1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: I guess what will? What's that? So when I was 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: in third grade, cable came into our neighborhood and for 3 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: one glorious summer, my parents got us cable TV, and 4 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: of course we abused the heck out of it. So 5 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: I saw Spaceballs at least twenty times that summer. I 6 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: watched all these old Disney classics on the Disney Channel, 7 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,640 Speaker 1: and best of all, we got Nickelodeon, which just transformed 8 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: our neighborhood. Oh man, I watched so much Nickelodeon during 9 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: the summers. But I'm curious for you, what what? Why 10 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: did you feel like it transformed your summer? I mean, 11 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: this is when you can't do that on television. Was 12 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: on and I just thought it was the funniest show 13 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: in the world. It almost felt like it was written 14 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: by kids, four kids. But Double Dare was really what 15 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:44,240 Speaker 1: caught fire with the other kids in the neighborhood. And 16 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: we didn't know how TV worked, so we just assumed 17 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 1: one day like Double Dare would come to town and 18 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: they'd call us on the phone, and we just have 19 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: to be prepared for that moment. So every day, honestly, 20 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: every day, we'd like quiz each other on trivia questions 21 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: and then we'd like create these ridiculous physical challenges. We 22 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: had a creek behind our house, so we'd get all 23 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: money and like roam through it and we'd like climb 24 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: trees and whatever we could come up with. And uh, 25 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:10,759 Speaker 1: you know, we practiced hard because we knew one day 26 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: that call was going to come and it had to 27 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: so so so did it finally come for you? I mean, 28 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: of course not. You know, that hasn't reduced my enthusiasm 29 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: for Nickelodeon. And today we're talking about everything from the 30 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 1: channel's early history to how it became synonymous with slime, 31 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: to why it really got into the cartoon business. So 32 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: let's dive in. Hey there, podcast listeners, Welcome to Part 33 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as always I'm joined 34 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: by my good friend Manes Ticketer and on the other 35 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: side of the soundproof blasts wearing a spa on recreation 36 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: of quail Man. You know, the Quailman costume from from Doug. 37 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: Of course, that's our friend and producer Tristan McNeil. Now 38 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: you remember quail Man, right mano vaguely. He was the 39 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: kind of the imaginary superhero persona that Doug was always 40 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: doodling in his little journal. You remember this. So I 41 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: like Doug, but I was really more of a hey, 42 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: Arnold guy myself. I'll be honest, I'm with you on that. 43 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: But you know, it's tough to choose a favor from 44 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: so many of the iconic shows from Nickelodeon. The network's 45 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: golden age gave us so many memorable characters. In fact, 46 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 1: I'm not sure if you knew this, but Nickelodeon is 47 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: actually going through a bit of a resurgence right now, 48 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: and that's thanks largely to the nostalgia that people feel 49 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: for those early shows. Yeah, it's funny to me because 50 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: my son was at camp and while they were waiting 51 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: at pick up, like, they were all watching Rocco's Modern Life, 52 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: and I could believe it. It feels like a TV 53 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: show that was so many generations ago. Well, and actually, 54 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 1: if you you look at the Hollywood headlines from recent years, 55 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: I mean it's kind of crazy how many old Nick 56 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: shows are currently set for revivals and reboots. So I 57 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: was just making a list of these. You've got Hey Arnold, 58 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: Rocko's Modern Life, Doubled Air, which is awesome. Clarissa explains, 59 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: it all. Are you afraid of the Dark Invader, zim 60 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: Ren and Stimpy and the Wild Thornberries. I mean, the 61 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: list just goes on and on. Yeah, that's got everything 62 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: on there except Dog for some reason. Yeah, but you 63 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 1: know that that is, of course a notable emission. But 64 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: maybe today's show will drum up some interest and a 65 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: Doug come back. And you know, with Nickelodeon being back 66 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: in the limelight, now feels like a pretty good time 67 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: to take a closer look at the network's history and 68 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: trying to get a sense of what made those Nick 69 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: shows so special in the first place. And also I 70 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: think we both just want to know how they got 71 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: into the slime business to begin with. That's right, But 72 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: I do feel like we're getting a little ahead of 73 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: ourselves because Nickelodeon wasn't always the network that Slime built. 74 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: In fact, in its earliest days, it wasn't even called Nickelodeon. 75 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: Back in the network launched as Pinwheel, which was this 76 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: low budget channel aimed at preschoolers, and this was during 77 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: the earliest days of cable tv, and and then after 78 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: two years of modest success, the network decided to expand 79 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: its audience and in that process is when it was 80 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: rebranded as Nickelodeon, which is I guess that that word 81 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: means kind of like an old movie theater, right, Yeah, 82 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: so I didn't actually realize that like a Nickelodeon was 83 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 1: this pop up small theater. And and the name actually 84 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: comes from a combination of the admission price, which was 85 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 1: obviously just a nickel, and the Greek word for theater. Apparently, 86 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 1: the first of these Nickelodeon's opened in Pittsburgh, and this 87 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 1: was way back in and then they popped up all 88 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: over the country for the next five years or so, 89 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,920 Speaker 1: at least until the larger movie palaces began to replace them. 90 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: And it wasn't something I thought about as a kid. 91 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 1: I just I didn't even know the word came from anything. 