SLIME TIME

 

SLIME TIME
(Syndication, June 11-September 3, 1988)
 
Hunt-Jaffe Productions, O.K.T. Inc.

 

MAIN CAST:
Marty Cohen – Host
Dean Goss – Announcer

  

Nickelodeon struck gold when it debuted its kid-centric game show Double Dare in 1986. Double Dare would pit two teams of two kids against each other by having them win money answering trivia questions. If they didn’t know an answer, or thought the other team didn’t, they could pass it over with a “dare” for double the money. But it could be “double dared” back for four times the money, in which case that dared team either had to answer or take a “physical challenge”. These physical challenges often featured deceptively simple and incredibly messy tasks; like building an ice cream sundae on their partner’s head, popping goop-filled balloons with a needle headpiece, plucking cherries out of gelatin with their mouths, etc. Success won them the money; failure gave it to the opposing team. The team with the most money then went on to an even messier obstacle course for a chance to win up to 8 prizes within a minute.

Slime being dumped on the losing team's teacher.

In the world of entertainment, a success breeds imitators trying to duplicate that success. One of the most blatant copycats was Slime Time; dubbed “the messiest half hour on TV”. Slime Time was played between two teams comprised of three students and a teacher, adorned in either red or blue sweat pants and shirts (the same colors as Double Dare) supplied by Jerzees. The students each had to answer questions and perform stunts with their teams to build up their cash score to $1,000. The first team to do so got to watch the opposing team’s teacher be doused with slime, along with taking home the cash and additional prizes consisting of educational items, musical instruments, various electronics and clothing.

Host Marty Cohen between the two teams as they prepare to get messy with the opening stunt.

Similarly to Double Dare, the show opened up with the two teams performing a stunt that would net the winning team a $25 head start towards their cash goal (Double Dare’s would decide which team would get to answer questions first). After taking their places at their respective podiums and introducing themselves, one student from each team would go up to the host podium to answer a buzz-in toss-up question akin to Family Feud. The correct answer would net $25 and a chance to choose a stunt; but an incorrect answer would give that to the other team. A snafu in the production was that sometimes these questions would be the same ones used during try-outs or practice rounds, accidentally giving anyone paying attention a bit of an edge.

Mr. Slimehead.

Stunts were chosen from a giant ugly head on center stage dubbed “Mr. Slimehead”. The students could pick either eye, ear, or nostril to have a card with the stunt’s description pop out of Mr. Slimehead’s mouth on a slimy tongue. Sometimes the stunt would have a prize attached to it that the team would keep, win or lose. Both teams would then have to perform the prescribed stunt to win another $25 (awarded to both in the event of a tie). These could include “rescuing” a fake spider or bobbing for worms with their mouths by plunging their faces into pie tins of whipped cream and chocolate syrup; the teachers having to carry ice cream sundaes in their mouths across the stage on tricycles so that the students can cover them in whipped cream; putting novelty snakes back in their cans (a stunt seen on Double Dare) with the addition of the teachers’ being made extra slimy with—you guessed it—whipped cream; finding the most “sea creatures” in fish tanks full of murky water and oil; the teachers having to catch and break goop-filled balloons tossed to them with symbols strapped to their arms or through basketball hoops while they wore pin-tipped caps under them; the students smearing peanut butter and sticking the most pieces of bread to their teachers; and more. Any stunt with a time limit was always given 20 seconds.

The teachers under the slime faucet.

After two questions and stunts, the game moved on to round two where the dollar values were doubled and Mr. Slimehead was reloaded with new stunts and nicer prizes. Once time for the round ran out, the game moved on to the final round. Unlike Double Dare’s obstacle course, the final challenge was a series of toss-up questions worth $100 apiece; with wrong answers giving the opposing team the money. Mr. Slimehead was turned around to reveal the slime faucet, under which each teacher stood. The faucet waved back and forth while the students answered their questions. Once $1,000 was reached, the faucet would stop over the losing team’s teacher and dump gallons of slime on them. The winning team got the cash and a large prize package while the losing team got a consolation prize, along with whatever else both teams won along the way.

Gunk-filled balloons being tossed and popped on the teachers' heads.

