The Reason Nickelodeon Ended iCarly
Nickelodeon achieved a major hit with the Web Star-themed iCarly when the series premiered with its "iPilot" episode in September 2007. The show essentially predated the vlogger phenomenon before YouTube became an entertainment mainstay for kids, tweens, and teens, and it consistently had pop culture pals on its finger: the series ran for seven seasons and featured a -List guests included, including now-Oscar winner Emma Stone, Saturday Night Live alum-turned-The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, then-First Lady Michelle Obama, former fellow Nickelodeon star-turned-pop phenom Ariana Grande, and even That One Direction in its prime.
Alas, in its final episode, "iGoodbye", which aired in November 2012, the show bid farewell to its beloved Carly, Freddie, and Sam for good. So why did the kids' network pull the plug on the show, when it was so successful and loved by kids everywhere? There were many factors, but ultimately, it wasn't very dramatic - so there might be hope for a reunion someday!
Miranda Cosgrove wanted to move on from iCarly—in college!
The biggest reason for iCarly's cancellation was the Titanic star of the show, Miranda Cosgrove, going to college. When the series "Kissin You" began the singer was just 14 years old. Eager to lead a normal life, the singer-actress enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC), and she literally walked from set to quad: In November 2012, she told Parade that she didn't even actually make the finale episode. Take a break between shooting and starting your first semester.
"After I shot the show, I went to college to keep me busy," Cosgrove told the outlet. The Nickelodeon alum who first rose to fame in School of Rock (2003) revealed that she needed a break from the entertainment business. "I guess I've been doing TV shows for most of my life. I'm really enjoying college. I really love music but I've always wanted to act. So I'll still read scripts and audition but for now For I'm focusing on college."
According to Entertainment Weekly, Cosgrove — who started acting at just three years old — is studying psychology by 2020, and is looking for potential careers outside of acting.
This iCarly star wanted to branch out
Since leaving iCarly, Miranda Cosgrove has kept busy outside of college as well: she voiced Margo in Despicable Me 2 in 2013 and Despicable Me 3 four years later, as well as related media such as The Secret Life of Kyle and Minion Scouts . The singer-actress also starred in the TV series Crowded in 2016 (the show ran for just one season), as well as the indie horror film The Intruders in 2015, the TV movie Spaced Out in 2017, and 3022 in 2019. She also narrated the TV movie History of Them in 2018. That same year, Cosgrove appeared in the music video for Marshmallow and Bastille's hit, "Happier".
While she has worked quite a bit on screen, appearing in The Goldbergs in 2020 (like former iCarly co-stars Noah Munck and Jackson Odell, who also starred in the sitcom), Cosgrove is starting a new venture with Geena Davis. did. Cosgrove serves with Miranda Cosgrove as host of Mission Unstoppable, showcasing the careers and achievements of women in STEM, science, technology and engineering.
"I've actually changed my major a few times, so it's kind of funny," Cosgrove, who is still studying at USC, told Entertainment Weekly in April. "What should have been done on the show is helping young girls explore what different opportunities are out there. I went to USC because I was homeschooled for most of my childhood. So I still like that." Looks like, even though I'm 26, I'm still kind of figuring out what else I want to do."
Nickelodeon had a different rising star
Even though Miranda Cosgrove was the star of iCarly's Titanic, other Nickelodeon actresses surpassed the singer-actress in terms of star power and name recognition. After iCarly ended, fans were able to enjoy a brief spin-off series, Sam & Cat, in which iCarly endorsed staple Janet McCurdy and victorious starlet (and frequent iCarly guest star) Ariana Grande.
According to The Wrap, the show premiered in the summer of 2013 and was a notable success for the children's network, marking Nickelodeon's best live-action debut in the past three years. Unfortunately for fans, Sam & Cat was canceled after just one season amid rumors of a rift between Grande and McCurdy. TMZ reported that the tension was due to a huge pay disparity between its two lead actresses – Grande, who was making a name for herself through her meteoric rise as a pop star, reportedly took home a lot of cash, though each The exact quantity for the starlet was unspecified.
That kind of fuss is enough to make you SighCarly. In any case, Grande became a household name beyond the kids' TV scene, while most other Nickelodeon stars weren't able to transition nearly as successfully to adult stardom.
iCarly was expensive to produce
As of 2010, Miranda Cosgrove was one of the highest-paid child stars of all time, earning $180,000 per episode for iCarly at the time (and likely even higher in the show's final season). Still, industry insiders revealed that he didn't get that much to take home.
"People think there's a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow," Hollywood talent agent Jackie Lewis told the New York Post in May. “But once you get that pot of gold, think about the commission paid: Ten percent goes to the agent; 10-15 percent goes to the manager and 15 percent goes to the coogan account [by law for underage actors]. A trust fund in California]. And then there are taxes. So if a kid is making $25,000 a week, he can only see 30 or 40 percent of that money."
It's certainly nothing to shake a stick at, but it's still expensive for Nickelodeon. In 2018, Deadline reported that the production budget of producer Dan Schneider's shows, of which iCarly was one, was "bloated".
Was there abuse behind the scenes of iCarly?
Nickelodeon broke up with iCarly creator Dan Schneider in 2018 after reports surfaced of him being abusive behind the scenes of the children's show. "After several simultaneous conversations about next directions and future opportunities, Nickelodeon and our longtime creative partner Dan Schneider/Schneider Bakery have agreed not to extend the current deal," the network told Deadline. "As many of Schneider's bakery projects are coming to an end, both sides agreed that this is a natural time for Nickelodeon and Schneider Bakery to pursue other opportunities and projects."According to Entertainment Weekly, Cosgrove — who started acting at just three years old — is studying psychology by 2020, and is looking for potential careers outside of acting.
According to the outlet, it took a long time to make a decision at the hands of Schneider's employees with "multiple complaints of abusive behavior" and his "well-documented nature" as well as a "cloud of doubt". Artists were treated. Not to mention claims about Schneider's alleged foot fetish (also known as iCarly alum Noah Munck – aka Gibby), as he reportedly often posted pictures of his female stars' toes on social media and He was accused of using sexual innocence in his writings.
A source quoted by Page Six claimed that the so-called "Aaron Sorkin of tween sitcoms" — and the brains behind All That and other Nickelodeon hits like Drake & Josh — were "a victim of false online smears" amid the #MeToo movement. His exit on more innocuous things like management changes and "fight over studio space." According to the Washington Post, Schneider's rep declined to comment on the allegations.