Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide is a live-action situation comedy on Nickelodeon that debuted in the channel's Sunday]] night TEENick block on September 12, 2004, although the series' actual pilot episode aired in September 2003 without many of the present version's main characters. Nickelodeon's United Kingdom network airs the show Mondays]] - Fridays at 3:30 PM. The show is produced by ApolloProScreen GmbH & Co. Filmproduktion KG in association with Jack Mackie Pictures, its main executive producer and creator is Scott Fellows, who also happens to be the head writer for The Fairly OddParents, which is why in the short titled "Day Dreaming", which aired on February 5, 2005, Cosmo and Wanda appeared, and former The Wonder Years star Fred Savage is one of the show's directors. The other executive producers are Jan Korbelin and Bill O'Dowd. Rich Magallanes is the executive in charge of production.
Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide takes place in California at James K. Polk Middle School. It centers around Ned Bigby, a 12- or 13-year-old seventh grader at the school. Throughout each episode, Ned breaks down the fourth wall by giving tips to the viewing audience at home on different subjects, such as the first day of school, school dances, backpacks, and trying out for a sports team. Ned's two best friends are Jennifer Mosely, known as "Moze", and Simon Nelson-Cook, known as "Cookie." While Ned's tips are serious, they usually take place in silly situations.
Each 30-minute episode contains two 10-minute shorts, both of which deal with a subject about school life. Ned, Moze, and Cookie all end up in situations in each short where Ned's tips are needed, and by the end of each short, everything is resolved.
The show is very popular with many viewers, and some of those are viewers who have lost interest in Nickelodeon, even with the popularity of The Fairly OddParents and SpongeBob SquarePants. Those viewers say Ned's Declassified... reminds them of the Nickelodeon of the late 1980s and 1990s with its smart humor. Younger viewers have said they try the tips the show gives them, and that they work.
The characters
Ned Bigby
Ned Bigby (played by Devon Werkheiser) is a seventh grade student at California's James K. Polk Middle School. He's the show's title character, and the one who gives tips throughout each short, and always ends up learning something, which he makes into a tip . Ned is "school smart" you could say, and since those tips come from him, he's able to help himself do the one thing he wants to do with his middle school years-enjoy them!
Jennifer Mosely
Jennifer "Moze" Mosely (played by Lindsey Shaw) is Ned's best friend and next-door neighbor. Moze is strong, somewhat insecure and a tomboy. She's currently looking for a best friend that's a girl so someone can share the interests with her that she and Ned don't.
Simon Nelson-Cook
Simon Nelson-Cook, known as "Cookie" (played by Daniel Curtis Lee) is Ned and Moze's other best friend. He's "half-man, half-machine," according to Ned. Cookie's pair of glasses double as his computer, which he uses in everyday life. When he's seen using his glasses as his computer, he's usually hacking into the school's universal computer system to change something, except grades, because he knows he could get expelled for doing so. He operates his computer by using a mouse from his pocket attached to a cord on his glasses. He also has a printer in his pants called "printer-pants" which he uses to print things like the poll for Ned's election.
Suzie Crabgrass
Suzie Crabgrass (played by Christian Serratos) is one of the most popular girl at school. Ned, whom she's nice to most of the time, has a crush on her, and Moze is her chief rival, although it is implied throughout the show that they could make best friends if they didn't try to hate each other. For example, Moze tries to have a test which she claims to be for the yearbook, but ends up being a "best-friend test." She later finds out that the person who got a hundred had copied the answers from Crabgrass. She's co-captain of the school's volleyball team. The other co-captain? You guessed it-Moze.
Seth Powers
Seth Powers (played by Alex Black) is a player on the school's boys' basketball team. So obsessed with the sport is Seth, that he is never seen without a basketball in his hands, spinning on the fingertips of his right hand. He's not too bright, but his very good looks get him by. Moze is made for him.
Lisa Zemo
Lisa Zemo (played by Rachel Sibner) is a new student at Polk Middle. She's sweet and nerdy, and often needs nose spray to battle her allergies. She has a not-so-secretive crush on Cookie.
Coconut Head
Coconut Head (played by Rob Pinkston) is a nice kid with a (very) bad haircut. His real name is not said in the show, and thus, he is called Coconut Head by everybody, even the teachers.
Martin Qwerly
Martin Qwerly (played by Tylor Chase) is a good kid who talks very fast. He is the 7th grade class vice-president, but acts as the president because the real president is the hairy weasel who wanders around school. Martin is the unknown true identity of "Le Forger", the school's best note forger, whom, for a box of coconut macaroons, will write a note to a teacher for any student who needs one. 20 boxes of coconut macaroons will gain a student his personal pager number.
The Huge Crew
The Huge Crew is a trio of female bullies, led by Doris Trembly (played by Jennifer Hyatt), and completed by Mandy Crew (played by Jherimi Carter) and Sandy Crew (played by Cathy Immordino). In order to join The Huge Crew, one has to "love being tough, and love talking about Ned", the latter being their favorite part, and the part that creeps Ned out.
Claire Sawyer
Claire Sawyer (played by Brooke Marie Bridges, niece of Diff'rent Strokes star Todd Bridges), is commonly referred to as "Claire Sawyer, Future Lawyer." She's already practicing law, and uses lawyer lingo, such as "no further questions." She's very helpful in any jam, even one Ned can't get out of.
Missy Meany
Missy Meany is THE most popular girl in school and lives up to her name. She enjoys cheerleading, but never actually makes anyone cheerful.
