Naturally, Sadie (2005–2007) User Reviews

charming lovely school friends

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 2 March 2017]

Sadie Hawthorne (Charlotte Arnold) is a nature-loving science geek near Toronto. She is trying to navigate high school and new loves with her best friends Margaret Browning-Levesque (Jasmine Richards) and Rain 'Rainbow' Papadakis (Michael D'Ascenzo). Her older brother Hal (Justin Bradley) is annoying. Her parents are well-meaning.

The first season has socially awkward Sadie use her expertise about the natural world to understand her human relationships. It has an earthy unique take on the high school kids show genre. It's lovely. It's charming. The kids are all nice. It has an indie innocence about the material. It's different from the other flashier Disney kids show. The second season and the half-third mostly minimizes the nature aspect to get more in line with every other Disney kids show. The kids remain nice but it does lose the uniqueness of the first season. They even put some makeup on Charlotte. The transition leaves the show a lesser version of itself and does not last for a full third season.

Interesting take on the teen show genre

[blesco-61768 · 7/10 · 24 February 2023]

This show was originally quite groundbreaking when you think about it. It was a show targeted towards girls that featured a young woman interested in science. Along with its diverse cast, this show has a relatively modern feel.

In the first season, plots are centered around some aspect of science such as evolution and natural selection. And the series does a great job at applying scientific concepts to each episode's events. However, the show takes more of a traditional teen show approach beginning in the second season by focusing more on the characters' time in school. Although the show toned down some of the science-related aspects of the show, they do come up from time to time in later seasons. Usually, this comes in the form of narration by Sadie. Because of this, I have to give props to the show for not scrapping its original premise entirely.

Despite the changes to the show's format, it still remained distinct from other shows at the time airing on networks like Disney Channel. While other shows aimed at kids and teens at the time utilized a gimmick such as Phil of the Future and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, this show was more reminiscent of Lizzie McGuire in that it tried to realistically portray the everyday lives of kids and teens at the time. In this way, Naturally Sadie stood out from the crowd and offered a refreshing take in comparison with the typical kids and teen shows of the mid 2000's.

Unique Teen Show

[wdmrose · 9/10 · 24 February 2006]

When I first saw Naturally Sadie I was naturally bored, but I slowly got into it. The show is not Disney's normal real-life-but-exaggerated-which-is-mainly-gags. The show is not centered around a teenage girl who is obsessed with looks, boys, and shopping. The main character, Sadie Harthorn, is quite the opposite. Sadie is into nature and science. In each episode she tries to figure out the strange ways of teenage life by comparing it to animals. Like most Disney Channel shows, this one has two stories going on. One with the main character and one with someone close to the main character, in this show it's usually one of Sadie's two friends. The show does tend to drag on and get boring at parts, but you need to remember that it is not much of a humor show like That's So Raven and Phil of the Future. It certainly is a naturally unique show.

NOW Remodeled and Worth Watching

[cheerqueeen879 · 20 April 2006]

Many people felt that the first season was unworthy of their time and patience and this was well true, NOW however they have fixed it up and made it more teen and less animal planet. Give it ANOTHER chance, PLEASE, you will NOT be sorry!! It is much easier to watch and there's a new romance. GIVE it another shot you WON'T regret it! They have all had a makeover. Sadie still loves her animals, but she has mellowed down, gotten more girly and has a new crush. Margaret has straightened her hair and Rain has gotten his braces taken off. This has made is appeal to wider audiences. I too felt like most of you during the first season but it's like the first season never happened. Give it a fresh start!

this show changed

[teeda4 · 2/10 · 23 October 2008]

when this show first came to Disney, i love it started watching all the time. It quickly became one of my favorite Disney shows ever but this show somehow transformed into something that is disturbing and disappointing.

I do now find any of the second and third season fun, they seem like a re-watch of some teens shows. I hat that garbage. The first season was very unique because it showed Sadie who loved science and animals and creatures. The first season was very entertaining. I mostly don't like the second season because of Ben. He annoys me and pisses the crap outta me. The plot in the second season also sucks and is just awful

Challenging

[aimless-46 · 9/10 · 29 July 2006]

"Naturally Sadie" is very atypical of the current Disney Channel lineup, probably because it is made by a Canadian production company. The Canadian writers have actually managed to create a cerebral children's show, inside a package that is like a blend of 'The Saddle Club" and "Even Stevens".

