This video is brought to you by my inability
to sleep at night and also NordVPN. I won’t claim that Taina is the most creative,
most innovative, best teen sitcom that ever existed. I won’t claim that it reinvented the wheel
or was a thousand times better than people give it credit for. Though I think a lot of the jokes are still
pretty funny. It may not have been a groundbreaking change
of pace for a Nickelodeon Original in terms of humor but it was, in fact, a culturally
significant TV show whose legacy has persevered in spite of its network and critics all but
snuffing it out. The show followed 15-year-old Taina who attends
a performing arts school in Manhattan. She dreams of being a famous singer and actress, she idolizes the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Christina Aguilera Christina Aguilera and the icon, the GOAT... Selena. Each episode, like most sitcoms, saw her getting
into mostly whacky but sometimes serious situations that would challenge her and bring her closer
to achieving her dream and embracing herself. This is one of those classic Nickelodeon TV
Shows that rarely gets talked about when people look back on Nick’s old programming with
nostalgia-tinted glasses on. Kind of like Animorphs but, you know, Taina
was good. While it was incredibly popular at the time,
between the massive successes of All That and its spinoff The Amanda Show, the introduction
of the Dan Schneider Television Universe... what a can of worms that is. the significance of Taina has been overlooked
by many but not by all. Because for those of us who had a special
affinity for the show, for those of us who saw more than a girl following a dream, it’s
been impossible to forget Taina. Plus, the theme song is honestly the best
teen sitcom theme song. I mean, of course, we've got That's So Raven. Maybe, we can slip “Best of Both Worlds” in there somewhere but Taina is coming out on top for me. Anyway, the show lowkey became the blueprint
for later programs like Disney’s Hannah Montana and Nick’s Victorious. It was created by Maria Perez Brown who made
a major career change in the 90s, going from being a tax lawyer to entering the world of
showrunning and creating two especially iconic children’s programs. The first being Gullah Gullah Island and the
second being Taina. When I make videos like these, I most often
talk about my favorite movies and shows from when I was around 9 or 10. But this time, I have to shout out Ms. Brown
because Gullah Gullah Island was absolutely my shit when I was a toddler. Thank you for that, Maria. Brown had conceptualized the idea for Gullah
Gullah Island and Taina when she was still a lawyer. And she was presented with the perfect opportunity
to share her writing with Geraldine Laybourne, the head of Nickelodeon at the time and responsible
for making the network the top rated 24-hour cable network in the country. When Gullah Gullah Island ended in 1998, after
being showered with praise and a multitude of NAACP Image Awards, Brown was asked if
she had any other ideas. Enter: Taina. Brown had the idea for Taina since 1996 and,
as the decade drew to an end, she tightened up the script and the characters and, soon,
pitched the show to Nickelodeon. By that time, the network was being headed
by Herb Scannell whose time with Nickelodeon saw the release of shows like Spongebob Squarepants,
Dora the Explorer and Avatar: The Last Airbender. At this time, more attention was being paid
to the country’s racial demographics. MH: Do you think it's interesting that the executives right around 2001 were really open and receptive to a show about a Puerto Rican girl from Queens? MPB: Well, you know, there was a lot of statistics. There was a lot of research coming out saying look at the population numbers. Already, people were beginning to understand that Latinos in America was a young population and that it was growing very fast. And so, when you look at those trends if you are a business entity, you have to cater to your audience. If you don't have product that your audience wants, they're going to go find it somewhere else. In 1998, Nickelodeon began to plan shows with
more Latino representation and the result of this would be the release of three shows
on their network. Dora the Explorer in 1999, The Brothers Garcia
in 2000 and, lastly, Taina in 2001. Today, there are only a handful of predominantly Latino lead television programs. It’s very depressing to look at these statistics
and realize that despite it being over twenty years since Nickelodeon began to roll out
these three shows, the television landscape is still lacking in representation. The Brothers Garcia broke ground as the first
English language sitcom to have an all Latino cast and crew. And it’s an amazing show. I’ve rewatched a few episodes recently and
I think a lot of it still holds up. I had such a big crush on Carlos. I didn’t watch Mysterious Skin just because
he was in it but I have to be honest, it was definitely an element, okay? Normally, I don’t like reboots but I’m
looking forward to this one. Taina’s significance also lies in the fact
that it was the first Nickelodeon show lead by a Latina Christina Vidal was 18 years old when she
was cast as the lead. She had already been in a band and had
been acting since she was twelve years old, her first acting credit being her role as
Angie in Life with Mikey, a movie centered on an ex-actor trying to find the next child star. She held her own opposite Michael J Fox. Taina was not only her first time landing
a leading role but it was the first time she was able to showcase her repertoire of talents. A strong performer, a dynamic vocalist and
she had a knack for comedy. Taking on this role proved to be a lot of
