The American sitcom “Big Time Rush” (2009-2013), aimed at teenagers, followed the story of four hockey-playing best friends who move to Los Angeles and start a band. The series, originally airing on Nickelodeon, has recently made its debut on Netflix. This move marks the third of hit sitcoms from Nickelodeon moving to the streaming service, with “Big Time Rush” joining “Victorious” (2010-2013) and “iCarly” (2007-2021). While on Nickelodeon, “Big Time Rush” was able to garner a variety of fans, due to the fact that the band in the show was actually a legitimate band off-screen. The high demand for boy bands further contributed to the success of the show, as well as the ability for viewers to connect with at least one character.
Each character, including those who played supporting roles, was vastly different. Yet, they were all very likeable. Kendall Knight, played by Kendall Schmidt, is cool, calm and collected, and the leader of the group while Carlos Garcia, played by Carlos PenaVega, is the energetic, friendly one. Furthermore, Logan Henderson, played by Logan Mitchell, has the brains, while James Diamond, played by James Maslow, has the looks. Supporting characters like Katie (Ciara Bravo), Kelly Wainwright (Tanya Chisholm) and Gustavo Rocque (Stephen Kramer Glickman), bring comedy to the show, while also giving the boys some guidance. In general, the series teaches viewers to stay true to themselves, and that sticking by their friends and family is imperative for happiness.
In 2019, after the release of Disney+, Netflix announced a multi-year partnership with Nickelodeon. In order to be able to compete with Disney, it was imperative that Netflix add more to their teen repertoire. Without their own streaming service, Nickelodeon decided to profit off Netflix and Paramount+ by adding old shows. Paramount+, a new service owned and operated by ViacomCBS, has cartoons like “SpongeBob Squarepants,” yet also includes “Big Time Rush,” “iCarly,” and “Victorious.” However, this isn’t surprising, as Nickelodeon is owned by the conglomerate ViacomCBS. Yet, it is interesting to note that Nickelodeon also made the deal with Netflix to add shows. In hindsight, this is an interesting move because it allows both Nickelodeon and Paramount+ to garner more streams, therefore making more money.
Similarly, while it seems that viewers have the choice on whether to consume their favorite childhood shows from either Netflix or Paramount+, the fact that ViacomCBS will be making money from either service shows that this choice is merely an illusion. The decision to have “Big Time Rush” on both Paramount+ and Netflix also allows viewers a greater chance of being able to stream the show. Shows on Disney+ are exclusively on Disney+, so consumers who want to binge old Disney shows have to buy a subscription. However, by having two services that offer the same shows, there is a greater chance that consumers wanting to view the shows already have a subscription to at least one of the services. Regardless, the addition of “Big Time Rush” on Netflix allows fans, both old and new, to enjoy the shenanigans that occur throughout each episode.
“Big Time Rush” is available to stream on Netflix.
By Audrey Shaev