Drake & Josh | |
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Genre | Teen sitcom |
Created by | Dan Schneider |
Showrunner | Dan Schneider |
Starring | |
Theme music composer |
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Opening theme | "I Found a Way" |
Ending theme | "I Found a Way" (instrumental) |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 4 |
No. of episodes | 56 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer | Dan Schneider |
Producers |
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Camera setup | |
Running time |
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Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | Nickelodeon |
Release | January 11, 2004 – September 16, 2007 |
Related | |
Drake & Josh is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. The series follows teenage stepbrothers Drake Parker (Drake Bell) and Josh Nichols (Josh Peck) as they live together despite their opposite personalities. Nancy Sullivan and Jonathan Goldstein star as Drake's mother and Josh's father, respectively, and Miranda Cosgrove plays Drake's devious younger sister. Bell performs the series' theme song, "I Found a Way", written by Bell and Backhouse Mike.
Bell and Peck previously appeared in The Amanda Show , a Nickelodeon variety series created by Schneider that ran on Nickelodeon from 1999 to 2002. A sketch featuring Bell and Peck arguing over a piece of shrimp prompted network executives to cast the two actors in their own spin-off, Drake & Josh. The series premiered on January 11, 2004, on Nickelodeon to critical acclaim.
During production of the fourth season, Bell was injured during a car accident, and filming stalled for four months during his recovery. A television film, Drake & Josh Go Hollywood , premiered in early 2006. A television special, Really Big Shrimp , served as the series finale, and the series' final new broadcast episode aired on September 16, 2007, marking 56 episodes in 4 seasons for the show. After the finale, the network aired the one-time special Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh in 2008.
Drake & Josh was a ratings success, garnering 3.2 million viewers for its premiere, and it consistently ranked as one of the most watched series in its demographic during its run. It won 2 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, 2 UK Kids' Choice Awards, and 3 Australian Kids' Choice Awards and was nominated for 7 other awards, including at the Young Artist Awards and the Casting Society of America. Other media include books, DVD and VHS releases, promotional singles, and video games based on the series.
The series revolves around two teenage stepbrothers, Drake Parker and Josh Nichols, who live in San Diego, California, with Drake's younger biological sister Megan and biological mother Audrey, and Josh's biological father Walter. Drake is cool and charismatic, having his own band and being popular with girls, yet can be narcissistic and absent-minded, while Josh is intellectual, clumsy, and awkward; yet very loving and caring. Josh starts working at a local movie theater in the second season, which becomes a key set location for the rest of the series. Despite their opposite personalities, Drake and Josh have shown multiple times throughout the series that they care deeply about each other and have each others' backs. The two boys are often involved in comedic escapades and challenges while handling various teenage problems.
Drake Bell and Josh Peck had previously acted together on The Amanda Show , created by Dan Schneider. [2] Bell and Peck's differing personalities inspired Schneider to create a new show starring them as characters with traits similar to their own. [3] An unaired pilot episode featured Stephen Furst as Walter Nichols, although he was busy with another project when Drake & Josh was picked up as a series, and Jonathan Goldstein was cast in the role instead. [4] [5] A house in Los Angeles' Encino neighborhood was used for exterior shots of the family's home, [6] [7] [8] while interior scenes were shot on a sound stage at the Nickelodeon on Sunset studios in Hollywood. [9] Tribune Studios in Hollywood was also used as a filming location. [10]
Production was suspended in late December 2005, after Bell's injury in a car crash, [11] [12] prior to which he had filmed three episodes of the fourth season. [11] Bell's accident was the result of a driver falling asleep at the wheel and colliding head-on with Bell's 1966 Mustang, which had no seat belts or airbags, resulting in extensive facial injuries. [13] Filming resumed in March 2006 [13] [14] with the episode "My Dinner with Bobo". [15] The following month, Nickelodeon greenlit an additional seven episodes for the fourth season, and Bell and Peck signed on to direct several episodes. [16] [14] With the extended season, filming continued through July 2006. [14] According to Schneider, the show ended due to a collective decision from the creative forces behind the show. [17]
The profession of the family's mother is never revealed on the show, although Schneider had written dialogue into the series finale that would have revealed her profession at a catering business. The scene was filmed, but Schneider ultimately chose to remove it during editing. Schneider said, "On the one hand, I thought it was funny to finally reveal it, so casually, in the very last episode – there was something ironic about that. But then I decided that, because fans always seemed to have fun trying to figure it out (what 'Mom's' name and job were), it would be better to 'keep the bit going' for eternity, by never revealing it in any episode." [1]
Drake & Josh aired on Nickelodeon and premiered in the United States on January 11, 2004. The final episode aired on September 16, 2007. After the series ended, reruns aired occasionally on TeenNick until 2022.
