The Teenagers

The Teenagers is an American animated sitcom created by Jah'Mir Wheeler and Duke O'Riley for the Fox Broadcasting Company that premiered on September 15, 2002. The series was produced by Five Star Entertanment, Warner Bros. Animation, and 20th Television Animation and was animated overseas by Rough Draft Korea. The series centered on a group of six teenagers consisting of Jacob Myles, Daria Lawrence, Mark Wilson, Terrance Jacobs, Josiah Freeway, and Lauria Michaels that go through life in a care-free style.

Wheeler conceived the idea while working as a writer The Simpsons and Sean Santos. While finishing production on Da Jammies, he decided to make an animated sitcom of his own. He teamed up with childhood friend Duke O'Riley to develop a show about a somewhat "normal" life of teenagers.

In 2001, Wheeler and O'Riley pitched a 5-minute pilot to Fox Family, to which they denied, but moved the show to its then sister network, Fox Broadcasting Company.

Plot
The show follows the adventures of six teenagers, Jacob Myles, Daria Lawrence, Mark Wilson, Terrance Jacobs, Josiah Freeway, and Lauria Michaels. The teens live in the fictional small town of Greetopia, North Carolina. The town is also home to an assortment of frequent characters such as students, families, elementary school staff, and other various residents, who tend to regard Greetopia as a small, but quite crazy place to live. Prominent settings on the show include the local high school, various neighborhoods, and the shops and businesses along the town's main street.

Main

 * Jacob Myles (voiced by Thom Adcox-Hernandez) - The leader of the teenagers, and the most confident of the teens. He often starts the episode with the quote "Ya know what?! This never would of happen if (insert random event) didn't happen!". He is also quite cocky and brash, and often lusts after girls much to the other teens dismay. Jacob is Italian-American and of Armenian heritage. Jacob's voice actor, Thom Adcox modeled his performance after his role as Felix the Cat in the first season of The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat.
 * Mark Wilson (voiced by Tom Kenny) - Jacob's best friend and right-hand man. Mark is a timid yet stubborn Jewish-American teenager who is illiterate (which is not revealed until the second season). He is a bit nerdy and develops a crush on Priscilla Pearson, the cheerleading captain.
 * Josiah Freeway (voiced by Chris Rock) - An African-American teenage boy with Dominican heritage who is a bit self-absorbed and fashion-conscious. Josiah often wears flashy and animal print clothes, and he often butts head with Maratia and Missy Davenport over their different ideals of fashion.
 * Terrance Jacobs (voiced by Jah'Mir Wheeler) - An African-American teenage boy who is usually the toughest one of the teens. He's the only one in the group that gets in the most fights, usually at school or in the streets. The teens, along with Cliff and Annette are his only friends. He develops a crush for Annette after the first season.
 * Daria "Dar" Lawrence (voiced by Jeri Lee Meylar) - A Caribbean-French girl with Jamaican heritage who is the oldest of the teens and the most bitter of them all, she speaks with a deadpan French accent. Daria often is seen chewing bubble gum or practicting performing voodoo on small children.
 * Lauria Michaels (voiced by Christel Khalil) - A Brazilian-Japanese girl who can often come as vain and haughty at times due to coming from a wealthy family. Daria is her best friend, and Daria keeps her in check when she acts arrogant and narcissistic.

StudentsEdit

 * Annette Darling (voiced by Jeannie Elias) - One of the teens closest friends, and resident gossiper. Annette speaks with a valley girl accent. She is often seen updating the teens on the latest happenings at the school and the all of the drama and romance.
 * Clifford James "Cliff" Johnson (voiced by Tress MacNeille) - Cliff is another of the teens closest friends, and resident farm boy. Cliff lives on a farm with his sister Bethanie, his mother Johann, and father Cletus. Cliff speaks with a southern accent and loves his pet pig Mildred, and his meemaw Bertha.
 * Maritza Valentine (voiced by Maliaka McCain) - Maritza is one of the members of the Fashion Club, and is a member of the Latin Club. She is a bit of a drama queen and often causes trouble at times.
 * Nicole Yutterman (voiced by Kath Soucie) - One of Greetopia High's goths, and she also has a darkly nihilistic personality.
 * Deidre "Dee" Sampson (voiced by Catherine Cavadini) - A member of the student council in season 1, quickly quitting in season 2 after she was caught smoking marijuana, she is a member of the Peace Club starting in season 4. She is the most well-spoken and mature of the teens. She is also the most intelligent of her schoolmates.
 * Antonio "Tony" Bianchi (voiced by Charlie Adler) - A former member of the goths, who is the president of the drama club, in his downtime, he likes listening to Nirvana. Tony lives in the eastside of Greetopia. He is Italian-American and is the most mature of the teens.
 * Priscilla Pearson (voiced by Sharon Hughsman) - The most richest and popular girl at Greetopia High School and is also the leader of the cheerleading club. She is the most stylish and fashionable of all the girls. She is also very popular with the male students. At first glance, Priscilla may be seen as the stereotypical popular mean girl, but she really is a nice girl at heart. She is often seen sometimes hanging around Jacob and his friends, and getting closer to Mark. Priscilla is often seen around her inner circle of friends that changes from episode to episode. Priscilla, despite being very fashionable is a member of the drama club. The girls in Priscilla's inner circle (not all at once) have included Daria, Regina L., Lauria, Annette, Maritza, Dee, Missy, Maratia, Regina T., Heather, Regina S., Georgia, Brittany, Regina A., Debbie, Taina, LaMarja, Donna, Regina H., Charlotte, Kallie, Lonnie, and Clarice. These members change: they have been added and dropped over the course of the series (with the exceptions of Daria, Maritza, Dee, Annette, Lauria, Missy, Maratia, Regina T., Donna, LaMarja, and Kallie).