Slime Time debuted in syndication on June 11^th, 1988; usually paired up with fellow children’s game show Treasure Mall. The series was created by Barry Jaffe and Gary Hunt through their company Hunt-Jaffe Productions in association with O.K.T., Inc. Jaffe also served as the primary writer. Actor, stand-up comic, and frequent game show guest Marty Cohen was the host and opened the show with a bit leading into the first stunt. He was always dressed like a referee. Announcing duties went to Dean Goss, marking his second children’s game show after I’m Telling! Joey Carbone was the series’ composer, with William Harris (who also worked on another Double Dare clone, Fun House) and Fred Duer serving as the art directors and James Hundhausen operating Mr. Slimehead.

Popping goop-filled balloons with arm symbols.

Despite copious amounts of messy shenanigans and going as far as they could to copy Double Dare short of a lawsuit, Slime Time failed to garner the same response as Double Dare. After 13 weeks, it was cancelled along with Treasure Mall and has fallen into relative obscurity save for some video recordings uploaded to YouTube. In a bit of turnabout, Nickelodeon would later produce another game show called Slime Time Live from 2000 to 2004. It initially served as promotion for the launch of the short-lived Double Dare 2000, but ended up far outliving it. The series had nothing to do with the original Slime Time beyond coopting the name and being as messy as possible, reaffirming Nickelodeon’s place as home of the messy kids’ game shows.

REAL SCARY STORIES

 

REAL SCARY STORIES / SCARY…BUT TRUE
(FOX Family, October 21, 2000-March 10, 2001)
 
Highland Entertainment

 

 

MAIN CAST:
Hollie Ralph – Narrator
Patrick Russell – Narrator

 

            Real Scary Stories was a documentary-style series that saw a different group of teenagers from around the country set out to confront an unusual occurrence in their area; from haunted mansions and firehouses to urban legends. The viewers would then follow along as the teens trapsed around spooky locations, being terrified by various sounds or near-encounters.

Exploring the U.S.S. Hornet.

            Created, produced and co-directed by Don Wells through his production company, Highland Entertainment, the series relied on the submissions of real teenagers who have had ghostly encounters or knew of a local legend. Once the production selected the story they wanted to follow, they organized an expedition to bring those teens into a direct encounter with whatever entity was involved; most commonly by having them spend the night in a haunted location or an investigation of an affected area after sunset. Of course, since the supernatural really doesn’t appear on camera on demand, these adventures were often sweetened by clever sound design, specific editing cuts, and intentional camera angles. Supplementing the main action and were interviews with other locals and relatives to add more details to the phenomenon. After the encounter, the teens would gather for a recap of what they just experienced.

Spending the night in a haunted firehouse.

            Real Scary Stories debuted on FOX Family (now Freeform) on October 21, 2000; renamed Scary…But True for international airings. Depending on length, two or three different story segments aired per half-hour episode. Hollie Ralph and Patrick Russell served as the monotone narrators; introducing the scenario and the players involved. The two would alternate turns, generally marked by briefly overlapping and reading the same line together as one faded in and the other faded out in order to create an eerie, otherworldly effect with their voices. Each episode would end with a P.O. Box address that viewers could send submissions to potentially wind up as a future segment. The series was written by Wells along with Michael Koegel, Christopher Manahl and Helen Demeranville.  Music was composed by Shuki Levy, Haim Saban (as Kussa Mahchi), John Majkut and Barry Kolsky.

Strange emanations appear in photographs of Diane.

            After 13 irregularly scheduled episodes, the series ultimately ended up being cancelled in favor of the very similar Scariest Places on Earth, which debuted on the network two days later and featured star power in the form of The Exorcist’s Linda Blair and Poltergeist’s Zelda Rubinstein. Real would remain on the network for a while as a schedule-filler, even after it was taken over by Disney and renamed ABC Family. It last aired during 2002’s 13 Nights of Halloween programming block, but would return for one more time in 2010 on the now-defunct channel Chiller TV under its Scary title. In the years since, almost every episode has found its way to YouTube through fan uploads.