It probably would be a better fit on Discovery Kids because it is a bit over the head of the standard Disney Channel viewer (at least judging by some of the comments and messages on IMDb). "Zack and Cody", "Hannah Montana", and "Raven" are basically "I Love Lucy" episodes in content (zany slap-slick with little attention to a theme) and much like "The Honeymooners" in their cartoonish production design. So you would not expect many in that audience to connect with something like "Naturally Sadie", which actually has a message as well as a realistic look.

"Naturally Sadie" is really working on three levels. There is a commentary by the title character (Charlotte Arnold-who looks like a younger and shorter Misha Barton) relating the human world to the animal world, this is sometimes a voice-over and other times Sadie looks directly into the camera and talks to viewers. There are the standard teen comedy adventures centering on family and school. Finally, there is the friendship dynamic between Sadie and her two best friends, Margaret Browning-Lesveque (Jasmine Richards) and Rain Papadakis(Michael D'Ascenzo). The writers give each episode a semi-serious theme, often about this friendship dynamic.

"Naturally Sadie" is more like a coming of age feature film than a television show. The nature emphasis is appropriately symbolic of Sadie's growth. Each episode she learns something, gains more perspective, and grows wiser.

With her red hair and freckles, Arnold is effortlessly charming and like the other younger members of the cast has become considerably more polished as the series has progressed. The newest episodes show a nuance and subtlety in her acting that was not there when the series started.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

the first season was great, what happened to the second and third?

[smoove2 · 3/10 · 23 October 2008]

this is an alright show to watch, its not the best nor the worst. I've watched it for a long time and i don't like any of the new stuff. This show has changed into some teen trash and is living much differently. I dislike that crap..i have no IQ why they completely changed the theme of this show. The first season was really enjoyable to watch and is was partly amusing. The 2nd season is just out of this world dumb. I seriously don't know why the writers/directors changed this show up. many more people liked the 1st season better than the 2nd and 3rd. I will only watch the first season of this show from now on, whenever i see a new episode, ill change the f*ckin channel...ya heard me! It gets a 3/10 because i somewhat enjoyed the 1st season but hated the 2nd and 3rd

Great Show!

[starrynightskies-3 · 10/10 · 14 June 2009]

I think its a great show and I'm really sad that people are criticizing it. I think all the seasons are equally as good and they should had made a fourth season. I love how they add bits of humor here and there and show how Sadie herself feels about high school life.

In the second series, Sadie becomes more involved in a typical high school life, but still having a passion for nature and science. Her best friends, Rain and Margaret, are very supportive for her and always giving her advice. Yet they do get caught up in their own dramas once in a while. Overall, I think its a great show and DEFINITELY worth watching.

Naturally, Stupid

[jgcg1155 · 2/10 · 20 January 2006]

The first time I saw a commercial for this show was when my sisters were watching the Kim Possible movie. The commercial showed Sadie and her friend discussing the meaning of the word nothing.It is one of the stupidest commercials I've ever seen. Basically, they go back and forth with lines like "Nothing is a thing, so technically nothing is something,". When I saw that, I figured it would be yet another lame Lizzie Maguire knockoff by Disney. But I had no idea how bad.

Fast forward about 3 weeks, when my sister turns on the T.V. Naturally Sadie happened to be on. What I saw had to be one of the most unintentionally funny shows I've ever seen. How'd it go? Something like this:

Sadie, a vegetarian tree hugger, has an incredibly unhealthy,obsessive crush on the very monotone and poorly acted acted out Owen. For some reason, her friend Margret decides that Owen needs to be "tested" to see if he is as good as he seems. What exactly do these tests involve? Well, one thing they do is put a cockroach on her notebook. Why? So that she can be squeamish and ask her monotone knight in shining armor to get it off.How is this a test? Because if he squishes it, he's mean and uncaring and doesn't believe that bugs, as Sadie puts it, "are innocent animals too,". THEY SPREAD DISEASE AND PESTILANCE! THEY DESERVE TO BE SQUISHED! But of course, Owen just brushes it out the window, and Sadie is still in love. But that's not all! Margret says he needs to be challenged one more time, on something that "no guy can pass". This one involves shoving scarves down their pants( yes, you read that right)and walking buy him to see if he notices their large butts. Predictably, he doesn't notice, and we see Sadie in her bizarre and strange notebook world. Sadie decides that she wants to be with Owen forever,raise a family with him, and as she puts it, "live like wood ducks with their brood,". That's just plain wrong.

Bottom line: This is the strangest, most insane show I've watched. For those who like to make fun of dumb stuff, you'll love it. For anyone else, skip this show.

