Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide
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| Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide | |
|---|---|
| File:Ned'sDeclassified0912.jpg Moze, Ned, and Cookie | |
| Created by | Scott Fellows |
| Starring | Devon Werkheiser Lindsey Shaw Daniel Curtis Lee Daran Norris |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of episodes | 56 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 22 minutes (11 minutes per segment) (approx. per episode) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Nickelodeon |
| Release | September 12, 2004 – June 8, 2007 |
Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, sometimes shortened to Ned's Declassified or Ned's, is an American live-action situation comedy on Nickelodeon that debuted in the channel's Sunday night TEENick scheduling block on September 12, 2004 in The United States of America. The series' actual pilot episode aired in September 2003 without many of the current version's main characters. The series finale will air on June 8, 2007. [1]
The visual effects are done by John Allison Inc., supervised by John Allison and Robin Snelson. The show is produced by ApolloProScreen GmbH & Co. Filmproduktion KG in association with Jack Mackie Pictures, its main executive producer and creator is Scott Fellows, the head writer for The Fairly OddParents, which is why in the short titled "Day Dreaming", which aired on February 5, 2005, Cosmo and Wanda appeared. Former The Wonder Years star Fred Savage is one of the show's directors. The other executive producers are Jörg Westerkamp and Bill O'Dowd. Rich Magallanes is the executive in charge of production.
Premise
Nickelodeon's Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide chronicled the wacky adventures of Ned Bigby (Devon Werkheiser) and his best pals Jennifer Mosely played by Lindsey Shaw better known as Moze, and Simon Nelson-Cook AKA Cookie (Daniel Curtis Lee) at James K. Polk Middle School, as "every-kid" Ned shatters the fourth wall to share tips and tricks on navigating middle school or junior high hurdles. Ned's not super cool but he is, however, witty, well-groomed, upbeat and self-aware; moreover, with more than a little help from his two best friends, he's equipped to conquer middle school minefields. From crushing bullies to crushes, from off- the-wall, mean and cool teachers to pop quizzes, elections and detentions, Ned knows that nothing, including middle school, is as bad as it seems, and friendship matters most.
Each 22-minute episode contained two 11-minute shorts, both of which deal with a subject about school life. Many people feel that the show is very refreshing and reminiscent of early Nickelodeon shows because of its use of smart humor. Ned is a victim of plenty of ordinary teenage circumstances and is portrayed as a normal kid.
The show and characters have greatly developed from its first season. It is widely regarded that the target age group for the show has shifted to an older audience after the first season, and this can be reflected in the plentitude of relationship related storylines in the second series. Additionally, almost all the first season's episodes were based on 'school problems': backpacks, emergency drills, talent shows etc., but in the second season, a lot more episodes focused on the teenager themselves: your body, asking someone out, shyness etc.
It should also be noted on more than one occasion, a character other than Ned broke the fourth wall. (Moze, Gordy and even a Teacher have done so at least once.)
It can be noted that after the second season the show contained more spontaneous sound effects and more animated/live action moments, making the show more cartoon-like than it was previously.
Locations
The show takes place at the fictional James K. Polk Middle School, in California (the flag can be seen in the school's entrance hall). The exterior of the school is filmed at La Mesa Junior High in Santa Clarita, California.[1] The school is named after the 11th President of the United States James K. Polk (and could also possibly be a reference to the sitcom Married... with Children, as most of the show's main characters also went to a school named after Polk). The school's colors are yellow and green, which is the constant theme through the school's interior. Additionally, their school teams are named the 'Wolves'. The wolf is homeroom teacher "Mr. Monroe's" favorite animal.
During Season 1, all of the shows action took place at the school, and with the exception of one or two notable occasions, everything happened indoors. However during Season 2, the shows producers decided they wanted more exterior scenes. So more outdoor shots were used, and on certain occasions, off school property all together:
In the "Car Wash" short, it takes place at a local business' parking lot.
In the "Dares" short, the climax of the episode takes place outside the 'Northside Aquatic Warehouse'
In the "Guide to: The Bus & Bad Hair Days" episode, most of the "The Bus" short takes place outside the school, in local neighborhoods. The following short, "Bad Hair Days", partially takes place at the high school next door.