 * Andrew Maxwell (voiced by Doug Lawrence) - Another of the goths at Greetopia High. Andrew listens to Nirvana, KISS, and My Chemical Romance. He would often join Daria in praticing voodoo on small children.


 * Jacob "Jake" Johnson (voiced by Jason Marsden) - Jacob is a popular kid, but sometimes he can be a jerk. However, Jacob is kind of a good guy at heart. Jacob is known as the leader of the gang, because of his natural leadership ability. Jake's gang consists of mostly guys and girls.
 * Regina Tevlin-Sacks (voiced by Thalia Ward) - A student at the school who lives a nomadic life. During the first semester, Regina is traveling between different locations in Latin America. She is one of eight girls in the school who are named Regina.
 * Maratia and Missy Davenport (Maratia voiced by Tia Mowry-Hardrict, and Missy voiced by Tamera Mowry-Housley) - African-American twins who are apart of Priscilla's inner circle, and often wear ghetto-fabulous fashion and apart of the Fashion Club, and often hang out with Josiah.
 * LaMarja Hernandez (voiced by Vanessa Marshall) - Most likely the third most popular girl at Greetopia High School is LaMarja Hernandez. She appears to be closest to Maritza, and shares her hate for Daria and Lauria considering them as outcasts.
 * Donna O'Neil (voiced by Pamela Adlon and Laraine Newman) - Taking Greetopia High's spot as the fourth most popular girl is Donna O'Neil. She's been secretly crushing on Jake since fifth grade and vice versa.
 * Maximus "Max" Jordan Campbell (voiced by Tevin Campbell and Donald Faison) - Regina T.'s boyfriend and Greetopia High's football team's captain. He shares his last name with his voice actor Tevin Campbell.
 * Kallie Prince (voiced by Candi Milo) - The fifth-turned-sixth most popular girl at Greetopia High, and a member of Priscilla's inner circle of girls. She's secretly bitter about Daria taking her spot as the fifth most popular girl.
 * Arden Freeman (voiced by Jaleel White) - A sardonic and cynical teenage boy who is the president of the Art Club.

Greetopia High faculty

 * Ms. Patricia "Pat" Remmers (voiced by Laraine Newman) - Greetopia High's science teacher who is often seen on the science club's field trips. She is one of the few teachers that actually understands Daria. Ms. Remmers is very much concerned about Daria's voodoo practices.
 * Mr. Russell Saunders (voiced by Jeff Bennett) - The english teacher and a best-selling author. Saunders is often seen at the school's library reading books and helping the students out at the library. He is often seen in the library by the girls as he is considered "cute".
 * Coach James "Jimmy" Lintisky (voiced by John Ritter) - The male coach at Greetopia High School, who is known for his thin patience and short temper. He does have a soft side. He also has a thing for collecting antiques. In the episode, "It's a Wonderful World", the boys find out that Coach Lintisky had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital, and died at the hospital. The episode It's a Wonderful World, was dedicated to John Ritter, who died of aortic dissection, on September 11, 2003 at the age of 54.
 * Mrs. Jianna DeVoe (voiced by Maliaka McCain) - The home economics teacher at Greetopia High School. Mrs. DeVoe is usually seen in the kitchen making food for the school's food stand. She has a soft spot for Regina T.
 * Ms. Imogene Lawrence (voiced by Cree Summer) - The art teacher at Greetopia High School. She's usually seen making art with her students in her studio. She's always seen to be wearing her beret. Ms. Lawrence is a fan of punk rock. She is related to Daria.
 * Ms. Shaneen Poulakakos (voiced by Nancy Cartwright) - The social studies/history teacher at Greetopia High School. Her last name is very unpronounceable. She is usually seen wearing her beanie and always chewing on a peppermint candy. Ms. Poulakakos is also a fan of punk rock. She even has a punk rock band, X-Candy. She is best friends with Ms. Lawrence.
 * Principal Timothy Rockford (voiced by Charlie Adler) - The principal of Greetopia High School. He is very neurotic, hammy, and often shouts at everyone for no real reason — other than being petty. He seems to have a soft spot for Daria and enjoys her company despite being scared of her.
 * Mr. Benjamin Stebbins (voiced by John DiMaggio) - Mr. Stebbins in Greetopia High's student-hating, psychotic math teacher. He is known for his horrible, short-tempered, and insane personality. He is also known for being very strict and controlling. Sometimes, however, Mr. Stebbins will show a softer side.
 * Sergeant Darrien Jenkins (voiced by Greg Eagles impersonating Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops) - The current gym teacher at the school after Coach Lintisky passed away. Unlike Coach Lintisky, he is less mean to them but still yells at them.
 * Noreen (voiced by Tia Mowry) - A student teacher assistant who is obsessed with polka dots. She has a southern accent.

