6TEEN

'''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 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.
Since its debut on November 4, 2004, the program has aired fifty-two episodes over two 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

Production

Story

Episodes

Reception

References

External links

Production

''6teen'' is produced by Nelvana Limited, and created through the use of a 2D digital software known as Opus Animation Suite, 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, and commonly employs cultural and racial stereotypes. ''6teen'' is scripted by a team of writers which includes series creators Jennifer Pertsch and Tom McGillis, Sean Cullen (''The Sean Cullen Show''), and George Westerholm (''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. 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."''

Original music is composed by Don Breithaupt and Anthony Vanderburgh.
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.

Story

The story of ''6teen'' takes place, for the most part, in the Galleria Mall, a large shopping mall on par with the West Edmonton Mall in terms of store count.^[4] The series details the exploits of a group of sixteen-year-old friends–Jonesy Garcia, Caitlin Cooke, Wyatt Williams, Jen Masterson, Jude Lizowski, and Nikki Wong–as they make their way through life. Recurring plot lines focus on the search for employment and the workplace in general, the pursuit of romantic interests and social acceptance, as well as problems keeping up with the educational system.

Episodes

Main articles: List of 6teen episodes

Promotional poster for ''6teen's first one-hour special, "Dude of the Living Dead".

Currently, two seasons of the show have been produced and aired, with a third season is underway. 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.^[5]
Six DVDs are available, each containing three episodes from the first season.^[6] "Take This Job and Squeeze It" was the first to be released on December 13, 2005, followed by "Take This Job and Squeeze It," "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.

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. It was also the only Canadian production to be nominated for a Pulcinella Award in 2005 under "TV Series for All Audiences". 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. 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."''

Like other television shows that target teen audiences, however, ''6teen'' touches on issues that may be inappropriate for younger audiences, and includes scenes of nudity (though censored) and male characters attempting to view women naked, in addition to crude humor such as fart jokes. While these may be sensitive issues, some fans hold that serious behavior toward 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 future after graduation, and start to act like young adults. These topics have allowed the series to break through the glass ceiling and reach a wider audience, rather than just appealing to the preteen crowd.

References

1. Corus Entertainment - News Releases Corus Entertainment
2. ACT kids TV awards handed out in Toronto, Canada
3. 6teen Press Release
4. ''6teen''. "Take this Job and Squeeze It". November 4, 2004.
5. CATCH YOUR BIG BREAK ON TELETOON Teletoon
6. TELETOON PRESENTS...6TEEN ON DVD Teletoon

External links

★ Teletoon's official ''6teen'' page

★

★