37 Interesting iCarly Facts: An American Sitcom You Will Want To Watch
Gallery
An American sitcom, 'iCarly' was loved by the teens for its comic timings and storyline.
Starring Miranda Cosgrove as Carly Shay, the 2007 TV series showed her journey of producing her web show 'iCarly' from a makeshift studio in the apartment where she lived with her elder brother, Spencer. However, Carly Shay was not alone. Her two friends: Sam Puckett and Freddie Benson: accompanied her in this journey.
Created by Dan Schneider, the TV series had a run from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012, on Nickelodeon. There were six seasons and 109 episodes.
Apart from Miranda, the cast members included Jennette McCurdy (Sam Puckett), Nathan Kress (Freddie Benson), Jerry Trainor (Spencer), and Noah Munck (Gibby, friend of Carly, Freddie, and Sam) in the leading roles. The show was co-produced by Robin Weiner and Arthur Gradstein, among others.
This series is considered one of Nickelodeon's hit shows to date. Such was the show's popularity that the 'iCarly' reboot premiered on June 17, 2021.
Storyline & Production
The story starts with an innocent Carly Shay, the main character, taking the blame for photoshopping their teacher Ms. Briggs's head onto a rhinoceros body to save her best friend, Sam. If found guilty, Sam, who already had a bad record, would be expelled from school.
However, Ms. Briggs was quick to find the truth and, as a punishment, asked Carly to take the talent show auditions of the school on Saturday.
Since it was Sam's fault, Carly made Sam tag along.
Lovesick Freddie, played by Nathan Kress, agreed to help them tape the auditions so that he could be around Carly.
The audition turned out to be boring apart from a few exceptions, and Freddie started to videotape Carly and Sam when they started to lighten up the mood by making fun of Ms. Briggs.
Later, Freddie downloaded the footage of the girls making jokes about Ms. Briggs instead of the auditions by mistake.
Though the trio tried to get it down, the weekend came in between, and over 23,000 people got the opportunity to enjoy their banter.
People loved their video so much that a few even posted it online, giving the trio the idea to launch their web show 'iCarly.'
The internet show was about talent contests and random dancing that soon got noticed worldwide. The show became a success instantly, which changed the lives of the teenagers.
As the story goes forward, it showcased the challenges the trio faced in terms of feuds with other creators, influencing-marketing scandal, and so on.
Carly's father, a US air force officer, used to stay out of the station due to his work. Though he was often mentioned, he only appeared on the final episode of the series' iGoodbye', where Carly finally kissed Freddie before leaving for Italy.
Throughout the season, Carly stayed with her big brother, played by Jerry Trainor.
One thing that remained unsolved till the end of the series was Freddie's Spanish outbursts, though Dan Scheider often said that it would be revealed in a future episode.
Initially, Dan Schneider wanted to make a show, wherein Carly, an ordinary girl, gets a chance to star in her beloved show 'Starstruck,' which also happened to be the show's title.
However, later he decided to let Carly have her own internet show, and in November 2006, he disposed of his Starstruck script and, in December, wrote the pilot for iCarly; it was shot in January.
Schneider came up with the idea of the show's name with his friend, producer Steven Molaro. Initially, the lead girl's name was Sam, but since the URL for 'iSam' was taken, he had to change it. Later, he settled down for 'iCarly,' and the girls' names were changed to Carly and Sam from Sam and Kiara.
The name Freddy Benson was popular even before Nathan Kress portrayed it in this series as Steve Martin played a character of this name in the 1964 'Bedtime Stories.'
After the fourth season, Nickelodeon announced that the fifth season would begin in April 2012.
The final season of 15 episodes started in March 2012.
The series also welcomed several high-profile guest stars like Michelle Obama, Emma Stone, and Jimmy Fallon during its run.
The series had eight special episodes. 'iFight Shelby Marx,' 'iDate a Bad Boy,' 'iPsycho,' and 'iLook Alike' to name a few.
In 2011, a special TV movie, 'iParty' with Victorious, was aired, bringing together the characters Carly Shah and Tori Vega.
