''Big Time Rush'' is an American musical

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

television series created by

Scott Fellows Scott Fellows (born September 28, 1965) is an American television producer, writer, and director. He is known for creating the Nickelodeon shows ''Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide'' and ''Big Time Rush'' and the Cartoon Network (originall ...

that originally aired on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...

from November 28, 2009, to July 25, 2013 and is currently available in

Paramount+ Paramount+ is an American subscription video on-demand service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily from the libraries of CBS Media Ventures (including CBS Studios), Paramount Media Networks (formerly Viacom Media ...

. It focuses on the Hollywood misadventures of four

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

players from

Duluth, Minnesota , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

, Kendall Knight, James Diamond, Carlos Garcia, and Logan Mitchell, after they are selected to form a boy band by fictional mega music producer Gustavo Rocque.

History

The series premiered with an hour-long pilot episode, "Big Time Audition", on Nickelodeon, on November 28, 2009. Its official debut episode premiered on January 18, 2010. The show's second season premiered on September 25, 2010. On May 24, 2011, ''Big Time Rush'' was renewed for a third season with production scheduled to begin January 2012. Season three premiered May 12, 2012. On March 10, 2012, a film adaptation named "Big Time Movie" based on the series premiered. On August 6, 2012,

renewed ''Big Time Rush'' for a 13-episode fourth season. Production began on January 7, 2013. The fourth season premiered May 2, 2013, and aired its series finale "Big Time Dreams" on July 25, 2013.

Cast and characters

Main

* Kendall Schmidt as Kendall Knight, the leader of the group * James Maslow as James Diamond, the handsome one of the group * Carlos Pena Jr. as Carlos Garcia, the crazy, wild, and fun loving one of the group *

Logan Henderson Logan Phillip Henderson (born September 14, 1989) is an American actor and singer. He played the role of Logan Mitchell on the Nickelodeon series ''Big Time Rush'' and is a current member of the Big Time Rush band. Early life and career Hend ...

as Logan Mitchell, the smart one of the group *

Ciara Bravo Ciara Quinn Bravo (; born March 18, 1997) is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress, starring in the Nickelodeon series ''Big Time Rush'' and the Fox series '' Red Band Society''. She also appeared in the Nickelodeon televi ...

as Katie Knight, Kendall's younger sister *

Stephen Kramer Glickman Stephen Kramer Glickman (born March 17, 1979) is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, musician and podcast host based in Los Angeles, California. He is best known as for his role as Gustavo Rocque on the Nickelodeon sitcom ''Big Time Rush'' (20 ...

as Gustavo Rocque, the boys' hot-tempered manager * Tanya Chisholm (Seasons 2–4; recurring season 1) as Kelly Wainwright, Gustavo's assistant,

Recurring

* Katelyn Tarver as Jo Taylor, an actress, a singer, and Kendall's girlfriend from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

Challen Cates Challen Michelle Cates (born September 28, 1967) is an American independent film producer and actress, best known for portraying the role as Jennifer Knight on the TV series, ''Big Time Rush''. She has been the executive producer of two American ...

as Jennifer Knight, Kendall and Katie's mother, who takes care of all four boys while they are in L.A. * Erin Sanders as Camille Roberts, a dramatic method actress, Jo and Lucy's best friend and Logan's girlfriend * Malese Jow (Seasons 2–4) as Lucy Stone, a red-haired punk rocker and James's love interest, whom he ends up dating in the last episode * Matt Riedy as Arthur Griffin, Gustavo's boss who is the CEO of RCM-CBT GlobalNet Sanyoid *

David Anthony Higgins David Anthony Higgins (born December 9, 1961) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Craig Feldspar on ''Malcolm in the Middle'', Joe on ''Ellen'', and Reginald Bitters on ''Big Time Rush''. He also had a recurring role as H ...

as Reginald Bitters, the manager of the Palm Woods and Katie's nemesis. * Denyse Tontz as Jennifer 1 *

Spencer Locke Spencer Locke (born September 20, 1991) is an American actress known for her roles as Kylie in ''Cougar Town,'' Jenny Bennett in '' Monster House,'' Ione in '' Detention'', and K-Mart in the ''Resident Evil'' film series. Life and career Prior ...

