Cousin Skeeter

Last updated
Cousin Skeeter
CousinSkeeterLogo.png
Genre Sitcom
Puppetry
Created byPhil Beauman
Alonzo Brown
Brian Robbins
Starring Robert Ri'chard
Rondell Sheridan
Meagan Good
Angela Means
Bill Bellamy
Composer Kurt Farquhar
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes52 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers Mike Tollin
Brian Robbins
Joe Davola
Brad Kaaya
Jerry Perzigian
Camera setup Film; Single-camera
Running time24 minutes
Production companies Tollin/Robbins Productions
Nickelodeon Productions
Original release
Network Nickelodeon
ReleaseSeptember 1, 1998 (1998-09-01) 
May 19, 2001 (2001-05-19)
Related
My Brother and Me
Kenan & Kel
Romeo!
Just Jordan

Cousin Skeeter is an American children's sitcom, that originally aired on Nickelodeon from 1998 to 2001. It starred Robert Ri'chard as Bobby, a young boy whose life is changed when his strange cousin, Skeeter, comes to stay with his family. With Skeeter's help, Bobby learns life lessons and tackles the ups and downs of growing up. The show also included Meagan Good as Bobby's friend Nina, Rondell Sheridan as Bobby's father Andre, and Angela Means as Bobby's mother Vanessa. Skeeter is portrayed by a hand puppet with Bill Bellamy providing his voice, [1] and Drew Massey performing the puppetry, assisted by Alice Dinnean. [1] Within the show, Skeeter is treated like a regular human and no mention of him being a puppet is made. Although the series was shot in a single-camera format, the show used a laugh track.

Contents

The show's theme song is an alternate version of 702's 1996 debut single "Steelo", co-written by & featuring Missy Elliott.

Overview

Cousin Skeeter first aired on September 1, 1998, on Nickelodeon, sharing the 8–9 pm programming block with The Wild Thornberrys . [2] Cousin Skeeter was one of many shows at this time to touch on the idea of multicultural themes, with notable shows such as The Brothers García originating around this time as well. Skeeter frequently causes mischief, which is often balanced out by Bobby having to correct the situation.

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 20September 1, 1998 (1998-09-01)April 1, 1999 (1999-04-01)
2 23August 17, 1999 (1999-08-17)July 8, 2000 (2000-07-08)
3 9January 14, 2001 (2001-01-14)May 19, 2001 (2001-05-19)

Characters

Main

Supporting

Reception

Critical

Cousin Skeeter received mixed reviews. A writer from The Hollywood Reporter described the shows characters as "undeveloped" and "dependent on a one-liner approach". [3] Others note that the contrast between Bobby and Skeeter is meant to act as a kind of role model for children, but the message is lost in the strange behavior of Skeeter. Many viewers found it odd that the fact that Skeeter is an actual puppet is never acknowledged by any other characters, which left them to wonder why he was even a puppet in the first place. Ray Richmond, a writer for Variety , found the content borderline offensive, calling it an "a half-hour entrant in Nickelodeon’s primetime "Nickel-O-Zone" lineup" that sends "TVs view of black culture careening back to the Stone Age". [1] However, Rotten Tomatoes rated it as one of five 1990s children's shows that helped "pave the way for black representation on TV", with the article citing the episode "The Bicycle Thief" which tackled the issue of police interacting with black children. [4]

Ratings

According to a Variety article from February 1999, Cousin Skeeter was "consistently ranked as the top-rated live-action series for the [Nickelodeon] network". [5]

Award and nominations

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Ray Richmond (August 28, 1998). "Cousin Skeeter". Variety. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
  2. Kelleher, Terry (August 31, 1998). "Picks and Pans Review: The Wild Thornberrys". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  3. Moss, Marilyn (September 1, 1998). "New Kids on the Block". Hollywood Reporter. 354 (7): 16 via Gale OneFile: Business.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. Joelle Monique (February 28, 2019). "Five '90s Kids Shows That Paved the Way for Black Representation on TV". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
  5. Richard Katz (February 22, 1999). "Multiyear marquee". Variety. Retrieved 2019-08-15.