92 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 1: But it does feel like a little bit of a 93 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 1: weird name for kids network in hindsight. Yeah, that's true. 94 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 1: And and actually people in general tend to be a 95 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: little confused about the word really means, and that's partly 96 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: because of a popular song from the late forties includes 97 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: the line put another nickel in the nickelodeon, which was 98 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: I guess more of a coin operated jukebox or music 99 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 1: box or piano player. I don't know exactly what it was, 100 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: but there's actually a third meaning to Nickelodeon, which refers 101 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 1: to these old timey movie picture viewers where you turn 102 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,479 Speaker 1: a crank and through like a viewfinder you'd watch a 103 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,559 Speaker 1: short vaudeville act or something. And it's actually that last 104 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 1: one that the network had in mind when they chose 105 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: the name Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon's first logo was a cartoon I'm 106 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: looking into a viewer. I've never seen this before, but 107 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: apparently it was shown as an interstitial between shows, and 108 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: the mind would always turn the crank when the next 109 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: program was about to start. Yeah, and I can't imagine 110 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,040 Speaker 1: the mime logos stuck around for all that long though, 111 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:39,479 Speaker 1: right Like, it feels like a very outdated idea to 112 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 1: even be using a mime in the first place. Yeah, 113 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: it really was, And the network changed logos a few 114 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 1: times in those early years. Eventually they settled on this 115 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: big silver pinball with the name of the channel written 116 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,719 Speaker 1: in rainbow letters, and they stuck with that until the 117 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: iconic orange splat logo hit the scene. And this was 118 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:58,279 Speaker 1: in alright, so everybody can remember that one or everybody 119 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:00,720 Speaker 1: that watched TV in this generation. So, so how did 120 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: that come about exactly? Because it is this strange transition 121 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: to go from mind a pinball to orange slime. I 122 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: wouldn't say it's a very clear cut progression. Yeah, The 123 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,479 Speaker 1: slime actually debuted on the network's first hit show, You 124 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 1: Can't Do That on Television, which we talked about earlier. 125 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: The series had started abroad in ninety nine, but Nickelodeon 126 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: did begin airing it until I Guess one in the US, 127 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: and it featured both scripted and improvised skits with a 128 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: few adults and a rotating cast of teen actors or 129 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: preteen actors actually, and those were the first folks that 130 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: were slimed by Nickelodeon. So if at that point, so 131 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 1: it slime was a recurring part of the sketches, I mean, 132 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: I feel like that would be hard to write in 133 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:43,359 Speaker 1: over and over again. So that's the thing. Apparently, the 134 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: green slime was Roger Price's idea. He was the show's creator, 135 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:48,599 Speaker 1: and he came up with it as kind of a 136 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:50,919 Speaker 1: punishment for whenever one of the kids would say I 137 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: don't know during a sketch. I'm sure you remember that 138 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:55,479 Speaker 1: was a code word to get slimmed. And I always 139 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: thought it was just like a fun joke, but the 140 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: phrase really got on his nerve. And then Price also 141 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: took to dumping water on the actors whenever they said water. 142 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: But that was just because he thought it was funny. 143 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 1: I mean, it was pretty funny. It was always exciting 144 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: as a kid to see this happening. And of course 145 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: would pretend to have these kinds of scenes at home 146 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: where you'd say I don't know and pretend to dump 147 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: slime on each other. But it is funny that he 148 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: came up with this idea just because the phrase got 149 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 1: on his nerves. I mean, it doesn't really sound like 150 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,239 Speaker 1: the type of guy who should be working with kids. Yeah, 151 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: And I think the network was more or less aware 152 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 1: of that, because the show actually had this rule where 153 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: no parents were allowed on set and the kids weren't 154 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 1: allowed to take scripts home with them either. But to 155 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: be fair, when the cast started complaining about how frequently 156 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 1: they were getting slimed and soaked, Price did start paying 157 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: out bonuses of twenty five or fifty dollars for each sliming. 158 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,119 Speaker 1: So these kids, every time they got slimed, they would 159 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: get an extra payment, and it feels like maybe they 160 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: would just start saying I don't know, on purpose, just 161 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: like an extra fifty buck. But it also feels like 162 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: a lot of effort just to keep the whole Slime 163 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 1: gag going. I mean, it was kind of out of necessity. 164 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: What's interesting is that you can't do that on televion, 165 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: and it was pretty much all the network had going 166 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: for it at this point, and even that wasn't enough 167 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: because the channel had lost four million dollars and they 168 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: routinely finished last in ratings among table channels. Wow. I mean, 169 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: it's kind of surprising to look back because that was 170 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: such a popular show that it's hard to remember that 171 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: there was a time where they weren't doing that well. 172 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: So so how did they manage to turn things around? 173 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: So this is so strange, But the thing that actually 174 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: turned it around was the Slime, or at least I 175 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: guess this like wild messy attitude, you know that Slime represents. 176 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: There was no other place on television where kids could 177 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: see themselves acting up right alongside grown ups or playing games, 178 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 1: joking around and of course making a huge mess as well. 179 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: And people at the network took notice of this appeal. 180 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 1: I mean, this sounds dumb, but that summer I was 181 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 1: talking about the reason we all love Nickelodeon so much 182 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:52,839 Speaker 1: was that instead of being something dished out and given 183 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 1: to kids, it actually felt inclusive, like kids were part 184 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: of the process or something, and that it was created 185 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: for you. And honestly, it's it's part of that spirit 186 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 1: that we were trying to tap into. Like at Mental Plus, 187 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: it was super playful without ever talking down and everyone 188 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:11,560 Speaker 1: was welcome. Except now I'm thinking we should have used 189 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: more Slime in the process, and we missed this opportunity. 