6teenis a Canadiantraditionally animatedteencomedy dramatelevision series created byJennifer PertschandTom McGilliswhich originally aired for four seasons and 93 episodes onTeletoonfrom November 7, 2004 until February 11, 2010.[1][2]
| 6teen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | |
| Directed by | Karen Lessman |
| Voices of |
|
| Theme music composer |
|
| Opening theme | 6Teen ThemebyPhil Naro |
| Ending theme | 6Teen Theme(instrumental) |
| Composers |
|
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No.of seasons | 4 |
| No.of episodes | 93(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Tom McGillis (season 1) |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Teletoon |
| Release | November 7, 2004– February 11, 2010 |
| Related | |
Majority-directed by Karen Lessman and produced byNelvanaandFresh TVfor two seasons each, it also aired in the U.S. onNickelodeonfrom December 18, 2005 to May 13, 2006 and onCartoon Network(along withTotal Drama IslandandStoked)from October 23, 2008 until June 21, 2010. Nelvana produced 78 of the overall 93 episodes and two 45-minutetelevision specials.[3][4][5]
As of February 2023, it is available in various compilation bundles onYouTube.[6]
Plot
edit6teenis an animated comedy that delves into the themes of friendship, personal growth, self-discovery, and the challenges of being a teenager. Set in the Galleria Mall, a fictional largeshopping mallbased on theToronto Eaton Centreand theWest Edmonton Mall,the show revolves around the lives of six sixteen-year-old friends who work on part-time jobs at different stores within the mall. The main characters, Jude, Caitlin, Jonesy, Nikki, Jen, and Wyatt, face various adventures while dealing with typical teenage issues, such as crushes, relationships, friendships, school and jobs. The group frequently hangs out at the mall's central food court, where they share their experiences, provide support to one another, and engage in banter.
Production and reunion
editThe show's creators,Tom McGillisandJennifer Pertsch,researched by taking the writers to visit theToronto Eaton Centreto observe teens hanging out in there.[7][8]They have also observed multiple students in their classrooms and homes.[9]According to its research, preteen-aged children watched adult-targetedsitcomson the basis of their smart writing, fast-paced dialogue and various plot lines.[9]The working title of the show wasThe Mallin reference to shopping and teenage antics at the Toronto Eaton Centre.[9]
Among the team of writers and directors for the show includeSean Cullen(The Sean Cullen Show),George Westerholm(This Hour Has 22 Minutes), Gary Hurst, Alice Prodanou and Hugh Duffy. The series' main characters were designed by Brad Coombs and the music was composed by Donald "Don" Breithaupt and Anthony Vanderburgh.
The show was produced with a then newly-implemented hybrid-2D-computer animationanimation software called "Opus" through a development partnership between Teletoon, Nelvana andMontreal-based acclaimed animation software companyToon Boom Animation.[9]
An acoustic version of the theme music byBrian Melois included in the show's final episode, "Bye Bye Nikki?".
A special reunionpublic service announcementtitled "Vote, Dude!" was released on YouTube on September 12, 2018,[10]with the original voice cast reprising their respective roles to raise awareness for voting in the2018 US midterm elections.
Characters
edit
- Christian Potenzaas Jude Lizowski:
A fun-loving, easy-goingJewish Canadianboy with a knack for extreme sports, over-the-top comportment and pranks. A younger version of Jude is featured in theTotal Dramaspin-off,Total DramaRama.[11] - Brooke D'Orsayas Caitlin Cooke:
A peppy, spoiled blonde-hairedEnglish Canadiangirl with a love for fashion and shopping. She joined the group after she started working at The Big Squeeze lemonade stand in order to pay off the debt she accrued on her father's credit card. - Terry McGurrinas Jonesy Garcia:
A laid-back, flirtatiousLatin American Canadianboy who is in a relationship with Nikki Wong for most of the series. He picks on Jen Masterson and calls her "step-sis" because his father eventually marries Jen's mother. As arunning gag,he gets fired from a new job at a store in almost every episode. - Stacey DePass as Nicole 'Nikki' Wong:
A rebellious, no-nonsense punkChinese Canadiangirl with a quick, sarcastic wit who is in a relationship with Jonesy Garcia for most of the series. A younger version of Nikki made a cameo appearance in the second episode ofTotal DramaRama(similar to Jude's age), titled "Duck Duck Juice". - Megan Fahlenbockas Jennifer 'Jen' Masterson:
A responsible, athleticIrish Canadiangirl who is the tomboy of the group. Her mother marries Jonesy's father, reluctantly making the pair step-siblings. Jen also has a controlling side and often pushes herself in other people's business. - Jess Mal Gibbons as Wyatt Williams:
A sensitive, music-lovingBlack Canadianboy with a caffeine addiction. He fancies himself as being somewhat more mature than his friends, and is often portrayed as the most responsible of the group, along with Jen.