Audience Reception
The show soon became an internet sensation introducing the three teenagers to the challenges of balancing their everyday lives and the newfound fame. Here are a few facts about the audience's reaction to this hit show.
Though critics remained divided about their reviews, the series was a hit show among audiences.
Among the critics, About.com's Carey Bryson gave it 2.5 stars, and Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave it three stars.
The series got nominated five times for an Emmy award under the Outstanding Children's Program category.
The January 2010 'iCarly' episode, 'iSaved Your Life,' was the second most-viewed television broadcast in the history of Nickelodeon. It secured a record 11.2 million viewership.
In the US, the pilot show premiered on September 8, 2007, to 4.1 million viewers and the second episode on the same day to 3.9 million viewers.
The series recorded its lowest viewership of 2.4 million viewers on June 9, 2012.
It was rerun on TeenNick after its final episode ended on Nickelodeon. You can also stream the episodes online on Netflix and Paramount Plus.
In 2009, the show won three awards, followed by six awards in 2010, seven awards in 2011, two awards each in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
The series theme song, four songs by Miranda Cosgrove, and various tracks by guest artists were also appreciated.
The series' success led to the launch of two spin-offs: Sam and Cat, in which Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande were paired, and Gibby, featuring Gibby Gibson, played by Noah Munck.
Social & Cultural Impact
Even before social media was a part of everyone's lives, the American sitcom showed us the influence of social media in modern lives.
It also made people realize that anyone with a camera, humor, and access to the internet can rise to fame.
The sitcom also gave people a glimpse of how videos of individuals shot from their homes can go viral, bringing them recognition and fame.
It successfully captured the essence of YouTube and its connection with viewers through a fictional platform SplashFace, which was nothing but a YouTube clone.
The show allowed aspirants to upload their own comedy videos on the 'iCarly' website.
It was a typical sitcom, but it showed people a new future of programming that gradually became a part of the digital era.
Since its premiere, live streaming culture and technology have rapidly developed.
Spaghetti tacos became a wild frenzy after it was featured in this show.
Ten years after its premiere, the 'iCarly' revival TV series was launched in June 2021, which showed Carly relaunching the website with the help of his old and new friends.
FAQs
Q: What is iCarly's real name?
A: Initially, Dan Schneider wanted to produce a show Starstruck with the character Carly Shay to be played by Miranda Cosgrove. Later, he changed the script and wrote a new pilot, and named it 'iCarly.'
Q: How many seasons are in iCarly?
A: The Nickelodeon series has six seasons.
Q: Where was iCarly filmed?
A: The filming of this series was done in Los Angeles, California. The primary location for the first five seasons was Nickelodeon on Sunset. The cast and crew shifted to KTLA Studios in Hollywood for the final season.
Q: How old is Freddie from iCarly?
A: Freddie was a teenager in the show. Nathan Kress, who played Freddie, is now 29 years old.
Q: Who plays Nora in iCarly?
A: Danielle Morrow played the character of the obsessive fan of the 'iCarly' internet show, Nora Dershit.
Q: How old is Spencer from iCarly?
A: Spenser was in his late 20s when the series was filmed.
Q: What is the plot of iCarly?
A: The series narrates the journey of a teenager who creates her own web show with the aid of her friends: Sam and Freddie.
We Want Your Photos!
More for You
See All
Bachelor of Science specializing in Computer Science
Christian MbaBachelor of Science specializing in Computer Science
Christian Mba is an experienced blogger and content writer with over a decade of experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Nigeria and has a keen interest in Python programming. Along with his writing and blogging expertise, he is also an SEO specialist with more than six years of experience. Chris, as he is commonly known, has a passion for music and enjoys playing the piano.
Disclaimer
1) Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the Buy Now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published but we cannot guarantee that on the time of reading. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
2) At Kidadl, we strive to recommend the very best activities and events. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability. Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
3) Because we are an educational resource, we have quotes and facts about a range of historical and modern figures. We do not endorse the actions of or rhetoric of all the people included in these collections, but we think they are important for growing minds to learn about under the guidance of parents or guardians.