190 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: But but speaking what you were talking about the logo, 191 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 1: so obviously Slime was the network surprise breakout star from 192 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 1: that show, and and I'm curious, is that where the 193 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: Splat logo comes in. Yeah, So, with the channel struggling overall, 194 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 1: the network president decided to hire a team to overhaul 195 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: the Nickelodeon brand and they decided to use Slime as 196 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: a jumping off point and the first thing to go 197 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:38,080 Speaker 1: was the Pinball logo and to replace it, there was 198 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 1: this designer named Tom Corey. He came up with a 199 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 1: familiar splat logo. He actually saw this as something that 200 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 1: was expressive and flexible and Corey used two colors for 201 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 1: the logo. He used orange and lime green, which basically 202 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: became the networks go to palette from then on. But 203 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,199 Speaker 1: the reason he chose those was because they're both international 204 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: distress colors, so of course he hoped they'd command the 205 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: same attention when were on screen. Okay, I mean it 206 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:03,959 Speaker 1: makes a lot of sense, and I do like his 207 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: point about the flexibility of a logo like that. I mean, 208 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: you know, Nickelodeon was using that pretty literally. When you 209 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 1: remember watching the channel, you'd see all those I guess 210 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 1: those bumpers between shows where that splat logo would come 211 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 1: onto the screen like a sticker and then it would 212 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 1: reform into like a dog bone or a hat or 213 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: a blimp or whatever it was, and it was it 214 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: was just this fun way to communicate the kind of 215 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 1: energy and imagination that you expect from a network like this. Definitely, 216 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 1: And another thing that came out of this rebranding effort 217 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: was the networks association with do Walk Music. So I 218 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: didn't remember this, but prior to Nickelodeon didn't have many 219 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:45,439 Speaker 1: original productions and the only way to communicate that attitude 220 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: and vibe of the network was through these thirty second 221 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: on air promotions. So they've got this flexible logo. Now 222 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,319 Speaker 1: that's super fun, but they also need an audio hook, 223 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: and the folks there look and look, and then some 224 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 1: research shows up that kids actually respond really well to 225 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:02,439 Speaker 1: do you Want music, So that's what they went with. 226 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: Then a couple of animators were brought in, and pretty 227 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: soon Nickelodeon commercial breaks were filled with these uh sneaker 228 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 1: wearing dinosaurs who just danced around to do wop. It's 229 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,440 Speaker 1: weird because I know that's been so long, but I 230 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 1: can remember this so vividly. But I'm curious, though, did it? 231 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:21,320 Speaker 1: Did it work? Yeah? It's really remarkable. Within six months 232 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 1: of rebranding, Nickelodeon had become the number one channel for 233 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 1: children's programming, which was the title that actually held onto 234 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:29,679 Speaker 1: for decades, even the face of all the new competition 235 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 1: from Disney and Cartoon Network and wherever else. I mean 236 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:35,439 Speaker 1: six months that is pretty remarkable, and especially when you 237 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 1: remember that none of the nicktoons existed at this point, right, 238 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: I mean, the network had picked up some I guess 239 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 1: some pre existing cartoons to rebroadcast. There was the days 240 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: where they even had Looney Tune shorts on there the 241 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:49,439 Speaker 1: Danger Mouse Show from England. But you know, if you 242 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,719 Speaker 1: think about original cartoons like rug Rats and Dog, I mean, 243 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: those are still a good ways off because we're still 244 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: talking about the mid eighties at this point, right, That's right, 245 00:11:57,280 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: And most of the success Nickelodeon had prior to the 246 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 1: nineties really was on the creativity of its ad bumpers 247 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: and the appeal of slime. Well, I do want to 248 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 1: get to those nicktoons of the nineties, but first, I 249 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: think we have to talk about Double There. I mean, 250 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:12,320 Speaker 1: we just we just have to talk about Double There 251 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: is big of a part of our childhood as this was, 252 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 1: and it was the first hit the network produced in house. 253 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: But even more importantly, Double There probably slimed more unsuspecting 254 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: kids and parents than any other show in NICK history. Well, 255 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:27,839 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, I'm a huge Double R fan. 256 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 1: I'm still waiting for that call. But before we dive in, 257 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:48,120 Speaker 1: let's take a quick break. You're listening to Part Time 258 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 1: Genius and we're talking all about Nickelodeon. Of course, this 259 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 1: children's media empire built on I guess a sticky foundation 260 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: of slime, you could say. And and speaking of slime, 261 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 1: I don't know about you, Mango, but one thing I've 262 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 1: always wondered while watching Doubledare was what that goopy green 263 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: stuff was actually made of and when If you look online, 264 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: there are a million different recipes for homemade slime, with 265 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,440 Speaker 1: ingredients from like corn syrup to what my kids use of, 266 00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: you know, school glue. But I've always wanted to get 267 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:19,600 Speaker 1: my hands on the real deal, you know, like some 268 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:23,079 Speaker 1: of that professional slime I guess you call it. I mean, 269 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:24,960 Speaker 1: I can't speak for the slime on Double Dare, but 270 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 1: I can tell you that you definitely don't want to 271 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 1: recreate the first slime DApp here on Nickelodeon. And why 272 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 1: is that? Apparently the initial batch of slime for you 273 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:36,080 Speaker 1: can't do that on television was just a mix of 274 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:40,680 Speaker 1: green latex paint and leftover food scraps from the studio cafter, 275 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 1: so it was disgusting. It was refined later to be 276 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,599 Speaker 1: this mix of cream wheat food coloring in baby shampoo, 277 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:51,439 Speaker 1: which is also disgusting, but way better for all the 278 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 1: shows slime dumping needs. And while it's still gross, you know, 279 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:59,319 Speaker 1: it's definitely better than straight up garbage, you know. All 280 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 1: I remember of cream of wheat when I used to 281 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 1: eat it as a kid. Where how tiny those boxes were. 282 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 1: So now I'm imagining them having to get like thousands 283 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,640 Speaker 1: and thousands of tiny cream of wheat boxes just to 284 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:11,960 Speaker 1: make this slime. You know, if you think about, if 285 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: nothing else, it's interesting to trace this evolution of slime 286 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: across the different shows. Like I was reading about some 287 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: of the ingredients that they'd used over the years. I 288 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: read cottage cheese and vegetable oil were also a key 289 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 1: ingredient at one point. And you know, to come back 290 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: to the idea of double dare the host Mark Summers. 