 

 

EPISODE GUIDE:

“Rest in Peace / Haunted Home Video / Green Man Tunnel” (10/21/00) – After buying a new bed from an antique shop, Jason feels a presence in his room. / Heather discovers a ghost on her family’s Christmas tape. / An antisocial figure haunts the train tunnels in a Pennsylvania town.

 

“Cell Block Four / Seacoast Theater Poltergeist” (10/28/00) – Danny explores Eastern State Penitentiary with a team of ghost hunters. / A poltergeist haunts a local theater and causes havoc during the final performances of shows.

 

“Jersey Devil / The Grey Ghost / Ray the Banisher” (11/18/00) – The 13^th generational descendant of the Jersey Devil decides it’s time that they meet. / Four teens investigate the possible haunting of the USS Hornet. / Ray is your average teenager—except he’s able to communicate with the dead. 

 

“Bachelor’s Grove / The Vortex” (11/25/00) – Mark and his classmates investigate the hauntings at Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery. / Ray and his friends see if ghosts remain at the ruins of an exploded munitions factory.

 

“The Haunted Lighthouse / The Altamaha Sea Monster / Martha” (12/2/00) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“Anges, Are You There? / Room 347 / Bodie’s Curse” (11/16/00) – Erin attempts to communicate with the ghost of the woman entombed in her school’s walls. / C.J. returns to the hotel where he once befriended a ghost girl. / Two girls investigate the curse of bad luck that befalls anyone that removes something from the ghost town of Bodie.

 

“Virginia City Dare / 13 Curves” (1/20/01) – Jaena and Chris dare each other to stay in Virgina City’s two most haunted houses until midnight. / Joe sets out to make a documentary about a dangerous stretch of road, complete with a séance led by a psychic.

 

“Gurdon’s Light / Condie’s Ghost” (1/27/01) – Teens investigate the railroad tracks where a railroad foreman was murdered and his headless ghost now roams. / While visiting her friend at college, Sarah discovers that her dormitory is haunted.

 

“McPike Mansion / The Search for Bigfoot / The Haunting of Diane” (2/3/01) – Drew and his friends investigate the ruins of the most haunted mansion in town. / Richie leads an expedition into the woods to try and discover if Bigfoot is really out there. / Diane looks into why strange objects appear around her whenever she’s photographed.

 

“The Lady in Gray / The Deacon” (2/10/01) – Zach plots to make a ghost angry enough to manifest in the library she haunts. / Local kids investigate a ghost known as The Deacon that supposedly watches over the Depreciation Lands Museum.

 

“Lemp Mansion / The Haunted Firehouse / The Winchester Mansion” (2/24/01) – Teens investigate the abandoned home of a family driven to extinction by madness. / Kurt plans to spend a night in the firehouse where a heartbroken fireman killed himself. / Three teens investigate the mansion of Sarah Winchester, designed to keep her safe from the spirits of those killed by Winchester rifles.

 

“The Myrtle Plantation / Manresa Castle” (3/3/01) – Erin and Shalita plan to spend the night at a haunted plantation. / Joey and Kasey spend the night in a castle haunted by the ghost of a priest that committed suicide.

 

“Mansfield Prison / The Ghost of the Inyos” (3/10/01) – Rob and his friends investigate the most haunted prison in the country. / Chareen and Felicia see if the ghost of mass murderer Antoine Benoit is still haunting the Inyo Mountains where he died.

CAKE (2006)

 

CAKE (2006)
(CBS, September 16-December 9, 2006)
 
Brookwell McNamara Entertainment, KOL/AOL for Kids, DiC Entertainment Corporation

 

MAIN CAST:
Christa B. Allen – Cake
Anna Maria Perez de Tagle – Miracle Ross
Keegan McFadden – Benjamin Turner
Emily Everhard – Amy Carson

  

Since the year 2000, CBS’ Saturday morning programming was handled by corporate cousin Nickelodeon following the merger between Viacom and CBS Corporation. 5 years later, Viacom was again split from CBS Corporation into two distinct companies under the ownership of National Amusements. With Nickelodeon no longer under a common umbrella, CBS entered into a partnership with DiC Entertainment to take over their Saturday morning programming. DiC, in turn, partnered with KOL, internet provider America Online’s kid-centered website, to create the KOL Secret Slumber Party programming block.

