November 28, 2009 (2009-11-28) – July 25, 2013 (2013-07-25)
Big Time Rush is an American musical sitcom television series created by Scott Fellows that originally aired on Nickelodeon from November 28, 2009, to July 25, 2013, featuring the band Big Time Rush portrayed as a fictional version of themselves, similar to The Monkees.
It focuses on the Hollywood misadventures of four hockey players from Duluth, Minnesota, Kendall Knight, James Diamond, Carlos Garcia, and Logan Mitchell, after they are selected to form a boy band by fictional mega music producer Gustavo Rocque.
History
The series premiered with an hour-long pilot episode, "Big Time Audition", on Nickelodeon, on November 28, 2009. Its official debut episode premiered on January 18, 2010. The show's second season premiered on September 25, 2010. On May 24, 2011, Big Time Rush was renewed for a third season with production scheduled to begin in January 2012.[1] Season three premiered on May 12, 2012.[2]Big Time Movie, a film adaptation of the series, premiered on March 10, 2012. On August 6, 2012, Nickelodeon renewed Big Time Rush for a 13-episode fourth season. Production began on January 7, 2013. The fourth season premiered on May 2, 2013, and aired its series finale "Big Time Dreams" on July 25, 2013.
In late 2011, Nickelodeon announced that a television film based on the television series was going to premiere. However, a promo did not air until February 2012. The movie premiered on Nickelodeon on March 10, 2012, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Throughout the whole weekend, the movie drew 13.1 million viewers.[3]
Production
The series was conceived and created by Scott Fellows, formerly the creator, executive producer, and showrunner of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.[4] Fellows says his inspiration for the show was the musical comedy show, The Monkees[5]—a popular and culturally significant American television series from the 1960s about a group of four young male adults who form a rock band, and perform songs while having comedic adventures.[6] Although the show had a concept as early as 2007, the series had no actual title as late as August 2009.[7]
Nickelodeon partnered with Columbia/Epic Label Group to produce the show, which incorporates original music into the series.[8]Big Time Rush is one of the three Nickelodeon shows (the others are iCarly and Victorious) on which the cable network is partnering with the music group to promote music as well as shows.[7] The Los Angeles Times has been critical of the show's focus on music, noting:
There is a marketing angle, to be sure, the same crossing of the revenue streams that powers. "Big Time Rush," was developed with Sony Music specifically to move units.[4]
The show incorporates wacky sound effects, some laugh-like noises, music, and editing cuts designed to make it more humorous to the intended demographic of viewers aged 10 to 18; this was also typical of creator Scott Fellows' previous work on Nickelodeon. However, the show does not have a laugh track.[4]
Casting
A nationwide[7] casting effort began in 2007.[9][10] More than 1,500 teens and young adults auditioned for the four roles.[11]James Maslow and Logan Henderson were the easiest and first actors cast. Kendall Schmidt was the last actor cast, and the most difficult role to cast.[11] The role of Kendall Knight was originally to go to Curt Hansen, who later played Dak Zevon on the show, but when he appeared a lot older than the others and sounded too much like James in the pickup pilot, the producers auditioned and cast Schmidt after a recommendation by Logan Henderson, who was also friends with the actor before casting. Filming of the series began in August 2009.[11] Actor Carlos Pena Jr. previously worked with Scott Fellows on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.[9] As he had just entered the Boston Conservatory to study musical theatre, Pena was reluctant to audition but sent in a tape at the encouragement of his manager.[12]Executive producerScott Fellows was inspired to write each character by the personality of the actor playing him.[13]
Locations
The series was filmed in Studio 27, Paramount Pictures in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.[14] The series premiere's one-hour special took place in the suburbs of Los Angeles and a small town in Minnesota.[15]
Reception
Audience reception
A one-hour special preview (which serves as the series pilot and first episode) debuted on Nickelodeon on November 28, 2009, drawing an audience of 3.6 million viewers. The series' official premiere on January 18, 2010 (which followed the premiere of the iCarly special "iSaved Your Life"), was watched by a total of 6.8 million total viewers, Nickelodeon's highest-rated live-action series debut.[16]
Critical reception
The show received positive reviews from audiences and mixed reviews from critics.[17]
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette stated the show was "Nick's attempt at building a Jonas Brothers-style pop band. It's Nick's answer to Disney Channel's 'JONAS,' albeit slightly less organic since 'Rush' doesn't feature siblings."[18] The Hartford Courant stated the series a "not so good" show "with their thin pop and unfunny comedies".[19] The Boston Globe stated the show as "one example in a growing list of kid shows selling showbiz fantasies to children. The genre is stronger than ever now and more fixated on the perks of the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle ... wish fulfillment at a time when tabloid dreams are ubiquitous."[9]DVD Talk had the following review of the Big Time Rush: Season 1, Volume 1 DVD. "It would be hard to craft a description engineered to be less interesting to me, and yet, as I plowed through this collection from the series' beginnings, I frequently found myself amended and entertained. Say what you will about Nickelodeon's teen programming, but they've got the art of making a solid sitcom down to a science."[20]
It was shown as a preview in Australia and New Zealand on April 10, 2010, and premiered on May 15, 2010.[48] It was previewed on April 16, 2010, and premiered on May 31, 2010, in Southeast Asia. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it was previewed on May 27, 2010, and premiered on June 21, 2010. In Canada, it was previewed on August 6, 2010, and premiered on September 6, 2010.[49]
Season 2
It premiered in January 2011 in Australia and New Zealand and in February 2011 in the UK and Ireland. It was announced by Nickelodeon in October 2011 that Big Time Rush would go free-to-air on CITV in the UK.
Season 3
The third season premiered in November 2012 in Australia and New Zealand and in December 2012 in the UK and Ireland.
Season 4
It premiered in August 2013 in Canada and late 2013 in the UK and Ireland.
^Martin, Denise. "Child's Play." Los Angeles Times. November 22, 2009.
^Baker, Glenn A. Monkeemania: The Story of the Monkees. Rev. ed. Medford, N.J.: Plexus Publishing, 2000. ISBN0-85965-292-0; Lefcowitz, Eric. The Monkees Tale. Rev. ed. San Francisco, Calif.: Last Gasp, 1989. ISBN0-86719-378-6; Sandoval, Andrew. The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the '60s TV Pop Sensation. Charlotte, N.C.: Thunder Bay Press. ISBN1-59223-372-4
^ abcWeisman, Jon. "Nick, Sony Will Duet on Laffers." Daily Variety. August 26, 2009.