Below is a list of official DVD and VHS releases of Drake & Josh.
Title | Region 1 | Region 4 | Contains |
---|---|---|---|
Drake & Josh: Vol. 1 Suddenly Brothers (VHS release included) | February 15, 2005 | 2009 | Includes "Pilot", "Dune Buggy", "Two Idiots and a Baby", "First Crush", and outtakes. |
Drake & Josh Go Hollywood (VHS release included) | January 31, 2006 | 2010 | Includes Drake & Josh Go Hollywood; episodes "Helen's Surgery" and "Mindy's Back"; bloopers; and "I Found a Way" music video. |
Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Winners Collection | 2007 | N/A | Includes "Who's Got Game?". |
The Best of Drake & Josh: Seasons 1 & 2 | August 21, 2008 | January 4, 2016 | Includes "Pilot", "Dune Buggy", "Two Idiots and a Baby", "First Crush", "Grammy", "The Bet", "Movie Job", "Football", "Pool Shark", "Smart Girl", "Little Diva", "Number 1 Fan", "Mean Teacher", "Drew & Jerry", and "Honor Council". |
The Best of Drake & Josh: Seasons 3 & 4 | August 29, 2008 | N/A | Includes episodes "Alien Invasion", "Little Sibling", "Megan's New Teacher", "Foam Finger", "We're Married?", "Paging Dr. Drake", "Theater Thug", "Girl Power", "Dance Contest", "Treehouse", "Helicopter", "Megan's Revenge", "The Great Doheny", and "The Storm". |
| N/A | 2011 [a] | Includes episodes "Smart Girl", "Football", "Little Diva", "The Gary Grill", "Pool Shark", "Honour Council" |
The series premiere was watched by 3.2 million viewers, [18] Nickelodeon's highest-rated series premiere in nearly 10 years. [19] As of 2006, Drake & Josh ranked consistently among the 10 most-watched cable shows of the week, [11] and was the top-rated live-action series among children aged 2 to 11 years old. [19] It averaged three million viewers at the time. [16] It proved to be popular with younger viewers. [20] According to Schneider, Drake & Josh had its highest ratings in its final season. [17]
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
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2005 | 2005 Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite TV Show | Drake & Josh | Nominated [21] [22] |
2006 | 2006 Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite TV Show | Won [23] | |
2006 Australian Kids' Choice Awards | Fave TV Show | Drake & Josh | Nominated [24] | |
2007 | 2007 Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite TV Show | Nominated [25] [26] | |
2007 UK Kids' Choice Awards | Best TV Show | Drake & Josh | Won [27] | |
Best TV Actor | Drake Bell | Nominated [27] | ||
2007 Australian Kids' Choice Awards | Fave Nick Show | Drake & Josh | Won [28] | |
Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Supporting Young Actress | Miranda Cosgrove | Nominated [29] | |
Casting Society of America | Best Casting – Children's TV Programming | Krisha Bullock | Nominated [30] | |
2008 | 2008 Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite TV Show | Drake & Josh | Won [31] |
2008 UK Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Kids' TV Show | Drake & Josh | Won [32] | |
2008 Australian Kids' Choice Awards | Fave Comedy Show | Drake & Josh | Won [33] | |
2009 | 2009 Australian Kids' Choice Awards | Fave Comedy Show | Drake & Josh | Nominated [34] |
2010 | 2010 Australian Kids' Choice Awards | Big Kid Award | Drake Bell | Won [35] |
The series received two television films. Drake & Josh Go Hollywood premiered on January 6, 2006. In the film, Drake and Josh are left at home in San Diego after their parents go on a ten-day cruise. The boys are told to take Megan to the airport so she can visit her friend in Denver, but they accidentally send her on a flight to Los Angeles. Drake and Josh go to Hollywood to get Megan back, but end up stopping a multibillion-dollar heist and booking a guest-spot for Drake on TRL. According to TV Guide , it was the highest-rated program on all of cable during its opening week.
Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh premiered on December 5, 2008. Michael Grossman directed the film, and Schneider returned as executive producer. In the film, Drake and Josh try to give a foster family "the best Christmas ever". [36] The premiere of Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh broke the record of most viewers for the premiere of a Nickelodeon film with 9.10 million viewers, a title previously held by iGo to Japan .
Name | Notes |
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"I Found a Way" | The opening theme song of the TV series by Drake Bell. Music video directed by Joey Boukadakis. [37] |
Drake & Josh | The Drake & Josh soundtrack from the TV series. |
"Makes Me Happy" | From the episode "Really Big Shrimp" by Drake Bell. |
"Jingle Bells" | From the TV film Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh by Drake Bell. |
"Christmas Wrapping" | From the TV film Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh by Miranda Cosgrove. |
Two video games based on Drake & Josh have been released on the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. Both of them were published by THQ and released in 2007.
Game | Publisher | Platform | North American release date |
---|---|---|---|
Drake & Josh | THQ | Game Boy Advance | March 15, 2007 |
Drake & Josh: Talent Showdown | THQ | Nintendo DS | July 30, 2007 |
A book series based on Drake & Josh has been published by children's publisher Scholastic since 2006. The books are written by author Laurie McElroy.
Book | Author | Info |
---|---|---|
Blues Brothers | Laurie McElroy | Based on the episodes "Blues Brothers" and "Number 1 Fan" |
Sibling Revelry | Laurie McElroy | Based on the episodes "The Bet" and "Peruvian Puff Pepper" |
Drake & Josh Go Hollywood | Laurie McElroy | Based on the TV film Drake & Josh Go Hollywood |
Kid Trouble | Laurie McElroy | Based on the episodes "Megan's New Teacher" and "Little Sibling" |
Alien Invasion | Laurie McElroy | Based on the episodes "Alien Invasion" and "The Demonator" |
Surprise! | Laurie McElroy | Based on the episodes "Josh Runs into Oprah" and "Vicious Tiberius" |
Josh Is Done | Laurie McElroy | Based on the episodes "Josh Is Done" and "I Love Sushi" |
A Cine-Manga version titled, "Match Made in Heaven", was released by TokyoPop in 2006. The book was based on the first two episodes of the first season.