291 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: He claims the show's slime was made from vanilla putting, 292 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: apple sauce, oatmeal, green food coloring, and by the third 293 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: day anything else that was on the obstacle course. So 294 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 1: do they really reuse the same bash across multiple days stuff? Yes, 295 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: And and bear in mind when the show was at 296 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: peak production, they were taping like six or seven episodes 297 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 1: a day, So you know, imagine these kids slepting through 298 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:55,880 Speaker 1: these messy obstacle courses covered in that same week old 299 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: apple sauce, as you know, the last contestant had. And 300 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 1: actually I came across a pretty funny story about it 301 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: in this this interview with the show's announcer. His name 302 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: was John Harvey, and here's what he said. You know, 303 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: that tank we filled with styrofoam, peanuts or balloons or 304 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 1: sometimes water in the obstacle course. It was pretty long, 305 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 1: fifteen or twenty ft, and we'd fill it with various crap. 306 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 1: One time we filled it, like, I don't know, a 307 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: third of the way up with baked beans. When you 308 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 1: empty that many baked beans into a tank, you want 309 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: to get your money's worth. So we shot a week's 310 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 1: worth of shows with baked beans at the end of 311 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: the week, shooting day in and day out under hot lights. 312 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 1: It was pretty right. So, I mean, you can just 313 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 1: imagine how gross that view with all the studio lies 314 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 1: just baking all that squishy food beneath it, And you know, 315 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: I feel bad for the contestants, but also just think 316 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 1: about the poor stage hand whose job it was to 317 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 1: empty the tank at the end of the week. That 318 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: just feels so gross. Yeah, I feel way worse for 319 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 1: that person than I would any of the kids, because 320 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: you know, the kids love it. No matter how bad 321 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: it smelled. The worst it smelled, the more excited they were. 322 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: But I am glad that you mentioned this because Robin 323 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: Russo was actually the long suffering stage assistant who had 324 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: to deal with this kind of thing and come up 325 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 1: with ways to clean up after these huge messes. And 326 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: according to her, they actually called in one of those 327 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: big vacuum trucks. Those are the ones that are nicknamed 328 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: honey wagons, and it's what people used to empty things 329 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: like septic tanks and porta potties. And apparently when the 330 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: technician had finished sucking out all those baked beans that 331 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: we were talking about, you know, sucking those through a 332 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: giant hose, what he said that the crew was He 333 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: said it was by far the most disgusting thing he'd 334 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 1: ever had to do, which is probably the highest phrase 335 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:40,400 Speaker 1: you can get on a supergross kids game show. Totally. 336 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: I am curious, though, Like, did you get a sense 337 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: for how Double Dare happened in the first place? Like, 338 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: I know the network had a slew of game show 339 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 1: hits after in the nineties, but Double Dare really felt 340 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: so different from anything before it on TV. Yeah, it 341 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 1: was very different than anything you'd seen before. So game 342 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: shows were never really a staple of children's programming in 343 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 1: the same way that cartoons or variety shows were, And 344 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 1: in fact, the reason Nickelodeon decided to try one of 345 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 1: these out it actually had more to do with corporate 346 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: sponsorship than anything else. So in the mid eighties, the 347 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: network was approached by a production group that had already 348 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: signed nabisco On as a sponsor, and so apparently the 349 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:20,719 Speaker 1: game show slant was really more Nabisco's idea. And so 350 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: as a cookie and snack company, you know, they didn't 351 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:26,360 Speaker 1: have any characters or toys to promote through animated pieces, 352 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:28,320 Speaker 1: so they figured that a game show might actually be 353 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: a better way to get their brands on kids TV. 354 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 1: So did a n Abiscoe come up with the whole 355 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 1: format to like this idea of mixing trivia questions with 356 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:40,240 Speaker 1: crazy physical challenges and all those obstacle courses. Now, I 357 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 1: mean that that all really came from the show's producers. 358 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 1: They happen to be big fans of the board game 359 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:48,439 Speaker 1: mouse Trap and also of Rube Goldberg machines, And actually 360 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:51,879 Speaker 1: that was basically the premise that kicked the whole thing off. 361 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:53,920 Speaker 1: You know, one of them said, wouldn't it be fun 362 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:56,720 Speaker 1: if you made a Rube Goldberg machine, but instead of 363 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:00,119 Speaker 1: a ball, it was a person. I mean, the the 364 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 1: thing that's so associated with Double Dare to me is 365 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: is Mark Summers. Definitely. I don't know. He just seems 366 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:07,879 Speaker 1: like one of those guys who was born to be 367 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 1: a game show host. And obviously I mean that in 368 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:13,280 Speaker 1: the best possible way. Oh absolutely, And I think he 369 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 1: would say the same thing. I mean, the guy had 370 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 1: been a huge game show fan his whole life. His 371 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: first job in l A was actually working on Bob 372 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:24,120 Speaker 1: Barker's old show that was called Truth or Consequences. Plus 373 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:26,919 Speaker 1: the guy is even a member of the Stage Magician's League, 374 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: so you know, he was definitely a performer who knew 375 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: how to build this connection with the audience and you know, 376 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: knew how to keep a show moving along. But you know, 377 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:37,199 Speaker 1: when we're talking about him, there is one aspect of 378 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 1: Summer's background that didn't gel so much with Double Dare. 379 00:18:40,359 --> 00:18:42,679 Speaker 1: I'm guessing you're talking about his O C. D. That 380 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: is exactly what I'm referring to, and the irony of 381 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 1: someone with that condition hosting probably the messiest game show 382 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:53,199 Speaker 1: in the world wasn't lost on the host. In fact 383 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,639 Speaker 1: interview that he did with Oprah a summer set of 384 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:58,960 Speaker 1: the experience. It was like a bad sitcom there. I 385 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,160 Speaker 1: was hosting a tell of vision show where people were 386 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: throwing green buckets of goo on each other and I 387 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:06,399 