‘iCarly’ returns to Netflix: Dive behind the scenes of the Nickelodeon revival

Wake up the members of my nation and get your spaghetti tacos ready! You can finally watch iCarly on Netflix. 

The popular tween comedy that ran on Nickelodeon from 2007 to 2012 focused on Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), a teenage girl living in Seattle who happens to be a famous vlogger. Along for the ride is her cameraman Freddy (Nathan Kress), her best friend & sidekick Sam Puckett (Jennette McCurdy), and her crazy brother Spencer (Jerry Trainor).

You can stream the first two seasons of the show now. No word yet on when the rest of their six seasons will air, but don’t let that get you down. A reboot version of the show is in the works. Here’s what we know so far. 

Revival 

On December 9th, 2020, streaming service Paramount+ announced they were bringing iCarly back for a revival. Miranda Cosgrove, Nathan Kress, and Jerry Trainer will all return in their original roles. Paramount+ is a rebrand of CBS’s streaming app, CBS All Access. 

Show creator Dan Schneider won’t run the new iteration. His partnership with Nickelodeon started back in 1988, so iCarly was not his only hit. Schneider also created All That, Kenan & Kel, The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101 – he basically is responsible for your childhood. Nickelodeon quietly asked Schneider to leave in 2018 for alleged “well-documented temper issues” and distributing photos of actresses’ feet.

Jeannette McCurdy, who played the rebellious Sam Puckett, will not be returning to the show. McCurdy, who reprised her character with Ariana Grande’s character from Victorious on the one-season wonder Sam & Cat, has left acting to focus on filmmaking. 

New Characters 

The website Discussingfilm is reporting new details about the upcoming revival. According to the entertainment site, the show will take place ten years after the events of the original series. Taking on a new social media landscape where TikTok determines pop culture, the show will be more mature than in its Nickelodeon days. 

Taking a closer look at Carly’s personal life, specifically her friends, family, and navigating her twenties, the show will add new characters to replace McCurdy’s absence. No names were revealed, but two leads have been announced. 

The first is Carly’s new best friend & roommate. Though the original show did not stray from romance – George the ghost telling bra anyone?– this new iteration has certainly grown up. Carly’s new best friend is an aspiring pansexual personal stylist. Like Sam, the character will, “push Carly out of her comfort zone as they confront day to day obstacles”. 

The second alleged character is Freddie’s stepdaughter. Yep, someone married Freddie and he is now a bonus dad. His step-daughter is described as “social media obsessed, who sees the older Carly as washed up as well as competition to her small YouTube channel”. While the show does seem more mature, the inclusion of a younger character could attract a younger back to the show.

Coming soon

If this new show interests you, you won’t have to wait too long. Though Paramount+ is set to launch on March 4th, the new iCarly will not drop with it. But have no fear. Production has already started and filming will start in March. 

Running the show will be Jay Kogen &  Ali Schouten. Kogen has worked on Frasier, The Simpsons, Malcolm in the Middle, and newer Nickelodeon shows, while Shouten was a producer on Mindy Kaling’s Champions and other streaming projects. 

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