6teen
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| 6teen | |
|---|---|
| File:6teengang.jpg Heroes of 6teen, counting from the left: Nikki, Jude, Jen, Wyatt, Caitlin, Jonesy | |
| Created by | Jennifer Pertsch & Tom McGillis |
| Starring | Stacey DePass- Nikki Wong
Megan Fahlenbock- Jen Masterson Brooke D'Orsay- Caitlin Cooke Terry McGurrin- Jonesy Garcia / Movie Usher / Hairstylist Fabreese Jesse Gibbons- Wyatt Williams Christian Potenza- Jude Lizowski Jamie Watson- Coach Halder / Ron the Rent-A-Cop Adam Reid- Wayne / Blade / Blond haired Albatross&Finch Greeter God Stephanie Anne Mills- Kakhi Barn clone Kirsten Alan Park- Tim |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| No. of episodes | 52 (26 per season) + 1 special |
| Production | |
| Running time | 22 minutes (30 including commercials) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Teletoon (Canada) |
| Release | November 7, 2004 – present |
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6teen is a Canadian animated series for youths of all ages. The series chronicles the adventures of six, sixteen year old friends at their local mall. The series format is quite similar to the sitcom Friends. The show was written and produced by Tom McGillis and Jennifer Pertsch of Fresh Animation (Toronto), a franchise of Nelvana Limited. The original title of the series was The Mall.
The characters are based on the fashion designs of different teenage subculture stereotypes, including a grunge/skater as the comic relief. The cartoon targets issues that teens face on a daily basis in an entertaining way by portraying the lives of teenaged friends that work in a mall. The result is that a teenage audience can relate to the characters and their lives at the mall.
A modern animation program called Harmony, (previously known as Symphony) from Toon Boom Animation, is used in the production of the series. This new technology allows the animators to make the show's production much quicker, but also allows more detail to be included. There is a visible change in season two: the animation is much smoother, as the producers received more funds for using Harmony.
The show is now airing not only in Canada (on Teletoon), but also in Israel, Europe, South America, and the US (on Nickelodeon).
Characters
Template:Spoiler 6teen focuses on six main characters who work in the Galleria Mall, as well as several secondary characters. It is rumoured the shopping mall is based on the West Edmonton Mall.[citation needed] The series producers took day trips to the Toronto Eaton Centre.[1]
Jen Masterson
An athletic girl, Jennifer used to work at The Big Squeeze before quitting, thus giving the job to Caitlin. She enjoys working at The Penalty Box, but usually winds up in the penalty box - the store’s method of punishment. She's the sporty one of the group, and is considered by the others as the lawful and good one. Jennifer's past dates include having to date Coach Halder’s son Corey, being a fake date to Jude, and on one Valentine's Day, having to become so desperate that she fought Caitlin over Darth. She has an ongoing rivalry with her sister, Courtney, who is a babysitter. She just recently became Jonesy's step-sister after her mother married his father. She is called Julie in Canadian French. Out of the group, Jennifer's best friend is probably Caitlin, despite the fact they have fought on numerous occasions.
Wyatt Williams
Wyatt is the musical member of the group. He is almost always seen with a cup of coffee from the cafe Grind Me, where he initially applied for a job. Wyatt used to work in the country section of Spin This. Because of his former job, he freaks out every time he hears country music. In addition, Wyatt is known for having a tattoo in the shape of a musical note on his arm, drinking four coffees a day, listening to white noise, and not sleeping for fear of having "the dream" where he steals a cowboy's wife and the cowboy runs after Wyatt. Wyatt had a romantic relationship with boss Serena. However, Serena broke up with Wyatt via a text message. Because of the turbulent relationship, he was fired in season two. Wyatt later worked with Jude in Underground Videos which is the least popular place in the mall. Ironically, the store seems to be getting more business as the show progresses. He later got fired from the job after his coffee got spilt on Wayne's "Space Samurai Warriors" DVD. Presently, Wyatt has a cool job as an assistant manager at Burger McFlipster's, where his singing and serving has received much attention from the females. He is called Vincent in Canadian French. Wyatt's best friend and voice of reason is Nikki.
