Recycled+Themes+Transform+Messages+with+the+Advent+of+Technology+by+John+Infante

All TV shows tend to follow a successful formula for creating plots and storylines. By slightly altering different aspects of this formula, channels like Nickelodeon and Disney have been able to recycle old plots and themes into new shows creating the illusion of "fresh" material. After decades of sitcoms, one can hardly say that there is anything new on TV; in fact, even episodes of the technology savvy Nickelodeon program iCarly, are guilty of recycling old plots lines despite its emphasis on media technology, a feature that sets it apart from other programs. However, despite the technology driven plots of iCarly, problems and themes of the show still mirror old plot lines. Past Nickelodeon show themes ‘pioneered’ in Doug are remain present in iCarly. Even the past works of iCarly producer Dan Schneider include similar show themes in episodes of his earlier show like Kenan & Kel and Guys Like Us. For my research project I am seeing how iCarly's emphasis of technology and media transforms/changes recycled Nickelodeon and Dan Schneider’s past show themes.

First I searched for various Nickelodeon programs whose plots incorporate the same elements. Some reoccurring plots that I discovered in specific episodes of Nickelodeon’s Doug, Dan Schneider’s Kenan & Kel, and iCarly incorporate detention, young love, and power struggles between peers as main plot lines in the following episodes: -iCarly: iGot Detention, iMight Switch Schools, iSaw Him First -Doug: "Doug Battles The Rulemeister / Doug's a Genius" & "Doug Takes the Case / Doug's Secret Song" -Kenan & Kel: “I.Q. Can Do Better” and “The Graduates” The plots of these shows all incorporate the same elements; I will watch these episodes analytically and examine the scripts of each show. Recording the details of the specific plots and examining how they differ will demonstrate how iCarly's incorporation of technology changes the message of the show.

Children's over exposure to technology is rumored to have a number of negative effects on them, I feel it would be worth while to see if iCarly, a show that promotes the use of technology displays characteristics of the "negative effects" of technology.