As Told by Ginger

As Told by Ginger
Someone once told me the grass is much greener on the other side...
Genre: Teen Drama Running Time: 24 minutes Country: United States Release Date: October 25, 2000 – October 23, 2006 Network(s): Nickelodeon (2000–2004) Nicktoons Network (2004–2006) Created by: Emily Kapnek Distributed by: Viacom International Starring: Melissa Disney Kenny Blank Jeannie Elias Liz Georges Jackie Harris Aspen Miller Tress MacNeille Cree Summer Laraine Newman Kath Soucie Sandy Fox Emily Kapnek Adam Wylie Seasons: 3 Episodes: 60

As Told by Ginger (also known as As Told by Ginger Foutley) is an American animated television series aimed at teenagers, produced by Klasky-Csupo and aired on Nickelodeon. The series focuses on a middle schooler (and later a high schooler) girl named Ginger Foutley who, with her friends, tries to become more than a social geek.

As Told by Ginger ended production in 2004, It was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour).

Plot

The show focuses mainly on the life of junior high school student Ginger Foutley (Melissa Disney). She, along with her friends, Darren Patterson (Kenny Blank), Deirdre Hortense "Dodie" Bishop (Aspen Miller), and Macie Lightfoot (Jackie Harris), try to rise from the position of school geeks as they solve many conflicts that come their way.

Luckily for Ginger, the most popular girl in school, Courtney Gripling (Liz Georges), has taken a liking to her and often includes her in her social plans. She is intrigued by her "gingerisms", as Courtney calls them. However, Miranda Killgallen (Cree Summer), Courtney's right-hand woman, makes sure that she is not bumped down from her position thanks to Ginger. At home, Ginger records her lively adventures in her diary. Her little brother, Carl (Jeannie Elias), is often scheming with Robert-Joseph "Hoodsey" Bishop (Tress MacNeille) in his own side plots, and her mother, Lois (Laraine Newman), is always there for advice to which Ginger is always open to listen.

Why It Rocks

1. Deals with many mature topics that often aren't seen in kids' shows, especially on Nickelodeon during the 2000s.
   1. In "Wicked Game", Ginger's two best friends betray her after feeling jealousy toward her new boyfriend, Darren.
   2. In "And She Was Gone", the staff and students at school think Ginger is suicidally depressed after she writes a disturbing poem which worries them.
   3. In the episode "No Hope for Courtney", Carl's pranks cause his teacher to retire. After she agrees to come back, Mrs. Gordon passes on. In actuality, Mrs. Gordon's voice actress, Kathleen Freeman, died before the episode's completion, and the script was rewritten to be dedicated to her.
   4. "A Lesson in Tightropes" has Ginger going through an emotional break-up with Darren while, at the same time, having to get surgery for appendicitis.
   5. Furthermore, the episode "Stuff'll Kill Ya" shows Ginger dealing with a coffee and caffeine addiction.
2. Despite the characters designs being ugly, the animation itself is very smooth and polished.
3. Subverts common cartoon tropes by having strong continuity, and in every episode, the characters actually change their clothes and age over time.
   1. Speaking of which, one trope that the show subverts is the trope of the most popular girl at school being mean. In this show, the popular girl, Courtney, likes Ginger and is pretty nice. It's her sidekick, Miranda, who's the mean one.
   2. Another trope that the show subverts is that parents who get divorced hate each other. Ginger and Carl's parents are divorced, yet they still like each other, just not in love with each other.
4. Plenty of likable and relatable characters like Ginger, Macie, Darren, Courtney, etc.
5. The show balances the main plotlines with Ginger and her friends and the subplots with Carl and Hoodsey vey well.
6. The theme song is very fun to listen to.
7. Iconic episodes like "Come Back, Little Seal Girl", "Hello Stranger", and "And She Was Gone".
8. It even spawned some internet memes, like "Let me pretend I care. Ok, I'm done".
9. It's like a cartoon version of Degrassi.
10. Heartwarming series finale, "The Wedding Frame".
11. Pretty good voice acting, especially Melissa Disney as Ginger.
12. Some good morals.

Bad Qualities

1. Dodie Bishop is a very unlikable character due to being very talkative, selfish, and hypocritical.
2. Very ugly characters designs, even by Klasky Csupo standards. The heads look like potatoes, the necks are too long and skinny, some characters have hideous hair styles and/or makeup, the mouths have disgusting looking lips that are too low on the face and the eyes look dead and too small (the eyelashes don't help). In fact, Dodie looks like a mutated fish.
   • The animation of the characters doing mundane things like eating is also hideous.
3. Some bad episodes, like Wicked Game.

Trivia

• A girl named Leandra, who had a bone marrow illness and was a Make-A-Wish patient, was a fan of the series and watched it during her treatments. Her wish was to be a character on the show, so she appeared and voiced a character named after her in a scene of the episode "Butterflies are Free", where Ginger, Macie and Dodie greet her by name.

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