- Hair Colour: Coffee Brown
- Eye Colour: Dark Brown
- Skin Complexion: Brown
- Height: 5'10"
- Loves: Good Music, Books, Coffee, Playing Guitar, Serena
- Hates: Jonesy's Ideas, Heights, Country Music, Birthdays, Surprises, Sports
- Character quote: "You know that's stupid."
- Ron's Codename: Coffee Pot
- Employed At: Burger Mcflipsters
- Ancestry: Africa
Caitlin Cooke
Catlin was a spoiled "valley girl" who shopped anywhere in the mall and thought that money came from the partners at her dad's firm. Her demeanor changed when her father canceled her credit cards and made her get a job, which was the last thing she wanted to do. To make things worse, her only job she could do was at The Big Squeeze. At first, she had trouble working there, but has finally mastered the job. She got a job at Chocaholics and gained so much weight that her old size wouldn't fit. She feels she has much to give to the world, such as her Chick Flick DVD Library, or her collection of pink shades of lipstick. She has dated Kyle Donaldson, fought Jen over Darth one Valentine's Day, and is currently looking for a boyfriend. Her former flames include Talon, Tricia's Old Boyfriend Zane, Wade, Billy, Josh, and Dustin. Caitlin is an only child. She is called Katherine in Canadian French. Her best friend is most likely Jen.
- Hair Colour: Blonde
- Eyes Colour: Green
- Skin Complexion: lightly tanned
- Height: 5'4"
- Loves: Pink, Ice Cream, Shopping, Chick Flicks, Dating Handsome Guys, Chocolate,
- Hates: Roller Coasters, Sushi, Tricia
- Character Quote: "I think he might be 'The One'."
- Ron's Codename: Cupcake
- Employed At: The Big Squeeze
- Ancestry: England
Jude Lizowski
Considered the comic relief of the group, Jude used to work at Stick-It as a manager until Season 2. In the beginning, Jude was not keen on cleaning up his fast food restaurant, thus leaving residue. Ron, the security guard, and Health Care officials closed Stick-It immediately after discovering the mess. Presently, Jude works at Underground Videos.
On an ordinary day, Jude is usually skating on his board or creating new and interesting Stick-Its (a recent one was his mushroom pizza Stick-It). Jude hates all music other than rock, and says about other music: "that stuff like, sucks the life out of you, dude." He's has a tattoo of a peace symbol on his rear end and dared to jump naked with a parachute. Jude thought it would be easier to skip his final exams. However, with help from his friends, he passed them all. He has been involved with a talking chair named Betty and went out with Starr for one night, which ended in an accident. Later on, Starr became a goth and they are no longer an item. Jude is arch-enemies with Mike Dent, a fellow skater who calls him Lizzie. He is called Hugo in Canadian French. Because they share the most traits, his best friend is Jonesy.
- Hair Colour: Blonde
- Eyes Colour: Blue
- Skin Complexion: Peach
- Height: 5'7" (hunched)
- Loves: Skating, Horror Movies, Junk Food, Rock Music, Video Games
- Hates: Boring Conversations, Exams, Mike Dent
- Character Quote: "Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude!"'
- Ron's Codename: Hang 10
- Employed at: Underground Video
- Ancestry: West Indies
Nikki Wong
A rebel-type girl who is arguably the most sensible of the group, Nikki works at the Khaki Barn and has dubbed the other three girls working there "The Clones". Once she was a member of their group, but the others saved her from a life "where individuality is overrated". She was also fired from the Barn for a short time and worked at Stereoshack with Darth, which proved to be torture for her. However the new girl at the Khaki Barn was getting all the sales, resulting in her being fired, and the rehiring of Nikki (with a 10% raise and 2 extra breaks). She has a love-hate relationship with Jonesy - they always have this tension going around, especially after their first date in episode "Clonesy" (Season 1). In Season 2 they have been actually dating for about three months and try to develop their relationship more. In a series of events, they decide to break up, but it is obvious that the love is still there. She always tries to act grumpy or snobby, and rarely do we see her any other way. She also snorts when she laughs. Nikki's best friend is Wyatt.
