Wake up the members of my nation. Another season of the revived iCarly is in the books. And, oh boy, did that season leave us with a lot to think about.
The original iCarly ran for an impressive six seasons on Nickelodeon from 2007 to 2012. At that time, it became the network's highest-rated and flagship live-action series. It's no surprise that iCarly was one of the top contenders for a revival when Paramount+ launched in 2021. The relaunched show follows Carly, Freddie, and Spencer in their adult years and has been met with similar rave reviews.
While the first two seasons combined new storylines with a healthy dose of nostalgia, season 3 felt like it was tailor-made for the OG fans. Of course, we're talking about the season-long arc of Carly and Freddie finally becoming a couple. Diehard "Creddie" stans have been waiting for this moment for over 15 years, and it's finally here. With season 3 wrapped, all we have to do is wait for the next season, right? Right? Well, as of this writing, iCarly has not yet been renewed for a fourth season. Will it, and what could we see if it is? Let's look.
The Revival As a Whole
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
When iCarly returned in 2021, it was clear that it was no ordinary revival. Typically, reboots and sequels aim for the same audience that originally watched. Kid's shows have a more difficult task. If they're revived years down the line, their target audience will have aged up and out of the demographic. They may try to shift focus to new main characters or the children of the original cast, such as with Disney's Raven's Home. However, audiences want the characters they grew up with and typically didn't gel when they've been replaced.
iCarly found a workaround. We follow the same original characters (save for Jennette McCurdy's Sam), but they're no longer kids. Instead, we see Carly, Freddie, and the rest tackling issues that young adults in their late 20s deal with. This feels like a natural progression for the show like the cast has grown along with the original fans.
This brings us to season 3, arguably the most "fan-servicey" season yet (but in a good way). After some hints in the second season finale, Carly and Freddie finally admit to their mutual feelings and become a couple. Throughout the season, we see Carly and Freddie grow in their relationship, work through their insecurities, and ultimately come out stronger together. It's not forced and feels like a natural progression for people with 15 years of complicated romantic history.
Will There Be a Season 4?
This brings us to the burning question for which you all want an answer. Is iCarly going to be renewed for a fourth season? As of this writing, no renewal or cancelation has been confirmed.
Season two was ordered relatively quickly, while the first was still releasing. The third season took a little longer, coming two months after the second season finished. Given that timeline, we could expect to see a renewal sometime this fall. But will we see one at all?
Anyone who watched the third season finale will know it was not meant as a series-ender. Freddie questions whether he should propose to Carly, and the two almost tie the knot before an unexpected guest arrives: Carly's mom. That's right. Earlier in the episode, Carly and Spencer discussed their absent mother for the very first time in either the original or revival. Now she's back to do who-knows-what. We don't know her story or why she left, but she did something that caused Carly and Spencer lasting trauma.
Ending on this unresolved cliffhanger would be a criminal offense, so let's make with the renewing. The cast is down to make more episodes, with Jerry Trainor saying to J-14, "Well, without spoiling anything, our final episode is huge. It’s a pretty big end." Co-star Nathan Kress added, "I don’t think people will be happy if this was the end of the show. Yeah, we’ll put it that way." The cast teased that fans will want season 4 "more than we’ve wanted anything."
Streamers don't release viewer numbers, so it's difficult to say exactly how many people watch iCarly. We know that it was one of Paramount+'s biggest shows at its launch and has enjoyed a strong, positive fan reaction in the subsequent seasons. The audience is there, and the cast loves the show, so what are we waiting for?
Talent on Strike
Well, one issue we're waiting for has nothing to do with the show itself. For the past few months, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA have been on strike for a multitude of reasons, effectively bringing film and television production to a halt. If there is a renewal, production would not begin until the strikes end, and who knows how long that could be. If the work stoppage drags out too long, studios may turn to cancelations as a cost-cutting measure. It's unclear whether this will be the case for iCarly, but the longer the strike lasts, the less likely a renewal may be.
However, this isn't the first time Carly Shay and friends have squared off with a WGA work stoppage. Back in 2008, the first season of the original iCarly was hit by the 2007-08 strike. Exact details of how episode orders were affected remain unclear, but filming did grind to a halt for several months.
So, what have we learned from all this? Will there be a renewal? Those who've watched the show so far know there is no shortage of story material for another batch of episodes. If there is a renewal, it could come anywhere up to a few months after the last season finale. Otherwise, Paramount+ may want to wait out the strike and evaluate its financial situation before making a decision. In any case, the longer we don't hear about a fourth season, the lower the chances for one are.