"You can't fire Sam!"
— Carly to Brad regarding Sam.
iCarly Saves TV (also known as iCarly Saves Television) is the twenty-third episode of the first season of iCarly. This episode marks the second extended episode behind iPilot, being 27 minutes long instead of the usual 24 minutes.
A big-time TV producer from TVS Records notices that his daughter dislikes his new show, but would rather watch iCarly on the internet, so he decides to make iCarly into a hit TV show. Initially blinded by the extravagance of riding in a limo and of being part of a big TV production, Carly, Sam, and Freddie (with Spencer's permission) agree to the scheme. Freddie is made the "supervising producer" of the show.
Things go well at first with Sam and Carly performing a good show, helped by the addition of a studio band featuring Harper, a very talented teen musician. Things soon begin to turn negative as the producer proceeds to make more and more ill-conceived changes. He adds an obnoxious dinosaur character named Zeebo to the cast, and eliminates Harper's band, then forces Harper to take over the role of Zeebo after Sam beats up the original actor. Ultimately he fires Sam and replaces her with a child superstar named Amber Tate, who turns out to be a complete diva. Freddie, however, has that found his "supervising producer" title qualifies him to act as a "gofer" for the producer. He is forced to do demeaning jobs such as toasting bagels, cleaning out fish tanks, rubbing ice on a man's stomach and bathing Amber's dog, who later throws up on him several times.
Freddie icing a man's stomach as part of his job as a supervising producer.
Carly also threatens to quit and go back to the webcast, only to learn that the studio now owns the iCarly name and the concept. And after another rehearsal where it's clear that Carly and Amber are not getting along, Harper quits and Carly vents out at Amber for taking advantage of Freddie, who then finally quits after they cross the line when he's ordered to plunge a toilet, leaving Carly to take her anger out on the producer for changing the format completely. Fortunately, when Carly reminds him that the show isn't even iCarly anymore, the producer has another brainstorm.
Back at the apartment, Carly, Sam, Spencer, and Freddie watch the first episode of their new teen sitcom. It turns out the producer's idea is to drop the iCarly name and concept completely and go back to his original lame teen sitcom idea from the start of the episode, only now it includes Zeebo and Amber Tate, making the show much worse.
With iCarly back on the web and back the way it's supposed to be, Carly and Sam welcome Harper as a musical guest, who sings a song he wrote for iCarly.
Meanwhile, at home, Mrs. Benson and Spencer try to fill the void by acting like family to each other. Mrs. Benson begins treating Spencer in the same manner as she treats Freddie. Spencer objects at first, until he learns about the sugar-free lollipops and the soothing boo-boo spray she keeps in her industrial-strength first aid kit.
Trivia
The "sweaty guy scene" was cut briefly from the UK iCarly episode.
The bit where Spencer turns to the class and says "guava" is cut from the UK iCarly episode.
It is cut in the U.S too, but it is in the extended version.
This is the first time Carly's name was used in the title.
This episode's original idea was sent in by an iCarly.com user named fox1014.
Harper is the third person on the show to sing on iCarly, after Jake in iLike Jake and the Plain White Tees in the episode, iRue The Day.
In the beginning of the episode, Carly says "Pump Up The Fruit", which appears on Spencer's Penny Tee in iWin a Date.
TVS is a possible spoof of CBS, or maybe TBS in name.
The term "Gofer" was first mentioned as a job on The Muppet Show, where the character Scooter was a gofer: the main idea was that The Muppet Show focused on animals and a gopher was an animal.
Zeebo is a parody of Barney the Dinosaur, but he resembles Godzooky, Godzilla's nephew in the Godzilla TV series made by Hanna-Barbera productions.
The extended version of this episode can be seen on Netflix and on DVD.
The real life show, Full House, is mentioned by a fictional actor who claimed he appeared four times on it and is referenced again in iSam's Mom (by Gunsmoke).
In the opening sequence when the girls are supposed to be pumping the watermelon with compressed air, Carly actually turns the switch on the compressor to the OFF position.
Extended Scenes/Extensions
After the watermelon explodes the first time, they show it in slow motion.
After Spencer says, this is a guava, he says guava one more time and then all the students say it.
An additional scene is added where it shows the gang riding in the limo, but it just shows the limo on the road. Carly first says "This limo is huge!" Followed by Sam saying "I know, this thing would be perfect for the world's fattest priest."(From iWant a World Record). Followed by Freddie saying, "Why are you obsessed with that guy?" Then Sam says, "Whoops looks like my finger's in your nose!" At the end of the scene, Spencer says "Who wants a bite of my guava", with everyone saying no.
Once Mrs. Benson comes in, she starts brushing Freddie's hair.
After Sam says, "We get our band?" Freddie says "Seriously!" Then, Carly and Sam have a little conversation, and then fist bump at the end.
Freddie says, "Yes, good times…" after Harper, Sam and Carly talk about the embarrassing iCarly bit when Sam tied Freddie up.
Brad also says, "Enough chittin' and chattin" before saying "You guys ready for your first rehearsal?"
Right after Brad says, "Why don't you make me a toast with bagel", the end of the scene is extended slightly.
Instead of the screen dissolving in the normal episode to the scene with Spencer, it shows Bushwell Plaza, then it shows the scene instead of just dissolving.
Right after Mrs. Benson leaves to get her sewing machine, Spencer throws the cucumber cups to the ceiling.
Sam is still seen beating up Zeebo a little bit more than in the non-extended version.
Before Harper puts on the Zeebo mask, he says no, saying that it smells like that guy's head.
The Sweaty Guy says "You like Italian food?" to Freddie.
When the first rehearsal with Amber Tate starts, Brad tells Harper to put his Zeebo head on.
Amber Tate says "Did he make your tummy upset?" To her dog, before thumping Freddie.
Amber Tate also says I can thump who I want.
Harper's song is extended a LOT compared to the regular version.
Quotes
Brad: Morgan ... Morgan: Oh, hey, Daddy. Brad: ...What are you doing? Morgan: Watching iCarly online. Brad: Sweetie, I told you, if Daddy doesn't come up with some TV shows people your age like, Daddy's going to get fired, and have no more money. And then you'll starve.
Morgan [to Brad about his TV show]: It's lame, Daddy.
Brad's Boss [mocking Morgan, sarcastic to Brad]: "It's lame, Daddy."
Spencer: This is a guava. [turns to classroom] Guava. [nods his head] Entire class: Guava. [The class starts nodding their heads.]
Freddie: Supervising producer. Mrs. Benson: [to Brad] Is that dangerous? Does it involve anything sharp or pointy? [Brad shakes head]
Sam: And would there be ribs? Brad: Do you like ribs? Sam:[quickly] Very much, yes. Brad: Then there will be ribs. Sam:[To Carly] I think this could be good for us.
Brad: Don't worry about that. We're getting rid of the band completely. Carly: Why? Brad: So we'll have time for more Zeebo! Sam: Why are you so stupid?
Brad: [to Sam] You're fired. Carly and Freddie: What?! Carly: You can't fire Sam! Sam: Whoa, wait, whoa. If you fire me, do I still get paid for the whole week? Brad: Yes. Sam: Later. [walks out eating a rib]
