Sam & Cat

Sam & Cat is a bit of a disappointment. It looks like every other show running on Nick right now and that's not very good. The Cat character isn't as funny as she was on Victorious and Jenny is just as dour. Together the two don't make for great comedy. The humor seems skewed for 5-8 year olds who have never read a book in their lives and don't want to. There are no original characters and no original jokes. Which doesn't mean it won't do well. It just doesn't have anything of value. The best thing that could happen to this show is lots of visits from the other cast members of iCarly and Victorious. Maybe that would spark the brains of the writers back into writing comedy. This looks like something slapped together to look like every other show on Nick. Ooops, I guess I'm repeating myself but the show looks like a repeat so it's only fitting. Seriously, how could Cat be so funny on Victorious and so boring on this show? Maybe it has to do with the fact that on Victorious the other characters were intelligent and so her "dumb," "literal" humor worked. Here it just fits in with everyone else and isn't funny at all.

Just rides on the coattails of iCarly and Victorious. Cat's voice and character is dialed up to an 11 and not in a good way. Extremely average show that can be entertaining at times. No substance whatsoever.

Imagine that when "Laverne and Shirley" moved to Los Angeles they had opened up a babysitting service in their apartment complex and you have "Sam and Cat". This is one of those pre-sold spin off shows, trying to fuse characters from Nichelodeon classics "iCarly" and "Victorious". In this case Sam Puckett from "iCarly" (Jennette McCurdy) and Cat Valentine from "Victorious" (Ariana Grande).

"Laverne and Shirley" was able to develop some entertaining supporting characters, something "Sam and Cat" is still working on. The two little British girls have considerable potential but no one else in the supporting cast has registered a pulse.

It seems like a great idea because Sam and Cat (like their 1950's Milwaukee counterparts) are a study in contrasts. Sam (Laverne) is extreme and abrasive in a loud and physical way. Cat (Shirley) is gentle and cerebral (well Cat is more a gentle and innocent airhead than a cerebral one). This character dichotomy is appealing to viewers, who respond positively to the way the two girls complement and complete each other.

"Sam and Cat" had a chance to go one better on the dynamic because Ariana Grande has the best face on television or at least this side of Kelly Berglund. Which cries out for a production technique of wide shots of Sam's physical comedy in juxtaposition with close-ups of Cat. This technique would not only play to McCarty's strengths but would cement a huge bond between the audience and Cat. Grande is a naturally gifted actress who should be able to subtly sell her character's intense vulnerability in these tight shots. Thus the production technique would consistently echo the character contrasts that are the basis of the show.

Unfortunately this is a cheap and unimaginative production, filmed almost entirely in wide master shots. I can't think of a more extreme example in that regard since the old black & white Republic serials. This is the cheapest possible production method and the easiest and fastest way to crank out a lot of sterile running time. Just watch an episode and note the almost total absence of close-ups, it is glaring because virtually every line Grande delivers and every reaction she has to McCarty's antics would work better with the camera tighter on her. But this show is just beginning so I am hopeful the producers will recognize what is being lost by this cut-rate production method and will replace the current production company with one that has a clue.

Sam and Cat is exactly what the title says - two characters from two of Dan Schneider's previous shows put together in one environment and left to have fun together. The two characters haven't changed significantly since their previous appearances on iCarly and Victorious, respectively. There are a few laughs scattered throughout the premiere, but even the laugh track seems aware of how frail the comedy is. Any longtime fan of Schneider's brand of humor will be satisfied by seeing gutsy Sam and ditzy Cat interacting with each other and other folks, but genuine gut- busting comedy of the kind that was more common on iCarly is nowhere to be found. It seems Schneider is simply going through the motions rather than trying to create something original and memorable, but as of the time of this review's writing, only one episode has debuted so far. Thus, it remains to be seen whether or not Sam and Cat can rise above mediocrity and come close to matching iCarly in influence and enjoyment.

I have not seen someone this funny (especially a young adult) in a very long time. I tuned in less than a month ago to see what Jennette McCurdy was up to and Ariana Grande's character totally shocked me. I had no idea what she was doing. At first I thought she was mentally-challenged then I read her say that she was playing dumb. She would stare into space and hesitate and wave her arms in the air and talk with an inflection that reminded me so much of Emo Phillips, the comedian (I could never understand him and I could not tolerate his inflection) or even Pee-Wee Herman to an extent. Ariana is so unique for her age and she's quick and an extremely good actor and comic. She is going to be huge at whatever she puts her mind to. (She is a better actor than any of the "Friends" actors were during their first two seasons.) I would give this series a "10" but I think the writing and themes can be poor. Producer Dan Schneider has a pretty warped sense of humor. Some of the stories and lines give bad examples to kids, imo: Sam and Cat are very materialistic, Sam's character basically hates people (eg. that part shocked me), and some of the other older characters seem very shallow. Plus, these characters do not need to be making butt jokes. (It's totally inappropriate for young kids.) But some of the stories, lines and sight gags are extremely funny! The acting and laughs sold me after the 3rd episode that I watched. This series had "success" written all over it due to Jennette and Ariana. (I would have replaced the writers if the series went on to a second season. I'm an adult male and I'll watch some of these adolescent shows for a change of pace just to see what they're up to. Lord knows Hollywood has been striking out with adult TV sitcoms and reality shows.) I can't believe that they couldn't bring Jennette and Ariana back together for more Sam and Cat!