(Season 1) and Kelli Goss (Seasons 2-4) as Jennifer 2 * Savannah Jayde as Jennifer 3 * Tucker Albrizzi as Tyler Duncan, a star of juice box, diaper and underwear commercials, and neighbor from Palm Woods * Barnett O'Hara as Guitar Dude, a guitarist who was originally a cello player *

Daran Norris Daran Morrison Nordland (born ), known professionally as Daran Norris, is an American actor. He has appeared or voiced characters in more than 400 films, video games, and television programs, including: Gordy in ''Ned's Declassified School Surviv ...

as Buddha Bob, the Palm Woods' maintenance worker. * David Cade as Jett Stetson, Kendall's nemesis * Tara Strong as Miss Collins, the teacher of the Palm Woods' one-room school campus *

Lorenzo Lamas Lorenzo Fernando Lamas (born January 20, 1958) is an American actor. He is widely known for his role of Lance Cumson, the irresponsible grandson of Angela Channing—played by Jane Wyman—in the soap opera ''Falcon Crest'' (1981–1990), for ...

as Dr. Hollywood, a local doctor *

Phil LaMarr Phillip LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. LaMarr was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series '' Mad TV''. His voice acting roles in animated series include J ...

as Hawk, Gustavo's nemesis and founder of rival business Hawk Records *

Fabio Lanzoni Fabio Lanzoni (; born March 15, 1959), known mononymously as Fabio, is an Italian-American actor, fashion model, and spokesman. Lanzoni is known for his wide-ranging career including appearing as a romance novel cover model throughout the 1990 ...

as himself, Katie's second nemesis and a pocket grill salesman. He has appeared in one episode for each season, except for the fourth.

Guest stars

Erik Estrada Henry Enrique Estrada (born March 16, 1949) is an American actor and police officer. He is known for his co-starring lead role as California Highway Patrol officer Francis (Frank) Llewelyn "Ponch" Poncherello in the police drama television series ...

as Papi Garcia, Carlos' father *

Lisa Rinna Lisa D. Rinna (born Elizabeth Deann Rinna; July 11, 1963) is an American actress and television personality. As an actress, she is best known for her roles as Billie Reed on the NBC daytime soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' and Taylor McBride ...

as Brooke Diamond, James' mother * Jill-Michele Meleán as Sylvia Garcia, Carlos' mother *

Lita Ford Lita Rossana Ford (born 19 September 1958) is an English-born American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. She was the lead guitarist for the all-female rock band the Runaways in the late 1970s, before embarking on a successful glam metal sol ...

as herself *

Dee Bradley Baker Dee Bradley Baker (born August 31, 1962) is an American voice actor. Much of Baker's work features vocalizations of animals and monsters. Baker's roles include animated series such as ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', '' Codename: Kids Next Door'', ...

as Mr. Smitty *

JC Gonzalez Juan Camilo Gonzalez (born March 8, 1990) is a Colombian actor and singer-songwriter. His career began in 2009, when he participated in television commercials and advertisements in Texas. Gonzalez was also a candidate on ''Making Menudo'', an MTV ...

as himself * Matthew Moy as Deke the blogger * Rob Paulsen as Sam Sellmart * Curt Hansen as Dak Zevon *

Elizabeth Gillies Elizabeth Egan Gillies (born July 26, 1993) is an American actress and singer. She gained prominence for her starring roles as Jade West in the Nickelodeon series ''Victorious'' (2010–2013), and as Fallon Carrington on The CW revival of ''Dy ...

as Heather Fox * Russell Brand as himself *

Tom Kenny Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for voicing the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media. Kenny has voiced many other characters, including Heffer Wolfe in '' ...

