6Teen

I find that I have little patience for most teen programming. The writing and performances on Disney Channel 'sit-coms' are so excruciating that without the laugh track one might forget that they are supposed to be funny. Yet, 6teen is consistently funny without resorting to cheap sight gags and pratfalls all of the time by being cleverly observant of teen life with its insecurities and hangups. The characters are well individualized, if oddly mismatched, and the dynamic between each of them is explored and evolves as the show goes on and the characters pass through the usual teen rites of passage, such as dating and breaking up, getting a job and getting fired etc... Shallow, fashion-obsessed Caitlin wants to fit in, and clicks quickly with athletic and driven Jen, but dark non-conformist Nikki isn't looking for an 'insta-friend'. And sensitive Wyatt finds himself an odd man out among chauvinistic Jonesy and slacker Jude. Yet, the six teens are closer to one another than to anybody else in their lives and they wind up supporting and lending strength to each other as they dust themselves off after every new misadventure.

The character animation and action direction are very simplistic. Heads rarely move in a shot, just mouths, and if one figure is moving the rest are static. Fortunately the show is driven primarily by its character interactions anyway and it thrives on its writing rather than action.

I love this show! I didn't start watching it until last year (2006), but my kids and I love to catch it when it's on. It isn't meant for young audiences, that's true, hence the title '6TEEN'. One of the fun elements of the show is that it's Canadian, which is a nice change, and the different personalities of the characters is a good mix. The teens in this show are pretty close friends, guys and girls, which didn't happen when I was in high school. The dating thing always got in the way. I think the way some of the teen girls talk they've hit right on the money, though. I've stood behind girls like that in the mall and it sounds exact. Overall, this show is a good, fun way to spend a half hour of your day.

This show kinda reminds me of Corn & Peg, because it has beautiful animation, voice actors (Stacey Depass as Nikki), great plots, and uses the same software Toon Boom Harmony. half of the animators and crewwho worked on this show also worked on Corn & Peg, like Kerry Sargent, Dinah Wilson, Mike Csunyoscka, Jamie Galloro, the late Mike Northcott and many more. it also reminded me as a teenager growing up. one of my favorite characters is Jonesy because he always gets fired from a new job every episode. and Caitlin because she works at The Big Squeeze or the lemon. some of my favorites moments include, Jude playing SImu-Mall. Jonesy working as Pokey The Panda. and THe man-off challenge.

I like the fact that this cartoon goes places other cartoons usually don't. Multiple story lines, a little "mature" humor. It's a refreshing break from the rather dull cartoons you'll see on American television. Also, the appealing character designs and personalities make me actually "care" about what happens to the characters. I don't really care what happens to somebody like "Johnny Test" for example. Another thing I like is that this show pushes the limits. Too many cartoons these days are afraid to show anything remotely offensive, but 6teen has implied cursing, pixelated nudity, and, well--you just have to watch. I've noticed Canadian television programs always seem to go farther than their American counterparts in that sense. You can also notice a slight Canadian accent in the characters when they pronounce words like "out".

This was one of those shows that I was less enthusiastic about watching. I have two little siblings and they both convinced me to watch it and I was like "What the heck, it can't kill me, right?" Well, it definitely exceeded my expectations. It's witty, smart, and definitely something new. One of the best shows on Canadian television since the awesomely awesome Degrassi. I watch it everyday at 7 P.M and I'll never get bored. These teens are people that most 16 year olds could certainly relate to, they have good lessons, with a funny twist. Jude by far is my favourite character, he's laid back and just doesn't care what the the world thinks.

Two thumbs WAAAAAAAAAAY up for a pleasant surprise.

10/10