responsibility especially at such a young age. Christina’s time on the show would challenge
her personally and professionally and even she has attested that the work she did on
Taina was groundbreaking for both her career and her personal growth. Which project changed your life the most? Taina. It was the first that that I was the lead in anything. And I had that much work to do and that much responsibility. I grew a lot and matured a lot in a very short period of time. The cast also included Latangela as Maritza,
the sort of mean girl diva who’s actually kind of a good friend and has some of the funniest quips. Well, I seem to be a little short on
my $75 Mega Fund fee so I'm willing to let these gorgeous sandals go for the price of the trip? So, let me get this straight. YOU'RE BROKE AND YOU NEED ME TO BAIL YOU OUT BY BUYING THESE SECONDHAND SANDALS FROM YOU?! Khaliah Adams as Renee, an aspiring comedienne
and Taina’s best friend who has the *best* quips* What's the big deal? So, Taina got a love letter in Spanish! Who cares? At least I can read my love letters. That's because you write them yourself. I swear these two were always stealing the show, they were a *delight* Chris Knowings as aspiring writer and director
Lamar and David Oliver Cohen as talented instrumentalist Daniel. The iconic Lisa Lisa of the famous band Lisa
Lisa and the Cult Jam joined on as Gloria, Taina’s mother. From its characters and its setting, the show
was a celebration of the arts but it was also a celebration of dreams in general. When writing the theme song, Maria Perez Brown
said she wanted the lyrics to be aspirational and empowering. Her point in writing Taina was to show children
that they should be vigilant about their dreams no matter what anyone says, that you have
to believe in yourself before anyone else. Taina’s dream could have been that she wanted
to be a chef and the message would have remained. In Episode 1, shortly after beginning at the
Manhattan Arts School, or Manhattan School of Arts? Shit, I really fucked that up, didn't I? Taina is harshly criticized by her acting teacher. But she doesn’t give up because of a little
criticism. She goes back home, learns her lines and gives
a great performance in the end. She also performs her theme song in the hallway
and it’s just such a bop. And as early as episode two, Taina learns
about the importance of friendship and how fame isn’t nearly as important as she initially
thought. I would never leave my best friend on the way to the top. That's not who *I* am. Fame and fortune is nothing without the people you love the most to share it with. Taina wasn’t just about dreams of being
a star and friends getting into wacky situations. It had value. It was about Taina’s identity as a Puerto
Rican American girl who, as Perez Brown so eloquently put it, had her foot in two cultures. My tradition, my language, my voice Gifts passed down to me from the women in my family. “Quinceañero” and “En Español” are
some of the best episodes of the series. In “Quinceañero,” Taina wants to respect
and celebrate her family’s desires for her special day but she also wants to have a say
in how her party unfolds. Her dress, her souvenirs, her chocolate cake,
her music choice. You know I love the way you play but-- But what? Don't worry, Taina. Mrs. Rivera says she's gonna try to get her sister's best friend's baby daddy's cousin to sing for you. I should be able to pick the music for my own quinceañero. And in "En Español," after getting a failing grade on a Spanish test, her Abuelo insists on only speaking Spanish in the house, afraid that she's going to forget her Puerto Rican heritage. Why did you do all this, Abuelo? Because I don't want you to lose the connection to your culture. if you don't write or read your native language, you'll forget where you came from. And when I'm gone, you'll forget me too. Instantly, the show was beloved. It premiered to a lot of enthusiasm and Nickelodeon
immediately saw the value in it. There aren’t many reviews of the show that
are still on the internet but one of the earliest reviews I could find criticized Taina
for not being like The Brothers Garcia. Seriously. They’re two completely different shows with
different characters and different sitcom formats but, sure, they both have Latino characters so let’s compare them, I guess. When people look back on Taina or when they’re
reminded of the show’s existence, it tends to be with the view that it was a small show
that slipped under the radar. But the truth was when Taina premiered, it
got the highest ratings Nick had received in years and by the time the second season
was airing, it had double the viewership it did before. The show was doing extremely well. The reason it was prematurely cancelled wasn’t
because no one was watching it, it wasn’t because of critics, it wasn’t because the
lead wanted to do other things. It was cancelled because Nickelodeon decided
it was too expensive to produce. And it kinda makes sense. The pilot episode was actually shot in Manhattan
while the remaining episodes were filmed at the Orlando studio, one of the last shows to be filmed on that set before it closed down. The show featured guest stars like
3LW, Joe, I wanna know what makes you cry. Lil Romeo and Solange, Shakira Nine? Nine? Nine?! What's wrong? You turn into a pumpkin at nine or what? And Kelly Rowland. and it regularly cut to these extravagant imaginations of Taina wherein she saw her name in lights and performed in front of thousands. So, that meant new songs had to be composed for each episode and a miniature music video had to be shot at different locations. Still, it kinda frustrates me that this is why the
