Wake up the members ofiCarlynation and let them know it looks like we’ve reached the end of the road. Paramount+has canceled the revivalof the iconic sitcom. The original series spanned six seasons and nearly 100 episodes during its original 2007 to 2012 run on Nickelodeon. We first revisited the Shay apartment when the show returned in 2021. The now-adultiCarlyseemed to be a hit with audiences all over again, and a second and third season followed in 2022 and 2023. Now, despite fan anticipation at an all-time high due to Carly and Freddie finally becoming a couple and the teasedreveal of Carly’s mom, Paramount+ has decided not to order a fourth season.
It’s likely that we’ll never know the true reason for the cancelation. It could be due to the dual Hollywood strikes, with platforms looking to cut costs. There doesn’t seem to be any behind-the-scenes drama, unlike the original series. Or perhaps the executives just thought it was time to move on. In any case, the internet did its thing, and a #SaveiCarly campaign was mounted immediately after the cancelation news broke. We’ve seen several successful fan campaigns thanks to the prevalence of social media, so couldiCarlyjoin the club? Let’s look at where the series could land if the fans' wish for a fourth season is ultimately granted.
One of the leading contenders to giveiCarlya second (or rather third)home is Netflix. Though it’s not under the Paramount corporate umbrella, the world’s leading streamer has experience saving canceled shows. Netflix delivered the final season ofManifestearlier this year, bringing closure after NBC axed the plane drama on a cliffhanger. They also famously rescued the massive hitYouin its second season when the original network Lifetime let the Joe Goldberg drama go.Arrested Development,Black Mirror, Cobra Kai,and evenCocomelonall gained new lives thanks to Netflix.
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Animated movies based on Nickelodeon’sThe Loud House, Rocko’s Modern Life,andInvader Zimdebuted as Netflix originals, so there’s some friendly synergy there. The final three seasons of the originaliCarlyare also streaming on the platform. Maybe they step in to finally give closure to Carly Shay’s story. If not a fourth season, perhaps we’ll get an original movie to wrap everything up. However, Netflix has its own shady reputation when it comes to ending shows prematurely. So, any new season should preemptively be announced as the final to avoid another cliffhanger.
Nickelodeon
What if we saw Carly, Freddie, and Spencer return to the first place they called home? During the late 2000s and early 2010s,iCarlywas Nickelodeon’s flagship live-action show. Episodes regularly saw 5 to 6 million viewers, more than even the mightySpongeBobscored back then. Nickelodeon aired two episodes of the revival on their linear network but otherwise has not yet brought the show over.
It’s no secret that the newiCarlyisa little more “mature” than the original. Primarily because they discuss topics that actual 20-somethings would. If Nickelodeon did resurrect its one-time hit, it would likely be confined to the late-night hours of Nick-at-Nite. Nick-at-Nite has no current original programming and hasn’t had any since the Tia Mowry-ledInstant Momended in 2015. The schedule primarily consists of an endless barrage ofFriendsreruns dominating the entire night. No hate to Rachel, Ross, and the gang, but some newiCarlybreaking up the night might do everyone some good.
Nickelodeon has revived several memorable properties in the last few years, withAll That, Rugrats, Double Dare,andAre You Afraid of the Dark?as just a few examples. Everyone knows cable TV is dying a slow death, but havingiCarlyon the channel once again could keep the lights on at Nickelodeon for a little while longer.
Paramount+
Wait, didn’t Paramount+ just canceliCarly? Why would they want it back? Admittedly, networks and streamer’s undoing cancelations of their own property is rare. But maybe if the fan campaign is powerful enough, Paramount+ would relent. WilliCarlyfind a renewal somewhere? In all likelihood, any return on Paramount+, or any other streamer, would be in the form of a movie or a very limited number of episodes. Think just enough to give the fans closure without opening any new storylines. We’ve seen this play out with recent hits,like Netflix’sWarrior Nun. The fan response to that cancelation was so strong that a trilogy of films was ordered without Netflix’s involvement.
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Paramount+ has also mined ended Nickelodeon properties for new films. Though not the same situation,Zoey 101returned earlier this year with the aptly-named filmZoey 102.Superhero comediesThe ThundermansandHenry Dangerare set to receive films of their own in the next few years. If Paramount+ can givethe movie treatmentto shows that ended with proper finales, why couldn’t they do it for their biggest hit that did not get closure? We’ll have to see how they respond to the #SaveiCarly movement, which is already dominating most of their social media posts.