as Patchy the Pirate *

Cher Lloyd Cher Lloyd (born 28 July 1993) is an English singer. She finished fourth place in the seventh series of ''The X Factor'' in 2010. Following the seventh series finale, Lloyd was signed to Syco Music. Her debut single, "Swagger Jagger", was re ...

as herself * Rajiv Satyal as the scientist *

Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks-Thomas (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debu ...

as herself * Miranda Cosgrove as herself * Snoop Dogg as himself *

Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and “The Point God”, is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul is widely regarded as one o ...

as himself *

Chris Masters Christopher Todd Mordetzky (born January 8, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) under the ring name Chris Adonis as a member of Strictly Business. He is a former two-time National Ch ...

as himself * Victoria Justice as herself * Alexa Vega as herself * JoJo Wright as himself *

as himself *

Austin Mahone Austin Harris Mahone (; born April 4, 1996) is an American singer, songwriter and professional wrestler. Mahone gained popularity performing covers of pop songs on YouTube. He released three albums to date. Famous releases include " Say Somethi ...

as himself *

Lucas Cruikshank Lucas Alan Cruikshank (born August 29, 1993) is an American YouTuber and actor who created the character Fred Figglehorn and the associated ''Fred'' series for his channel on the video-hosting website YouTube in late 2006. These videos are cent ...

as himself * Nicole Scherzinger as herself *

Annet Mahendru Anita Devi "Annet" Mahendru (born November 5, 1985) is an American actress. She is known for playing Nina Krilova, Nina Sergeevna Krilova on the FX (TV channel), FX period drama series ''The Americans'' (2013–2016), for which she garnered a n ...

as Princess Svetlana *

Lane Napper Lane Napper (born June 22, 1967) is an American actor, choreographer, dancer, acting coach, and dancing teacher. Filmography As actor Lane Napper participated acting in some television shows and series. As choreographer Napper is a prof ...

as Cop Harvey *

Eric Lange Eric Lange (born February 19, 1973) is an American actor. He is known for his work on television, where he has appeared in a wide variety of both supporting and leading roles. Lange played the recurring roles of Stuart Radzinsky on the ''ABC'' ...

as Cop Ervin

Episodes

Film adaptation

In late 2011,

announced that a television film based on the television series was going to premiere. However, a promo did not air until February 2012. The movie premiered on

on March 10, 2012, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Throughout the whole weekend, the movie drew 13.1 million viewers.

Production

The series was conceived and created by

, formerly the creator, executive producer and showrunner of ''

Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide ''Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide'' (sometimes shortened to ''Ned's Declassified'') is an American live action sitcom on Nickelodeon that debuted on the Nickelodeon Sunday night TEENick scheduling block on September 12, 2004. The serie ...

''.Lloyd, Robert. "Reviews: 'Big Time Rush' and 'I'm in the Band'."
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

.'' January 18, 2010. Fellows says his inspiration for the show was the musical comedy show, ''

The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was con ...

''Martin, Denise. "Child's Play." ''Los Angeles Times.'' November 22, 2009.—a popular and culturally significant American television series from the 1960s about a group of four young male adults who form a rock band, and perform songs while having comedic adventures. Although the show had a concept as early as 2007, the series had no actual title as late as August 2009.

Music

''Big Time Rush'' is a Nickelodeon Viacom Music Productions Band consisting of four members: Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Logan Henderson, and Carlos Pena Jr. Nickelodeon partnered with Columbia/Epic Label Group to produce the show, which is why music and instrumentals are incorporated throughout the series. Big Time Rush's debut album, '' B.T.R.'', was released on October 11, 2010, via

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professiona ...