The Killer Bees
the most hated people at Polk Middle, The Killer Bees dominate spelling bees, and intimidate fellow students by spelling at them. The group consists of the Queen Bee (played by Krystal Acosta) , the King Bee (played by Carlos Pena), and the Stinger (played by Sean Michael).
Billy Loomer
played by Kyle Swann is a bully who loves to beat up people, but also has a sensitive side-a very sensitive side, as he has a massive crush on Moze.
Backpack Boy
played by Kendre Berry has a crush on Christina, and carries around a backpack that's so heavy, it usually causes him to fall to the ground. He has two lockers, both of which lead to a room full of backpacks that no one but he or Ned knows about. Rumors about Backpack Boy being a superhero are actually true.
Chandra Taylor
played by Marquise Brown is a character whose rarely seen, but is a friend of Moze's, but not the best girl friend Moze is looking for.
Mr. Monroe
Mr. Monroe (played by Jim J. Bullock) is Ned and Cookie's life science teacher. He's full of life and talks effeminately, although no rumors about his character's sexuality have popped up yet (Bullock, however, is openly gay in real life). He is also the boys' basketball coach.
Gordy
Gordy (played by Daran Norris of The Fairly OddParents) is the school janitor. He's obsessed with nabbing the weasel that became student body president, and is very eager to join in any scheme, but almost never cleans anything, and is often heard saying, "I'll let the night guy get that."
Mr. Wright
Mr. Wright (played by Meshach Taylor, who is most famous for playing Anthony in CBS' Designing Women) is Ned and Moze's ancient history teacher. He's smart and has a love for classical art, and he also runs the school's annual talent show, which all the students dread going to.
Ms. Dirga
Ms. Dirga (played by Kim Sava) is Ned and Cookie's gym teacher. Ned once knocked out her two front teeth (intentionally) with a dodgeball to get out of the 7th grade class presidential election. It didn't work-she praised him, and then endorsed him. She is commonly just called Dirga.
Mr. Sweeney
Mr. Sweeney (played by Don Creech) is Ned and Moze's evil science teacher, and he hates to admit things
Mr. Gross
Mr. Gross (played by Steve Bannos) is one of Cookie's teahers. He doesn't shower or brush his teeth. No one likes being around him.
Lunch Lady
Lunch Lady (played by Loni Love) can see the future in the beans she serves to the kids.
The sportscasters
When the action at Polk Middle becomes worthy of an ESPN-style presentation, real life sportscaster Van Earl Wright and former Olympic Games gold medallist and member of the Super Bowl XX-winning Chicago Bears Willie Gault chime in with play-by-play and color commentary while working for the fictional television station Channel 6-and-a-half Sports, a "station" that was created for sketches on Nick's Saturday Night Live-style variety show, All That.
Vice Principal Crubbs
Vice Principal Crubbs (played by Hamilton Mitchell) debuts in the second season. He thinks he's Miami Vice, from his white linen suit to his Florida Office decor, and his first crime solving covers a mysterious woodshop attack and cheese puff's "cheedle" residue.
Mr. Chopsaw
Mr. Chopsaw, whose first name is "Dusty" (played by Dave Florek), is Moze's woodshop teacher. He has a prosthetic right hand. He naturally loves wood, and has a philosophical way about him. He was class president when he was a kid.
Episode list
At the end of each episode, the end credits roll while outtakes from each short are shown.
Season 1 of original version
- This was the season with Boogie instead of Cookie. Stephen Markarian played Boogie. The character was recast, though, because Markarian was judged to be too tall for the role.
- Pilot (Originally Aired September 7, 2003)
- Ned's Locker
- Bathrooms & Project Partners
- Teachers & Detentions
Season 1 of newer version
- (Shown in order in which they aired)
- "Guide to: First Day & Lockers"-this version with Cookie first aired September 12, 2004
- "Guide to: Bathrooms & Project Partners"
- "Guide to: Detentions & Teachers"
- "Guide to: Seating & Tryouts"
- "Guide to: Crushes & Dances"
- "Guide to: Sick Days & Spelling Bee"-BMX rider Mat Hoffman guest starred in the "Sick Days" short.
- "Guide to: Rumors & Photo Day"
- "Guide to: Talent Show & Elections"
- "Guide to: Computer Lab & Backpacks"
- "Guide to: Notes & Best Friends"
- "Guide to: Day Dreaming & Gym"-Cosmo and Wanda appear in "Day Dreaming"
- "Guide to: Cheaters & Bullies"
- "Guide to: Emergency Drills & Late Bus"
Season 2
- (Shown in the order in which they aired)
- "Guide to: New Semester & Electives"
- "Guide to: Pep Rallies & Lunch"
- "Guide to: Video Projects & School Clubs"
- "Guide to: Math & Notebooks"
- "Guide to: School Websites & Valentine's Day"
- "Guide to: Mondays & Vice Principals"
- "Guide to: Your Body & Procrastination"
- "Guide to: Upperclassmen & Gross Biology Dissection"
- "Guide to: Dares & Bad Habits"
- "Guide to: Substitute Teachers & The New Kid"
- "Guide to: Nicknames & Shyness"
- "Guide to: Asking Someone Out & Recycling"
- "Guide to: April Fool's Day & Excuses"
- "Guide to: School Car Wash & Secrets
- "Guide to: Spirit Week & Clothes
- "Guide to: Yearbook & Career Week
- "Guide to: Music Class & Class Clown
- "Guide to: Failing & Tutors
- "Guide to: Science Fair & Study Hall
- "Guide to: Double Dating & The Last Day
19 more episodes have been ordered, bringing the total to 52.