it was the best of Bynes...

[anamandabynes]

The episode known as “Tankini” was producer Rich Kaplan’s only writing credit for What I Like About You. The show taped October 25, and aired two weeks later on November 8.

Guest star Chelsea Brummet, of Amanda Bynes’ former show “All That”, was the only other Nickelodeon actress to ever appear on the show (although the series would later play into Jennie Garth’s former “Beverly Hills, 90210” past). Brummet would come back to The WB once more as a guest star, in a flashback portraying Lorelai on “Gilmore Girls”.

Whilst What I Like About You was a sitcom on The WB, it’s difficult to emphasise just how much connection it still had with Nickelodeon through its lead. Tollin/Robbins, the production company that made “What I Like About You”, were also the producers of Amanda Bynes’ past Nickelodeon shows, “All That” and “The Amanda Show”, and in fact had a hand in almost all of Bynes’ live action TV appearances (including guest roles on The Nightmare Room, HBO’s Airli$$, as well as her debut movie Big Fat Liar).

The final episode of “The Amanda Show” and Bynes’ guest stint on Season 7 of “All That” aired on Nickelodeon five months before “What I Like About You” premiered.

The same week “What I Like About You” debuted on The WB, Nickelodeon aired a block of brand new "Rugrats" episodes centred around Amanda Bynes as recurring character Taffy (a rarity in Rugrats, which largely consisted of stand alone episodes).

Amanda would continue her streak of Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards wins in 2003 (winning for Favourite Female TV Star and walking on stage to the theme song from “What I Like About You”).

In Canada, "What I Like About You" premiered at the end of September 2002 on YTV, which at that time was essentially Canada’s answer to Nickelodeon (Nickelodeon Canada would launch in 2009, and broadcast reruns of “What I Like About You” in 2013).

"What I Like About You" also aired on Nickelodeon in the UK, Spain, Australia, and several other countries, and when it went into syndication in the US, it aired as part of The N and TeenNick.

[anamandabynes]

Simon Rex as Jeff Campbell

Jennie Garth as Valerie Tyler

[anamandabynes]

Jennie Garth as Valerie Tyler

Simon Rex as Jeff Campbell

[anamandabynes]

Wesley Jonathan as Gary Thorpe

Amanda Bynes as Holly Tyler

[anamandabynes]

The episode known as “Tankini” was producer Rich Kaplan’s only writing credit for What I Like About You. The show taped October 25, and aired two weeks later on November 8.

Guest star Chelsea Brummet, of Amanda Bynes’ former show “All That”, was the only other Nickelodeon actress to ever appear on the show (although the series would later play into Jennie Garth’s former “Beverly Hills, 90210” past). Brummet would come back to The WB once more as a guest star, in a flashback portraying Lorelai on “Gilmore Girls”.

Whilst What I Like About You was a sitcom on The WB, it’s difficult to emphasise just how much connection it still had with Nickelodeon through its lead. Tollin/Robbins, the production company that made “What I Like About You”, were also the producers of Amanda Bynes’ past Nickelodeon shows, “All That” and “The Amanda Show”, and in fact had a hand in almost all of Bynes’ live action TV appearances (including guest roles on The Nightmare Room, HBO’s Airli$$, as well as her debut movie Big Fat Liar).

The final episode of “The Amanda Show” and Bynes’ guest stint on Season 7 of “All That” aired on Nickelodeon five months before “What I Like About You” premiered.

The same week “What I Like About You” debuted on The WB, Nickelodeon aired a block of brand new "Rugrats" episodes centred around Amanda Bynes as recurring character Taffy (a rarity in Rugrats, which largely consisted of stand alone episodes).

Amanda would continue her streak of Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards wins in 2003 (winning for Favourite Female TV Star and walking on stage to the theme song from “What I Like About You”).

In Canada, "What I Like About You" premiered at the end of September 2002 on YTV, which at that time was essentially Canada’s answer to Nickelodeon (Nickelodeon Canada would launch in 2009, and broadcast reruns of “What I Like About You” in 2013).

"What I Like About You" also aired on Nickelodeon in the UK, Spain, Australia, and several other countries, and when it went into syndication in the US, it aired as part of The N and TeenNick.

[anamandabynes]

HBOMax 16:9 Remaster of What I Like About You Season One

“The Parrot Trap”

[anamandabynes]

The sixth episode of What I Like About You taped September 27th and made it clear with its working title, “Holly’s Crush”, that the themes of the series from here on out would focus on relationships, with the next two subsequent episodes also featuring romantic plot-lines.

The script, by Sarah McLaughlin and Lesley Wake, was renamed “The Parrot Trap” shortly before it aired on November 1st, with The WB advertising still focused on the physical comedic appeal of Amanda Bynes, as Holly Tyler.

[anamandabynes]

Wesley Jonathan as Gary Thorpe

[anamandabynes]

Amanda Bynes as Holly Tyler

[anamandabynes]

Amanda Bynes as Holly Tyler

Wesley Jonathan as Gary Thorpe

[anamandabynes]

Amanda Bynes as Holly Tyler

Wesley Jonathan as Gary Thorpe

[anamandabynes]

Amanda Bynes as Holly Tyler

Wesley Jonathan as Gary Thorpe

[anamandabynes]

The sixth episode of What I Like About You taped September 27th and made it clear with its working title, “Holly’s Crush”, that the themes of the series from here on out would focus on relationships. However the script, by Sarah McLaughlin and Lesley Wake, was renamed “The Parrot Trap” shortly before it aired on November 1st, with The WB advertising still focusing on the physical comedic appeal of Amanda Bynes. Pictured above is a print ad that ran in that week’s TV Guide Magazine. The WB also played marketing synergy with the guest cast as J. Mack Slaughter, who played Holly’s crush Kyle, and Megalyn Echikunwoke, who played Gary’s crush Karen, would later go on to star in The WB sitcom “Like Family”.

[anamandabynes]

“Cool Older Sister” taped September 13th, overseen by one of the show’s most prolific directors, Shelley Jensen, from a script written by Stacy Traub (Jensen would go on to direct 41 of the 86 What I Like About You episodes). Pushed back from its originally scheduled airdate, it premiered as the show’s fifth consecutive new episode on October 18, 2002.

The WB would schedule a rerun of “Spa Day” the following week, after announcing on October 16th that What I Like About You was receiving a 22 episode, full season pickup - meaning that, following on from the show’s initial order of 13, an additional order of nine episodes were to be filmed in 2003. This, however, was extended to ten, as the scheduled October 18th taping of a script entitled “The Not-So Super” never went ahead.

Behind the scenes, the show was receiving a shake-up. Amanda Bynes switched up representation and her former agent, Michael Goldman, left his role as co-executive producer on the show. What I Like About You shed its early established template of portraying Holly Tyler as Val’s spontaneously wild sister, prone to accidental-yet-hilarious mishaps. With the introduction of Caryn Lucas as Co-Executive Producer, Holly would take on the role of a more subdued, typical teen, with a heavy focus on boys and dating.

[anamandabynes]

Wesley Jonathan as Gary Thorpe

Amanda Bynes as Holly Tyler

[anamandabynes]

Jennie Garth as Valerie Tyler

Simon Rex as Jeff Campbell

[anamandabynes]

Amanda Bynes as Holly Tyler

Wesley Jonathan as Gary Thorpe