6teen
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| 6teen | |
|---|---|
 From left to right: Nikki, Jude, Jen, Wyatt, Caitlin, and Jonesy. |
|
| Genre | Animated sitcom |
| Voices of | Brooke D'Orsay Stacey DePass Megan Fahlenbock Jess Gibbons Terry McGurrin Christian Potenza Jamie Watson |
| Country of origin |  Canada |
| Language(s) | English, French |
| No. of seasons | 3 (with a 4th now in production) |
| No. of episodes | 78, plus 2 one-hour specials as of April 25, 2008 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 21 minutes (not including commercials) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Teletoon |
| Original run | November 4, 2004 – present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
6teen is an animated Canadian sitcom created by Jennifer Pertsch and Tom McGillis for Teletoon as one of its original productions. It is set in the fictional "Galleria Shopping Mall", and follows an ensemble cast of six sixteen-year-old friends as they explore their first part-time jobs and lives as teenagers. The show was also played in the United States on Nickelodeon, though originally on Nick.com's TurboNick before it hit American television screens. Currently, Studio 23 in the Philippines is also airing the show every Sunday at 6pm. The show is also aired in Poland and Belgium. In Australia it has been a huge hit on ABC2.
Since its debut on November 4, 2004, the program has aired sixty-three episodes over three seasons, as well as two one-hour specials.
A Nelvana Limited production, the series' characters are voiced by young Canadian actors, and the show continues to draw positive response, with critical reception from sources like the Pucinella Awards and the Alliance for Children and Television.[1][2]
Contents |
[edit] Production
6teen is produced by Nelvana Limited, and created through the use of a 2D digital software known as Harmony, which was developed by the Toon Boom animation studio in Montreal.[3] Because this software ensures smoother animation and eliminates the need for black trace lines, the program can be fashioned entirely on computer without the use of paper.
The style of writing on 6teen is aimed at preteens and teens. 6teen is scripted by a team of writers which includes series creators Jennifer Pertsch and Tom McGillis, Sean Cullen (The Sean Cullen Show), Terry McGurrin ("Comedy Inc - Canadian TV Series" as well as the voice of George Westerholm on This Hour Has 22 Minutes). To formulate ideas regarding subject matter, Pertsch and McGillis interviewed students and took regular trips to the Eaton Centre in Toronto to observe teenage behavior.[3] On the subject of their work, McGillis concludes:
"Our biggest goal was to connect with our audience. What surprised us was not the fact that kids were watching adult sitcoms, but why they were watching them. They recognize and appreciate smart writing. So, although 6teen's subject matter is aimed at kids, the writing style is classic sitcom, with fast-paced dialogue, and multiple plot lines."[3]
Principal character designs were done by Faruk Cemalovic.
Original music is composed by Don Breithaupt and Anthony Vanderburgh.
The original working title for this series was The Mall, before finally settling with 6teen.
There are seven main cast members who voice 6teen. Brooke D'Orsay performs the voice of Caitlin, while Stacey DePass performs the voice of Nikki. Megan Fahlenbock plays Jen, Jess Gibbons voices Wyatt, and Terry McGurrin and Christian Potenza take the roles of Jonesy and Jude, respectively. Jamie Watson provides the voices of Coach Halder and Ron the Rent-a-cop.
[edit] Story
The story of 6teen takes place, for the most part, in the "Galleria Mall" (likely based after West Edmonton Mall), a large shopping mall. The series details the exploits of a group of sixteen-year-old friends – Jonesy Garcia, Nikki Wong, Jude Lizowski, Jen Masterson, Wyatt Williams, and Caitlin Cooke – as they make their way through life. Recurring plot lines focus on the search for employment and the workplace in general, social acceptance, as well as keeping up with the educational system.
[edit] Episodes
Currently, three seasons of the show have been produced and aired, with a fourth season now in production. At the end of the first season, on October 23, 2005, Teletoon aired an hour-long special entitled "Dude of the Living Dead". Similarly, on December 1, 2006, another special entitled "Snow Job" completed the second season. Breanne Wolkowski of Oxbow, Saskatchewan was given a guest role in the latter for winning the network's "Catch Your Big Break" contest.[4]
Six DVDs are available, each containing three episodes from the first season.[5] "Take This Job and Squeeze It" was the first to be released on December 13, 2005, followed by "Employee Of The Month," "Idol Time at the Mall," and "Deck the Mall" on April 11, July 4, and November 6, 2006. "Stupid Over Cupid" was released in mid-January 2007, and "Sushi Connection" on May 15, 2007. A DVD box set of the first 13 episodes of Season One, 6teen: The Complete First Season, was released on November 13, 2007.[6]
[edit] Reception
6teen has been generally well-received by viewers. In the Winter/Spring of 2005, the program ranked among Teletoon's Top 10 for children ages six to eleven in both English and French markets.[1] It was also the only Canadian production to be nominated for a Pulcinella Award in 2005 under "TV Series for All Audiences".[1] Furthermore, on June 2, 2007, 6teen received an award from the Alliance for Children and Television for being the best of children's television to fall under the age group of nine to fourteen-years that year.[2] Carole Bonneau, vice-president in charge of Teletoon's programming, has remarked about 6teen:
"Aesthetically appealing, with an upbeat musical score, combined with its power to invite empathy from kids towards the main characters, Teletoon is delivering a series that is a perfect match for tweens and teens of today."
[edit] Live-Action Movie
There is now development in the works on a live-action movie on the hit animated series 6teen. The script is being written by the creators and casting will commence in late 2008 and principal photography set to begin in Fall 2009.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Corus Entertainment (2005-04-14). Corus Entertainment - News Releases. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ a b ACT kids TV awards handed out in Toronto, Canada (2007-06-02). Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ a b c 6teen Press Release (2004-10-12). Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ Teletoon. CATCH YOUR BIG BREAK ON TELETOON. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ Teletoon. TELETOON PRESENTS...6TEEN ON DVD. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ Teletoon. TELETOON PRESENTS...6TEEN: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON on DVD. Retrieved on 2007-11-23.
- ^ 6teen in development for a live-action film
[edit] External links