In the "Guide to: Halloween" short, some quick snippets show a local house being trick-or-treated at.
In "Guide to: Social Studies", Cookie had three fantasies that all took place at the SEALTELLE CapitaLbuilding.
In "Guide to: Fundraising", Moze was seen going door-to-door trying to sell her last candy bar.
In "Guide to: Parties", the entire episode takes place at Seth's house.
The first appearance of Moze's house takes place in the short "Positives & Negatives". And Huffington gardens is a place where they had their field trip
Major characters
Ned is the main character who started the guide. He is usually getting into trouble with his friends. In season 3 he goes out with his dream girl, Suzie Crabgrass, but she moves to Santa Ana and eventually he begins to have feelings for Moze; these feelings shift back to the returning Suzie in the series finale, but at last he settles for Moze in the end. He usually turns to Gordy, the school's janitor, for advice (though it rarely works).
Jennifer goes by the name of Moze. She was usually trying to break away from Ned and Cookie in the hope of getting a girl best friend in the early part of the show. She eventually became best friends with her worst enemy - Suzie Crabgrass. She begins to have feelings for Ned in season 3. She is now going out with Ned as a result of Ned's Declassified Field Trip. She is a volleyball jock and has set the most school records.
Simon goes by the name of Cookie. He is a computer nerd and is usually in some kind of crisis. He often uses his knowledge with technology to help himself and his friends. He has a motherboard in his locker, his pants double as a printer, and his glasses double as a computer display. In the first few episodes, he was portrayed as a cyborg, but that idea has been apparently dropped. He has a huge crush on Lisa Zemo. He is now dating her, as a result of his heroics in Ned's Declassified Field Trip.
Gordy is the lazy, 40-year-old janitor at Polk and almost never does his job, although the school is normally not visibly dirty. He is constantly avoiding the vice principal. He gives "Manly Advice" to Ned and Cookie which almost never works. His archenemy is a weasel that he consistently fails to capture using one of his many over-elaborate schemes. However, after Ned's Declassified Field Trip, he finally caught the weasel, but didn't kill it because it had babies. It is suggested that Gordy was not very academic when in school. This is suggested several times, one of which being when he gives Ned a list of military schools he attended after he failed all his tests.
Recurring characters
Ned's crush and Moze's best friend. Ned's dream girl since fourth grade, Suzie likes Ned back, but sometimes gets confused about if Ned likes her because Missy Meanie (who has a huge crush on Ned) tricks Ned into making Suzie think that Ned hates her. However in the episode 'Stress', Suzie mentions her dad got a job far away and can't see her that often, and finally in the episode 'Friends Moving', Ned realizes that Suzie has to move because of how far away her dad's job is. She is at her new school for most of season 3, until finally in the third to last last episode 'When You Like Someone Who is Going out With Someone Else', Suzie's dad got a closer job so she moves back to the school and ironically finds Ned right when he and Moze are about to confess their love to each other.
- Billy Loomer- Polk's bully who sort of has a crush on Moze.
- Seth- The clueless, hot, and basketball loving boy of Moze's dreams.
- Coconut Head- The geeky coconut headed friend of Ned's
- Martin- The other geeky friend of Ned's
- Lisa- The alergetic freak who comes back in the eighth with new clothes, alergy medication, and her braces off. Cookie instantly falls madly in love with her.
- Mr. Sweeney- The crazy science teacher
- Mr. Wright- The princpal and ex-teacher who Moze loves more than any teacher at Polk.
- Famen Fortune - Jennifer's crush and eventually her boyfriend in the third season until he leaves to play pro soccer.
Episodes
In other countries
- In Canada, the show airs on Family.
- Nickelodeon's United Kingdom network airs the show Mondays-Fridays at 7.45am and at 11.00am and at 4.30pm and 2pm Saturday & Sunday
- France recently acquired the rights to air the show in France (new, blank templates for the tips in the show were created by Jack Marx and Joshua Allison for the foreign airings).
