Disney’s Familiar Game Plan Works

The Disney Channel takes the court at 8 tonight with a tall tale based on the real-life Burge sisters, 6-foot-5 twins whose basketball skills eventually elevated them to the pro ranks of the WNBA.

Disney, which pioneered the twin-blond-teens concept back in 1961 by cloning Hayley Mills in “The Parent Trap,” had a bigger casting challenge in “Double Teamed.” The lead actresses would have to be very tall, good dribblers and, oh yeah, look exactly alike.

The producers decided on Poppi Monroe (from the CBS miniseries “The Last Don”) as Heather and Annie McElwain (“Seventh Heaven”) as Heidi. A crash course in basketball, platform shoes and dyed hair extensions took care of the rest. And although they don’t look like identical twins, they at least appear as if they could be sisters.

The paint-by-the-numbers movie piles on the sports cliches as ably as any male-oriented sports flick, and like such paintings, examining the finished product too closely spoils some of the fun.

The story, which takes place in Redondo Beach and Palos Verdes, hinges on Dad’s (Nick Searcy) rather unhinged efforts to secure college sports scholarships for his girls at any cost, regardless of the campaign’s effect on their happiness. Mom (Mackenzie Phillips) generally serves as referee during the family skirmishes.

The desperate scholarship push seems a trifle odd inasmuch as the girls are barely in their freshman year of high school, but chronic money concerns compel the family to make many decisions.

For the girls, there are rich yet envious teammates to contend with, as well as untimely injuries and some sibling rivalry.

But rest assured that a happy, Disney-style ending is a slam-dunk.