Episodes
Main Article: List of The Teenagers episodes

Development
Coming soon!

Production
Coming soon!

Writing
After a script is delivered, an episode then gets translated into a storyboard, where feedback is received from Wheeler and O'Riley to the board artists if a certain element, such as a gag, doesn't work. Afterwards, a pitch for the episode is given to the network, where they do a read-through, and then the episode is either checked out by the network, or retooled in the small amount of time allocated before an animation studio must receive something to work with.

Executive Producers
Wheeler and O'Riley serve as executive producers and showrunners of the show during the show's entire run. Sheen Vincent became an executive producer from season 6-present. Antoine Miller became an executive producer starting in season 7.

Animation
The 22-minute animation was animated at Rough Draft Studios in the United States and Rough Draft's Korean sister studio, Rough Draft Korea. Ink-and-paint services were provided by Bardel Entertainment.

Voice cast
While The Teenagers has five main voice cast members, one of them of them being Tom Kenny, has done voices for supporting and background characters.

Like The Simpsons, Family Guy, Jeremy Monroe, The Bad Life of Daniel, and Futurama, many episodes of The Teenagers feature guest voices from a wide range of professions, including actors, entertainers, bands, musicians, and scientists. Many guest-stars voiced supporting characters, although many voiced themselves. Recurring guest stars include Carlos Alazraqui, Billy West, Jodi Benson, Mark Hamill, Grey DeLisle, Richard Steven Horvitz, JoMarie Payton, Sarah Silverman, Jack Black, Corey Burton, Wayne Knight, John Goodman, Richard Kind, Debra Messing, Phil Proctor, Britney Spears, Elijah Wood, Shawn Harrison, Amy Hill, Maurice LaMarche, George Takei, Phil LaMarr, Harland Williams, Ryan Reynolds, Patrick Stewart, Mala Miles, Syo Tortellini, Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, and Dan Fogler. Oddly enough, in a special bonus feature for the first season DVD, an unaired episode had TLC's Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes guest star as herself, this episode was most likely produced before 2002 as with the first half of season one. The episode went unaired following Left Eye's passing, and is planned to air in April, honoring Lopes.

Critical Reception
The series has received positive reviews from both fans and critics alike. Although most episodes are made to be comedic to audiences, the show isn't afraid to cover serious topics, such as drug addiction, smoking, and more. TBA

Awards
Coming soon!

Controversy
Coming soon!

Broadcast

 * Main article: The Teenagers/Broadcast

The Teenagers premiered and aired in the United States on the Fox network from September 15, 2002 – present. Adult Swim carried the series in the US from March 9, 2003, to present day. The syndicated broadcast of the series in the US began in November 2003.

The syndicated versions of the series are edited down version of the original version that aired on UPN, The WB (merged as the CW), local stations, Cartoon Network, and Fox Family.


 * Main article: The Teenagers/Censorship

Books
Coming soon!

Film Adaptation
Main article: The Teenagers Movie

In 2011, Wheeler, Duke O'Riley, and Antoine Miller announced interest in doing a film adaptation of The Teenagers. In 2017, a film adaptation was announced to be in development. The trailer for the movie has been announced to release on July 26, 2022. Wheeler confirmed that The Teenagers Movie would be the canonical series finale, as the show will not be getting a 21st season.

Video Games
Coming soon!

Direct to video movies
The series has received a total of 4 direct-to-video movies spanning from 2005 until 2009

Trivia

 * One episode of The Teenagers titled "Crazed House Party" has been the only episode in the entire show to be rated TV-MA, censored or uncensored, due to the constant drinking and one scene of constant language.
 * The show is usually rated TV-PG/TV-14.
 * Season 1 is the only season in the entire show's run to have the Warner Bros. Family Entertainment logo.
 * The show has gotten into serious topics, such as grooming, teen pregnancy, teen smoking, drug addiction, and racism.