Intro: Drake & Josh was a sitcom on Nickelodeon created by Dan Schneider that had 4 seasons, totaling in 57 episodes with 2 TV movies and ran from January 11, 2004 to September 16, 2007 before officially capping off with the TV movie, Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh released on December 5, 2008. The show starred Drake Bell, Josh Peck, Miranda Cosgrove, Nancy Sullivan and Jonathan Goldstein as Drake Parker, Josh Nichols, Megan Parker, Audrey Parker Nichols and Walter Nichols, respectively. The show also featured Yvette Nicole Brown, Alec Medlock, Scott Halberstadt, Allison Scagliotti, Jerry Trainor, Jake Farrow, Julia Duffy and Cathy Shim as Helen Dubois, Craig Ramirez, Eric Blonowitz, Mindy Crenshaw, Crazy Steve, Gavin Mitchell, Mrs. Hayfer, and Leah, respectively. Critics and audiences loved it, earning an 8.8/10 on TV.com and the 2 TV movies recieved mainly positive review from critcs. I bring all this up because I’ve noticed that of all the shows created by Dan Schneider, this one seems to be the most memorable as well as the most loved. I mean, think about it; iCarly declined in quality after the Seddie arc (yes there were lackluster episodes before, but that’s beside the point), hardly anyone brings up Zoey 101 or Victorious, and the less said about Schneider’s recent out put, the better. Sure the final seasons of All That was fun, as was The Amanda Show, but when it comes to Drake & Josh, this show has quite the cult following. From various memes, to quotes from the show being used to this day, it really is amazing that this show still stands the test of time over a decade after its initial cancellation. I think this show deserves to be looked at from a critical standpoint, to see if it’s as good as fans remember. Welp, let’s brake down and answer the question: Why did Drake & Josh work?
Premise and Execution: The premise of this show is rather simple, as per usual with sitcoms. Drake Parker’s Mom, Audrey, marries Josh Nichols’ Dad, Walter, and the two of them have to learn to get along despite their differences. Given that this is a sitcom, the plots are kept simple and easy to follow as well as budget friendly. The season 3 episode, The Demonator, had Drake, Josh and Megan are waiting in line to get on a rollercoaster while Craig and Eric are watching Josh’s great-grandfather. On paper, this sound stupidly boring; but in execution, this is one of the funniest episodes of the show. The way the characters react to the situation they’re in is met with precise comedic timing from the actors as well as thoughtfully written jokes from the writing team ( Anthony Del Broccolo and Eric Friedman, respectively). On one hand, it would be insulting to joke about World War 2 veterans with mental health issues; however, the way Papa Nichols acts is just so over the top and goofy, I imagine even veterans could get a good laugh out of it. Comedy aside, the show also has moments of heart and drama, in which the infamous laugh track is muted for a moment of sincerity. One of the most notable examples was in the season 4 episode, Josh is Done, in which Drake has a break down in chemistry class an realizes how much he needs Josh after they had a falling out early in the episode. This is one of many moments in which what little drama this show has hits hard.
Characters: This show’s cast of characters are all memberable in their own right as most of them don’t always stick to their respective traits. Megan may be devious, manipulative, and sassy, but she’s not inherently evil as there are times where she helps Drake and Josh (few and far between, yes but it’s better than nothing). Audrey and Walter are pretty much a team whenever they’re featured, which isn’t often but the running gag about Bruce Winchill is always funny. Helen’s a no nonsense boss who dislikes Josh but favors Drake, however she grows to respect Josh a little as the show goes on. Crazy Steve is nuts…and that’s it, he’s nuts. Everytime he shows up, you never know what he’s gonna do and that just adds to the comedy. As said before, Mindy started out as a minor antagonist in the show but became more likable once she started dating Josh. And to save the best for last, Drake and Josh make this show (hence their names in the title). Not only are they a hilarious comedic duo, but their relationship is the driving force behind this show. They may bicker sometimes and not agree on everything, but at the end of the day, they’re still brothers. Drake can be greedy, selfish and arrogant sometimes, but every now and then he shows he has a heart and is willing to make right by Josh whenever he messes up big time. Josh is gullible, naive and a nervous wreck, but that’s balanced out with his charming optimism, kind nature and helpful attitude. Together, while they have they’re differences, Drake and Josh make an inseparable pair when it comes to wacky hijinks and doing the right thing.
Music: Since Drake is a musician, it only makes sense that this show has some songs by him. Sure enough, there are a few that truly stand out. The show’s theme song, I Found A Way, is instantly catchy and hooks you into the show. The song, It Makes Me Happy, is a rocking track with a nice upbeat tempo. Even the tranitional score has a nice guitar rthym to it. As great as the music is, its a shame there weren’t more memorable tracks (and no the covers for 12 Days of Christmas and Jingle Bells don’t count).
Where it falters: Mrs. Hayfer sucks as a character. I get she’s meant to be the opposite of Helen, but that just makes her suck even more. She never grows to respect Drake and the fact that Drake wishes for her to be dead is not only out of character for him, but shows that she’s not redeemable as a character. The song Drake sings in tge season 1 episode, Believe Me Brother, is not good. It’s lazy, boring and badly written and the fact that Drake Bell has already proven to be a greet musician just makes this song even more embarrassing. The season 3 episode Girl Power makes Drake pretty sexist for the sake of the premise. The episode itself is fine, but it’s a real disservice to Drake. In the same season, Little Sibling is the weakest of the show because they make Josh to be better than Drake when they’re supposed to be a duo. At least it has a happy ending. Finally, while this wasn’t the fault of the show, it was just stupid stupid to have the series finale, Really Big Shrimp, air before two Helicopter and Dance Contest. Yeah they were good episodes, but Really Big Shrimp was meant to be the ending of the show (before Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh of course). It’s like showing the climax of the film before the set up; narratively, it makes no sense.
Conclusion: Drake & Josh holds up really well after all these years. The jokes were well thought out and on point, the characters are memorable, the theme song and score is catchy, and whenever there’s drama, it’s earned and felt by the audience. It’s definitely Dan Schneider’s best show considering it had the fewest mediocre episodes and unlikable characters. Ultimately, this show should be looked fondly upon and seen as the pinnacle of Dan Schneider’s career.
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