Here’s some news that’s sure to wake up the members of iCarly’s nation: The series is returning!
ViacomCBS' Paramount+ streaming service (currently known as CBS All Access) has ordered a revival of the wildly popular Nickelodeon comedy, with original stars Miranda Cosgrove, Jerry Trainor and Nathan Kress all set to return.
Set to premiere in 2021, the new series will be produced by Nickelodeon Studios for Paramount+.
Jay Kogen (School of Rock, The Simpsons, Frasier) and Ali Schouten (Diary of a Future President, Champions, Merry Happy Whatever) have signed on to develop the update. They also will executive produce and serve as co-showrunners.
Kogen hinted on Twitter that the revival will be aimed towards adults, instead of kids like the original series: "People were asking what I was doing. Now I can tell you. We get to make iCarly for ADULTS!"
Update: Nickelodeon has confirmed the news on Instagram!:
It's currently unknown whether the new iCarly project is a reboot - as in, starting the series from scratch - or a revival, picking up where the characters are now.
The original iCarly series, which was created by Dan Schneider and aired on Nickelodeon from 2007-2012, running for 97 episodes over five seasons. The series followed a group of best friends - Carly Shay (Cosgrove), Freddie Benson (Kress) and Sam Puckett, played by Jennette McCurdy - creating a webcast while grappling with everyday problems and adventures. Trainor plays Carly's quirky older brother Spencer, who was known for his wacky inventions. The series included guest appearances by Michelle Obama, Emily Ratajkowski and Emma Stone.
During its original run, iCarly became a pop-culture staple and regularly broke viewership records among audiences of all ages.
McCurdy is currently missing from the main returning cast and there's also no sign of Gibby (Noah Munck).
iCarly ended in 2012 when Carly went to Italy with her dad while Sam went on to star in Sam & Cat, the short-lived series that brought together iCarly's Sam and Victorious' Cat Valentine, played by Ariana Grande. That show aired 35 episodes between 2013 and 2014.
Another spinoff, featuring Noah Munck's Gibby, filmed its pilot but was not picked up as a series. The series would of seen Gibby gets a gig at a recreational center where he winds up as a mentor to four offbeat middle-school students.
McCurdy, one of iCarly’s biggest breakout stars, had a public split with Nick as the first season of Sam & Cat was airing, famously skipping an appearance at the Kids’ Choice Awards where the series picked up an award for TV comedy and Schneider was presented with a lifetime achievement award. McCurdy later described it as an “uncomfortable, compromising, unfair situation,” sparking online speculation about Grande’s then-rising music career and pay disparities between the two actors.
The ViacomCBS network also abruptly cut ties with Schneider in 2018 following reports of “abusive behavior” toward staff. A prolific producer throughout the ’90s and into the 2000s, Schneider was responsible for some of Nick’s biggest live-action hits, including iCarly, The Amanda Show, Good Burger, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, Victorious, All That, Kenan & Kel, Game Shakers and Henry Danger.
Since the series went off air, Cosgrove has had a few reunions with her former Nickelodeon costars, including a trip to Coachella with Jennette McCurdy in 2016. Two years later, she reunited with her former Drake & Josh costar Josh Peck in a video from YouTuber David Dobrik.
As previously reported, CBS All Access is set to be rebranded as Paramount+ in early 2021 as part of the service’s expansion to feature content from ViacomCBS’ portfolio of broadcast, news, sports and entertainment brands, including content from CBS and cable outlets Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET and Paramount Network. ViacomCBS will also bring Paramount+ to international markets with an initial debut in Australia, Latin American and the Nordics in 2021.
In addition to library episodes, Paramount+ will feature original programming based on beloved properties from ViacomCBS' portfolio of brands. One series will be SpongeBob SquarePants prequel Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years. ViacomCBS has also hinted that Paramount+ could expand the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe.
“Paramount is an iconic and storied brand beloved by consumers all over the world, and it is synonymous with quality, integrity and world-class storytelling,” president and CEO Bob Bakish said in a statement at the time. “With Paramount+, we’re excited to establish one global streaming brand in the broad-pay segment that will draw on the sheer breadth and depth of the ViacomCBS portfolio to offer an extraordinary collection of content for everyone to enjoy.”
iCarly joins an ever-growing list of reboots and revivals coming to linear TV and streaming services over the next couple years, including Nickelodeon's Rugrats and Zoey 101, Peacock's Saved By the Bell, Clueless and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, HBO Max's True Blood, Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl. Disney+ is currently in limbo with Lizzie McGuire and Showtime is also reviving Dexter as a limited series.
The original iCarly series is available to stream on CBS All Access.
TVLine was first to report the reboot.
Originally published: Monday, December 09, 2020 at 23:15 GMT.
H/T: Anime Superhero Forum /@MegasMilo379; Additional sources: Deadline (II), E! News, Entertainment Tonight, Fox News 29, TheWrap, People, ComicBook, WRCBtv.com.
