The Amanda Show (Nickelodeon)

common sense media says

Variety show cast claws for cheap laughs.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this show is mired in violent cartoon humor, questionable social behavior (including stereotypes), and strange gross-out punchlines that dilute the appeal of star Amanda Bynes. Kids will find this show very stimulating, though whether they're agitated or amused after watching it is something to observe.

Positive messages: Some racial stereotypes. Disrespect of elders and making fun of people with accents is also disconcerting. Amanda's behavior is not exemplary.
Violence & scariness: Cartoon violence is extreme. People are hit in the head with anything available (computers, chairs, baseballs etc.). Some extreme anger and lots of yelling can be scary for younger viewers.
Sexy stuff: Some skits refer to nudity without sexual context.
Language: Words like "butt" and "pee" are commonly used. Using these words for gross-out effects, or to offend other cast-members, is also common.
Consumerism: Lots of pizza consumption and emphasis on nice clothes, but nothing too pointed.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: There is a "stoner" character, who might be that way naturally, but it's not to tough to figure out why he acts stoned all the time.

More on The Amanda Show

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

Families can talk about the difference between being funny and being crude. Can a joke be successful without disrespecting the participants? Does hitting someone in the head with a computer console make for good laughs? How does it feel when someone makes fun of another person's accent or cultural background?

What's the story?

What's the story?

Amanda Bynes (who also stars in What I Like About You) headlines her own comedy variety show composed of skits like "Judge Trudy," a skewering caricature of the infamously sharp Judge Judy of daytime TV; "Moody's Point," a parody of teen dramas like Dawson's Creek; and various commercial spoofs.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Violence has a deeply rooted history in slapstick comedy -- The Three Stooges made it into an art form back in the 1940s. But for young viewers, violence like that found in THE AMANDA SHOW is disturbing precisely because it is the point of the skit, rather than a side note. This is certainly not a show to relax with, as it is so chaotic and loud that the effect is unsettling.

Some questions that are raised here have to do with desperation and parody. There is a sense in the show that nothing is sacred and nobody is safe from being ridiculed or being subjected to play violence. For adults this may be appropriate, but for young audiences, it's hard to know what is acceptable and what is off-color. What will people do for a laugh? What do we gain or lose when people are made fun of or hurt for laughter's sake? Is extreme anger funny or scary? How does it feel to watch family members yell and scream, even when it is supposed to be funny? The Amanda Show treats these issues as non-issues, which is exactly why parents should take the time to view this show with their kids.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: TV-Y7
Network: Nickelodeon
Cast: Adam Brody, Amanda Bynes, Drake Bell, Raquel Lee
Genre: Variety Show
Where to watch: Nickelodeon

This review was written by Joly Herman
 
 

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What parents & educators say

9

Most useful reviews by all members

animefreak00
kid, 11 years old
 
a better version of Icarly
this is basicly Icarly,but MUCH BETTER!why did u rate this 2 stars and rate Icarly 3 stars?The Amanda Show is soooooooo much better


kid, 12 years old
 
what is this? not apppropriate until they're 13 years old, holy crud! what the h***? this is appropriate like 6 year olds. why TV-O13 on and TV-Y8 iffy to be on TV-Y7 off???????? duhhhh should be TV-G do anyone know what a TV-G is?????? not for kids under 0! think would be off for take away 1+ iffy for 0+, on for 1+ suggested as 2.


teen, 14 years old
 
what is this? not apppropriate until they're 13 years old, holy crud! what the h***? this is appropriate like 6 year olds. why TV-O13 on and TV-Y8 iffy to be on TV-Y7 off???????? duhhhh should be TV-G do anyone know what a TV-G is?????? not for kids under 0! think would be off for take away 1+ iffy for 0+, on for 1+ suggested as 2.


kid, 11 years old
 
what is this? not apppropriate until they're 13 years old, holy crud! what the h***? this is appropriate like 6 year olds. why TV-O13 on and TV-Y8 iffy to be on TV-Y7 off???????? duhhhh should be TV-G do anyone know what a TV-G is?????? not for kids under 0! think would be off for take away 1+ iffy for 0+, on for 1+ suggested as 2.