- In Spain and all the Spanish-speaking countries, the shows title is translated to Manual de Sobrevivencia Escolar de Ned, (Ned's School Survival Manual.)
- In Brazil, the show title changed to Manual de Sobrevivência Escolar do Ned (Ned's School Survival Manual) and just the first and second seasons were released. Nickelodeon Brazil airs the show Mondays-Fridays at 9:30-10:00pm.
- In Germany and Austria, it becomes Neds Ultimativer Schulwahnsinn (Ned's Ultimate Madness of School).
- In Italy, it becomes Ned - Scuola di Sopravvivenza (Ned - School of Survival).
- In France it becomes Ned ou comment survivre aux études (Ned or How to Survive School).
- In Israel it airs on Nickelodeon-Israel from Sunday to Thursday. It is called there Madrich Hahisardut Shel Ned (Ned's Survival Guide).
- In Ireland it broadcasts on RTE TWO.
Spin-offs and other formats
- At the 2006 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, Devon Werkheiser, along with his co-stars Lindsey Shaw and Daniel Curtis Lee hosted a pre-show item, giving tips on how to prepare to win a Blimp (Nickelodeon's version of an Academy Award), in a spoof of the show.
- Devon Werkheiser, has also hosted the premiere of the Nicktoon The X's with short segments before and after commercial breaks; entitled "Devon's Super Stoopid Secret Spy Guide", another parody of the show.
- Several episodes of the show have been released on VideoNow format. To date, "Guide to: Bathrooms and Project Partners", Guide to: Teachers and Detentions" and "Guide to: Seating and Tryouts" are available.
- To date, the show is only available on Region 4 DVD (Australia, on a 3-disc box set of season 1 with the pilot episode listed as an extra), however one episode "Guide to: Computer Lab and Backpacks" is available on the "Teenick Picks Vol. 1" DVD.
- However, all of Season 1, and all of Season 3 to date, are available to download off iTunes. Plans are being made to add Season 2 as well.
- A book based on the show featuring real tips, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide Book of Top Ten Lists, has been published by Scholastic Press.[2]
Trivia
- Ned and his friends remain in the seventh grade from seasons 1 to 2 and finally graduate to the eighth grade in season 3.
- In the episode "The Last Day", the students, faculty, and staff sing a parody of the song "We Go Together" from the musical Grease.
- In the episode "Making New Friends", Gordy's scar over his eye looks similar to Prince Zuko's from Avatar:The Last Airbender.
- The following kisses have been made in the series:
- In the episode "Fundraising," there were Ruffles, Fritos and Doritos in the vending machine.
- In the episode "Health," they show Moze's middle name, which is Ann, for the first time in the series.
- In the episode "Popularity," Cookie and Albert put their names in 7 and 8, which is where Moze and Suzie's names were. However, Missy starts freaking out when she reads the list because she is now ranked 73, althougth she was in 1.
- In the episode "Tests," Ned is seen with a Game Boy Advance SP.
- Ned is always wearing Converse Chuck Taylor's.
- The series finale is called "Field Trip" which will air at 8:00 PM on June 8, 2007 during Ned - Shred weekend with the tv movie starring Devon Werkhieser called "Shredderman Rules."
- The district high school is called "Michael S. Dukakis High School."
- In the episode "Woodshop", Mr. Chopsaw's saw which is named Christine is a reference to Steven King's Christine.
- In the beginning of the episode "Lunch", the character "one bite" has an english accent, but in the end where they find a solution to the current problem, One bite has a Chinese accent.
- In the episode "Lunch", the lunch lady says that Ned is going to kiss his true love at an upcoming dance, which occurs in the episode "double dates", when Ned kisses Moze.
Series directors
- Joe Menendez
(8 episodes)
(3 episodes)
(3 episodes)
- Jonathan Winfrey
(1 episode, 2006)
- Dan Coffie
(1 episode, 2006)
(1 episode, 2006) [3]
Series writers
(4 episodes,)
- Rick Groel
(4 episodes,)
- Lazar Saric
(4 episodes,)
- Eddie Guzelian
(3 episodes,)
- Frank Berin
(2 episodes,)
External links
