Clarissa Explains It All

Clarissa Explains It All is a teen comedy series that aired on Nickelodeon from 1991 - 1994. The show focuses on the life of Clarissa Darling (Melissa Joan Hart), a teenage girl who has an annoying younger brother, zany parents, and a penchant for expressing herself through her often mismatched clothing. Clarissa spends most of her time planning how to kill her brother, Ferguson Darling (Jason Zimbler), hanging out with her best friend, Sam Anders (Sean O'Neal), and dreaming about driving and dating. Although the show sometimes deals with important issues such as bullying, sex, and partying, Clarissa Explains It All presents such themes in a light-hearted way. Unique for the time, Clarissa would also often break the fourth wall and address the audience directly during each episode. Lasting for four seasons, Clarissa Explains It All stayed on the air longer than Nickelodeon's other original shows in the 90s such as Salute Your Shorts and Welcome Freshmen. Clarissa Explains It All led to more female led shows for Nickelodeon, such as The Secret World of Alex Mack. Although the pilot for a sequel show, Clarissa Now, was filmed, a follow-up series never materialized. Melissa Joan Hart went on to star as Sabrina Spellman in ABC's Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. MORE