Episodes
editReception and honours
editThe show received generally positive reviews. Alex Kucharski ofThe Toronto Stardescribed the show as a "funny, exciting new teen comedy-drama", though he criticized some of the elements of the show as "unrealistic".[12]
In the winter/spring season of 2005,6teenranked among Teletoon's Top 10 for children aged 10+ in both English and French markets, and was also the only Canadian production to be nominated for that year's Italian "TV Series for All Audiences"Pulcinella Award.[13]Furthermore, it received an award from theAlliance for Children and Televisionfor being the best of children's television to fall under the 9–14 age group on June 2, 2007. Carole Bonneau, the then-vice-president of programming at Teletoon, has remarked about the show:
Aesthetically appealing, with an upbeat musical score, combined with its power to invite empathy from teens towards the main characters, with 6teen Teletoon delivers a series that is a perfect match for today's generation.[13]
Locally, the show garnered about 2.5 million viewers each episode and about 1.8 million viewers each episode on Cartoon Network in the United States. It soon became one of the network's top shows between October 2008 and September 2009 with the steady increase in ratings up to its peak of 3.7 million viewers on June 11, 2009 following the season premiere ofTotal Drama Action.As time went on, starting in October 2009, the show declined in ratings falling to its lowest rating at 1.6 million viewers for its June 21, 2010 series finale.
In 2009, the show won theDaytime Emmyfor Outstanding Original Song (Main Title and Promo) for its theme song which was performed by Phil Naro.[14]
U.S. broadcast censorship
editDue to the show being ateen sitcom,24 out of the 93 produced episodes were considered too risqué or inappropriate for younger children by its American broadcastersCartoon NetworkandNickelodeon,leading to either their censorship or removals.[a]With the legalization ofsame-sex marriagein Canada occurring in 2005, many of its episodes included references and innuendos tohomosexuality,most of which were censored in the U.S.[15]Other censorships and bans in the U.S. included a plot line that focused on shoplifting and nude images that were modified from the series' original blur-out to a full black bar.
Notes
edit- ^See those censored/removed episodes from American broadcast atList of 6teen episodes.
References
edit- ^"TELETOON Salutes 6TEEN with On Air and Online send-off".Channel Canada.6 February 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 21 October 2013.Retrieved13 August2013.
- ^"Press Release - 6TEEN LIVE-ACTION TV MOVIE IN DEVELOPMENT AT FRESH TV"(Press release).Corus Entertainment.12 February 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 29 October 2013.Retrieved26 October2013.
- ^"– Shows - 6teen".Nelvana.Archived fromthe originalon 15 September 2020.Retrieved1 December2013.15 September 2020
- ^"– Shows - 6teen: Dude of the Living Dead".Nelvana.Archived fromthe originalon 4 December 2013.Retrieved2 December2013.
- ^"– Shows - 6teen: Snow Job".Nelvana.Archived fromthe originalon 4 December 2013.Retrieved2 December2013.
- ^"6Teen Marathon".Retro Rerun.12 December 2022.Archivedfrom the original on 31 January 2023.Retrieved31 January2023– viaYouTube.
- ^Rupp, Shannon (October 1, 2005)."First-job reality meets sitcom reality".Brandon Sun.p. 108.RetrievedSeptember 30,2023.
- ^LaSalle, LuAnn (March 26, 2005)."It's not easy being teen".Lethbridge Herald.p. 26.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2024.RetrievedSeptember 30,2023.
- ^abcdGuillotte, Pascale; Bonneau, Carole (12 October 2004)."6teen Press Release".Media Caster Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon 30 September 2007.Retrieved13 June2007.
- ^Vote, Dude! (PSA) - 6Teen Reunion 2018.Christian Potenza(as TheChristianPotenza). 12 September 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 21 December 2021.Retrieved12 September2018– viaYouTube.
- ^Zahed, Ramin (18 October 2018)."'Total DramaRama': Toon Reality Stars Return in Daycare Adventures ".Animation Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on 4 June 2023.Retrieved31 July2023.
- ^Kucharski, Alex (November 11, 2004)."6TEEN covers all the 'first' bases".The Toronto Star.p. 145.Archivedfrom the original on November 16, 2023.RetrievedNovember 14,2023.
- ^ab"Corus Entertainment – Press Corporate".Corus Entertainment.14 April 2005. Archived fromthe originalon 25 February 2007.Retrieved13 June2007.
- ^"Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards - Creative Arts Winners Announced".Emmy Awards.Archived fromthe originalon 24 November 2012.Retrieved1 December2013.
- ^Bein, Sierra (17 September 2018)."Cult Cartoon '6Teen' is Back in a Really Weird Way".VICE.Archivedfrom the original on 10 November 2020.Retrieved1 October2018.
External links
edit
