The iCarly Reference Even The Biggest Fans Missed On Drake & Josh
While plenty of Nickelodeon shows have been put out to pasture over the years, a few diamonds in the rough have stood the test of time. The two most well-known are probably Drake & Josh and iCarly, both of which feature super catchy theme songs, can be genuinely funny, and star Miranda Cosgrove. On the former, she plays Megan, Drake's (Drake Bell) sister and Josh's (Josh Peck) stepsister with a penchant for pranks. On the latter, which is experiencing a major resurgence of popularity on Netflix, she's the titular Carly, a webcast sensation alongside her friends Sam Puckett (Jennette McCurdy) and Freddie Benson (Nathan Kress). The actress received high praise and widespread recognition for both roles.
Fans may remember that the transition from Drake & Josh to iCarly worked out perfectly for Cosgrove since the first show ended around the same time the second was beginning in September 2007. What fans may not remember — or may not have ever realized in the first place — is that the final episode of Drake & Josh, "Dance Contest," sneaked in an affectionate, blink-and-you-miss-it send-off for the actress (via PopBuzz).
How Drake & Josh said goodbye to Megan and hello to iCarly
Camino Real Cinemas is a real theater in Goleta, California, but on Drake & Josh, it's known as the Premiere. To the titular brothers themselves, it's known as work — more Josh than Drake, though, since the latter only works there for the span of an episode (season 2's "Movie Job"). Viewers also get to know some of the other employees as the show goes on, from Gavin Mitchell (Jake Farrow) to "Crazy" Steve (Jerry Trainor, who would eventually play Cosgrove's older brother and legal guardian Spencer Shay on iCarly).
One of the best parts about the Premiere is the marquee. The set designers make the most of it, spelling out hilarious titles for fake movies such as Daddy Hot Pants, The Sneeze, and Rock Paper Death (via the Drake & Josh wiki). However, PopBuzz noted that in "Dance Contest," the showrunners took the opportunity to use the marquee in a more heartfelt way. Look closely at the bottom of the right half of the signboard and you'll see Now She's Carly, an obvious nod to Cosgrove's new role. The actress herself no doubt appreciated the gesture, but hopefully, Megan didn't see the movie and have an identity crisis!
Fans of Drake & Josh on Reddit found that a few of the other marquee titles in "Dance Contest" hold some degree of significance as well. Four Great Seasons is, for instance, a reference to the four total (and great!) seasons of Drake & Josh. And Thank You Molaro! is a show of gratitude for screenwriter and producer Steven Molaro, who would go on to write several episodes of iCarly (as well as do extensive work on The Big Bang Theory). Makes you wonder how many Drake & Josh references made their way onto iCarly...