Amy, Miracle, Cake, and Benjamin.

One of the first three programs launched under the block was Cake, created by Barbara Meyer and Maia Terzian and developed by Kaaren Lee Brown (not to be confused with the 2019 series of the same name). Cake was a how-to sitcom centered on a girl named Cake (Christa B. Allen) who was heavily into fashion and arts and crafts; inspired by her Grandma Crystal who used to design costumes and serve as a roadie for famous rock stars. Along with her best friend Miracle Ross (Anna Maria Pere de Tagle), who also loved fashion and art but was a bit on the materialistic and spoiled side, and young neighborhood girl Amy Carson (Emily Everhard), who was an environmentally-conscious jokester, Cake put on a public-access television show called Cake TV. Handling the camera was their other friend, Benjamin Turner (Keegan McFadden), whose stage fright left him happy to stay behind the scenes. They operated out of Cake’s garage and Crystal’s nearby Airstream travel trailer, which was loaded with supplies from her designing days. Despite other characters being mentioned and often being a factor at the center of an episode’s story, nobody else appeared on the show beyond a photograph of Cake with her mother and grandmother or vocal cameos from the television set.

Glue guns ready!

Cake debuted on CBS on September 16, 2006 with the rest of the Slumber Party block. The series was written by Susie Singer Carter and Don Priess, with Donald F. Roberts, PhD serving as an educational consultant to ensure the series met educational requirements mandated by the FCC. The main theme written by Michael J. Mani and Carter with vocals by Joey Singer, and music by Ron Wasserman. Costumes were designed by Sandy Ampon, CDG, and supervised by Dianne Kennedy, with Tim Wonsik, Raquel L. Jaffe and Stephen Oh as the costumers. The sets were decorated by Lisa De Los Reyes, SDSA.

Amy, Cake and Benjamin out in the yard by Grandma Crystal's trailer.

Each episode began with Cake showing the audience what craft project they’ll be working on later in the episode; such as jazzing up an old purse, creating a custom CD case, or revitalizing old plush toys. That was followed by a standard sitcom plot designed to lead the characters into a need or inspiration for that particular project. For instance, the first episode featured Miracle’s credit card being cut off by her parents for repeatedly going over her limit, leaving her without the ability to get a new dress (which was made for her by Cake) or a gift for a friend’s Bat Mitzvah (which was the mentioned project). For a bit of corporate synergy, one project was inspired by the success of pop group the Slumber Party Girls, the hosts and namesake of the Slumber Party block. The rest of the episode was dedicated to the filming of Cake TV and the craft project. The show would end with the disembodied voice of Cake saying “It’s a piece of cake!”

Amy, Cake and Miracle filming Cake TV.

As for the show-within-a-show, Cake TV featured the girls all wearing shirts with their names in creative lettering and Amy providing their introductions. Cake would then describe the project they’ll be working on. However, before that could begin, they played some stock footage of themselves marching out on the lawn carrying signs that spelt out the acronym “PARTY TIME”. PAR stood for “Permission Always Required”, reminding their viewers that they needed parental supervision and/or permission to use the more dangerous tools like scissors or a hot glue gun (Cake’s favorite). TYT stood for “Take Your Time”, encouraging the organization of materials and proceeding at a casual pace. IME stood for “Imagination Means Everything”, opening up their minds to allow their creativity to flow.  The girls then guided the viewers along on a step-by-step process of what materials they’ll need and what to do so they could follow along with their own craft project.

It's "PARTY TIME"!

Despite being nominated for two Young Artist Awards, winning one, the series was ultimately cancelled after the end of its only season of 13 episodes. A 14^th episode titled “Amy Takeover” was planned, but was never aired. Cake remained on the network in reruns until 2009. Following DiC’s takeover by Cookie Jar Group. CBS renewed its programming deal with Cookie Jar which then subsequently replaced all of DiC’s programming with their own for new programming block Cookie Jar TV.  While never released on home media, various episodes have been uploaded by fans to video sites like YouTube and it was made available for streaming on Tubi.

