Drake & Josh
Drake & Josh is an American sitcom created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. The series follows stepbrothers Drake Parker and Josh Nichols as they live together despite having opposite personalities. The series also stars Nancy Sullivan, Jonathan Goldstein, and Miranda Cosgrove.
After actors Bell and Peck previously appeared in The Amanda Show, Schneider decided to create Drake & Josh with them in starring roles. The series ran from January 11, 2004, to September 16, 2007, totaling 57 episodes and 4 seasons. It also had two TV films: Drake & Josh Go Hollywood, and Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh. The series' opening theme song, "I Found a Way", is written by Drake Bell and Backhouse Mike and performed by Bell.
Plot
The series revolves around two stepbrothers, Drake Parker and Josh Nichols, who live in San Diego, California with Drake's biological mother and younger sister Megan; and Josh's biological father. Drake is a popular musician idolized by his schoolmates. Josh is a well-read student, but is clumsy and has trouble with his social life and dating. The two boys are often involved in comedic escapades and challenges while also handling an array of teenage problems.Cast
Main
- Drake Bell as Drake Parker
- Josh Peck as Josh Nichols
- Nancy Sullivan as Audrey Parker-Nichols
- Jonathan Goldstein as Walter Nichols
- Miranda Cosgrove as Megan Parker
Recurring
- Alec Medlock as Craig Ramirez
- Scott Halberstadt as Eric Blonowitz
- Allison Scagliotti as Mindy Crenshaw
- Yvette Nicole Brown as Helen Dubois
- Jerry Trainor as Crazy Steve
- Jake Farrow as Gavin Mitchell
- Julia Duffy as Mrs. Hayfer
Episodes
Production
and Josh Peck had previously acted together on The Amanda Show, created by Dan Schneider. Bell and Peck had differing personalities, which inspired Schneider to create a new show starring them as characters with traits similar to their own. An unaired pilot episode featured Stephen Furst as Walter Nichols, although he was busy with another project when Drake & Josh was picked up as a series, and Jonathan Goldstein was cast in the role instead. A house in Los Angeles' Encino neighborhood was used for exterior shots of the family's home, while interior scenes were shot on a sound stage at the Nickelodeon on Sunset studios in Hollywood. As of January 2005, Tribune Studios in Hollywood was also used as a filming location.Production was put on hold in late December 2005, after Bell was injured in a car crash. Bell had filmed three episodes of the fourth season prior to the accident. Filming resumed in March 2006. The following month, Nickelodeon greenlit an additional seven episodes for the fourth season, and Bell and Peck also signed on to direct several episodes. With the extended season, filming was now expected to continue through July 2006. According to Schneider, the show ended due to a collective decision from the creative forces behind the show.
The profession of the family's mother and her name are never revealed on the show, although Schneider had written dialogue into the series finale that would have revealed her name as Audrey and her profession as a catering business. The scene was filmed, but Schneider ultimately chose to remove it during editing. Schneider said, "On the one hand, I thought it was funny to finally reveal it, so casually, in the very last episode – there was something ironic about that. But then I decided that, because fans always seemed to have fun trying to figure it out, it would be better to 'keep the bit going' for eternity, by never revealing it in any episode."
Release
Broadcast
Drake & Josh aired on Nickelodeon and premiered in the United States on January 11, 2004. The final episode aired on September 16, 2007.Home media
Reception and legacy
The series premiere was watched by 3.2 million viewers, Nickelodeon's highest-rated series premiere in nearly 10 years. As of 2006, Drake & Josh ranked consistently among the 10 most-watched cable shows of the week, and was the top-rated live-action series among children aged 2 to 11 years old. It averaged three million viewers at the time. It proved to be popular with younger viewers. According to Schneider, Drake & Josh had its highest ratings in its final season.Awards and nominations
Films
The series received two television films. Drake & Josh Go Hollywood premiered on January 6, 2006. In the film, Drake and Josh are left at home in San Diego after their parents go on a ten-day cruise. The boys are told to take Megan to the airport so she can visit her friend in Denver, but they accidentally send her on a flight to Los Angeles. Drake and Josh go to Hollywood to get Megan back, but end up stopping a multibillion-dollar heist and booking a guest-spot for Drake on TRL. According to TV Guide, it was the highest rated program on all of cable during its opening week.Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh premiered on December 5, 2008. Michael Grossman directed the film, and Schneider returned as executive producer. In the film, Drake and Josh try to give a foster family "the best Christmas ever". The premiere of Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh broke the record of most viewers for the premiere of a Nickelodeon film with 9.10 million viewers, a title previously held by iGo to Japan.
Other media
Music
| Name | Notes |
| "I Found a Way" | The opening theme song of the TV series by Drake Bell. Music video directed by Joey Boukadakis. |
| Drake & Josh | The Drake & Josh soundtrack from the TV series. |
| "Makes Me Happy" | From the episode by Drake Bell. |
| "Jingle Bells" | From the TV film Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh by Drake Bell. |
| "Christmas Wrapping" | From the TV film Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh by Miranda Cosgrove. |
Video games
Two video games based on Drake & Josh have been released on the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. Both of them were published by THQ and released in 2007.| Game | Publisher | Platform | North American release date |
| Drake & Josh | THQ | Game Boy Advance | March 15, 2007 |
| THQ | Nintendo DS | July 30, 2007 |
Books
A book series based on Drake & Josh has been published by children's publisher Scholastic since 2006. The books are written by author Laurie McElroy.| Book | Author | Info |
| "Blues Brothers" | Laurie McElroy | Based on the episodes "Blues Brothers" and "Number 1 Fan" |
| "Sibling Revelry" | Laurie McElroy | Based on the episodes "The Bet" and "Peruvian Puff Pepper" |
| "Drake & Josh Go Hollywood" | Laurie McElroy | Based on the TV film Drake & Josh Go Hollywood |
| "Kid Trouble" | Laurie McElroy | Based on the episodes "Megan's New Teacher" and "Little Sibling" |
| "Alien Invasion" | Laurie McElroy | Based on the episodes "Alien Invasion" and "The Demonator" |
| "Surprise!" | Laurie McElroy | Based on the episodes "Josh Runs into Oprah" and "Vicious Tiberius" |
| "Josh Is Done" | Laurie McElroy | Based on the episodes "Josh Is Done" and "I Love Sushi" |