True Jackson, VP



True Jackson, VP is a Nickelodeon Kid Com about 15-year-old True Jackson, played by Keke Palmer who is appointed vice president of youth apparel at the fashion house MadStyle. It was created by Andy Gordon, who executive produced Just Shoot Me and News Radio. Supporting characters include Mr. Madigan (Greg Proops) her kooky boss and CEO of MadStyle; Amanda (Danielle Bisutti), True's bitter rival; Lulu, True's spacey yet brilliant best friend; and Ryan, True's other friend who often disrupts the workplace with his oafishness. There's also her crush Jimmy (Robbie Amell) and camp receptionist Oscar (Ron Butler).

True must deal with all the trappings of the adult workplace; jealous co-workers, deadlines, regular meetings all on top of being a normal teenager attending school. And of course, since this a kids show, wacky hi-jinks ensue when both of her personal and professional life combine.

The show did alright for Nickelodeon, but apparently not up to the standards set by some of the bigger live-action shows on the network. The show ended with 2 seasons and 60 episodes.

This show contains examples of
"Ryan: It's because of that trip to the pond in the third grade where that swan bit me in the...
 * Accidental Kiss: Between Jimmy and True in "The Prototype".
 * Adults Are Useless: Averted, two of the adult characters, Mr. Madigan and Oscar, are actually treated with some modicum of respect and usefulness.
 * Alpha Bitch: To a degree, Amanda. Also, Pinky Turzo and Kyle Sandbox at True's school.
 * An Aesop: Most episodes end this way, with True learning a valuable lesson.
 * Air Vent Passageway: Ryan and Lulu try to escape out of MadStyle's basement through one.
 * Ambiguously Gay: Oscar and single-episode character Simon Christini.
 * Apathetic Teacher: Ms. Park
 * Awesome McCoolname: Ryan's last name is Laserbeam. Also, Kyle Sandbox is the name of True's rival in "The Fifth of Prankuary" and "Class Election".
 * Asian Airhead: Lulu
 * Subverted, since Lulu is shown to actually be really smart, but still acts goofy.
 * As Himself: Justin Bieber and Care Bears on Fire in True Concert, John Cena in Pajama Party.
 * BLAM Episode: Just what was the Trapped in Paris episode?
 * Book Ends: The first episode's end shot before the credits, ends with True outside her door, smiling before closing it marked "Vice President". Last episode ends the same way, except it's marked.
 * Borrowed Catchphrase: Just about every main character uses True's "You said what now?!" throughout the course of the series.
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer: Mr. Madigan, of course.
 * Butt Monkey: Kopelman, for sure, before.
 * Even his nephew gets this treatment, just because he was related to Kopelman.
 * Amanda had become the butt monkey just as much as Kopelman later on, culminating in her.
 * Catch Phrase: "YOU SAID WHAT NOW?!" and "Not even!"
 * Christmas Episode: "Holiday Parade"
 * Clingy Jealous Girl: Lulu, when she's around her boyfriend Mikey J.
 * Closet Geek: True Matchmaker reveals that Amanda and Oscar are secretly fans of "Space Plantation".
 * Cloudcuckoolander: Lulu fits this trope to a T.
 * Dawson Casting: Matt Shively who was 19 playing a 16-year-old isn't too bad, but Robbie Amell is 21, playing Jimmy who while apparently older than True, is still high school aged. And it shows.
 * Easily Forgiven: True is easily forgiven for her mistakes, but to be fair she's usually honest about her mistakes.
 * Evil Laugh: Mr. Madigan in The Fifth of Prankuary: "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to laugh diabolically and back out of the room."
 * Fashion Show: Regularly, even as part of meetings to show of new designs.
 * Freudian Excuse: Amanda was teased relentlessly when she was a teenager, prompting her mean behavior as an adult.
 * Genius Ditz: Lulu.
 * Getting Crap Past the Radar: Oscar, the Ambiguously Gay receptionist wore a "Frankie Says Relax" shirt in the beginning of the "Flirting With Fame" episode, in reference to Stage Gay group Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
 * Averted in this exchange in Keeping Tabs:

Lulu: Backpack?

Ryan: Yeah, I just couldn't think of the word for a second there."


 * Girl Posse: The Pinks, a clique of mean girls led by Pinky Turzo, played by Jennette McCurdy.
 * Grand Finale
 * Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Episodes often times start with the word "True".
 * Kid Com
 * Large Ham: Ryan.
 * Laugh Track
 * Lethal Chef: True.
 * Meaningful Name: Oscar R. Eception.
 * Once an Episode: Kopelman bashing.
 * Only Sane Man: True, for the most part as she's the most level-headed out of the main cast.
 * Playing Hard to Get: Kelsey does this to Ryan.
 * Poorly-Disguised Pilot: "True Mall", an episode that introduces plenty of new characters and is set in Mad Style's store at the mall.
 * Post-Kiss Catatonia: After Jimmy accidentally kisses True. Also doubles as Crowning Moment of Funny.
 * Promotion to Opening Titles: Greg Proops, Ron Butler and Robbie Amell.
 * Running Gag: Several, from True quoting her parents, to Kopelman getting picked on, and Jimmy's fixation on mail and delivering.
 * Sassy Black Woman: True, sometimes.
 * Screwed by the Network: Nickelodeon rarely promoted the show after Victorious premiered, and rarely airs it outside of a new episode. It came to the point that Teen Nick even outright said it was the new home of the show with few episodes left to first-run on Nickelodeon.
 * Shallow Love Interest: Jimmy. We barely know anything about him beyond being Max's nephew, a delivery boy and being True's love interest. He has hobbies, but not much in the personality department.
 * Ship Tease: True and Jimmy. They end up having an Accidental Kiss in "The Prototype" and admit to wanting to be more than friends with each other in "True Valentine", only to be broken up again in the next episode "True Date", due to Mr. Madigan's "no dating employee" policy.
 * The two do finally share a real kiss in "True Kiss" and finally begin the "Timmy" (True and Jimmy) relationship.
 * Shout-Out: According to his astronaut father, Jimmy's real name is Tiberius.
 * Space Western: One exists in the universe called "Space Plantation."
 * Suck E. Cheese's: Snackleberry Junction.
 * Sugar and Ice Personality: Amanda, with the sweet side coming out every so often.
 * Three Amigos: True, Lulu, and Ryan.
 * Triang Relations: Surprising averted with the main three kid characters, each have love interests of their own.
 * Two Girls and a Guy: True, Lulu, and Ryan.
 * Unlimited Wardrobe: Well, it IS a show that takes place in a fashion company.
 * Unresolved Sexual Tension: Mad Style instituted a "no employee dating" rule, thus driving True and Jimmy to put a hold on potential relationship.
 * Vapor Wear: In the episode "Red Carpet", True's top at the Stunty awards has a "headlights" thing going on.
 * Wacky Guy: Ryan.