As the streaming market continues to spread itself thinner, more and more reboots pop up from a host of studios.
Teen sitcoms in the late 2000s were revolutionary in their time.
They adapted the beloved sitcom format to a new audience in a new era, and they did so with finesse and charm, birthing a new generation of humor as the world transitioned onto the fledgling internet.
June 17, Paramount+ released the first three episodes of an homage to our awkwardest age: a fresh, new rebooted version of “iCarly,” starring most of the original cast.
Because really, we’re those same awkward kids today, nervously denying the rapid approach of our 20s and clutching desperately onto any nostalgic crumb from the decade our lives went digital.
Naturally, then, Paramount+ knew these oversized awkward children onto the old set and expect “iCarly” to miraculously re-emerge.
No, you won’t see KJ Apa and Camila Mendes engaged in softcore porn on screen, but Carly says “bitch” and Spencer “lives in a society”—all appropriate extrapolations of the no-shits-given attitude from the original series.
Mosley excellently delivers rapid-fire one-liners in much the same fashion as teenage McCurdy once did, and though she’s not the same exact breed of wild and crazy, the expositional writing in the first few episodes decently fleshes out Harper’s unique character and backstory.
We do truly need to know exactly how much Freddie suffered on his own before he felt returning to live with his mom was the only option, and which accidental stroke of brilliance made Spencer rich.
But the most enjoyable novelty of the reboot is the fact that the writers were able to create new meaning from the same old contrived and coincidental plot cliches and the same beloved characters.
Whether it’s Spencer’s crazy sculptures, Millicent’s ingenious business ventures or Carly’s webshow, you can really tell that the cast is so profoundly happy to be back on this set making this show—this art—again.
“iCarly” is only the latest in a new trend of reboots that are aware they’re reboots, and the rest of the inaugural season promises to take us on a journey worthy of all the cringes, memes and YouTube-clippable moments that made the first show such a fan favorite.
As a South Florida native, AJ spends as much time as possible outdoors—with a digital camera and a group of friends.
Now, it’s time for teen sitcom classic “iCarly” to return to the spotlight.