iCarly vs. Wizards of Waverly Place and Tweencoms: Then and Now

[Ian J. Ball]

In article

http://realwrestlecrap.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=offtopic&action=...
These are the two longest and most popular teen sitcoms going on
today.  Which is the better sitcom?
http://realwrestlecrap.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=offtopic&action=...
So how do the tweencoms we have seen in recent years on Nickelodeon
and Disney Channel like iCarly, Wizards of Wavely Place, Victorious,
Sonny with a Chance/So Random, etc. compare to the tweencoms that we
grew up on during the '80s and '90s. Shows like Webster, Punky
Brewster, You Can't Do That On Television, Kids Incoporated and later
on, Clarissa Explains It All, Saved By The Bell, Kenan and Kel, etc.
If I can look at this without nostalgic goggles, I think the qualities
are not that different. Though I can't imagine any children show today
being as edgy as You Can't Do That On Television was. As mentioned by
others before, Alex Russo is not the greatest role model. I think
Carly might be the only one from today that I would put on par with
Punky and Clarissa as far as role models for kids, both boys and
girls.
With that being said, it might be a draw, though I think the writers
back than gave kids more credit than they do now a days.

Saved By The Bell was the best. It wasn't art by any means but
everyone of that era remembers the classic Zack-Kelly-Slater
triangle. No other show, today or yesterday have produced memorable
story-arcs like that. Plus no show had a classic character like
Screech. ICarly is built solely on Cosgrove, whereas SBTB was an
ensemble project. SBTB was the superior show.

I would dispute this on a couple of counts. Firstly, SbtB was only
really good for its first couple of seasons. Once Zack and Kelly got
together (this was basically in what I used to call the "Grade 11"
season), the show went downhill fast, esp. in terms of comedic value.
Secondly, SbtB was heavily, heavily 'Zack-centric', so I'd challenge the
'ensemble nature' of the show (Slater, Kelly, and Lisa were generally
low-rung afterthoughts most of the time - only Screech and Jessie really
did anything besides Zack).

Anyway, I think SbtB is one of those shows viewed nostalgically with
rose-color glasses - by the time the show got to the "Grade 12" seasons,
it was pretty terrible, and any of the current shows would blow it out
of the water in comparison...

[Anim8rFSK]

In article

Post by Ian J. Ball
In article

http://realwrestlecrap.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=offtopic&action=...
These are the two longest and most popular teen sitcoms going on
today.  Which is the better sitcom?
http://realwrestlecrap.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=offtopic&action=...
So how do the tweencoms we have seen in recent years on Nickelodeon
and Disney Channel like iCarly, Wizards of Wavely Place, Victorious,
Sonny with a Chance/So Random, etc. compare to the tweencoms that we
grew up on during the '80s and '90s. Shows like Webster, Punky
Brewster, You Can't Do That On Television, Kids Incoporated and later
on, Clarissa Explains It All, Saved By The Bell, Kenan and Kel, etc.
If I can look at this without nostalgic goggles, I think the qualities
are not that different. Though I can't imagine any children show today
being as edgy as You Can't Do That On Television was. As mentioned by
others before, Alex Russo is not the greatest role model. I think
Carly might be the only one from today that I would put on par with
Punky and Clarissa as far as role models for kids, both boys and
girls.
With that being said, it might be a draw, though I think the writers
back than gave kids more credit than they do now a days.

Saved By The Bell was the best. It wasn't art by any means but
everyone of that era remembers the classic Zack-Kelly-Slater
triangle. No other show, today or yesterday have produced memorable
story-arcs like that. Plus no show had a classic character like
Screech. ICarly is built solely on Cosgrove, whereas SBTB was an
ensemble project. SBTB was the superior show.

I would dispute this on a couple of counts. Firstly, SbtB was only
really good for its first couple of seasons. Once Zack and Kelly got
together (this was basically in what I used to call the "Grade 11"
season), the show went downhill fast, esp. in terms of comedic value.
Secondly, SbtB was heavily, heavily 'Zack-centric', so I'd challenge the
'ensemble nature' of the show (Slater, Kelly, and Lisa were generally
low-rung afterthoughts most of the time - only Screech and Jessie really
did anything besides Zack).
Anyway, I think SbtB is one of those shows viewed nostalgically with
rose-color glasses - by the time the show got to the "Grade 12" seasons,
it was pretty terrible, and any of the current shows would blow it out
of the water in comparison...

And then there was The College Years, well, year, followed by that
horrible Vegas wedding movie with the tragic end.

[Ian J. Ball]

Post by Ian J. Ball
In article

Post by Ian J. Ball
In article

Saved By The Bell was the best.  It wasn't art by any means but
everyone of that era remembers the classic Zack-Kelly-Slater
triangle.  No other show, today or yesterday have produced memorable
story-arcs like that. Plus no show had a classic character like
Screech.  ICarly is built solely on Cosgrove, whereas SBTB was an
ensemble project.  SBTB was the superior show.

I would dispute this on a couple of counts. Firstly, SbtB was only
really good for its first couple of seasons. Once Zack and Kelly got
together (this was basically in what I used to call the "Grade 11"
season), the show went downhill fast, esp. in terms of comedic value.
Secondly, SbtB was heavily, heavily 'Zack-centric', so I'd challenge the
'ensemble nature' of the show (Slater, Kelly, and Lisa were generally
low-rung afterthoughts most of the time - only Screech and Jessie really
did anything besides Zack).
Anyway, I think SbtB is one of those shows viewed nostalgically with
rose-color glasses - by the time the show got to the "Grade 12" seasons,
it was pretty terrible, and any of the current shows would blow it out
of the water in comparison...

And then there was The College Years, well, year, followed by that
horrible Vegas wedding movie with the tragic end.

I actually generally liked "The College Years" (except maybe the last
few episodes).

The "Wedding in Vegas" movie was pretty wretched, though it did
acceptably wrap up the stroylines from the series.

[Obveeus]

Post by Anim8rFSK

Post by Ian J. Ball
Anyway, I think SbtB is one of those shows viewed nostalgically with
rose-color glasses - by the time the show got to the "Grade 12" seasons,
it was pretty terrible, and any of the current shows would blow it out
of the water in comparison...

And then there was The College Years, well, year, followed by that
horrible Vegas wedding movie with the tragic end.

Is that the one where she changed her name to Nomi? I thought it was campy,
but I wouldn't call it tragic.

[Anim8rFSK]

Post by Obveeus

Post by Anim8rFSK

Post by Ian J. Ball
Anyway, I think SbtB is one of those shows viewed nostalgically with
rose-color glasses - by the time the show got to the "Grade 12" seasons,
it was pretty terrible, and any of the current shows would blow it out
of the water in comparison...

And then there was The College Years, well, year, followed by that
horrible Vegas wedding movie with the tragic end.

Is that the one where she changed her name to Nomi? I thought it was campy,
but I wouldn't call it tragic.

Preppie and Tiffany-Amber drop out of school to get married because
Preppie is insecure and doesn't trust her out of his sight for a
semester, and live in a trailer park the rest of their lives, where he
no doubt beats her up every time another guy looks at her? I really
don't see any other way the series goes after the Vegas movie. It's
pretty much Xander's dream marriage to Anya. I'd have WAY preferred
some growing up and her sailing away as a finale.