Nickelodeon is well known for its long-standing history in terms of children’s television. The network not only has an extensive catalog of cartoons under its belt but sitcoms as well. Starting with Drake & Josh, the network began doing something very different with its live-action shows. Hints were dropped that they all existed in the same universe.
This made it possible for the casts of iCarly and Victorious to come together, ultimately leading to the team-up of fan favorites, Sam Puckett from iCarly, and Cat Valentine from Victorious. But while iCarly ran for a whopping six seasons, and Victorious a total of four seasons, Sam & Cat lasted a meager 35 episodes. What happened? Was it poor ratings? A bad choice in actors? Any sort of controversies? The answers might surprise you.
What Was Sam & Cat?
Sam & Cat followed the misadventures of Sam Puckett (Jennette McCurdy) and Cat Valentine (Ariana Grande) as they become roommates and form a babysitting business. Like your average children’s sitcom, there are hijinks, colorful sets, celebrity cameos, and bizarre humor. The show premiered in 2013 to high ratings. At the time, the show was only picked up for twenty episodes, but after the premiere Nickelodeon quickly ordered more, doubling the season to forty episodes. But those plans did not go through in the end.
Shortly after winning the 2014 Kids’ Choice Awards for Favorite Show and Favorite Actress for Grande, Sam & Cat went on a surprising hiatus. Several months later, that hiatus turned into a cancelation.
What Were the Speculations at the Time?
The controversies of Sam & Cat begin in March 2014 when McCurdy chose to not attend the Kids’ Choice Awards. At the time, the popular theory was a very recent invasion of privacy. Photos of the young actress that were meant to go to her then-boyfriend were leaked online, causing a stir among fans. But shortly afterward, McCurdy revealed in an interview that her absence was in retaliation for Nickelodeon putting her in an “uncomfortable, compromising, unfair situation.”
In April 2014, Deadline revealed that there were issues going on at the set of the popular show. Accordingly, both stars had begun to butt heads. McCurdy called out unfair treatment, while Grande had plans of her own.
Ariana’s Growing Musical Career
While Ariana Grande is most well known for her fame and status as a singer, in the early 2010s she was known to the world as Cat Valentine. In August 2013, months after Sam & Cat’s premiere, Grande released her first studio album, Yours Truly. The album debuted at the top of the US Billboard 200 chart and became certified platinum. This new attention caused an obvious shift in Grande’s career and interests. She started touring, making appearances, and recording. This newfound fame would soon cause issues on the set of the Nickelodeon show.
The Relationship Between McCurdy and Grande
Many of the controversies that buzzed around the cancelation of Sam & Cat were touched upon in McCurdy’s memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died. In the book, she touched upon her growing resentment towards her co-star that seemed to climb into success while she was stuck shouldering the pressures of television. While Grande was out recording songs, doing press for her upcoming album, and singing at award shows, McCurdy was left “holding down the fort” at Nickelodeon. McCurdy touched on her feeling at the time in her book.
“I booked two features during iCarly that I had to turn down because the iCarly team wouldn’t write me out of episodes to go shoot them.”
As Grande’s fame grew, her responsibilities with the show suffered, and with them, so did McCurdy. What started out as a few sporadic missed days on set, turned into longer absences that the studio willingly agreed to. Eventually, Grande ended up skipping a full week on set with her character being written around.
“The week where I was told Ariana would not be here at all, and that they would write around her absence this episode by having her character be locked in a box. Are you. Kidding me? So I have to turn down movies while Ariana’s off whistle-toning at the Billboard Music Awards? F**k. This.”
While Grande herself has not spoken up on her side of the controversy, she did mention the cancelation. When it was announced that Sam & Cat was canceled, the singer/actress thanked the studio and crew on her Facebook for all the good times and experiences. She also posted the importance of her character and how Cat Valentine is near and dear to her heart. Outside a brief mention of her character, McCurdy was not included in this post.
Speaking for Sam
To say that McCurdy’s problems with the show involve only the events of 2014 is scratching the surface. Going back to I’m Glad My Mom Died, a much clearer image can be painted when it comes to the show and what it could have been for the young actress, as well as her character Sam.
Sam Puckett from the series iCarly was meant to be the rebellious, take-no-nonsense, and even downright violent member of the trio. She would often be the driving force next to the more anxious Carly and the more neurotic Freddy. She lived with a single mother that didn’t care about her, so she often would be found breaking into Carly’s apartment, eating their food, or relaxing on the couch. In the iCarly finale, Sam gets a motorcycle and can be seen driving off into the night. But what if I told you that Sam’s life could have taken a much more mature route?
In I’m Glad My Mom Died, McCurdy revealed that in 2012, she signed a deal for an upcoming series titled Just Puckett. The show would follow Sam, now grown and a school counselor. The idea of a former troublemaker-turned-counselor could have been the potential for lots of laughs and heart. But after she was already attached, the studio attached Grande to the project and turned it into what we now know as Sam & Cat.
Needless to say, McCurdy was not impressed. Because of the pressure of her mother and the studio, she stuck with it for better or worse. But the young actress always found herself second billing to her co-star, in her own words she couldn’t help but compare herself to Grande and grew ever more resentful.
“Ariana is at the stage in her career where she’s popping up on every 30 Under 30 list that exists. And I’m at the stage in my career where my team is excited that I’m the new face of Rebecca Bonbon, a tween clothing line featuring a cat with her tongue sticking out. Sold exclusively at Walmart … I frequently make the mistake of comparing my career to Ariana’s. I can’t help it.”
According to McCurdy’s memoir, she was even promised to direct an episode of Sam & Cat, a proposition that excited her. More than anything she just wanted a shot at proving herself as something more than just a TV actor for kid shows. But the proposition was soon taken away.
The Divide of Sam & Cat
The cancelation of Sam & Cat is an unfortunate entry into a long list of children being pulled into an industry that does not treat them well. Despite the Hollywood rose-tinted glasses, the life of an actor is far from easy, especially when you’re a child with possible ambitions outside of the industry.
When Sam & Cat ended, Grande continued her career in singing and performing. Meanwhile, McCurdy is advancing on her career as a writer, having gotten a deal with Ballantine Books after the success of her memoir. She is also finally dipping her toes into directing, having written and directed the short films Kenny and Strong Independent Women. As far as acting is concerned, Grande is taking on the mantle of Glinda in the upcoming Wicked movies. But McCurdy has formally retired.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