SilverSnake
teen, 15 years old
 
Laugh. Out. Loud. Funny.
This is one of my favorite shows, its no big deal. Its funny and intertaning, they are nice to eachother, and when they ain't its obviously just for laughs, they're never serious, which gives us a break from the real world :) It was one of my favorite shows sinse I was little, and it makes me mad that they take these good shows off without an explenation. It was awesome!

ibarncat
teen, 17 years old
 
You overblow WAY too much....
While maybe not quite as good as its predeccsors, All That and You Can't Do That On Television, The Amanda Show is a pretty funny take on Nick's now long-gone appreciation of sketch comedy. Many of its skits are really funny, and some of them are parodies of things that exist in real life, such as So You Wanna Win Five Dollars, that skit where six people were stuck in a car, The Girls' Room, and the much-remembered Judge Trudy. But the two funniest parts of the show are Totally Kyle, where this popular but clueless teenager played by Drake Bell tells of regular events in his life in a way that is excessively stretched out so that it is highly funny, and Penelope Taint, the girl who was such a fan of Amanda that she made her own Amanda website and makes an attempt in every episode to meet Amanda, even if it means doing something risky, such as stealing one of the letters of the show's sign. And these plans never succeed but almost do, which makes them even funnier. And she also used the word please so much that she said it at times that contextually made no sense. Essentially, those of us who grew up on it should still find it generally funny, and parents should not be afraid to let today's kids occasionally watch it on TeenNick, because let's be honest: there is nothing that people take less seriously than a sketch comedy.

BFF GIRL THATS ...
teen, 14 years old
 
a somewhat vilont comedy that kids and tweens will find amusing.
I love this show and yes it is very funny! but there is lots of vilonce such as: yelling, and hitting people on the head with baseball bats, computors ECT. And there is some bad messages that this show sends out to younger kids. The message is that it is OK to make fun of people even the elderly. Older viewers will understand that it is wrong and that it is just for laughs but younger viewers might try to copy what there doing. I wouldent recomend this to kids 7 and under.

Sanjay407
kid, 13 years old
 
Read
Change Rated TV-14: Lots of Slapstick Humor, Racial Mentions, References of Nudity, and Average Playground Talk

trickster123
kid, 12 years old
 
iffy for 12?! where's the ankle bracelet common sense?
FUNNIEST SHOW EVER! ON FOR 5 IFFY FOR 4 OFF FOR 2.

cheesed12
parent of and 12 , 14 , 16 year old
 
It should have been rated TV-PG-DLV and it should on TEENick and Nick at Nite instead of Nicktoons!

satgate
kid, 13 years old
 
e.g. Perfect for tweens
A little slapstick that might give younger kids the wrong idea but other than that a very funny show.

Kidvideos
kid, 9 years old
 

fredder
kid, 10 years old
 
read
The show is geared toward older kids. The show's funny, but if you are a cretin type of religion, the show is not for you.I would tell you , but i don't know how to spell it.bye .

hulkvswolverine
kid, 13 years old
 
great show
great show that kids will like but may be too violent for younger kids

coconutcat
teen, 14 years old
 
SO FUNNY!
This show is one you will want to watch over and over!it stars Amanda bynes,drake bell and josh peck.it is just a lot of random skits that are so fun to watch.the violence in here is very mild such as hanging from a ceiling fan,getting hit in the with a pink toilet,jumping out of window, and stuff like that.and i don't know why nickelodeon doesn't show it any more,it is so funny that you will fall off the couch!ages 8 to 79!

ryan skopec
teen, 14 years old
 
This site is wrong!
wtf?? Violence? Sexual content? This show is a kids show! There is 100% NO sexual content in this! And the isnt any heavy violence! Why is this website called commonsense?

Meow314159
teen, 15 years old
 
This used to be my FAVORITE SHOW
I miss it so much!!!! This was my favorite show and I would watch it every single time it came out. Amanda was so funny and this show was like the appropriate version of SNL!! Please bring it back!

Totally500
teen, 15 years old
 
The amanda show is a funny show
This is a funny show with tons of laughter and fun

kimtalks
kid, 12 years old
 
What do you mean by 12+?
iI have been watching this show since I was 3 I didn't see anything bad about it it's funny!I wonder why they took it off the air then put it back on the N on Sunday morning at 8:00 and 8:30.I cant believe that you think this is 12+ I think it should be 7+

 
I like it but it can be offending
I love this show it is so funny! But it can be offending to some people, its basically a copy of "All That" and "Madtv". It can be offending to a lot of people because it does have all these steryotypes. I think the Hillbilly moments are funny but it is a little bit offending to me because I live in S. Carolina and i am a redneck. But over all its a very funny show.

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
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