AceShowbiz -

With "Hannah Montana" coming to an end, Disney Channel is in desperate need to launch a new talent like Miley Cyrus who propelled the network to success. The Mouse House, as reported by Deadline, is investing high on 13-year-old Bella Thorne who is given her own Disney Channel Original Series called "Shake It Up".

The show debuted the pilot on Sunday, November 7. It follows Thorne's Ce Ce Jones and her best friend Zendaya Coleman's Rocky as they audition for "Shake It Up Chicago", the nation's hottest dance show. It recalls a lot of Miley's first years on "Hannah Montana" when she lived up her dream of singing and Demi Lovato on "Sonny with a Chance" where she became an aspiring actress.

Nevertheless, at such a young age, Thorne has already starred in a number of acclaimed TV series such as "Dirty Sexy Money", "My Own Worst Enemy" and the Emmy-winning show "Big Love". She has also popped up on Selena Gomez's "Wizards of Waverly Place" before becoming the new Disney darling.

Disney Channel has in fact tried the same approach with now 17-year-old Bridgit Mendler in 2009. She was touted to be the next Miley Cyrus through "Good Luck Charlie" although the show never eventually matched "Hannah Montana" in terms of popularity. Adam Bonnett, senior VP of original programming at Disney Channel said about Mendler back then, "We just fell in love with her. She has all the attributes of a Disney star."