Clarissa Now

Melissa Joan Hart starred in the hit Nickelodeon series Clarissa Explains It All which from for five seasons from 1991 to 1994 totaling 65 episodes. I loved the series when I was in my early teens and SNICK was a big part of my life.

A few years ago I discovered that a spin off pilot called Clarissa Now was filmed and never picked up. Filmed in 1995 for CBS instead of Nickelodeon Clarissa is now in New York City trying to make it as a journalist. I found the episode on YouTube;

Opens with Clarissa talking to the camera excited to be riding the subway in New York City having graduated high school and getting a job at the New York City Chronicle.  

The opening theme is a riff on the Clarissa Explains It All theme with the Nah-nah’s. 

Clarissa’s job is to be the assistant to a burnt out grouchy reporter Hugh Hamilton.  She tries to take the initiative to help him and he shits all over her.  She stands up to him so he writes his daily column about her.  By the end of the episode he’s revealed his heart of gold to her, she also becomes friends with the publisher that everyone else sucks up too.

I thought it was okay, but it was weird seeing her play the same character the same way but in a completely different environment. In a 2015 Huffington Post article Melissa Joan Hart said she didn’t think people would like it as much because it was too different from Clarissa Explains It All. I think she was on to something.

While i was looking this up to write this I discovered that in 2015 show creator Michael Kriegman wrote a book called "Things I Can't Explain" about Clarissa in her 20's and it is a direct sequel to the series. I will have to check this book out.

Until Next Time!