Speaker 1: was having a good time. But you take what was 388 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 1: going on in that show and multiply it. If you 389 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: watch the first sixty episodes, I never got a drop 390 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 1: on me. The kids would be over there just consumed 391 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:17,680 Speaker 1: and whipped cream and chocolate, and I'd be over here. 392 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 1: And at some point the producers came to me and said, 393 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 1: you know, you really do have to participate as much 394 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: as possible, And to Mark Summer's credit, he totally did 395 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:29,240 Speaker 1: after that. In fact, I don't think Mark Summers ever 396 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: let his aversion to messiness interfere with the fun of 397 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:34,680 Speaker 1: the show, which is probably a big part of the 398 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:37,000 Speaker 1: reason he was brought back to host later incarnations of 399 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 1: the show. And even though he seated his hosting duties 400 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:42,920 Speaker 1: for the two thousand eighteen version of Doubledare, He'll still 401 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:45,720 Speaker 1: be there for every episode as the new announcer. You know, 402 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: I do like that every time it gets brought back, 403 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 1: we can always depend on those two constant Slime and 404 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 1: Mark summers and a giant prop nos for kids to 405 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 1: dig flags out of that too, so I know where 406 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:01,920 Speaker 1: both had to talk about the dawn of Nicktoons in 407 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: the early nineties. But before we do, I actually want 408 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:06,719 Speaker 1: to take this on one more quick tangent about slime, 409 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:11,120 Speaker 1: and in particular, toy slime. So of course, in the nineties, 410 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: Mattel and Nickelodeon teamed up for their own line of 411 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: nick branded slime, and they made a bundle off it 412 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: because the slime later spawned this whole line of sticky 413 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: goops with ridiculous sounding names. You've got ghack, Floam, smud zsand, 414 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:26,880 Speaker 1: which I've never heard of, but it has two z's 415 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,439 Speaker 1: at the start of it for maximum wackiness. I guess 416 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:32,400 Speaker 1: I feel like you made up most of those things 417 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,480 Speaker 1: that I do remember. Ghak, which was it was not 418 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: only gross looking, but it also made this this weird 419 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:40,880 Speaker 1: like farting noise when you squeezed it into the container. 420 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 1: So of course this was a hit with all the kids. 421 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:45,920 Speaker 1: But you know what's kind of messed up about this name. 422 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:49,760 Speaker 1: The name gak actually comes from a slang term for heroin. 423 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 1: Did you know this? I mean, I didn't know that, 424 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 1: but I assume that's coincidental. Yeah, well, apparently the Rowdy 425 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,920 Speaker 1: Double their crew gave it the nickname and somehow sneaked 426 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:02,920 Speaker 1: it by the network. Since that's crazy. So obviously we're 427 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: familiar with some of the slime toys that came out 428 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 1: more recently, but I wanted to take a sec to 429 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: tell you about what's considered the first toy slime as 430 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:14,920 Speaker 1: we know today, and that's Flubber or flying Rubber. Yes, 431 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: and of course we remember this from the absent Minded 432 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 1: Professor movies, and so they made a toy version of it, right. Yeah. 433 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: In in nine, Disney partnered with Hasbro to make something 434 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: that was supposed to be just as stretchy and bouncy 435 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 1: as the on screen counterpart. Obviously that's impossible, but the 436 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:34,680 Speaker 1: whole thing was a disaster. It bounced and it stretched, 437 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:38,159 Speaker 1: but it also caused filicky litis, which I guess is 438 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:41,159 Speaker 1: this infection of the hair follicles. So right after the 439 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:43,560 Speaker 1: toy hit shelves, there were all these cases of kids 440 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:46,440 Speaker 1: getting sick with fevers and sore throats and these full 441 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:50,840 Speaker 1: body rashes and it was horrible. But that's not even 442 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: the worst part. So the company pulls the product from shelves, 443 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:56,399 Speaker 1: and it's at least a decade before another toy company 444 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,159 Speaker 1: even attempts to sell another toy slime again. So I 445 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:01,719 Speaker 1: guess you could say abbertaining the good name of slime 446 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,879 Speaker 1: for an entire generation, and that is just so sad. 447 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:06,919 Speaker 1: But I'm really curious, like, what do you do with 448 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:09,119 Speaker 1: all that extra slime? They just send it off to 449 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:12,160 Speaker 1: the landfill. So that's actually my favorite part of the story. 450 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:16,439 Speaker 1: Hasbro tried to incinerate the stuff, but rather than burning up, 451 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:20,320 Speaker 1: the slime just smoldered and let off this toxic black smoke. 452 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:22,920 Speaker 1: So then they got the coast guard involved to help 453 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:25,320 Speaker 1: them sink the stuff in the ocean, but then it 454 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 1: floated back up to the surface again and they had 455 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 1: to try something else, and in the end, the company 456 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:33,439 Speaker 1: just buried all the remaining tons of unsould flavor and 457 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:35,640 Speaker 1: then they paved over it to make a parking lot 458 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:38,160 Speaker 1: for the new warehouse in Rhode Island, and it's still 459 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:41,040 Speaker 1: in use today. Oh my gosh. All right, well that 460 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: was a pretty good tangent. But I think it's finally 461 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:46,720 Speaker 1: time for us to talk nicktoons. Absolutely, But first let's 462 00:22:46,720 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 1: take a quick break. Okay. Well, so this is gonna 463 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: sound weird, but I have to tell you just one 464 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 1: more thing about Toys Line, and you've got to bear 465 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:11,639 Speaker 1: with me, because I promise this part ties in perfectly 466 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: to the creation of those Nicktoons you wanted to talk about. 