I absolutely adore Ned's Declassified. It's not just the best live action Nick show, it's one of the best TV shows of all time, period. That's some lofty praise, and I'm going to do my best to articulate why I think this show is so fantastic.
A good place to start is the presentation. I'm a big fan of presentation. There have been many tween/teen sitcoms that break the fourth wall like Saved By The Bell, but those shows have very standard presentaion that doesn't set them apart from the pack. Ned's Declassified is so unapologetically bonkers and over the top, with a ridiculously fast breakneck pace. Everything is so intentionally cartoony and unrealistic, with the dramatic and comical music cues and wacky sound effects. The science teacher is always seen in a white lab coat. Lisa Zemo uses allergy nose spray in every single scene she's in in the first two seasons. The nerds wear khakis and coke bottle glasses, the bullies wear black leather jackets. The vice principal wears a siren hat! This may come off as juvenile or lazy to some, but I think it fits the shows tone perfectly, as it's from the perspective of middle schoolers who, though probably not as imaginative as elementary schoolers, can still have active imaginations. The style is so insane, it makes you overlook logical inconsistencies and accept the way this universe works. You can tell some of the same people who worked on the Fairly Odd Parents worked on this too. The fact that the show is shot from many different angles helps maintain the illusion that the sets aren't really sets and keeps you immersed in this world, as opposed to the traditional sitcom setup where it's obviously three walls on a stage. With 11 minute episodes (and one 45-minute series finale), every second counts so not a moment of screen time is wasted. Without this presentation, this show would just be a male Lizzie McGuire.
Another important aspect is the characters. The writing on this show is great. Through all three seasons not one character has a single out-of-character moment. It's a school survival guide, so very few episodes take place outside of the school, eliminating the risk of being bogged down with too many subplots and keeping things tight and focused. There's nothing I hate more in family films and TV shows than one dimensional bullies, but even all the bullies in this show are fairly well developed. They aren't just antagonists, they're often seen interacting with other students and teachers normally like many real bullies. I like how they try to keep the extras consistent throughout the series, with many of them being characters with speaking roles (and even though they're not doing anything in that scene, I love that added attention to detail). The acting is great across the board; depending on the character and what they're going for, everyone is either just the right level of over the top or reserved. There's no less than 6 love triangles (Ned/Moze/Seth, Ned/Moze/Loomer, Ned/Moze/Faymen, Ned/Suzie/Loomer, Cookie/Lisa/Vanessa and Cookie/Lisa/almost every other boy in their grade). Normally having such a convoluted love subplot would bog a show down, but it's surprisingly easy to follow, not too forced, and all resolves in the end. I think the mix of elementary, middle, and high school problems makes it more relatable to a wider audience, making the rumored high school spin-off series unnecessary in my mind. I appreciate how the series ends with Ned and Moze getting together, and they decided not to continue the series with the two best friends in a relationship (unlike Kim Possible).
The most important aspect of this show is that amongst the chaos and wackiness, there's still a relatable, down to earth element to it. Like a previous reviewer mentioned, it's so unrealistic yet so realistic. The chemistry between the students, how kids bond with certain teachers better than others. Almost every character is a stereotype, but they all have distinct personalities and allow the audience to find a little bit of themselves in each of them.
Ned's Declassified is a show unlike any other I've seen. The creator tried to emulate this same style in Big Time Rush, but it simply didn't work as well because this style could only work to specifically capture the mindset of the students and faculty at the manic, colorful, and innocent James K. Polk Middle School, not the cynical world of stardom and the pop music industry. Besides being funny, well written, tightly edited and paced, uniquely presented, and with a lovable cast of characters, it's a show that kids will find relatable (in not immediately obvious ways) and adults can still find thoroughly entertaining. It may be because I'm a crazy person, but this is one of my all time favorite TV shows and I genuinely believe it's one of the best and most underrated sitcoms of all time. Absolutely a 10/10 from me!