- Hair Colour: Dark Purple (naturally black)
- Eyes Colour: Brown
- Skin Complexion: Pale
- Height: 5'2"
- Loves: Jonesy, Rock Music, Piercings
- Hates: Jonesy's Perverted Jokes, Popular Fashion, "The Clones", Mr. and Mrs. Wong interfering with her life, Darth
- Character Quote: "Bite Me."
- Ron's Codename: Nose Ring
- Employed At: The Khaki Barn
- Ancestry: China
Jonesy Garcia
Jonesy is fired from a new job in every single episode, sometimes within three minutes. The numerous stores he's worked include: The Khaki Barn, The Penalty Box, Stereoshack, Things That Beep, Albatross and Finch, The Secret Shopper, Super Terrific Happy Sushi, and Underground Videos. He also worked at Burger McFlipsters, but he later opted to quit after his singing to the lady customers was horrible. He always tries to score dates with any attractive girl, and usually winds up dumped or punched. Jonesy and Nikki have an intermittent relationship that sometimes leads to awkward moments. After Nikki broadcasted his wedgie all over the mall, he showed the gang his picture of her in first grade "tap dancing" (although it would appear to be ballet). He began dating Nikki in season 2 for approximately three months and their relationship still maintains its tension. He recently became Jen's step-brother after his father married her mother. Jonesy has two younger brothers named Diego & Robbie. It is revealed later that he is afraid of blood. He is called Costarica in Canadian French, which is a joke on the country Costa Rica. His best friend is Jude.
Episodes
Currently, two seasons of the show, 26 episodes each, have been produced, and third season is under way. An hour-long special entitled "Dude of the Living Dead" has been aired. "Snow Job" is said to be the Second 6TEEN special and will air on Friday, December 1st 2006.
Three DVDs of the show are currently available, which include the following: "Take This Job and Squeeze It", "Idol Time At The Mall", and "Employee Of The Month". "Deck The Mall" has yet to be released.
According to the Teletoon.com site (which is reponsible for the release of the 6teen dvds), the show is divided into 4 seasons of 13 episodes each; with one episode from season 5 being aired. Source from: http://www.teletoon.com/unrealworld_v2/teletoon.php?language=En&user=0&init=chunk&func=swf%7C../tv/tvIndex_mx.swf%7C0
Running Gags
Throughout the many episodes so far there have been a small amount of running gags. Most of which were dropped towards the end of the first season.
- Wyatt Correcting Jonesy- During the early episodes of the first season Jonesy would compare his problems to a historical event, while making a mistake with it. Such as the "Danish Acquisition". Wyatt usually went on to correct him. For this one, he corrected him saying "You mean the Spanish Inquisition". This was dropped around the end of the first season
- Caitlin's Bad Lemon Squishies- Caitlin's distasteful squishies have been the subject of many jokes made by the 6 friends. They would usually spit it out and later make a rude comment about it. Although, in recent episodes they wouldn't re act as shocked and make a small pun.
- Dude, Jude!- In the beginning of the series, every time Jonesy and Jude met Jude would say "Dude" and Jonesy would respond "Jude" and close by giving each other props. This seems to have stopped though. For an interesting sidenote, since Jude is called Hugo in the Canadian-french version, the greeting is replaced by Hugo greeting with "Coco!" (Costarica), and Costarica (Jonesy) replies with "Gogo!" (Hugo). In this version, both of them interestingly make use of each other's name for this gag, in contrast of the English version.
- Caitlin's Boyfriends- Caitlin has never lasted in a relationship for more than an episode. The only exception is Talon, who was her boyfriend in Boo Dude!, Going Underground and the one-hour special Dude of the Living Dead. (However this is a dream of Jude's and may not count)
- Jonesy Getting Fired- Possibly the most memorable running gag is that Jonesy is constantly fired from each job he gets in each episode. Sometimes within 10 minutes. This has been noticed by the characters and is used as a joke several times.
- Have a Khaki Day!- Every time a customer walks by, enters, or leaves the store, one of the "clones" would say "Welcome to the Khaki Barn, have a khaki day"
- Naked Jen- Jen usually winds up naked (usually topless) in front of someone. This is often used as an episode plot.
