Nickelodeon went to Nick-Con status as Disney, Marvel, and other movie studios scaled back their presence at Comic-Con this year.
“The Splat,” dedicated to Nickelodeon’s 1990’s programming, brought reinforcements with cast members of iconic TV shows like “Double Dare,” “Legends of the Hidden Temple,” and “All That” to draw in several generations to their line-up.
My kids loved watching “Legends of the Hidden Temple.” For those of us who enjoyed watching this show with our kids, here’s some good news. A TV movie version of “Legends” is in the works and will feature the original host, Kirk Fogg, and the original voice of Olmec, Dee Bradley Baker. Cool, right?
Nickelodeon Legends of the Hidden Temple
The network’s logo was one of the largest on the expo floor. Familiar characters like “Rugrats,” “Hey Arnold!,” “CatDog,” and “Rocko’s Modern Life” were sprung from the vault to help capture a broader Con audience by pulling the nostalgia-TV card.
Speaking of nostalgia, I sat down for a one-on-one chat with Marc Summers, host of one of Nickelodeon’s most beloved game shows, “Double Dare.”
Summers came to Comic-Con for the first time this year to host a special live show of “Double Dare.” As part of the show’s 30th anniversary celebrations, Summers resumed his hosting duties for the first time in 16 years.
Summers, dressed in a crisp navy blue suit paired with pristine white shoes, sat like a king on a white sofa granting reporters what seemed like a private audience. The room at the Hard Rock Hotel was outfitted with modern white furniture and bright orange walls with Nickelodeon’s logo prominently displayed above Summers’ head.
Marc Summers host of Double Dare at Comic-Con
The Comic-Con newbie was genuinely surprised about the number of people at the convention. “I didn’t know this many people would be here!” said Summers.
The jovial 64 year old grandfather, sounds exactly the same as he did when he hosted “Double Dare.”
I gave Summers my book, “101 Movies,” for his grandchild.
“I drive [Ryan] Seacrest crazy,” said Summers. “He told me during an interview that many actors’ voices change as they get older. But that I still sounded exactly the same.”
A few years back, Summers revealed he had OCD and, later, also had a bout with Cancer. Today, the FoodNetwork host was very happy to return to helm the iconic show.
“‘Double Dare’ put me and Nickelodeon on the map,” said a fit looking Summers.
I asked him about the messy aspect of the physical challenges in the original game show, and if he had one he particularly didn’t like.
“I came up with a few of the challenges. The Nose was my idea. But it has to be the baked beans in the tank,” Summers recalled.
Nickelodeon took over Fluxx Nightclub for the one-night “Double Dare” extravaganza complete with physical challenges. Some of the contestants were none other than the cast of another Nickelodeon show “All That.” Josh Server, Kel Mitchel, Lorie-Beth Denberg, and Danny Tamborelli came to San Diego to participate in the “Double Dare” revival.
Back in the 90’s, it was things like whipped cream and mashed potatoes that contestants had to battle. It was the low-tech quality of the obstacle course that kept kids hooked on the show. Given today’s technology, I asked Summers if he would incorporate more modern physical challenges, maybe even one using Virtual Reality.
“I wouldn’t change a thing,” Summers said. And, in fact, nothing was changed for the live reboot. The only modern twist added to “Double Dare” at Comic-Con was that it was streamed live on Facebook.
Pulling on millennial’s heartstrings, Nickelodeon also put together a special Nick Box for fans to purchase at the booth so they could take back a piece of Nick nostalgia with them. It was fun getting my own box. I haven’t opened it because I’m waiting for my grown kids to be here when I do it.
The Nick Box ($50): an array of exclusive items from The Ren & Stimpy Show (a ceramic glazed Stimpy-molded mug), Rugrats (a 4.5-inch Reptar Vinyl), Rocko’s Modern Life (plush of Spunky), as well as items from Hey Arnold! and CatDog.
If there’s one thing fans of Nickelodeon took away from this year’s Comic-Con, is that the more things change on the TV landscape, the more they stay the same.
Do you or your kids have a favorite show on Nickelodeon?
I loved double dare! Reminds me of my childhood!
Me too! I couldn’t believe I was talking to Marc Summers in the flesh. Those were the good old days!