Zoey 101

As somebody who grew up on Pete and Pete, Clarissa, Salute Your Shorts, and all the other classic Nick shows, I hold a fond place in my heart for Nickelodeon. But that place has, generally, been reserved for anything before All That appeared. In my (not-so) humble opinion, that's the moment at which the network started to go downhill.

Okay, so Zoey 101 isn't exactly on a level with Pete and Pete. It's got elements of The O.C. in that it's based on upper-class lifestyles. But I'm not going to discriminate against it based on that. Any given show is going to be about a very small slice of society. This one just happens to be an upscale slice.

It's a decent show. It's shot well, so it's visually entertaining -- something I can't say for most Disney and Nick shows. And, though it's classic preteen content, it's spun in a way that stops me from vomiting, as I do watching most other crap being peddled on children these days.

That's saying something. I'm 19 and I can tolerate this show. That's near-glowing praise.