Beginning in December 2016, Bell and other cast members released a series of short online videos titled Where's Walter? Bell, Sullivan, and Yvette Nicole Brown reprised their roles for the videos, which involve a search for Walter after he goes missing. [38] [39] [40]
In March 2019, Bell announced that he and Peck were working on a Drake & Josh revival that would feature both of them reprising their roles. [41] The proposed project would have featured similar characters and scenarios in a more adult, comedic way. [42] At the time, Bell and Peck were in discussions with several networks about the project. [43]
In October 2021, it was reported that the original proposed revival had been cancelled, as a result of production delays and Bell's guilty plea to his recent criminal charges. [44]
In March 2022, Bell and his wife Janet stated that the reboot show they had pitched would be called Josh & Drake. Ultimately, the idea was shelved due to creative differences. The show's script was said to have been written by Peck. Janet stated, "Josh wrote Drake as a failed musician and Josh wrote himself as a real estate agent. OK, that's fine, but Drake is a musician in real life, so it wouldn't make sense." Bell added, "I just asked him to change a couple things and he couldn't and my wife wouldn't let me do it." [45]
In March 2023, Cosgrove told E! News "nothing's off the table" in regards to a possible revival. [46]
In August 2024, in addition to the latter statement, Bell stated that he would be open to a revival reprising his starring role but with a new setting with sets of characters in a buddy comedy setting, differing from the original series. [47]
The Amanda Show is an American sketch comedy and variety show television series created by Dan Schneider and starring Amanda Bynes that aired on Nickelodeon from October 16, 1999, to September 21, 2002. A spin-off of All That, another Nickelodeon variety show featuring Bynes, The Amanda Show's cast members include Drake Bell, Nancy Sullivan, John Kassir, Raquel Lee, and Josh Peck. Writers for the show include Christy Stratton, Jenny Kilgen, Dan Schneider, John Hoberg, Steven Molaro, and Andrew Hill Newman.
Jared Drake Bell is an American actor and musician. Born in Newport Beach, California, he began his career as a child actor in the 1990s, appearing on Home Improvement (1994) and in several commercials. He rose to prominence with Nickelodeon, playing starring roles in the sketch comedy series The Amanda Show (1999–2002), the sitcom Drake & Josh (2004–2007), and the Nickelodeon television film series The Fairly OddParents (2011–2014). He also voiced Peter Parker / Spider-Man on the Disney XD series Ultimate Spider-Man (2012–2017) and various Disney XD media. He has won ten Kids' Choice Awards, a Teen Choice Award, and a Young Artist Award, among other accolades.
Joshua Michael Peck is an American actor, comedian, and YouTuber. Peck began his career as a child actor, appearing in the film Snow Day (2000) and the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series The Amanda Show (2000–2002). He had his breakthrough playing Josh Nichols on the Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh (2004–2007) and in the television films Drake & Josh Go Hollywood (2006) and Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008). He also began voicing Eddie in the Ice Age franchise (2006–2016).
Joshua Aaron Server is an American actor best known for being the only All That cast member to remain through all six original seasons.
Daniel James Schneider is an American television producer, screenwriter, and actor. He created and produced a string of children's shows on Nickelodeon from 1994 to 2019. In the years since 2018, he has faced significant media coverage and controversy regarding allegations of inappropriate behavior.
Drake & Josh Go Hollywood is a 2006 American television comedy film starring Drake Bell and Josh Peck from the Nickelodeon television series Drake & Josh. It first aired on January 6, 2006, and was released on VHS and DVD that same year on January 31. The film was the highest rated program on cable for the week with 5.4 million viewers.
The 18th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was held on April 2, 2005. The event was hosted by Ben Stiller and was held at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
"I Found a Way" is a song by American actor and singer Drake Bell, from the Nickelodeon show Drake & Josh's soundtrack album of the same name (2005), and Bell's debut studio album Telegraph (2005). The song was written by Bell and Michael Corcoran, one of Bell's band members. It served as the theme song for the show after the show's producer Dan Schneider lauded the track. Bell performed "I Found a Way" at various events throughout his career.
iCarly is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider, which originally aired on Nickelodeon from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012. The series tells the story of Carly Shay, a teenager who creates and hosts her own web show called iCarly with her best friends, Sam and Freddie in the apartment loft that she and her older brother, Spencer live in. As the web show quickly becomes an internet phenomenon, the characters are tasked with balancing their normal teenage lives with the wacky situations their newfound fame lands them in. By the fourth season, their school friend, Gibby also works with them on the web show.
