Dan Schneider’s “Game Shakers” Pays Homage to a Classic ‘90s TV Show
Nickelodeon’s “Game Shakers” certainly shook things up with the premiere of their September 16th episode! Called “The One with the Coffee Shop,” the special episode is loaded with themes and references to the classic ‘90s show “Friends!” Each “Game Shakers” cast member had a blast portraying each of the show’s six famous characters. They even included their own version of the song “Smelly Cat,” a song made famous by the character Phoebe on “Friends.”
Can you spot all the “Friends”-themed parodies in this episode? If you’re not familiar with all the hilarious homages, we have a short list of ways the Nickelodeon episode pays tribute to the classic ‘90s sitcom:
1. The Opening Credits
“Friends” is well-known for its opening credits of the cast dancing in a fountain to the song “I’ll Be There for You.” “Game Shakers” had a freakin’ awesome outro that parodied the classic credits to a t! It’s so refreshing (and funny) to see all our beloved cast members act like mini versions of the Friends cast. Can you guess which “Game Shakers” cast member is impersonating which “Friends” character?
2. The Coffee Shop
For the main setting of this episode, Dan Schneider and the producers helped recreate the famous Central Perk coffee shop from Friends. On “Game Shakers,” the coffee shop is called “I’ll Be There for Brew,” a clever reference to the “Friends” theme song! The set is covered in large coffee cups, huge couches, and a ton of characters similar to the ones seen on “Friends” like the coffee shop’s manager Gunther and even Chandler’s ex-girlfriend Janice who has an extremely….. shall we say….. recognizable laugh!
3. References Galore!
There are a ton of scripted lines and settings that pay homage to the classic “Friends” sitcom. Here are a few “Friends” themes and references you may have missed:
- Hudson gives a great big Joey-style “How you doin?”
- The wifi password at the cafe is “iHateRoss” which is a direct reference to the animosity Gunther has for Ross.
When Babe says “No one told me life was gonna be this way,” Hudson claps afterwards– another cute little reference to the “Friends” theme song.
Babe and Kenzie’s breakup alludes to a similar break up between Ross and Rachel on “Friends.”
Kenzie’s gets the notorious “Rachel” hairstyle.
Hudson sings some super weird Phoebe-like songs that are kinda dark (but also kinda funny)!
Bonus: Don’t forget to check out the After Party episode. In real life, the “Game Shakers” cast are great friends too. But just how well do they know each other?! They participate in a friendly trivia game to find out!
Can you spot all these “Friends” themes now?! Rewatch the episode and see how many you can count! We’re so excited that “Friends” has made its mark on the Schneiderverse!
“Game Shakers” is an American live-action sitcom, created by Dan Schneider, currently airing on Nickelodeon. The series stars Cree Cicchino and Madisyn Shipman as pre-teens that start a multimillion dollar gaming company and take on a rap superstar, played by Kel Mitchell, as their business partner. The series is produced by Dan Schneider, an American actor, TV and film actor, and producer.
From Comic-Con to Halloween: 3 Great Dan Schneider Nickelodeon Costumes
Attending Comic-Con is a great way to celebrate your favorite TV shows, characters and fandoms. As always, the amazing Comic-Con cosplayers came as creative and colorful versions of their favorite characters at this past July’s Comic-Con event in San Diego, CA.
This year, the Nickelodeon booth hosted panels featuring ‘90s Nick shows. Fans came out to show off their creative “Hey Arnold!” and “Rocco’s Modern Life” outfits — it was freakin’ awesome! Not only is Comic-Con super fun, but it’s also a great place to get inspired for Halloween this year.
If you wanna rock your Nickelodeon pride during trick-or-treat season, we’ve got some ideas straight from the Schneiderverse!
1. Dynamic Duos: Drake & Josh or Carly & Sam
There are a lot of dynamic duos featured on Dan Schneider’s Nickelodeon TV shows. “Drake & Josh” or Carly and Sam from “iCarly” are some great characters to dress up as with your best friend. Luckily, the costumes aren’t that hard to put together! To dress like Drake, trick-or-treaters can wear a casual t-shirt with a rock n’ roll graphic like a guitar. If you’re going as Josh, consider wearing a baggy t-shirt with stripes or flannel. If you really want to get into character, browse through Drake & Josh’s catchphrases!
As for Carly and Sam, try searching for fun and colorful items with bright graphics at your local thrift store! Or how about appearing in their matching mustache costume!?
Bonus Idea: You could even dress up as “Kenan & Kel” in matching GoodBurger outfits. Grab a blue striped shirt, an apron, and a fast food hat (which you can make out of paper). Better yet, you could dress up as Kel and carry a 2-liter bottle of his beloved Orange Soda!
2. A Dancing Lobster from the Amanda Show!
A myth is that lobsters can live forever, and we bet a dancing lobster costume from “The Amanda Show” would definitely live on in everyone’s memory. Putting together this mega-costume may be more challenging, but it’s a great activity for a rainy day. Throw on a red jumpsuit or make a lobster claw out of papier mache. Several stores also sell red lobster mittens and headband with lobster eyes. If you’re feeling really creative, craft your own costume out of felt! Check out directions for similar costume ideas online! It’ll be so much fun dancing through your neighborhood with a lobster claw and a bag of candy!
3. Be a Superhero for a Day!
Channel your inner superhero with Kid Danger and Captain Man costumes. If you’re too young to trick-or-treat by yourself, it’s a great idea to dress up with a parent. You can buy some awesome Kid Danger costumes online or check out this YouTube video on how to craft your own Kid Danger outfit! Either way, these costumes will inspire you to be the good guy for a day…and maybe even share some of your Halloween candy with your siblings.
Have any other Nickelodeon costume ideas for Halloween? We hope to see pictures of all your creative Halloween outfits!
Dan Schneider is an American actor, TV and film actor, and producer. Dan Schneider has devoted his life to behind-the-scenes production of hit shows on Nickelodeon including “All That,” “The Amanda Show,” “Kenan & Kel,” “Drake & Josh,” “Zoey 101,” “iCarly,” “Victorious,” “Sam & Cat,” “Henry Danger,” and “Game Shakers.”
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Schneider’s Bakery, Inc. is a television production company founded by Dan Schneider. Television shows produced under the Schneider’s Bakery banner are noted for using the same stable of writers on all series, something that is atypical for scripted television series and especially sitcoms that are created by the same writer; staff writers working for most of Schneider’s series include Andrew Hill Newman, George Doty IV and Jake Farrow among others.
Featured by Dan Schneider’s Team
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