/ Columbia. Their second full-length album, entitled '' Elevate'', was released on November 21, 2011. Big Time Rush released their new song "If I Ruled the World" ft. Iyaz on iTunes July 22. They have also released a number of new songs such as "Music Sounds Better With U" (feat. Mann), "Love Me Love Me", "You're Not Alone", and "Superstar". They also released three singles, "Paralyzed", "Blow Your Speakers", and "Epic" in 2012. Then, "Epic" was the bonus track on the U.K. album version. They released their third CD, ''24/Seven'' in the summer of 2013. Among the songs on the CD is "We Are" which won a Viewer's Choice award. Nickelodeon partnered with Columbia/Epic Label Group to produce the show, which incorporates original music into the series."Nickelodeon Scores Record-Breaking Night with Brand-New and Big Time Rush Debut." Press release. Nickelodeon. January 19, 2010.
Retrieved January 24, 2010. ''Big Time Rush'' is one of the three Nickelodeon shows (the others are '' iCarly'' and '' Victorious'') on which the cable network is partnering with the music group to promote music as well as shows.Weisman, Jon. "Nick, Sony Will Duet on Laffers." ''Daily Variety.'' August 26, 2009. The ''

'' has been critical of the show's focus on music, noting: The closing credits of

airings of the show contain short clips of music videos for singles featured the series. Occasionally, full versions of the videos are featured. The show incorporates wacky sound effects, some

laugh Laughter is a pleasant physical reaction and emotion consisting usually of rhythmical, often audible contractions of the diaphragm and other parts of the respiratory system. It is a response to certain external or internal stimuli. Laughter ...

-like noises, music, and

editing Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, o ...

cuts designed to make it more humorous to the intended demographic of viewers age 10 to 18; this was also typical of creator Scott Fellows' previous work on Nickelodeon. However, the show does not have a

laugh track A laugh track (or laughter track) is a separate soundtrack for a recorded comedy show containing the sound of audience laughter. In some productions, the laughter is a live audience response instead; in the United States, where it is most common ...

. Big Time Rush made an appearance at the 2010 Kids' Choice Awards, the 2010 Teen Choice Award and performed at the 2011 Kids' Choice Awards. they also appeared in an episode of BrainSurge during the week of April 18–22, 2011. On November 24, 2011, the group performed the National Anthem at Cowboys Stadium for the Thanksgiving NFL game which was broadcast on CBS. Big Time Rush has released 3 albums, B.T.R, Elevate, and 24/Seven. More singles were released in 2012. Big Time Rush covered

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

songs in their movie "Big Time Movie" which was released March 10, 2012. They went on tour with Victoria Justice in 2013 on the Summer Break Tour. Their final tour was the Big Time Rush: Live World Tour in 2014 for the month of February. In 2021, the band officially announced their comeback via Twitter, after their indefinite hiatus back in 2014, who will be performing two shows in December 2021.

Casting

A nationwide casting effort began in 2007.Martin, Denise. "'Big Time Rush' Is A Little Bit 'Entourage,' A Little Bit 'Monkees'."
''

Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

.'' November 26, 2009. ''La Jolla Village News.'' November 28, 2009. More than 1,500 teens and young adults auditioned for the four roles.Moore, Frazier. "An Inside Look at a Boy Band on Nick's New Comedy." ''

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

.'' January 15, 2010. James Maslow and

were the easiest and first actors cast. Kendall Schmidt was the last actor cast, and the most difficult role to cast. The role of Kendall Knight was originally to go to Curt Hansen, who later played Dak Zevon on the show, but when he appeared a lot older than the others and sounded too much like James in the pick up pilot, the producers auditioned and cast Schmidt after a recommendation by

, who was also friends with the actor before casting. Filming of the series began in August 2009. Actor Carlos Pena Jr. previously worked with

on ''

''. As he had just entered the

Boston Conservatory Boston Conservatory at Berklee (formerly The Boston Conservatory) is a private performing arts conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, music, and theater. Boston Conservatory was founded ...

to study musical theatre, Pena was reluctant to audition but sent in a tape at the encouragement of his manager.Rentería, Melissa. "Plans Change as Pena Lands Co-Starring Role in Nickelodeon's 'Big Time Rush'." ''Conexión.'' November 26, 2009. Executive producer

was inspired to write each character by the personality of the actor playing him. In addition to Pena, five are alumni of Scott Fellows make appearances in this show:

, Carlie Casey,

, Adam Conway (as recurring cast members), and

James Arnold Taylor James Arnold Taylor (born July 22, 1969), also known by his initials JAT, is an American voice actor, writer, producer and podcaster. He is known for portraying Ratchet in the '' Ratchet & Clank'' franchise, the main character Tidus in '' Final ...

