Disney is known for producing tons of great movies, as well as T.V. series – in which one of them is the American sitcom, A.N.T. Farm – which premiered on June 17, 2011
A.N.T., also known as Advanced Natural Talent, is a program offered in Webster High School – that focuses on the specific talent of a student. The A.N.T. program was an excellent opportunity for artists to showcase their talent and improve their skills – that’s why Chyna Parks decided to join the program.
Chyna is a middle school student with an exceptional gift in music. At the age of eleven, Chyna has an incredible singing voice – and can play almost any instrument. Having this fantastic talent, Chyna is very passionate about joining the A.N.T. program. However, joining the program would mean being sent to high school, this has never been a challenge for Chyna – but it doesn’t go the same with her two friends, Olivia Doyle and Fletcher Quimby.
Olivia and Fletcher accompany Chyna in the A.N.T. program, considering both of them also have remarkable talent. Olivia is a genius and has an eidetic memory; that’s why she never forgets anything – while Fletcher possesses an extraordinary gift in arts. The three of them venture the halls of high school, despite being middle-school-aged. Their story revolves around surviving everyday challenges in school – while using their talents as their advantage.
Through-out the movie Chyna showcased her remarkable talent in singing – where she sang a total of sixteen original soundtracks.
The production for the show began in early 2011. Dan Signer is the creator of the series – who was also a former writer and executive producer of The Suite Life on Deck.
The idea of the show was conceptualized by Dan Signer – after seeing China McClain’s awesome character and talent. Dan was struck with the idea of creating a T.V. show about child prodigies.
The T.V. show aired for three years – with a total of three seasons and two special episodes.
The show may not be a huge success; however, it still has received various nominations and awards. In 2012, the show won the Favorite Actor award in the annual Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. In the same year, Stefanie Scott won the Supporting Young Actress award – and the show was nominated for two more awards for Young Artists Awards. Lastly, China Anne McClain – who plays the leading role, Chyna – won the Outstanding Performance in a Youth/ Children’s Program, at NAACP Image Awards, in 2014.
A.N.T. Farm Characters
Chyna Parks (China Anne McClain) – is the main character in the series, where she is a gifted teenager. With her two friends, she went to high school at the age of eleven – and she joined the A.N.T. program to explore her talent further.
Olive Doyle (Sierra McCormick) – is Chyna’s best friend. Olive is a smart kid that is gifted with an eidetic memory – where everything she read, hear, or see will be permanently stored in her mind.
Fletcher Quimby (Jake Short) – Fletcher is a genius when it comes to art. He has incredible talent in painting, drawing, and any other forms of art. In the series, he displayed affection towards Chyna – which he fell in love with since the first time he saw her.
Lexi Reed (Stefanie Scott) – Lexi is Chyna’s rival at school. She is a popular girl at school – and becomes insecure when being faced with Chyna. She sees Chyna as a rival, especially when Chyna is taking over her place as the star of every school play.
Cameron Parks (Carlon Jeffery) – Cameron is the older brother of Chyna – and is studying in the same school. Although he is not particularly talented at anything, he is there to help his little sister when trouble strikes – most of the time.
Interesting Facts
- The actual T.V. show was filmed at Webster High School, in San Francisco, California
- China McClain also appeared as herself in the movie Daddy’s Little Girls – also, she guest-starred in one of the episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place.
- The idea of the show was conceptualized by Dan Signer – after seeing China McClain’s remarkable character and talent. Dan was struck with the idea of creating a T.V. show about child prodigies.
- Chris Rock had a special guest appearance as himself in season 3 – where he visits A.N.T.’s school to buy a rare animal for his daughter.
- The teen movie actress and leading lady Zendaya also made her special guest appearance in the T.V. show. She appeared in season 2 as Sequoia Jones – where she is a teen movie star.