467 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:17,680 Speaker 1: All right, well, I'm curious to see how you pull 468 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:20,720 Speaker 1: this off, so so go ahead. Okay. So in the 469 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 1: nineteen eighties, the state of Toys Line was looking grim again, 470 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 1: and rather than being sold on its own merits like 471 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:29,679 Speaker 1: in the glory days of the seventies, Toys Line was 472 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:32,399 Speaker 1: now stuck playing second fiddle to other toys. So if 473 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: you think about it, instead of like buying a little 474 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:37,719 Speaker 1: tub of generic slime and pretending it was toxic waste, 475 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 1: you'd buy he Man play set that you was slime 476 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: into a pit, or maybe you'd have like a Ghostbusters 477 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:46,640 Speaker 1: figure that came with some ectoplasm. And obviously this slime 478 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:48,919 Speaker 1: had to make sense for the toy. But it's interesting 479 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 1: that slime was no longer kind of a big enough 480 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:53,119 Speaker 1: draw on its own, and it had to have some 481 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: kind of franchise pined to it. I mean, I guess 482 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:58,639 Speaker 1: that's kind of set, but but I'm curious, what's the 483 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: connection with with nicktoons? Right, so I'm getting to that 484 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 1: you might remember this, but back in the eighties, Reagan 485 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 1: rolled back the regulations about marketing to children, and that 486 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:11,240 Speaker 1: basically opened the floodgates for all kinds of programming based 487 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 1: directly on toys and games, and this had never been 488 00:24:14,359 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 1: allowed previously. In fact, the shift was so dramatic that 489 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 1: between cartoons that featured licensed characters increased on TV by 490 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:28,239 Speaker 1: about three Oh wow. Alright, So so you're saying that, 491 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:31,239 Speaker 1: just like with toy slime, you couldn't just have a 492 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:34,199 Speaker 1: toy unless it was attached to some side of like 493 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:36,879 Speaker 1: a cartoon character or something. Yeah, that definitely helped and 494 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: the market started going that way. But it was the 495 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:41,919 Speaker 1: other way for cartoon companies to like, like, you wouldn't 496 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: commission a cartoon unless you could build a toy franchise 497 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 1: off of it. And that's exactly why Nickelodeon shied away 498 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:51,479 Speaker 1: from making their own original cartoons during the eighties, Like 499 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:54,280 Speaker 1: they just didn't have the cash to invest in animation 500 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:56,679 Speaker 1: without the money to also produce a toy line to 501 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:01,520 Speaker 1: help make it profitable. All right, Well, so then what change, Well, basically, 502 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,040 Speaker 1: this woman named Vanessa Coffee showed up at the studio 503 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:08,680 Speaker 1: and she started pushing the network to bring back original cartoons. 504 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 1: She'd worked in development at Marvel for nearly a decade 505 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 1: at that point, and she was doing toy line tie 506 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:17,320 Speaker 1: in shows that this was like Transformers or g I Joe. 507 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:20,200 Speaker 1: And for a while she was feeling pretty burnt out 508 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 1: and worried that she might be over animation entirely. But 509 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:26,199 Speaker 1: then it hit her like she still loved telling stories 510 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: through animation. She just hated feeling like all she was 511 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:33,080 Speaker 1: doing was making toy commercials. And so what was Coffee's 512 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 1: roll on on the Nicktoons. She got her start with 513 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 1: Nickelodeon by producing their animated Thanksgiving special, and after that 514 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:41,680 Speaker 1: they hired her as a consultant to hunt down original 515 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 1: ideas for potential shows. And the network still wasn't sold 516 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:47,119 Speaker 1: on the idea of like making their own cartoons, but 517 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 1: they were curious to see what Coffee could come up with, 518 00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:52,199 Speaker 1: and she was eager to show them too, And and 519 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 1: she later said of the experience, quote, it's not even 520 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 1: what Nick needed. I felt like it's what kids needed. 521 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 1: I felt like kids were being sold toys on television, 522 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 1: and there was no emotional depth to anything. It felt 523 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: like there was no substance. I mean, I do kind 524 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 1: of like that this. It feels like this was actually 525 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:12,720 Speaker 1: a labor of love for her. She was basically a 526 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:16,720 Speaker 1: one woman animation department. She was meeting with creators, scouring 527 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 1: literary scene for like promising stories, and and then once 528 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 1: the execs actually saw the pilot she'd been testing, they 529 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 1: made her vice president of animation on the spot. It's 530 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 1: kind of amazing, And her very first task was to 531 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 1: fill a ninety minute time slot with three cartoons and 532 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:36,840 Speaker 1: the series. We're all supposed to debut in August, and 533 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,440 Speaker 1: it's pretty amazing when you see that. You know, those 534 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:44,080 Speaker 1: nicktoons are all legendary, like rug Rats, Doug Ren, and Stimpy. 535 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:46,359 Speaker 1: I mean, she was three for three right out of 536 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 1: the gate. What's also interesting is that the shows are 537 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,880 Speaker 1: rooted in such totally different concepts, and it turns out 538 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 1: that was completely by design. Vanessa Coffee set out to 539 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 1: find shows that would form what she referred to as 540 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: a balanced meal. So us listening to her describe how 541 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:05,120 Speaker 1: should put that initial block of programming together, quote, what's 542 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:07,320 Speaker 1: really good for you? Would be Doug that's kind of 543 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:11,359 Speaker 1: the broccoli that was going to be the emotional, psychological meal. 544 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:13,359 Speaker 1: And then I wanted to have a show that was 545 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 1: spaghetti and meatballs. That's Rugrats. It's really fun to eat 546 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:19,639 Speaker 1: and you get something out of it, but it's not 547 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:23,640 Speaker 1: like vegetables. It's spaghetti and meatballs. And then I want 548 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 1: to dessert that's ren and stimpy, which has no actual 549 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:30,840 Speaker 1: value and there's absolutely nothing good for you in it. 550 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:35,399 Speaker 1: It's just sugar. I mean, I do kind of love that. 551 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 1: I'm not sure that most people would recognize this as broccoli, spaghetti, 552 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:41,199 Speaker 1: meatballs and pure sugar. I don't know how much of 553 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,879 Speaker 1: a balanced meal it actually is, but I mean it 554 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 1: does make a lot of sense, and it seems so 555 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 1: smart in retrospect. And you know, going back to how 556 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:52,119 Speaker 1: distinct these shows were, it's not just that they were 557 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:55,200 Speaker 1: different from each other. I mean they were unlike anything 558 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 1: else on TV at the time. I mean, you know, 559 00:27:57,520 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: not only did they lack that, you know, kind of 560 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 1: common book approach and a toy line or anything like that, 561 00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:06,600 Speaker 1: but the characters they focused on were completely different. I 562 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,639 Speaker 1: mean there was no crime fighting or warring aliens or 563 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:13,359 Speaker 1: robot invaders and instead you just had ordinary kids. I mean, 564 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:16,520 Speaker 1: these were characters the viewers could actually, I don't kind 565 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:19,400 Speaker 1: of kind of see themselves in. Yeah. I mean that's 566 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:21,639 Speaker 1: a great point. And so many cartoons are just about 567 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: pure escapism, and don't get me wrong, I I think 568 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:26,679 Speaker 1: that should always have a place at the table. But 569 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:30,640 Speaker 1: those early nicktoons seemed to offer something so much more substantial. 