Natalie's Backseat Traveling Web Show (partially found Nickelodeon interstitial series; mid-late 1990s)

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NatalieBTWS.jpg

Title card in the series.

Status: Partially Found

Natalie's Backseat Traveling Web Show is an interstitial series that aired on the SNICK block in Nickelodeon in mid to late 1990s[1] with a runtime of 3-4 minutes per episode. While it is currently unknown how many episodes the series has and if the show aired months or years prior due to a lack of available archived sources and mentions, the show was known to have aired around 1997[2]. In addition, the date of when the show was taken off air is currently unknown due to the lack of archived information around the time it aired.

This interstitial series despite being mainly obscure and forgotten about in recent times and generations has been Nickelodeon's first-ever web-oriented and web-show formatted series, pre-dating the rise in popularity of teen shows with web-show-based formats years after in the 2000s, such as Nickelodeon's very own, iCarly. This series is also known to be the earliest archived piece of content that appeared on the official Nickelodeon website (nick.com) in January 1997[1][3].

Premise

This interstitial series follows a preteen girl named Natalie detailing her experiences with her family and pet goldfish's road trip adventures in their blue family Chevrolet Astro van across the United States from Brooklyn, New York to San Fransisco, California[4]. Natalie, while being unenthusiastic about this trip and feeling imprisoned by her parents on this road trip, details her experience in a vlog-type format in the series while also detailing it on her very own blog site which is advertised frequently before and after the series (nick.com/nat)[5]. The series also has a Q&A portion that includes viewers asking Natalie questions, and also has a portion where a different narrator asks a question to the viewers and if won, has an opportunity to be added to '"Natalie's School of Fame" shown at the ending credits of an episode[6].

While the series pilot details that the road trip will only last for 3 months[4], it is unknown if the time it aired for the series was approximately 3 months due to the lack of information.

Blogsite

Natalie's now-defunct website (nick.com/nat) features blog post of Natalie detailing her experience on a particular episode/day[7][8]. Aside from this, the website also offers additional content hyperlinks such as her best friend's (Gus) comic strips[9][10], her pet goldfish's thoughts[11] and other unarchived and defunct content such as their trip map, unexplained phenomena[4], road games[4], and an archive of all past episodes of the web show[7]. The website is programmed by Fusebox Inc.[1] with the website being written by Caitlin McAdoo and additional research by Carmen Morais[1]

Natalie's theme song is also available to be downloaded in the website[12], but is different from what the show uses as the opening theme song[6]

Availability

Aside from this information listed above, not much information around and about the show is known. In addition, the actors and actresses from the series are not even documented.

There have only been two episodes from this series uploaded online and is available to be watched: the pilot/first episode, and the 'Day 43' episode of the series. The former was uploaded by Nickelodeon themselves on the "NickRewind" YouTube channel as a nod to SNICK's 25th anniversary in 2017[4], while the 'Day 43' episode was uploaded by YouTube user "Thecodered145" in 2009. As of March 2024, these are the only two episodes available from this series.

Gallery

The official first/pilot episode for the series, uploaded by NickRewind.

'Day 43' episode of the series, uploaded by Thecodered145.

External Links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The very first official content on the nick.com website which is an advertisement page for Natalie's Backseat Traveling Web Show. Retrieved 27 Mar '24
  2. ↑ Archived 1997 BusinessWeek article mentioning the show. Retrieved 27 Mar '24
  3. ↑ The Rugrats blog site that lists down the history of Nickelodeon websites and channels. Retrieved 27 Mar '24
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Official NickRewind YouTube channel upload of the pilot/first episode of the series. Retrieved 27 Mar '24
  5. ↑ Archived website for nick.com/nat (this URL is redirected to the official Nickelodeon website as well) Retrieved 27 Mar '24
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 TheCodered145's upload of the 'Day 43' episode of Natalie's Backseat Traveling Web Show. Retrieved 27 Mar '24
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 January 26th, 1997's blog detailing Natalie's experience in Week 8's episode: Axle Grease (1/2). Retrieved 27 Mar '24
  8. ↑ January 26th, 1997's blog detailing Natalie's experience in Week 8's episode: Axle Grease (2/2). Retrieved 27 Mar '24
  9. ↑ The only two available Gus comic strips archived (1/2). Retrieved 27 Mar '24
  10. ↑ The only two available Gus comic strips archived (2/2). Retrieved 27 Mar '24
  11. ↑ Archived page for Natalie's goldfish thoughts. Retrieved 27 Mar '24
  12. ↑ Archived audio link for Natalie's theme song. Retrieved 27 Mar '24
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