Editing That's So Raven (section)

===Development===

In the early 2000s, [[The Walt Disney Company]]'s [[pay television]] network [[Disney Channel]] experienced success with [[Single-camera setup|single-camera]] comedy series ''[[Even Stevens]]'' and ''[[Lizzie McGuire]]'', and others that were also aimed at a [[pre-adolescent]] audience.<ref name="keeneye"/> ''That's So Raven'' was intended to appeal to a family audience while having a female character in the comedy lead role.<ref name="keeneye"/><ref name="ravenint2006"/> [[Michael Poryes]] and Susan Sherman created the series.<ref name="seriesorder"/><ref name="keeneye"/> Sherman first conceived the idea of a [[buddy comedy]] for a pre-adolescent audience, and she and Poryes decided to base it around the idea of being able to see the future, which they thought would interest young viewers.<ref name="scripttoscreen">{{cite news|last=Scott Mason|first=Marilynne |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0927/p18s02-hfks.html|title=Two TV shows from script to screen|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|publisher=[[Christian Science Publishing Society]] |date=September 27, 2005|access-date=January 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807161434/https://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0927/p18s02-hfks.html|archive-date=August 7, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The creators pitched the concept to network executives under the working title ''The Future is On Me'' and later as ''Absolutely Psychic''.<ref name="scripttoscreen"/><ref name="avclub100"/><ref name="ravenint2006"/> Poryes said at her audition, [[Raven-Symoné]] read for the role of the lead character and for the comedic best-friend character Chelsea, and that she wanted to play Chelsea.<ref name="scripttoscreen"/> Subsequently, a pilot episode in which she starred as the best friend rather than in the central role was filmed but after the [[Test screening|test audience]] responded well to her and producers were impressed, the program was re-written with Raven-Symoné in the main role.<ref name="scripttoscreen"/> Test audiences also responded favorably to the show's supernatural premise and its comedy.<ref name="keeneye"/> The series was also retitled ''That's So Raven''.<ref name="scripttoscreen"/> Poryes also served as an executive producer alongside [[David Brookwell]] and [[Sean McNamara (filmmaker)|Sean McNamara]], who concurrently produced ''[[Even Stevens]]'' for Disney Channel.<ref name="musical"/> Their joint company, [[Brookwell McNamara Entertainment]] produced the program in association with the network.<ref name="seriesorder"/> ''That's So Raven'' became Disney Channel's first [[Multiple-camera setup|multi-camera]] sitcom.<ref name="ewravenshome"/> The series is centered on an [[African Americans|African American]] family in a deliberate attempt to represent the diversity of the network's audience.<ref name="keeneye"/>

''That's So Raven'' and Raven-Symoné's involvement as the titular character Raven were announced in a press release in November 2001. Twenty-one episodes were ordered for the first season, which began filming in [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]], in the same month.<ref name="seriesorder">{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Raven+Symone+To+Star+in+Disney+Channel+Original+Series+That's+So...-a079852087|title=Raven Symone To Star in Disney Channel Original Series ''That's So Raven''; Production To Begin in Los Angeles Nov. 9.|work=[[Business Wire]] |date=November 8, 2001|access-date=January 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406022540/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Raven+Symone+To+Star+in+Disney+Channel+Original+Series+That's+So...-a079852087|archive-date=April 6, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> The series was initially expected to premiere in early 2002 but the whole first season was filmed before it aired on television.<ref name="tkeyah"/> The premiere broadcast of ''That's So Raven'', which included the first four episodes of the series, occurred on Friday, January 17, 2003.<ref name="keeneye">{{cite news|last=Heffley|first=Lynne|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jan-17-et-heffley17-story.html|title=A keen eye for 'tween' foibles|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=January 17, 2003|access-date=January 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104083655/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jan-17-et-heffley17-story.html|archive-date=January 4, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="marathon">{{cite web|title=''Raven'' ratings take wing for Disney net: Disney Channel scores high ratings for the launch of ''That's So Raven''|date=January 23, 2003|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-97730302.html|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=[[Penske Media Corporation|Variety Media, LLC.]]|access-date=January 5, 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104212556/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-97730302.html|archive-date=November 4, 2012|via=[[HighBeam Research]]}}</ref>