monumental tween reign in the ’00s—a decade when the division launched multiple franchises and actor-singers to superstardom. My love for this era of pop culture has always run deep (and shows like Lizzie McGuire and That’s So Raven were cornerstones of my childhood, influencing everything from my daily vocabulary to my wardrobe), so this book was right up my alley.

While the title is unauthorized, Spencer has packed her time capsule with in-depth research, interviews with creatives and executives, plus some really interesting business insights—like how Disney Channel research identified a co-viewing whitespace, why the network’s then-VP of original programming Adam Bonnett wanted to explore multi-camera sitcoms, and which early concepts (like a fourth Disney Channel Original Movie expanding on High School Musical) didn’t make it to the finish line. 

What I’m looking forward to:

Freakier Friday promotional image.

One of my most-anticipated films of 2025 is Freakier Friday, slated for release on August 8. It’s a follow-up to the 2003 family comedy Freaky Friday, which grossed US$160 million worldwide and earned Jamie Lee Curtis a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. Disney has been sticking to a sequel-heavy strategy recently—which helped lift its entertainment segment’s operating income for Q4 2024 to US$316 million. I’ve rewatched Freaky Friday too many times to count, and I love its story about a mother and daughter who unexpectedly switch bodies and learn to understand each other better. Will the sequel be a retread of the body-swap plot, or will it feature a fresh twist? That’s the big question, especially when most of the original cast (including Curtis, Linsday Lohan and Chad Michael Murray) are reprising their roles. I look forward to seeing what their characters have been up to for the past two decades.