Ready or Not (Canadian TV series) explained

Runtime:26 minutes
Creator:Alyse Rosenberg
Composer:Asher Ettinger
Tony Kosinec
Executive Producer:John Brunton
Barbara Bowlby
Alyse Rosenberg
Num Episodes:65
Num Seasons:5

Ready or Not is a Canadian teen drama television series that aired on the Showtime Movie Channel (April 3, 1993[1] – 1997) and later on The Disney Channel (April 4, 1996[2] – 2000) and Global Television Network for five seasons and 65 episodes between 1993 and 1997 in both Canada and the United States.[3]

The show centred on two adolescent girls and their friendship and coming-of-age, addressing difficult topics like divorce, racism, consent, and body image. In June 2021, it was announced the show is in preliminary development for a reboot series.[4]

Premise

The program follows two teenage girls in the suburbs of Toronto, best friends Amanda Zimm and Elizabeth "Busy" Ramone, throughout life's struggles as well as showcasing the different households they grew up in.[5] [6] Amanda is a Jewish Canadian only child raised by liberal former hippie parents including a mother that was into New Age philosophy and often tried to incorporate it into her parenting. Busy, in contrast, is from a more conservative and traditional Italian Canadian Catholic household with three older brothers. Busy and Amanda's personalities and interests are opposites;[7] while Busy is a tomboy who drums and loves sports, Amanda is a girly girl who is boy crazy and dreams of being a model or actress. The series' five year run begins with the girls in grade 6 and ends with them graduating grade 9.

Cast

Principals

Recurring

Development

In 1988, Alyse Rosenberg wrote a pilot for a show based on her own experience of wearing a bra to school for the first time,[8] saying, "I wrote the series so kids wouldn’t feel so alone. Adolescence is such an incredible period of life. It makes or breaks the sense of self". Two years later, Global Television Network showed interest in her pilot and agreed to produce it. The series originated as a short film, titled Thirty-Two Double A. Eventually the producers saw that the show had the potential to be popular and turned it into a series. Director and screenwriter Nicole Holofcener’s first professional job was writing for the show.[9]

At the time of Ready or Not's original run, there were few shows that showed a realistic portrayal of adolescence. Speaking about the lack of programming for teens and pre-teens, Rosenberg said, “Television has a huge effect on teens, especially on girls, who can be made to feel completely inadequate. We are trying to offer alternative ways to navigate the rocky road of adolescence, without being cutesy". As the series creator and executive producer, Rosenberg "wanted to make sure that the show’s situations about real-life issues mirror real-life responses, which don’t always produce the happiest of endings," saying, "The world is not just black and white".

Legacy

Ready or Not gained a cult following for being a rare show that depicted adolescence through the perspectives of two female best friends. Kathleen Newman-Bremang of Refinery29 wrote, “For a very specific demo (older Canadian millennials, mostly women), Ready or Not episodes are seared into our brains like Backstreet Boys lyrics or Spice Girls outfits.” The show was notable for depicting situations ranging from interracial relationships, homophobia,[10] bullying, and peer pressure, “and for not shying away from conversations about sex or the societal expectations associated with it.”[11]

It has been compared to My So-Called Life, another 1990s TV show that dealt with similar topics. Though the show Degrassi is the more well-known Canadian teen TV series, Newman-Bremang argued Ready or Not was at times more adept at “navigating life’s big problems with nuance,” commenting, “teen girls are often portrayed on television as one-note bratty caricatures, but Ready or Not gave us two with depth, and the show treated girlhood mistakes with the levity and gravitas they deserve.”[12] In 1996, Ready or Not won a Gemini Award for best youth series. The show has been said to be in development for a reboot.

Episodes

Season 4 (1996)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date

Season 5 (1997)

Syndication

In the late 1990s, the Disney Channel began airing Ready or Not in syndication. However, certain episodes Disney felt were inappropriate for their audience, such as “Origins of Man” and “Am I Perverted or What?”, were not aired on the network.

International broadcasts

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Heffley . Lynne . 3 April 1993 . TV REVIEWS : Showtime Series Target Older Children . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20131213054249/http://articles.latimes.com/1993-04-03/entertainment/ca-18452_1_chris-cross . 13 December 2013 . 2021-09-14 . Los Angeles Times.
  2. The Disney Channel Magazine, Vol. 14, no. 3 (typo in magazine: should be "no. 2"), April/May 1996: pp. 5, 28, 39.
  3. Web site: Newman-Bremang . Kathleen . 3 April 2020 . 11 Ready Or Not Episodes That Soothed My COVID-19 Anxiety . 2021-09-11 . . en-CA.
  4. Web site: 1 June 2020. Laura Bertram & Lani Billard Reveal 'Ready Or Not' Revival, Talk Guest Star Ryan Gosling EXTENDED. ET Canada. (time index 08:18)
  5. Web site: Griffin . Dominic . 1993-10-25 . Ready or Not . 2021-09-14 . . en-US.
  6. Web site: Mendoza . N.F. . 1994-08-21 . SHOWS FOR YOUNGSTERS AND THEIR PARENTS TOO : 'Ready or Not,' here come the teen years and tough troubles . 2021-09-14 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
  7. Web site: Ready or Not . 2021-09-14 . Insight Productions.
  8. Web site: Chisholm . Patricia . 17 June 1996 . Ready to Educate and Entertain Young Teens . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210914072134/https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1996/6/17/ready-to-educate-and-entertain-young-teens . September 14, 2021 . 2021-09-14 . Maclean's.
  9. News: Schneller. Johanna. 8 May 2010. Nicole Holofcener still likes to shock. The Globe and Mail. 2021-09-11.
  10. News: Mangan. Jennifer. 20 October 1993. 'Ready or Not' Takes on Homosexuality. Chicago Tribune.
  11. Web site: T. Donahue . Anne . 2020-01-23 . It's been 25 years since My So-Called Life was abruptly cancelled. Could Canadian TV have saved it? . 2021-09-11 . CBC.
  12. Web site: West . Rachel . 2020-06-01 . 'Ready Or Not' Stars Laura Bertram And Lani Billard Reminisce On The Iconic Canadian Series And That Time Ryan Gosling Was A Guest Star . https://web.archive.org/web/20201210022013/https://etcanada.com/news/651424/ready-or-not-stars-laura-bertram-and-lani-billard-reminisce-on-the-iconic-canadian-series-and-that-time-ryan-gosling-was-a-guest-star/ . dead . December 10, 2020 . 2021-09-11 . ET Canada . en-US.
  13. Web site: Ready or Not Release Info . 2021-09-14 . IMDb.

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