It's a good show--not like the average Suite Life and That's so raven

[xxduhsohardcorexx · 28 April 2006]

Sadie Hawthorne is a high school student and an aspiring naturalist who loves to study and observe animals and their behavior in their natural environment. Her desire to study and observe is not limited to animals as she attempts to analyze human beings the same way. Sadie soon discovers that this is difficult because behaviorally, we are all unpredictable.

Sadie Hawthorne's life is a weird and wonderful place, full of freaks of nature. After school Sadie does odd jobs for the unusual people in her neighborhood. Sadie's dream is to one day go to the rain forest to study bugs and fungus and weird microbes that devour the entire towns, but until then she'll be making her own personal field guide to life.

THE POINT IS::::Naturally sadie is awesome show.And even though season 2 is not like season 1 it still focuses on plants and animals sometimes.In season 2 she know compares the different animals to the people that surround her and there behavior.Just watch it.It's a great show for preteens and teenagers too!!

Naturally super.

[rachel7949 · 10/10 · 21 June 2006]

I love this show. Although Sadie is a little crazy she is still a normal teenager. I know what putting up with a brother feels like, and the writers really show how frustrating it is to put up with another sibling. I love this show and I Tivo it all the time so I can watch them. Sadly they don't show it very much on Disney channel and I wish they would.

The actors are great. Sadie is so real you can empathize with her and it is really convincing. I really enjoy the situations that the characters are put into, they are so real.

And being a teenager, I must include that Jacob Kraemer is hot! He is one of those characters you love and hate at the same time. He brings so much life into the show. This show has made me laugh out loud numerous times. And I have covered my eyes with a pillow, when I just couldn't imagine how embarrassed Sadie must feel at some parts. I would diffidently recommend this show to anyone from the ages 11-18. I hope I have convinced you to watch and episode or two.

i think that it was just like Lizzie McGuire except that it was worse

[cubabball13 · 1/10 · 12 May 2006]

i think that it was just like Lizzie McGuire except that it was a lot worse than the original. the only thing that is different is that she likes animals and science and all of that geeky stuff. everything else is the same. she likes a guy that she is too nervous to ask out. and later she finds a guy that does like her and she has no clue. i think that people need to quit making that same kind of shows. and another thing that is the same is that it is always thaw the friends are two girls and one guy. don't people think that these things get old and tired and these ideas keep being used over and over and yet they keep using these ideas. but i do know people who watch this show and i know that they like them.

Nice

[JPFabiani · 10/10 · 3 May 2006]

People say it's a remake of Lizzie, but even though it has it's similarities, it's nice and entertaining, Sadie might look like trying to stereotype teenagers but who cares, kids don't think that stuff they just watch it to have fun and sometimes learn in the process, and this show does it. Disney Channel has a little problem with ALL their shows and even they have great ideas and awesome productions acting in some cases need some work so it can look natural. Sadie is OK but improvement in the acting can help the show a little more. Overall the show is OK just try not to fall in the shadow of other shows, try to do what you guys {disney} do best, Entertain.

I liked the first season, hated the second and third seasons

[Floated2 · 3/10 · 23 October 2008]

this show is pretty alright and fun to watch, its a great Disney channel shows and sometimes entertaining.

I really enjoyed the first season but i hated the second and third seasons. This show has completely changed around. In the first season it was more about science and animals, all that is gone now in the season and third season. Its more about her life and dating. Ever since that gay kid (Ben) came along, this show has sucked. The writers took a perfectly good kid show and changed it to a crappy teen comedy. Disney took a turn for the worse. I cant stand to watch the newest episodes anymore, they're all garbage.

I'm impressed

[KristenM90 · 9/10 · 13 July 2007]

This show is a typical teen show, with some great modifications. Sadie is a nature freak, but she doesn't make it the focal point of her image. She's smart, sociable and funny. Her friends aren't annoying stereotypes, like the geeky guy friend who's secretly in love with her. Her love interests lay elsewhere, with more typical and less melodramatic results. She has a crush, but it's not life and death. Her inner voice is great, and shows a real voice of reason. Her brother is probably my favorite character. He's actually friendly to his sister, and not an annoying jerk who's constantly ruining her life. He's a goof, and a likable guy. One of my favorite shows lately.

weirdest show on the planet!!!!

