“I LOVE that show!”
With that ebullient exclamation, 11-year-old Christina of Highlands Ranch offers a portrait of the classic “tweener.”
Christina likes to watch TV – “a lot!” she admits (although, mom Mandy Conger reminds her, she’s grounded from tube time right now.)
Nickelodeon’s “Drake & Josh” is one of her faves.
The sitcom about two classmates with contrasting personalities (cool and uncool) who become stepbrothers gets high marks “because of the pranks that Drake and Josh pull on other people,” Christina says.
She watches Nickelodeon’s “Zoey 101” but considers the network’s “Hannah Montana” sitcom “a little too girlie” for her tastes.
And she confesses to being a fan of the animated “The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron” series but begs her interviewer to keep that fact a secret.
“My friends see that, I’m dead.”
Christina, who’s shopping with her mom at Park Meadows Mall on a weekend night, frequents tweener stores such as Limited Too and Pac-Sun, and acknowledges her friends influence her tastes.
“Lots of stuff I like is cuz of the kids at my school.”
Among her favorites, just like many of her friends, is Disney’s made-for-TV movie “High School Musical.” Its mention is met with another “I LOVE that show!”
“I have the soundtrack on my Nano.”
With that, Christina opens her purse to bring out an iPod Nano with a powder-blue case and flips to tunes from the soundtrack.
Her mother approves of most shows geared toward Christina’s age group but draws the line at others, such as the animated “Bratz,” about the adventures of four young girls “with a passion for fashion.”
“I won’t let her watch that … there’s too much about boys and dating.
“All these shows that are geared for dating and stuff at this age … they don’t need to hear that.”
But girls aren’t the only audience for the “tweener” shows.
Scarfing down snacks at the Park Meadows food court, Castorena siblings Josh, 8, and Victor, 10, of Mancos argue over various topics but agree on the appeal of “Drake & Josh” – in fact, they live it.
“I’m Josh,” says the real Josh, “and he’s Drake.”
Mom Amanda Castorena confirms her sons “have so much in common with that show” about two boys who are, in turn, affectionate stepbrothers and rivals.
Sitting across the table, the brothers’ friend, 10-year-old Brandon McKie, concisely sums up the “D&J” plot:
“Oddball stuff happens, and it gets repaired.”
The boys’ sister, Lucero, 9, watches “Zoey 101” but prefers “High School Musical.”
“I just love it! I really like basketball, and I kinda like music, too,” she says, referring to the co-stars of the show: the basketball team captain, the “brainiac” girl and her drama queen rival.
Lucero’s friend, 10-year-old Kia Baikie of Mancos, doesn’t have cable TV and hasn’t seen the movie, but she listens to its songs on the Internet and picks one as her favorite: “Breaking Free.”
Amanda Castorena gives a parent’s stamp of approval to the musical, saying, “We have it recorded so they can watch it at all hours.”
She likes the message the movie offers kids. “They can be a jock in basketball, but they can also sing and dance and perform and fit in … they can be accepted just for being themselves.”
“High School Musical” and its soundtrack, which have been compared to the 1978 classic hit “Grease,” are so popular, Disney’s planning a sequel.
The DVD arrives May 23 with two versions: the original and a sing-along edition with on-screen lyrics so viewers can participate, karaoke-style. Bonus material includes dance lessons by director-choreographer Kenny Ortega, videos of “We’re All in This Together” and “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” (previously unreleased), and a behind-the-bleachers feature.
Staff writer Leslie Lyon can be reached 303-820-1216 or llyon@denverpost.com.