570 00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:33,960 Speaker 1: Like Doug, for instance, it's about a quiet kid moving 571 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,320 Speaker 1: to a new town and he's dealing with stuff like 572 00:28:36,359 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 1: bullies and school crushes and rug rats, like like, that's 573 00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 1: just a group of toddlers learning to navigate a world 574 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,440 Speaker 1: where everything is strange and confusing and so much bigger 575 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 1: than them. And I don't know, I mean, like everyone 576 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 1: should be able to relate to that. Yeah, And and 577 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 1: granted that's that's not exactly true of Running Stimpy, but 578 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:56,480 Speaker 1: even there, the show's irreverence and and just kind of 579 00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 1: that general anarchist attitude. It's certainly captured a lot of 580 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,280 Speaker 1: what it feels like to be a kid. And the 581 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:03,959 Speaker 1: other thing I liked about rend and Stimpy was when 582 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 1: they'd parody those TV commercials and other real world stuff 583 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:11,120 Speaker 1: that kids were probably just starting to get familiar with Like, 584 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: remember they do those interstitial commercials in the middle of 585 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:16,600 Speaker 1: an episode, and then this announcer would come on and 586 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: try to sell you a great new product called Log 587 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 1: and it was literally just a log, but it was 588 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 1: pitched as this kind of like this landmark new product 589 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:27,920 Speaker 1: that everybody wanted. So I love LOG and I think 590 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 1: I was in seventh grade when I came out, and 591 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:31,480 Speaker 1: I remember we'd always use Log as the name you 592 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:34,320 Speaker 1: entered at the Buling Alley because it was three initials long, 593 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 1: you know, and you just felt clever for referencing it. 594 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 1: But I I do know what you mean about introducing 595 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 1: the world of adults two kids, while also I guess 596 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 1: taking it down to peg you know, like like even 597 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:47,840 Speaker 1: on Doug, which is kind of the most straight lace 598 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:50,920 Speaker 1: of the Nicktoons, you had Doug's neighbor, Mr Dink, who 599 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:54,440 Speaker 1: was just completely obsessed with keeping up appearances, and he 600 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:58,040 Speaker 1: was always showing off latest like very expensive gadget he'd acquired. 601 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 1: I mean, that's a pretty of her lampooning of real 602 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 1: life dads everywhere. But what's sad to me is that 603 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:07,600 Speaker 1: I've read that things are more committee driven at Nickelodeon now, 604 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:09,920 Speaker 1: which is an approach that I guess is more in 605 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:12,200 Speaker 1: line with what the other channels are doing, you know, 606 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:14,600 Speaker 1: if you think about like Disney or Cartoon Network. And 607 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,560 Speaker 1: while it's definitely a safer approach for shareholders from a 608 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:21,440 Speaker 1: creative standpoint, it feels like a step backwards from when 609 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:24,480 Speaker 1: Vanessa was at the Helm right, Like I think part 610 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 1: of what made her approach so special was that she 611 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:30,440 Speaker 1: insisted on working directly with content creators. Like none of 612 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:33,280 Speaker 1: those shows we talked about were fully formed ideas when 613 00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 1: she first came across them. In every case, Coffee worked 614 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 1: closely with the creators to develop something original and original 615 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 1: characters and stories that we feel fresh to kids, and 616 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:46,120 Speaker 1: also capture something that was true about their experience. And 617 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:49,040 Speaker 1: and that's just so different from what networks are doing now. 618 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:51,480 Speaker 1: Like I think Nickelodeon just bought the rights to Ninja 619 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:54,280 Speaker 1: Turtles a few years back. Yeah, and you know, it's 620 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 1: kind of a bomber to see them embracing the toy 621 00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:59,520 Speaker 1: commercial mentality that they really helped buck just a couple 622 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:03,120 Speaker 1: decades ago. I know, But if it's any consolation, hey, 623 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:05,600 Speaker 1: Arnold already had its revival last year in the form 624 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 1: of a new TV movie, and it went over really 625 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 1: well with fans. The original creator and writers came back 626 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 1: and even if you cast members, So if they stick 627 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: to that approach, there's a good shot of more classic 628 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:20,600 Speaker 1: shows stepping into the twenty one century unscathed. Well, we'll 629 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 1: keep our keep our fingers crossed on that. And and 630 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:25,640 Speaker 1: just because I know the Doug revival is bound to 631 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:28,520 Speaker 1: happen sooner or later, I I did want to read 632 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:30,959 Speaker 1: this quote from an Atlantic article on the impact of 633 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 1: those early nicktoons. So if any Nickelodeon producers are listening, 634 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 1: here's something to keep in mind for that Doug reboot. 635 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: And this is compliments of a writer named Spencer Cornhaber, 636 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:43,360 Speaker 1: So here's what he writes today. Doug stands as the 637 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: purest distillation of Nickelodeon's simple, soulful interest in the inner 638 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:50,560 Speaker 1: lives of kids. Like the rest of his generation, Doug 639 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:53,520 Speaker 1: Funny wanted to be different, but wasn't. He wished his 640 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 1: massive nose was smaller. He wished he could dance, He 641 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:59,880 Speaker 1: wished he were smarter. The show constantly portrayed the false 642 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 1: relationship between becoming a better person and becoming a different person. 643 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:07,480 Speaker 1: It grappled again and again with the devastating epiphany of 644 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:10,479 Speaker 1: adolescence that there are things about you that you just 645 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:13,680 Speaker 1: can't change. I mean, I feel like I'm still coming 646 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:15,200 Speaker 1: to terms with all those things, Like I've got a 647 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 1: big nose. I wish I could dance. I wish I 648 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: was smarter. But kudos to Doug to figuring out all 649 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:23,040 Speaker 1: that stuff so soon, and and also for helping so 650 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 1: many other kids figure it out. Yeah, but you dance 651 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 1: so well with your nose. It's just really impressive. All right. Well, 652 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:31,680 Speaker 1: now I feel like we've had our broccoli, and I 653 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:33,920 Speaker 1: think it's time that we skip straight to dessert and 654 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:36,240 Speaker 1: have ourselves a little fact off. What do you think? 