Why ‘The Amanda Show’ Ended and What’s Going on With the Reboot?
Amanda Bynes was literally all that in the ’90s. She rose to fame on a Nickelodeon show of the same name and reached new heights on its spinoff, The Amanda Show. But just when it hit its peak, the show went off of the air. Why was The Amanda Show canceled? Let’s discuss the program, its cancelation, and its rumored reboot below.
Amanda Bynes and the history of ‘The Amanda Show’
Born in 1986 and raised in Thousand Oaks, California, Bynes showed an early aptitude for comedy. She started her career by doing commercials and eventually started putting on small performances around her community. At age 10, she was hired by All That creator Dan Schneider after he saw her perform at a comedy camp, per The New York Times.
After three years on the sketch series, Bynes moved on to The Amanda Show in 1999. The sketch show was a huge hit upon its debut, boosting Bynes’ star and quickly becoming one of the network’s highest-rated programs. Bynes took on various roles in the series and played opposite of other kid stars such as Drake Bell and Josh Peck.
With its success and growing fan base, it seemed like the show could have gone on for years. But it abruptly ended in 2002 — just a short three years after its debut. Speaking to The Times in an interview that year, Bynes said she had decided to leave for other opportunities.
“I didn’t want to be a Nickelodeon kid when I was 30,” she explained. “I was having fun but at 15, you don’t want to be doing what you did when you were 12.”
Amanda Bynes’ life after ‘The Amanda Show’
Bynes was able to move into more mature roles. She appeared in the teen series What I Like About You and starred in films such as Big Fat Liar, What A Girl Wants, and She’s the Man. But these still weren’t exactly her dream roles, ultimately leading Bynes to retire in 2008.
“Being an actress isn’t as fun as it may seem,” she explained to People (via Nicki Swift). “I know 24 is a young age to retire … I’ve never written the movies and TV shows I’ve been a part of. I’ve only acted like the characters the producers or directors wanted me to play.”
After a brief return to the industry for 2010’s Easy A, Bynes shifted her focus to fashion. She is now working to obtain a degree at Los Angeles’ Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and wants to open an online store, per E! News.
‘The Amanda Show’ reboot
Page Six reported in April 2017 that Nickelodeon producers had been trying to contact Bynes about a reboot. Bynes did not say comment on the report but admitted to Paper Magazine in 2018 that she would love to get back to acting.
She also noted that she would like to “try it all” and “doesn’t want to limit [herself]” by booking certain roles, so it’s hard to imagine that she would actually return to the series. But then again, who knows?
Read more: 7 Amanda Bynes Movies Available to Stream Right Now
