Even Stevens

Let's face it the Disney Channel has never been a place for high quality TV that enlightens as well as entertains, the exception being "Avonlea". Still, the show "Even Stevens" is one of the best shows on the network. The family dynamics really make the show work. Whether, it's the antagonistic relationship of Ren and Louis or the nurturing one between Eileen and Ren. However, when the show shifts to the school things become a lot less realistic and harder to swallow. No principal would play favorites with his/her students! No cafeteria serves food that completely gross, and I'm only 19 so I do remember what cafeteria food looks like. Still, the home life makes the school life easier to take. The actors are wonderful and I wouldn't be surprised to see Shia LaBoeuf in the movies, actual movies not the Disney Channel ones, and becoming very famous.

Even Stevens, surprisingly only on the air for three years, was great entertainment for teenage audiences (and younger ones, too) for the simple fact that Shia La Beouf can really make you laugh.

The Stevens are your typical Disney-esquire family arrangement. Concerned mother, sometimes doofus father, stupid older son, brainy over achieving daughter, and the cooky youngest son, Louis (La Beouf). Over time, many members of the family receded from the spotlight as the plots eventually came to revolve more and more around the trials and tribulations of Ren, the older sister, and Louis. Often, their individual adventures and misadventures conflicted with one another. Somehow, Louis's wild, happy-go-lucky plans for fun and mischief often got in the way of Ren's quest for perfection and all the honest values her character consistently espouses. So often, they would butt heads, but in a way that ended in those moralistic endings with sister and brother getting along in the end.

But, really, despite a more dominant presence of Christy Romano, who played Ren, Shia La Beouf was the pure gem of the show, and probably the biggest catch for audiences, particularly among young girls who would love the goofy mischief of Louis and his equally goofy friend, Twitty (AJ Trauth). Beouf has a natural ability to really make you laugh, even though you're just watching a silly and albeit, corny, Disney television series for younger kids. Especially, during the shows when Louis and Twitty were trying to buy brand name shoes to fit in with the fleeting fashion tastes of their fellow classmates; when they formed the band and had a real superficial rock n' roll experience with the full rise and fall of success and friendship; when they made the student film; or when Twitty and Louis took over the janitor's closet to create their own authentic Mexican fiesta lounge. These kids really knew how to make you laugh, and the writers took advantage of that, by creating some bizarre and funny situations for the young actors.

Even Stevens is a funny show because it doesn't hang on to the tired obsessions that other young characters on television may do like Lizzy Macguire or the terrible range of sitcoms on the WB where it is all a high school drama over boyfriends and girlfriends. Even Stevens offered a lot more and was more of a show about camaraderie.

I suspect the show came to an end when it's young stars really got too old to play their respective parts, what with La Beouf and Trauth both approaching their late teens and Romano approaching her early twenties (and Donny, the eldest, approaching his forties, no less). But it was an innocent, funny show that I recommend younger audiences trying out. Unfortunately, Disney reruns the same ones over and over. But check it out. La Beouf won't disappoint you.

Even Stevens is hands down the best show on Disney. Actually it deserves better than Disney. A show like this should be on ABC during prime time or something. Disney will probably cancel it before long. The actors are great and they will probably all become huge stars in the future. Hopefully, Disney will keep this charmer around for a good long while.

Even Stevens is an exception for Disney shows. Most of the time Disney pops out shows that are too teeny bopper(Lizzie McGuire), too corny(The Jersey), too boring(The Proud Family), or too dumb(So Weird). So when I watched Even Stevens for the first time, I expected the worst. What I got was the exact opposite. I think Shia Labouef is a GREAT actor. He has wit, charm, and doesn't come off as if he's trying too hard to make you laugh. Christy Romano is a perfect example of the too perfect teen. I relate to her which even makes her never-ending quest to be too perfect not seem annoying. Plus she isn't a Britney Spears wannabe showing her midriff every chance she gets. Nick Spano is just there for girls to lust over(he is pretty hot), but when he gets a chance to act(not just lift weights without a shirt on, or prance around in a sports uniform) he amazes me. He is cute but not in an overwhelming boy band way, and he acts like a normal guy. He isn't too dumb(calling Ethan Craft from Lizzie McGuire) and isn't too jock. Donna Pescow is a GREAT actress. She pulls off the part of Mom without being too preachy or mushy or hard-core. Tom Virtue reminds me so much of my dad that it scares me. A. J. Trauth is a perfect accomplice to Shia Labouef, leveling out Shia's craziness with a dose of normal pre-teen. Teens and kids will like this show. Parents may be a little bored, but my mom laughs each time Coach Tugnutt says a line. This is the Disney channel charm, and, believe it or not, Disney actually made it.

Even Stevens is a show that you can really enjoy. Louis is really funny, and his best friends, Twitty and Tawny are lots of fun to watch. Ren is a perfectionist in a funny way. She has a calendar where she puts stickys about what she has planned, and on most occasions, it is jam packed!! Beans is funny because he is everywhere. He sneaks into the Stevens house very easily. Tom is a geek and he always is prim, proper, and beside his mother, Doris. Once in a while, Tawny and Louis go out, and they are as perfect a couple as Lizzie and Gordo on Lizzie McGuire!!!!!! The parents are most of the time entertaining!!