655 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 1: I mean? That sounds great to me. You know, Christan 656 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 1: has actually been collecting scraps from the staff kitchen all 657 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 1: week for a bucket of slime. And what do you 658 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:45,280 Speaker 1: say the loser gets soaked. I don't know. I have 659 00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 1: a couple of things in common with Mark Summers, but 660 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:50,640 Speaker 1: but I'm feeling pretty confident, so let's give it a shot. 661 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,000 Speaker 1: So did you know that Susanne Collins that the the 662 00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 1: author of The Hunger Games. She actually started out writing 663 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:07,080 Speaker 1: for a slightly less dark show. Clarissa explains at all. 664 00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:11,280 Speaker 1: That's pretty amazing. Actually, I found a fact about Clarissa 665 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 1: that's great. There was a weird rule on the set 666 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 1: that no one could use purple. And this comes from Slimed, 667 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:20,719 Speaker 1: which is a book about Nickelodeon history, and it was 668 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:24,560 Speaker 1: really a big deal. So Mitchell Kriegman, who created and 669 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:27,240 Speaker 1: produced the series, didn't want it on his set, or 670 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 1: in his office or anywhere. He didn't even want people 671 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 1: wearing it to set. But the funny thing is he 672 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:35,239 Speaker 1: actually didn't have anything against the color purple. And this 673 00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:39,120 Speaker 1: is what he told Slimed. Quote. Clarissa is the first 674 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:41,520 Speaker 1: big show I ever ran. And I had this advice 675 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:43,760 Speaker 1: from an old pro in the business who said, the 676 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:46,000 Speaker 1: first thing you do when you go down there, come 677 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:48,760 Speaker 1: up with something arbitrary that everyone's got to do, and 678 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 1: stick to it and never explain it. But apparently people did, 679 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:55,720 Speaker 1: you know, realize the human and they tried to sneak 680 00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:57,480 Speaker 1: it onto the show a few times just for fun. 681 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:00,040 Speaker 1: That's a pretty great rule. All right, Well, here's a 682 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:04,480 Speaker 1: anything about slime in the creators of Ghostbusters actually threatened 683 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 1: to sue Roger Price. You remember, he was the guy 684 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:08,200 Speaker 1: we were talking about who started you Can't Do That 685 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:11,440 Speaker 1: on television, So they wanted to sue him for stealing 686 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:14,720 Speaker 1: their idea for green slime, but the suit was eventually 687 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:17,080 Speaker 1: dropped once they found out that Price had been sliming 688 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:19,719 Speaker 1: kids for a good five or six years by that point. 689 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:21,759 Speaker 1: I don't know if he was just randomly sliming kids 690 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:24,160 Speaker 1: or what this was, but if anything, they might have 691 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:27,800 Speaker 1: actually taken the idea from him. So, speaking of slime, 692 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:29,880 Speaker 1: did did you know there's a slime ketchup on the 693 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: market right now. It's this thicker, gross green stuff called 694 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:38,160 Speaker 1: slime Sauce, and Nickelodeon and Walmart combined together to put 695 00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:41,520 Speaker 1: it out. It costs about two fifty a bottle. And 696 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:44,360 Speaker 1: I think that's one one idea I'm going to pass on. 697 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:46,840 Speaker 1: But that's pretty funny that it exists. All Well, it 698 00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:49,240 Speaker 1: turns out the rug Rats creators were actually the ones 699 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:53,560 Speaker 1: behind the Simpson's yellow skin and Marge's blue hair. So 700 00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:57,120 Speaker 1: before Arlene Klasky and Gabor Supo worked on rug Rats, 701 00:34:57,360 --> 00:35:00,279 Speaker 1: they actually helped animate the Simpsons. And that's pretty esome. 702 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:03,000 Speaker 1: So I actually have a Simpsons fact too, and Apparently 703 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:06,279 Speaker 1: the creator of Hey Arnold is Matt Greinigg, who's the 704 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:09,799 Speaker 1: Simpsons creator. He's his brother in law. And one bit 705 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:12,440 Speaker 1: of advice he gave him was design characters so that 706 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:15,120 Speaker 1: they can be recognized from a distance or in silhouettes. 707 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:19,239 Speaker 1: And that's actually why Arnold has such a distinctive football head. 708 00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:23,359 Speaker 1: That's pretty good, all right. Well here's a fun one. 709 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:27,000 Speaker 1: John k who designed Renan Stempy, got the idea after 710 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:30,000 Speaker 1: seeing a picture of a Chihuahua in a sweater. Now 711 00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:33,480 Speaker 1: we're always inspired when we see pictures of chihuahua and sweaters. Well, 712 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:35,960 Speaker 1: here's what he said about He said, it's a very 713 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:39,080 Speaker 1: funny picture because here's a psychonic looking monster in a 714 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:43,600 Speaker 1: cute sweater, which basically sums up in that's pretty funny. 715 00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:46,080 Speaker 1: So here's one about dog. Did you know he was 716 00:35:46,120 --> 00:35:50,920 Speaker 1: almost called Brian? Apparently I didn't friendly the creator. I 717 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:54,160 Speaker 1: thought the name was too fancy, so he quote geared 718 00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:57,040 Speaker 1: it down and called him Doug because it sounded quote 719 00:35:57,080 --> 00:36:00,160 Speaker 1: incredibly average. And I like that The name Brian just 720 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:05,240 Speaker 1: sounds to like sophisticated, fancy stuff. You have fancy pants, Brian. 721 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:08,000 Speaker 1: That's uh, that's pretty good. I will say. I love 722 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:10,080 Speaker 1: the idea of starting our show with Tristan's tribute to 723 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:13,319 Speaker 1: Doug and ending with him too, so I feel like 724 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:15,480 Speaker 1: we should leave it there, and I'm going to give 725 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:18,040 Speaker 1: you this week's fact off trophy Mango. I can't wait. 726 00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:20,440 Speaker 1: Thank you so much, and I guess I'll have to 727 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:23,000 Speaker 1: uh to get slim. This is a bummer. But before 728 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:25,320 Speaker 1: I do, I do want to um let our listeners 729 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:27,720 Speaker 1: know we always love hearing fun facts from you guys. 730 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,640 Speaker 1: I know there's some great Nickelodeon stories and some great 731 00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:33,719 Speaker 1: facts that uh we didn't share today, so we'd love 732 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:35,719 Speaker 1: to hear those from You can always email us part 733 00:36:35,719 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 1: Time Genius at how stuff Works dot com, or you 734 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:40,560 Speaker 1: can hit us up on Facebook or Twitter. But as always, 735 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:57,120 Speaker 1: thanks so much for listening. Thanks again for listening. Part 736 00:36:57,120 --> 00:36:59,160 Speaker 1: Time Genius is a production of How Stuff Works and 737 00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:01,799 Speaker 1: wouldn't be possible without several brilliant people who do the 738 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:05,240 Speaker 1: important things we couldn't even begin to understand. Tristan McNeil 739 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 1: does the editing thing. Noel Brown made the theme song 740 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:10,600 Speaker 1: and does the mixy mixy sound thing. Jerry Rowland does 741 00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 1: the exact producer thing. Gay Bluesier is our lead researcher, 742 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:16,680 Speaker 1: with support from the Research Army, including Austin Thompson, Nolan 743 00:37:16,719 --> 00:37:19,000 Speaker 1: Brown and Lucas Adams and Eve Jeff Cook gets the 744 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:21,200 Speaker 1: show to your ears. Good job, Eves. If you like 745 00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 1: what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, And if you 746 00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:25,120 Speaker 1: really really like what you've heard, maybe you could leave 747 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:27,560 Speaker 1: a good review for us. We did. We forget Jason 748 00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:28,480 Speaker 1: Jason who