- Naked Jonesy- Jonesy's pants are always falling, or his "lower areas" are revealed to another character.
- Jonesy's Pick Up Line- Jonesy is usually heard telling a girl "So, then I said to him, If you call this a chai soy latte, then that must make me the Easter Bunny". Although, usually right after, the girl get's angry at him and leaves for various reasons.
- Wyatt Hasn't Gotten Over Serena- Since Serena broke up with Wyatt in the episode "The one with the text message", Wyatt is shown to still love Serena. Often feeling awkward around her and it was also reveald he still has a shrine to her in his bed room. Despite the fact that she had broken up with him more than half-a-season ago.
- Ron and the Army- Ron is always seen bringing up his years severing in a war. This is often shown when he arrests someone (and later references it to something about the war), in his poems, songs, and even normal speech!
- Caitlin and Her Clothing- Caitlin always purchaces at least one thing each episode.
- Jude's Resume- Every time Jude's resume is seen, there are clear noticeable, yellow, food splotches on it.
- Scary Movie?- Every time the characters are watching a movie, you can hear terrified screaming, faded laughing, and the credits play scary music. This is always heard, regardless of genre.
Controversy
Like other teen TV shows, 6teen includes controversial subjects. Examples include nudity scenes (though censored), and male characters explicitly attempting to see private parts of women. The show is also infamous for its relatively large amount of crude humour such as fart jokes. It is one of the most explicit shows on the TV station Nickelodeon.
The most controversial topics, disputed among fans and critics of the show are:
- Nudity (both male and female), censored by pixelisation or a black bar. Most of those explicit scenes are accidental. In two episodes, however, Jonesy intentionally reveals the contents of his pants.
- Profanity, cut in the last moment of the dialogue, with the mostly used "bitch" cut after the "bi-" as a good example.
- Vomiting (both on one's self and on others) occurring in some episodes, due to food poisoning or other circumstances. It is speculated to be a homage to South Park, which includes a lot of vomiting. In particular, as in one scene, vomiting on one's girlfriend could be considered a tribute to Stan Marsh.
- "Hormonal Overload" and teen attitude towards those of opposite gender. This is especially portrayed by Jonesy, who is in many cases shown staring at female breasts, hips, etc...
- Homosexuality - Many critics consider some gay jokes controversial - the best example being "Cowboy", who shows an explicit attraction to Jonesy. Also, their have been several jokes that imply that Jonesy and Jude may be attracted to each other. (e.g. hugging, intimate touching and mistaking what one has said as a sexual plea) Although, this is most likely a running gag.
- Attitude of the characters -- Many critics argue that their behaviours are comparable to those of older or even younger ages, and don't reflect their true ages of 16. Nikki's piercings and Jonesy's behavior towards girls are often mentioned in arguments.
The show has also been heavily criticised on their sterotypical views and characters. (e.g. goths, jocks, nerds, girly girls etc.)
While critics say that these controversial issues cause the show to be inappropriate for young audiences, fans say that serious behavior towards girls is a mature topic normal among late teens. Teenage boys start to be interested in girls physically, know more about mature life, plan their nearest future after the graduation, and start to act like young adults.
Trivia
- The names of characters are changed in the French dubbed version, also airing in Canada. Jen becomes Julie, Caitlin is Katherine, Jude changes to Hugo, Wyatt into Vincent, and Jonesy switches to Costarica. Only Nikki's name remains the same in both versions.
- Ron the security guard is based on Christopher Walken. Not only does he look very similar to the actor, but his past in the Vietnam War is a spoof of Walken's role in The Deer Hunter. Furthermore, the way Ron speaks is based on the many villains played by Walken. Also worth mentioning is the fact that the real Chris Walken's name is Ronald.
- Wayne from the Underground Videos store can be considered a mix of Randal Graves and Dante Hicks, characters from the cult movie Clerks. He resembles Dante, and shares his tendency to complain. On the other hand, like Randal, he's sarcastic, unpleasant toward others, works in the Video Store and has his own unique taste in movies. He might also be based on Jack Black's role as Barry in the movie High Fidelity.
