How Drake & Josh became the best nick series in history
It’s been on the air since 1979 but it wasn’t until 2004 that Nick would air what would become their most critically acclaimed series of all time. The future stepbrothers first met on the set of the amanda show back in 1999 & it was here when creator & executive producer dan schneider noticed their chemistry & pitched the idea to the network. nancy sullivan was also a cast member on the amanda show which is presumably how she was able to get the role of drake’s mother, audrey. The network originally ordered a pilot with stephen furst (may he rest in peace) in the role of walter but it never saw the light of day. However, when the series was picked up, he was no longer available due to commitments to another project (presumably sorority boys). So eventually, they decided to give it another shot with jonathan goldstein in the role of josh’s father & the rest, as they say, is history.
The series revolved around (obviously) drake & josh as they adjust to becoming stepbrothers & (eventually) best friends while getting into all kinds of shenanigans along the way. Rounding out the cast was miranda cosgrove as their arch-nemesis & drake’s sister, megan. The episodes tend to vary as far as plots. Sometimes, it revolved around high school hijinks & others it focused more on their endeavors outside of academics. From the dune buggy & running over oprah to hanging out with henry doheny & their classic homage to i love lucy, there was no shortage of harebrained schemes they got sucked into over the years.
So what exactly is it that makes this the best nick series of all time? Well, that’s the thing: most sitcoms claim to be funny but this is one of the miraculous few that actually is. It doesn’t seem to be any one thing but, rather, a myriad of causes. For starters, it definitely seems like they let the cast craft their own characters without too much oversight & the end result is incredible. It should probably go without saying but a series is only as good as its cast & writers & you bet your butt they had some of the best writers & actors in nick history. In particular, josh seems to excel in emoting as his facial expressions are some of the funniest you have ever seen in your lifetime. His character also starts to have outbursts in the later seasons & they are so hilarious, I actually smiled a bit just thinking about it when writing this sentence. & of course drake is a fantastic foil for him with his zany antics & numerous brain farts throughout the series.
I think at its core, the main driving force of the show is, of course, its titular characters. The series never would’ve worked without the great rapport they brought to set every single day. It’s a shame they don’t really get along that well in real life but (at least for me) that does not detract from the incredible onscreen chemistry they have. & interestingly enough, the parker-nichols house used in exterior shots is actually not in san diego but, rather, encino.
The pilot was nick’s highest-rated series premiere in almost a decade with 3.2 million viewers & critically acclaimed throughout its run. According to schneider, the ratings only increased throughout its run & it was still incredibly popular during its final season. So why was it cancelled unceremoniously? Well, according to the creator, they cast & crew just felt it was time. I mean the stepbrothers had been with the network for eight years & so they were anxious to move on to other projects & try new things. Not to mention the fact that the network had accrued enough episodes to provide a substantial amount of reruns.
Part of what makes the series special is the fact that they were not afraid to get serious every now & then. Most notably, the episode josh is done really showcases the level of gravitas the series was capable of bringing to its audience & it has since been lauded as one of the best episodes the series ever produced. The episode delves a bit deeper into their relationship & provides us with real & lasting character development. It’s one of the high points of the series. Of course, there have been legends about lost episodes over the years but none of them have ever been verified & it’s pretty clear reading some of the stories that it’s just a kid making stuff up for attention. So the reports have all been debunked.
They aired many of the episodes out of production order so although dance contest was the final episode to air, it was not chronologically the last episode of the series. That title belongs to really big shrimp, a double-length episode that sees josh becoming drake’s manager as his music career is on the rise. The last episode premiered September 16, 2007 but as it happens, this was not quite the end of the road for the dynamic duo. For, you see, 2008 would turn out to a great year for drake & josh fans the world over.
The TV movie, Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh, premiered December 15, 2008 & functioned as a series finale for the beloved series. The film brings back the titular duo (obviously) & the rest of the parker-nichols family alongside the supporting cast featuring the likes of Helen, Crenshaw, Craig & Eric, & even crazy Steve. The plot revolves around the duo trying to provide the best christmas ever for a girl & her family in order to stay out of prison. The film proved so popular, it actually broke a ratings record for most viewers of any nick premiere ever, stealing the title away from igo to japan.
Even today, more than fifteen years after it went off the air, the series is still finding new fans in the next generation & has remained immensely popular in the years since. So what does the future hold for the property? Well, there was talk of a sequel series for a bit & they even reprised their iconic roles for a sketch on robot chicken but that has fallen through in light of some creative differences. However, Cosgrove did state in a recent interview with E that in regards to a revival, nothing is off the table. But even if we never get any more drake & josh content ever again, we can all sleep easy at night knowing we had the honor & privilege of witnessing the greatest nick series ever made & that, my fellow fans, is something no one can ever take away from us.