iCarly
Who didn’t love iCarly? I was obsessed (and still am) for so many reasons. The entire series was a hit. To be specific, the last two seasons were the best of the best mostly because Gibby made more appearances. And I can’t lie, I will proudly admit that I am in love with Freddie Benson and always have been. Recently I subscribed to Paramount Plus to watch the iCarly reboot (a story for another time) and I came across the original series. I knew that the first few seasons were on Netflix, but Paramount Plus has the entire series and I was ecstatic. By the way, Paramount Plus has Zoey 101 and iCarly (among other shows) and the membership is $4.99 per month!
My favorite episode was when Gibby opens up a restaurant in the basement of their high school. This is just such a Gibby thing to do. I loved that on the wall above the bar was a sign that said Try our lemonade, it’s hot! which Carly didn’t realize until it was too late and she gulped a red pepper flavored lemonade. Another episode I thought was funny was when Sam and Freddie are dating and Carly feels left out… so Gibby adopts a dog for them to share. And I can’t forget the episode when Freddie saves Carly from getting hit by a bus and then Carly kisses him. Also the two episodes where Nora Durshlet kidnaps the iCarly crew. They were so funny.
To be honest, every iCarly episode is iconic, but these are just some of my favorites. I personally ship Carly and Freddie, but I respect the Sam and Freddie shippers.
Drake and Josh
As a girl who grew up with a brother and two step brothers, this show always hit home. Not only was it elite humor, but I could relate to the step-brother and step-sister dynamic more than anything. I aspired to be Megan growing up.
My all time favorite Drake and Josh episode isn’t actually an episode but I still count it. The Drake and Josh Christmas Movie is not only my favorite Drake and Josh episode, but it stands as my favorite Christmas movie as well. This movie makes me feel so warm and fuzzy and I watch it ten times every Christmas season. An actual episode that I’m sure we can all agree on being our favorite is when Drake and Josh have to rebuild the neighbor’s treehouse and accidentally trap themselves in with no door. The amount of memes about that scene make it even more iconic. Another one of my favorites is when Megan went on a first date with a boy from school and Drake and Josh, as overprotective brothers, went to spy on her. They dressed as spies and coined the catchphrase “pip pip da doodly doo.” Long story short, they ruined her date then got them back together, then found out he was cheating so Megan wasn’t very happy about how stupid they were being. I also must mention the other Drake and Josh movie when Megan ends up at a 5 star hotel while Drake and Josh end up chasing after criminals making fake money. Overall, Drake and Josh was relatable as a girl with step brothers who were always causing trouble and it was pretty hilarious too.
Zoey 101
I have to start with the fact that Chase and Zoey are (and always have been) endgame. I always watched this show on Teen Nick out of order but recently figured out that the whole series is on Paramount Plus (another paramount plus plug oops). So, over the summer I watched all the episodes again in order this time and I still love it.
My favorite episode has to be when Zoey is in a dance competition on campus and her dance partner gets hurt and can’t compete with her. When Chase finds out, he spends hours on end learning the routine for her so that she can compete and win. Chase ends up falling asleep outside because he spent so much time and energy learning the dance. First of all, this is adorable. Second of all, Chase sets the bar way too high for men everywhere. Another episode I loved was the last episode of the series when Chase comes back from England and finally kisses Zoey and they are finally dating. Even though I love Zoey and Chase, Zoey and James were cute too and he was such a great boyfriend to her. She ultimately left James for Chase in a heartbeat, but it’s ok because it’s just fiction. I know I’ve only focused on Chase and Zoey but I also love Quinn and Logan especially because of Logan’s great character development. They were a cute couple even though I disagree with them keeping it secret. Another cute couple was Lola and Vince Blake. Vince Blake’s debut on the show was pretty bad but he came back to PCA as a new and nice man and stole the hearts of everyone watching this show. When he comes back and Logan and Michael try to give him “comeuppance” or payback for beating them up the first time he was at PCA, it was absolutely hilarious. The bromance between Chase and Michael is also worth noting because they were the cutest bromance in any TV show ever. Zoey 101 characters and plot lines were really funny which makes it one of my favorite shows from childhood.
Big Time Rush
I had to save the best for last. Even as a kid, I was a sucker for TV romance (as you could probably tell by now) and this show contributed to that because of Jo and Kendall. The bromance between Kendall, Logan, Carlos, and James is unforgettable and iconic. I still listen to BTR every day and will never get sick of it. My favorite song is “Til I Forget About You” and I always think about Jo in the audience with her I <3 Kendall sign. If you are a BTR fan like me, you know that they’re going on tour and will be in New York in December. Those tickets went fast and I was not able to get my hands on them before they became a million dollars (it’s fine, I’m fine) ((ps if you have any to sell hit me up)). While music was a huge part of Big Time Rush, I also appreciated the TV show itself.
My favorite episode is when Carlos and James throw a party… I mean “social gathering”… after being offended they weren’t invited to the party at Roque Records. Carlos invites his entire contact list and claims he thought he invited his friend Al Contact. Another notable episode is when Jo is offered a movie deal in New Zealand and must leave Kendall behind. Kendall does not want to break up with Jo so he acts like a slob hoping she will break up with him but his plan doesn’t really work. This episode stabbed my heart especially when Kendall rushes to the airport when she leaves and then they sing Worldwide. I just got chills thinking about it. I can’t forget about Logan and Camille who were also an adorable “nerd” couple. Big Time Rush lives on as a great band with amazing music but I will always remember their TV show as it made me really happy as a kid.
I have a few other TV shows on my mind so I might have to come back for a part two!