[marsbars-2 · 1/10 · 20 October 2007]

When I first saw this show i thought to my self " What is this!!!!!?" Its one of those shows where there is a perfect fake high school world with stupid problems that are considered "huge". Then there's Sadie. This complete misfit for her friends and well her family. Shes completely obsessed with nature not that thats a bad thing but she compares high school students to animals! like what is that!? also they made her another Lizzie Miguire clone ( yeah because the world definitely needs another one of those!) shes also very perfect like most TV girls are which makes me sick! So please this is a stupid show it makes no sense just skip it unless you liked Lizzie McGuire or any other shows like that.

get into Sadie's head

[TVstudentNL · 9 July 2005]

I just saw a couple of episodes of Disneychannel's newest show, and I don't think it's bad at all. It's about Sadie, who is a nature freak (in a good way) and her friends. You get inside her head as she tells you how she handles her social problems. Sadie Hawthorne is a 14-year-old freshman in high school with grades to die for and social skills to run away from. You travel with her through her first weeks in high school as she gets tangled up in all sort of situation that happen to the average freshman girl. I like this show. It's no FRIENDS, but I'm sure that it'll run for a few seasons.

Sadie is a normal girl who just enjoys life the way to comes to her. I love the way you can see her think, literally! You kinda see her head telling you her dilemma's in a picture frame, which is stuck in a scrapbook. It gives quite a cool effect actually! She gets into all sorts of situations that, just like any other disneychannel series, tells you about the do's and don'ts of teenage life. This is a definite watch for the 9- 15 year old!

Really bad

[jetX2 · 1/10 · 23 October 2008]

I do not find this show at all funny. I actually think it is much worse than any of the other terrible Disney channel sit-coms right now. Charlotte Arnold is an interesting choice to play Sadie, because she can't act. The jokes on this show are terribly unfunny, and it makes it even worse when the only cast member that has a little bit (and I mean little bit) of acting talent is Justin Bradley as Sadie's brother Hal. Jasmine Richards and Michael D'Ascenzo portray Sadie's friends. There both really stupid and just terrible actors. Two words that can really describe this show is terribly corny. It's corny humor that only little girls find funny because their brains have not developed yet. Now I've explained my hatred for the acting and the horrible humor, what's next? The whole premise of the show is a stupid idea. She changed again (not so sciencey an Ben-loving) and suddenly nobody recognizes her? It's moronic. In summation, I hate this show, however little girls who do not have a concept of funny will enjoy it, so I guess that's what they're going for over quality. Although i can say as much as, the first season is clearly better than the second.

BOTTOM LINE: JUST DON'T WATCH ANY OF IT.

My rating: Awful show. TV G. 30 mins.

Refreshing teen programming

[emilyBfan · 9 August 2005]

Now, if we all realize that there are a finite number of plots a Teen show can have, it is easy to see that Naturally Sadie (NS) is one of the better shows out there right now. Early teens who "grew up" with Lizzie Macguire will only recognize the similar plots, but viewers who take the long view will see that NS has a fresh take on the teen show. The title character is interested in things other than how she looks or what boys think of her (though there is a boy involved). It took me a few episodes top "get into" NS, but now I recognize it as being the best thing out there in the Jr high category. It is much better than the gimmick-reliant "That is so Raven," and "Phil of the Future." I place it slightly ahead of "Drake and Josh," which is the second best show in this age range.

Naturally Good

[jwhale9382 · 13 September 2005]

I was skeptical about this show when it premiered on the Disney Channel, but in just a few months, I think it is finally starting to catch on. The show centers around Sadie Hawthorne, a high school science buff who specializes in life sciences. The show follows her observations of the unique species of wildlife known commonly as "teenagers."

I love the idea that Sadie compares teenage behavior to animal behavior. It really gives us an interesting view of teenage life that would probably have gone unnoticed.

The show is not as funny as other Disney Channel shows, like Even Stevens, Lizzie McGuire, or That's So Raven, but it's still funny in its own unique way, thanks in part to Sadie's friends, like Hal, Rain and Mallory.

All in all, I hope this show is around for a long time.

Naturally Sadie IS A Great Show

[reddog-12 · 10 July 2005]

I think Sadie is cool and she has some good friends she can depend on when she needs help. She's done some great shows and shows her scrapbook sometimes and gives facts about animals and tips about school problems.I think Rain and Margaret are really nice to Sadie,and I think that's how true friends should act.I really don't think it's a bad show.I think it's worth watching definitely.I think it's cool that Sadie shares a room with Hal and he's nice to her.I think it's cool that Sadie is very interested in all different species of animals.It's so cool that in the show Sadie's friend's name is Rain.I know that it's definitely worth 30 minutes.Actually, I wish it would come on more than it does now.

