Alright so you’ve all probably heard about this by now, but I was busy with the Victoria concert when this news broke and I really wanted to comment.
But first, here’s the article from Entertainment Weekly:
Nickelodeon greenlights spin-off pilots for ‘iCarly,’ ‘Victorious’ from creator Dan Schneider — EXCLUSIVE
Although iCarly will soon air its final episode, you may not have to bid farewell to the entire gang. EW has learned that Nickelodeon has ordered spin-off pilots for Sam Puckett (Jennette McCurdy) and Gibby Gibson (Noah Munck) from iCarly creator/executive producer Dan Schneider. Sam’s prospective show also would serve a spin-off vehicle for Cat Valentine (Ariana Grande), a popular character from Schneider’s other Nick comedy, Victorious.
In the tentatively titled Sam & Cat, sassy Sam (McCurdy, above right) and eccentric Cat (Grande, above left) buddy up as roommates and start a babysitting business to fund their adventures. ?Meanwhile, in Gibby (which is also a working title), zany Gibby (Munck, left) gets a gig at a recreational center where he winds up as a mentor to four offbeat middle-school students.
Both pilots are slated to begin production this summer.
Schneider has enjoyed a long association with Nickelodeon, having created and executive produced Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, and The Amanda Show. He also served as executive producer of Kenan & Kel and All That.iCarly will conclude its five-season run in November. Meanwhile, Victorious, which will continue its third season this fall, is awaiting word on a fourth season pickup. It is unclear at this time exactly what kind of presence Grande would have on a potential fourth season of Victorious if Sam & Cat receives a series order.
I don’t care about the Gibby spin off. I might check it out, but it really doesn’t interest me.
I had been hoping that Jennette’s new project would NOT be a spin off as I really wanted to see her in a new role. Seeing Sam without her Carly counterpart just seems odd. Likewise, I’m excited for Ariana to be moving up to #2 from #4 on Victorious, but maybe it would have been better for her to have a smarter character? She’s gonna get typecast.
So on the whole, I’m excited. But this isn’t how I would have handled this.