- 6Teen was seen in a New Years 2006 commercial.
- The fact that the show is Canadian-produced is hinted at in certain products the characters find in the mall, such as a jersey for the Montreal Canadiens, an ice hockey team. In one episode, a character went to the Calgary Stampede. A reference is made in the Christmas special to the Boxing Day holiday observed in Canada. The currency is also Canadian, as shown when red and blue bills were used, and when all the characters said they'd each pay a dollar for a bet and used loonies.
see the discussion area for issue with this paragraph and voice your opinion on the matter.
- The first (significant) characters to appear on the show were Tricia and Caitlin.
- Each character seems to display a certain stereotype. (e.g. Jonesy is the arrogant, girl crazy, jock.)
- Tricia is seen in every episode, usually in the background.
Cultural references
Movie and music celebrities or features existing in real life are often referenced in the series. There are also many easter eggs and allusions to famous movies or TV shows.
Music industry: Alanis Morissette | The Rolling Stones | Simple Plan | Toots and the Maytals | Avril Lavigne | Justin Timberlake | Britney Spears | Sarah McLachlan | Simon Cowell | Jennifer Lopez | Marilyn Manson | Lindsay Lohan | Madonna | Men at Work | Bono | Shania Twain | Norah Jones | Talking Heads | Radiohead | Coldplay
Movie industry: Vin Diesel | Clint Eastwood | Christopher Walken | Darth Vader | Han Solo | Princess Leia | Calista Flockhart | Keanu Reeves | Pamela Anderson | George Lucas | Yoda | Lando Calrissian | Al Pacino | David Hasselhoff
Sports: Toronto Maple Leafs | Montreal Canadiens | John McEnroe | Curtis Joseph
Others: Stephen Hawking
Games & Electronics: the Sims | Monopoly | Space Invaders | Carmageddon | PlayStation Portable | IPod | Motorola
Features existing in real life: A Midsummer Night's Dream poem by William Shakespeare | Calgary Stampede
Brands, companies and shops spoofed: | Nike | Abercrombie & Fitch | Tim Hortons | Taco Bell | Foot Locker | GAP | Future Shop | HMV | Radio Shack | Banana Republic | Seven Eleven
Movies and TV shows cited or spoofed along the series: Reality Bites | Idol | The Fast and the Furious | Friends | House of 1000 Corpses | Star Wars | Dawn of the Dead | Friday the 13th | Enter the Dragon | Dirty Harry | Breakfast Club | The Deer Hunter | Apocalypse Now | Full Metal Jacket | Dead Poets Society | The Graduate | The Brady Bunch | Wedding Crashers | Clerks | Chasing Amy | Hitch | Mean Girls | Clueless | Top Gun | Bollywood movies | Married with Children | Seven Samurai | Punk'd | Sixth Sense | Waiting to Exhale | Independence Day | Lords of Dogtown | Torque | Kill Bill | View from the Top | How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days | American Pie | Fried Green Tomatoes | ...And Justice for All | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | The Big Sleep | Take This Job and Shove It | CSI | Star Trek
Songs spoofed along the series: "Jenny from the Block" | "Oops!... I Did It Again" | "Down Under" | "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" | "Deck the Halls"
Theme Song Lyrics
Life begins after school
That's when we bend all the rules
Time to hang with all my friends
We like to be together
In a place where we belong
I'm 16, starting to find my way
Got a new job, gonna start at the mall today
Thank god I'm on my own for the first time
I'm 16, life is sweet
When you're growing up so fast
You gotta make the good times last
I'm 16, 16
Gotta make the good times last
References
- ^ "6teen premieres on Teletoon, Sunday November 7 at 6PM", mediacastermagazine, October 22, 2004.
See also
External links
- 6teen at IMDb
- 6teen fansite - A large 6teen information resource in flash with info about characters, episodes and forum
- Fresh Animation - Shows - 6 Teen
- Nelvana -Producer's page about 6teen. Very outdated though
- Official Nickelodeon Site
- Teletoon - Information about episodes and characters
- Toon Boom Animation Toon Boom Harmony developers