Adequate Canadian Import... originally.

[Ddey65 · 29 June 2006]

Many in America have unfairly criticized this new Disney Channel TV-series as being yet another "Lizzie McGuire," simply because the show is for and about a girl in her early teens. For the record, I'd like to point out that this is a Canadian TV-show, and that shows like "American Dragon; Jake Long," and "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" don't have preteen girls as main characters at all, even if Brenda Song & Ashley Tisdale outshine the Sprouse Twins.

Charlotte Arnold, who looks more like Emma Taylor-Isherwood of "Strange Days at Blake Holsey High," plays Sadie Hawthore, an aspiring animal, insect, and reptile biologist in her freshman year at R.B. Bennett High School, who thinks the laws that apply to nature apply to the ways of mankind as well. Her best friends, Margaret Browning-Lesveque(Jasmine Richards) and Rain Papadakis(Michael D'Ascenzo) are a fashion queen and an unlucky guy respectively. Her older brother Hal(Justin Bradley), is a standard goof-ball, jerky-idiot sibling with a fledgling rock band. She also has a crush on a boy on the school football team named Owen Anthony(Kyle Kassadjian, who shortened his name), but unlike Lizzie McGuire's Ethan Kraft, and Daria's Kevin Thompson, he actually has a brain under that helmet(Also, Daria didn't have a crush on Kevin).

No, Charlotte Arnold is no Hilary Duff, and while that's not a condemnation of Duff, it's still fine with me. It's also what makes her such a likable character. The show itself was written by those who wrote the Canadian kid's show "Our Hero," but you can easily figure that out by the narration between the scenes. Perhaps fewer Americans have seen those shows and that's why they make a false comparison to Lizzie. And while other children's programming that's shown on both cable television and network affiliates get the "Educational/Informative" label in order to fend off the wrath of anti-media zealots, this one deserves such a label.

When I originally wrote this comment, the show was focused on Sadie's love of nature. In the second season, that primary feature, which is what made both the main character and the show so unique, is slowly being whittled away. Not that this is enough to make me turn away from the show, but I can only hope the natural aspect of it isn't completely forgotten.

It is a bad remake of Lizzie McGuire

[ButtonBelly574 · 13 July 2005]

Get inside her head? Doesn't that sound like Lizzie McGuire? The most popular show to ever hit Disney Channel? I think that Disney is trying to up there ratings by making a show like Lizzie because it was so popular...nice try. I think that maybe this show would work if they had some actors and actress that actually knew how to act. Please help all who watch Disney Channel by giving us something to look forward to besides That so Raven and Phil of the Future. I think we all miss Even Stevens and Lizzie. But i know what happened to Lizzie but what happened to Even Stevens? Try again Disney and stop wasting nice air time with this piece of trash! Naturally Sadie is naturally horrible!

no,no,no this naturally stinks!

[xxallstarfreakxx · 4 November 2005]

I can't believe that Disney channel would ever air a show like this. It has got to be one of the worst like the buzz on Maggie. I think she isn't popular so the show reflects it and other than that it isn't good for teenagers. I do not like how she compares us to animals what is wrong with her? I like to watch that's so raven and the sweet life of Zack and Cody because it's funny not boring like naturally Sadie. I hope it only has one season. It also looks pretty cheap and the actresses and actors don't look in style or pretty. Who would want to watch a show like that? Let me guess, people who are boring and don't have a sense of humor to watch better movies. Well, that's my opinion of this show, who ever says it's good, your not on my buddy list.

The most horrible show for Disney to dish out

[aviatorben · 16 October 2005]

AUGH! I absolutely hate this show with all my heart and soul. I watch it only to see if it will get better, and yet, it doesn't. Even if the show itself doesn't straight-out annoy me, by the end i've been subliminally annoyed to death. The show is full of freaks and bad actors, and Sadie Hawthorne compares every little thing that happens in her life to bugs, animals, arachnids, mammals. A person in her class is a bad swimmer, like a distressed hippo, her friend's boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, like a Mayfly! IT'S ANNOYING! And on week-ends this moves around the time slots of BETTER shows such as Kim Possible, American Dragon: Jake Long, Suite Life of Zack and Cody, etc... This is by far the WORST show for Disney to dish out, even worse then The Buzz on Maggie. I give it a '1'!