show was cancelled. Still doesn't seem like a good excuse but you know I'm not trying to start anything (I am). I just wish they had just found a way to
trim the budget instead of cancelling it all together. By the time the cast and crew found out about
the cancellation, the writers had already completed the third season and a TV movie. We’ll never know what would have happened
in these episodes, whether Taina achieved her dreams or whether Daniel would have finally
admitted he had a crush on Renee. It’s all lost to the past. So, why did Taina, despite being so culturally
significant and despite being one of Nickelodeon’s most popular programs, fade into obscurity
the way that it did? Because Nick stopped airing it completely
and aside from CBC airing reruns for a brief period, no other network aired it most likely because Nickelodeon never leased the rights to any other network This left even the memories we had of Taina
in a sort of entertainment limbo where, after it was gone, some people forgot it existed
or they remembered it existed but because they never saw the show again, not even for
a rerun, it felt like some sort of fever dream. As of making this video, the series is still
only available on YouTube. At least, someone out there is making sure
Taina lives on. Thanks, Taina Morales. All that said, the people who do remember
Taina have remembered for nearly twenty years. The theme song, Taina’s motivation and how
important it was to see a young Latina leading her own show. In 2019, Maria Perez Brown was interviewed
about Taina’s significance and the question was posed whether a reboot would be in the
works. As much as I don’t like reboots, I think
in the case of Taina, a reboot is warranted. Shows like Friends and Full House and Fresh
Prince (what’s with the F thing?) all had proper endings, maybe they weren’t the endings
people wanted but each show concluded on its own. Taina was cut off before it was given a chance
to expand on its world. Years later, after Nickelodeon asked Dan Schneider
if he could basically remake Taina, Victorious was cancelled but Nick had the good grace
to at least let it live on in reruns. Where Taina not only ended abruptly but never
saw the light of day again until 2016. And that was because of a YouTuber. Taina Season 2 just ended with questions of what would happen next. I used to imagine scenarios for the show,
thinking that Taina would probably have a breakthrough role as the lead in some teen
TV show and she would go to school at the same time and the whole thing would be very
meta. It’d be nice to see where she’d be today
and both Christina Vidal and Maria Perez Brown have their own thoughts. I also like the idea of seeing struggling artists
still holding on to their passion for art so if that would be part of the focus of a
Taina reboot, count me the fuck in. After Taina’s cancellation, The Brothers
Garcia ended two years later. And after that, there wouldn’t be another
Latina lead live action TV show on Nick until Victorious (ironically) And I think everyone hates Tori, I don't know. I've
never seen the show. It's the one where they *all* sing, right? Nickelodeon said the show was too expensive
but three years after Taina’s cancellation, the network okayed the production of Zoey
101 which quickly became the most expensive show on the network. And it was not cancelled ‘cause of expenses but that’s none of my business. There are so many things
that get a second life on the Internet. TikTok brings back songs that may have been
overlooked in the past or gives them another shot at the super popular track they once
were. Netflix does the same for TV shows. When Girlfriends and Moesha were put on the streaming service, I and so many others gleefully rewatched them and eventually new generations caught on to
it for the first time. Rewatching is what continues to make The Office
one of the most popular shows amongst adults and teenagers alike. It would be nice if Taina was put somewhere
where others could see it and celebrate its importance. But until then, I guess we always have Taina Morales. Remember those PSAs in the 90s and aughts
when a disembodied voice lectured people about downloading music illegally? Or warned us about talking to strangers on
the Internet? Or maybe even how our parents told us to never
get into cars with strangers? And now we just do all of that. I know we look back on these and kind of laugh
about how melodramatic some of these PSAs are but there was something they were right
about: the internet *is* dangerous. And I don’t just mean it’s dangerous when
you talk to strangers or download music. It’s dangerous with every little thing you
do. Hell, watching this video is putting you at
risk of getting your data mined. You ever seen Possessor? It’s a documentary about data mining, check
it out. Stay educated, folks. That’s why you shouldn’t surf the internet
without the extra protection of a VPN. It’s like a condom for your privacy. Nord VPN is my favorite VPN because it has
double data encryption which, aside from being able to watched blocked things on Netflix,
has got to be my favorite part about the service. You’re not supposed to double bag condoms
but you can always double bag NordVPN. NordVPN also a no-logs policy which means
they’re not tryna keep your data, that’s your business. And I’m here to offer you a deal. Go to nordvpn.com/yhara or use the code “yhara”
when you check out and you can get a two year plan and a bonus gift for a bargain. So, if you like wearing condoms or not having
your data mined, it’s basically the same thing, go get that deal. nordvpn.com/yhara. Go get it. Or just stop watching the video it’s over. Leave?
