6teen: Dude of the Living Dead

[StevePulaski]

6teen: Dude of the Living Dead (2005)
Directed by: Karen Lessmann and Gary Hurst

Zombies invade the Galleria Mall in the 6teen TV special Dude of the Living Dead.

Rating: ★★★

Nickelodeon clearly didn't know what they were getting themselves into when they agreed to air the Canadian-animated program 6teen on their network in December 2005 only to nix it less than five months later. Despite a valiant effort to censor such heinous references to homosexuality — which was newly legalized in Canada at the time — and other typical teenage behavior, it proved to be a show that was simply too mature compared to other Nickelodeon cartoons. It saw a home in syndication on Cartoon Network a couple years later, but again, for a limited time.

As such, growing up a fan of the Teletoon program wasn't so easy as an American. Thankfully, all 93 episodes of the series are easily accessible on the internet in the present, and 6teen is a show I frequently revisit for its diverse, dimensional characters. Put pithily, it's a program that operates at the pace of most teenagers: occasionally frantic but otherwise laidback and curious. For Halloween this year, I thought I'd finally watch Dude of the Living Dead, the show's hour-long special that concluded its first season.

Per usual, we are dropped in the middle of the Galleria Mall, where our familiar brand of characters — the ultra-chill Jude (voiced by Christian Potenza), the peppy Caitlin (Brooke D'Orsay), the flirtatious Jonesy (Terry McGurrin), his blunt girlfriend Nikki (Stacey DePass), the athletic Jen (Megan Fahlenbock), and the caffeine-addicted Wyatt (Jess Gibbons) — seek to spend another day of their lives occasionally working but more-often socializing. Slowly but surely, the gang takes note that something's off. The majority of the mall's customers begin turning pale and acting strange, as they've become zombies ostensibly out of the blue. It all comes down to the saving graces of Jude's "suicide sauce," Jen's ghastly zit, and the instruction of Jen's boss, a coach who looks and operates like a drill sergeant.

It's silly, but ultimately enjoyable. Dude of the Living Dead takes cues from the Romero rulebook and applies them to the pacing and attitude of contemporary teenagers who are so consumed with their love-lives and personal trivialities that they hardly notice the undead are walking among them. Kept short at 44 minutes, it's a breezy watch I'm confident would be appreciated even by those unfamiliar with the series.

Voiced by: Christian Potenza, Brooke D'Orsay, Terry McGurrin, Stacey DePass, Megan Fahlenbock, and Jess Gibbons. Directed by: Karen Lessmann and Gary Hurst.