(as a guest star).

Locations

The series was filmed in Studio 27, Paramount Pictures in Hollywood,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. The series premiere's one-hour special took place in the suburbs of Los Angeles and a small town in

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

Reception

Audience reception

A one-hour special preview (which serves as the series pilot and first episode) debuted on Nickelodeon on November 28, 2009, drawing an audience of 3.6 million viewers. The series' official premiere on January 18, 2010 (which followed the premiere of the '' iCarly'' special " iSaved Your Life"), was watched by a total of 6.8 million total viewers, Nickelodeon's highest-rated live-action series debut.

Critical reception

The show received positive reviews from audiences and mixed reviews from critics. The ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the Alle ...

'' stated the show was "Nick's attempt at building a Jonas Brothers-style pop band. It's Nick's answer to Disney Channel's '

JONAS Jonas may refer to: Geography * Jonas, Netherlands, Netherlands * Jonas, Pennsylvania, United States * Jonas Ridge, North Carolina, United States People with the name * Jonas (name), people with the given name or surname Jonas * Jonas, one o ...

,' albeit slightly less organic since 'Rush' doesn't feature siblings." The '' Hartford Courant'' stated the series a "not so good" show "with their thin pop and unfunny comedies". The ''

'' stated the show as "one example in a growing list of kid shows selling showbiz fantasies to children. The genre is stronger than ever now and more fixated on the perks of the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle ... wish fulfillment at a time when tabloid dreams are ubiquitous."

DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...

had the following review of the Big Time Rush: Season 1, Volume 1 DVD. "It would be hard to craft a description engineered to be less interesting to me, and yet, as I plowed through this collection from the series' beginnings, I frequently found myself amended and entertained. Say what you will about Nickelodeon's teen programming, but they've got the art of making a solid sitcom down to a science."

Awards and nominations

Home media

Broadcast

The series aired worldwide on

. As of March 2021, the series is available to stream on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

and

. The series was previously available to stream on Hulu until it was removed in March 2021.

Season 1

It was shown as a preview in Australia and New Zealand on April 10, 2010, and premiered on May 15, 2010. It previewed on April 16, 2010, and premiered on May 31, 2010, in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...

. In the United Kingdom and Ireland it previewed on May 27, 2010, and premiered on June 21, 2010. In Canada it previewed on August 6, 2010, and premiered on September 6, 2010.

Season 2

It premiered in January 2011 in Australia and New Zealand and in February 2011 in the UK and Ireland. It was announced by Nickelodeon in October 2011 that ''Big Time Rush'' would go free-to-air on

CITV CITV (short for Children's ITV, also known as the CITV Channel) is a British free-to-air children's television channel owned by ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive and acquisitions, every day from 6 am to 9 pm which ...

in the UK.

Season 3

The third season premiered November 2012 in Australia and New Zealand and in December 2012 in the UK and Ireland.

Season 4

It premiered in August 2013 in Canada and in late 2013 in the UK and Ireland.

Notes

References

External links

Big Time Rush
at

*
Big Time Rush MySpace Page

Big Time Rush on HDgreetings.com

Big Time Rush for 3rd Seasons
{{Former Nickelodeon original series 2000s American music television series 2010s American music television series 2000s American teen sitcoms 2010s American teen sitcoms 2000s Nickelodeon original programming 2010s Nickelodeon original programming 2009 American television series debuts 2013 American television series endings English-language television shows Sony Music Television series about brothers Television series about families Television series about fictional musicians Television series created by Scott Fellows Television shows set in Los Angeles Television shows set in Minnesota Television shows filmed in Minnesota Films about boy bands