Gerald William "Jerry" Trainor is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as "Crazy" Steve in Drake & Josh and Spencer Shay in the teen sitcom iCarly and its revival series of the same name, winning three Kids' Choice Awards for his performances. He also appeared in T.U.F.F. Puppy as Dudley Puppy, for which he received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination. Since 2004, Trainor has worked primarily on the Nickelodeon network. Outside of this, he has had recurring and guest roles on young adult-oriented shows on the Disney Channel and Netflix as well as in the more mature shows Crossing Jordan and 2 Broke Girls.
"Really Big Shrimp" is a television special for the Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh. The episode first aired on August 3, 2007, and was Nickelodeon's highest-rated television event at that time, with 5.8 million viewers.
Nathan Karl Kress is an American actor and television director. Kress began his career at the age of three, notably appearing in several television commercials and providing the voices of Easy and Tough Pup in the comedy-drama film Babe: Pig in the City (1998). He resumed acting seven years later on the talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2005), and thereafter had regular appearances on several Nickelodeon productions, including Toplin on the sitcom Drake & Josh (2007). Kress rose to prominence for portraying Freddie Benson on the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly (2007–2012), which earned him five Young Artist Award nominations. He reprised his role in the revival series of the same name (2021–2023). He also subsequently voiced Wedge Antilles in the Disney XD animated series Star Wars Rebels (2016–2017).
Victorious is an American sitcom created by Dan Schneider that originally aired on Nickelodeon, debuting on March 27, 2010, and concluding on February 2, 2013 after four seasons. The series revolves around aspiring singer Tori Vega, a teenager who attends a performing arts high school called Hollywood Arts High School, after taking her older sister Trina's place in a showcase while getting into screwball situations on a daily basis. On her first day at Hollywood Arts, she meets Andre Harris, Robbie Shapiro, Rex Powers, Jade West, Cat Valentine, and Beck Oliver. The series premiered after the 2010 Kids' Choice Awards. The series won Favorite TV Show award at the 2012 Kids' Choice Awards and 2013 Kids' Choice Awards, beating out iCarly. Victorious earned four Emmy nominations.
The 17th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was held on April 3, 2004. The event was hosted by Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz to promote Shrek 2. This would be the first time the award show was held at the Pauley Pavilion since 1999. The ceremony is also notable as leading into "Mystery Meat", the pilot episode and first airing of the animated series Danny Phantom.
All That is an American sketch comedy children's television series created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions and by Schneider's Bakery in season ten. The pilot episode was originally shown as a special "sneak peek" on April 16, 1994, with the show officially debuting as a regular series on January 21, 1995.
Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh is a 2008 American Christmas comedy television film based on the Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh. Drake Bell, Josh Peck, Miranda Cosgrove, Nancy Sullivan, and Jonathan Goldstein reappear as their respective characters, with several recurring characters from the TV series also reappearing. The movie aired on Nickelodeon a year after the show's original end in 2007. The film premiered on December 5, 2008, as a Nickelodeon Original Movie. It was the third most viewed TV movie on cable behind High School Musical 2 and Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, both owned by Disney Channel.
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is a 2024 American five-part documentary television series that details the toxic behind-the-scenes world of children's television programs from the 1990s to the 2000s, with a special focus on Dan Schneider's tenure as a producer and showrunner at Nickelodeon. The first four episodes aired March 17–18, 2024, on Investigation Discovery, and the fifth episode aired on April 7. The series was simultaneously released on Max and Discovery+, and produced by Maxine Productions with Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction and Business Insider; it was loosely based on a Business Insider article about Nickelodeon from 2022.
The interior home scenes on Drake & Josh were filmed inside a soundstage at the Nickelodeon on Sunset studio […].
Production on Season 4 of "Drake & Josh" was halted, but is expected to resume in mid-March.
Shows like "iCarly," "Drake and Josh" and "Victorious" are wildly popular with the younger generation,[...]