Paramount+ has announced that a new live-action Fairly OddParents series is coming to the platform, but it is unlikely that Drake Bell will reprise his role as Timmy Turner. Bell starred in all three of the franchise’s live-action films (A Fairly Odd Movie, A Fairly Odd Christmas, and A Fairly Odd Summer), portraying a slightly older version of the perpetually prepubescent protagonist. As of now, it appears he will not be returning for the live-action series.
Fairly OddParents premiered now more than two decades ago, running for 159 episodes from 2001 until its end in 2017. The new live-action series will incorporate elements from the original, including a handful of recurring characters like Cosmo, Wanda, and Jorgen Von Strangle, as well as Fairly OddParents creator Butch Hartman’s return to the franchise following his departure from Nickelodeon in 2018. The series will center around new step-siblings Viv Turner and Roy Ragland, casting Bell and his version of Timmy aside for more reasons than one.
Timmy will appear in the series (if only briefly), this time played by YouTuber Matt Watson. Much like Bell, Watson’s version will be of college age, seemingly attending Princeton University now without his fairy godparents. Although Bell was pushing 30 when he last portrayed the character in 2014, the now 36-year-old actor would be hard-pressed to pass as a college student. Perhaps the new series could have followed Timmy’s own children rather than centering around his cousin, but Bell’s appearance makes him a somewhat unconvincing father figure, and his reputation of late is far from wholesome enough for a Paramount+ TV show.
In 2016, Bell was jailed and placed on a four-year probation for driving under the influence, a crime for which he had been previously charged in 2010. In 2021, Bell was again arrested, this time on a felony charge for attempted endangerment of a child and a misdemeanor charge for disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. Drake Bell pled guilty to both charges and was sentenced to another two years of probation, as well as 200 hours of community service. Although he pled guilty on both accounts, Bell has continued to proclaim his innocence on social media, further tarnishing his already damaged public image and effectively guaranteeing his omission from the new Paramount+ TV series.
Paramount+ has already faced a similar issue with the recent allegations of sexual misconduct against Drake & Josh creator Dan Schneider, but the platform’s decision to continue iCarly without Schneider proved to be what was best for the series. Bell’s recent behavior has made him a liability, and his apparent lack of remorse for his actions makes him decidedly undeserving of such opportunities as this. The new direction that The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder has the potential to breathe life back into the franchise, and the series would be best served without the controversy that an appearance from Bell would bring.
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