 

 

EPISODE GUIDE:

“Miracle on Ice…The Case of the Frozen Assets” (9/16/02) – When Miracle’s parents freeze her credit card, she’s unable to buy a new outfit or gift for a friend’s Bat Mitzvah.

 

“Flip-Flopped” (9/23/06) – Amy copies other people’s style until Cake helps her discover her own individuality.

 

“Or-dis-ganized” (9/30/06) – Cake must help everyone get over a spreading case of forgetfulness.

 

“Not Your Mama’s Piggy Bank” (10/7/06) – Amy’s desire to help rebuild a playground destroyed by a tornado helps inspire that week’s craft to renew old stuffed toys.

 

“You Tell Her” (10/14/06) – Everyone tries to figure out the best way to tell Miracle that she stinks when she comes to the garage straight from soccer practice.

 

“The Write Inspiration” (10/21/06) – The kids are inspired by the Slumber Party Girls’ success and set out to achieve their own.

 

“Baby Blues” (10/28/06) – Amy decides that she’s tired of being treated like a kid because she’s the youngest and starts dressing and acting like a grown-up.

 

“Makin’ Up Is Hard to Do” (11/4/06) – A misunderstanding breaks up the friendship between Miracle and Benjamin.

 

“A Cake Walk” (11/11/06) – Miracle is concerned that Cake’s preoccupation with her grandmother’s hip surgery has drained her creative spark.

 

“Trump-IT” (11/18/06) – Benjamin loses his passion for trumpet-playing in the school’s concert band when the new exchange student seems unimpressed by his skill.

 

“Flopportunity” (11/25/06) – Miracle’s fashion sense is challenged when the ripped jeans she spent all her money on is deemed inappropriate by the principal.

 

“Snack Attack” (12/2/06) – Cake is concerned about Miracle’s unhealthy chocolate chip cookie addiction.

 

“Second Hand Woes” (12/9/06) – Amy hates getting hand-me-downs, but Cake sees it as a creative opportunity.

I'M TELLING!

 

I’M TELLING!
(NBC, September 12, 1987-March 5, 1988)
 
DiC Enterprises, Saban Productions

 

MAIN CAST:
Laurie Faso – Host
Dean Goss – Announcer

  

In 1987, DiC Enterprises partnered with Saban Productions to co-produce several shows, which Saban would then handle the international distribution of. Together, they entered into an agreement with NBC to provide them several programs for their Saturday morning line-up. One of them was the live-action game show, I’m Telling!, marking Saban’s expansion into the medium.

The contestants ready to play.

Created by Ellen Levy and developed by Levy and Saban co-founder Haim Saban, I’m Telling! was essentially a kid version of The Newlywed Game. However, instead of romantic partners, I’m Telling! was played by three pairs of siblings—typically a brother and a sister, outside of special “Brothers’ Day” or “Sisters’ Day” episodes featuring siblings of the same sex. That comparison, by the way, didn’t go unnoticed by Newlywed Game producer Chuck Barris, who filed an injunction against Saban. Notably, Fast and the Furious franchise star Paul Walker appeared as a contestant with his sister, Ashlie, very early into his career.

A sister selecting a category.

The game featured three rounds. The first two rounds saw one of the siblings “teleported” to the “isolation zone” via special effects and video editing. In actuality, they were taken from the stage and placed in a soundproof room. The remaining sibling randomly selected one of three pun-laden categories by hitting a button and were asked a question loosely based on that category about their offstage sibling. Much like its inspiration, the questions were often designed to lead to humorous and embarrassing answers. After the three siblings answered every question, the isolated sibling was brought back out and the teams were awarded points for how many of their answers matched; gaining 25 points for matching the first, 50 for the second, and 75 for the third. The roles were then switched for the second round with the points increased to 50, 75 and 150, respectively.

The consolation prizes.

The team with the most points, or with an uncatchable substantial lead, won a $1,000 savings bond and advanced to the final round, while the other teams received consolation prizes that included Huffy bicycles, a 7-Eleven coupon book, and a copy of the I’m Telling! home game by Pressman Toy Corporation (now Goliath Games). In the event of a tie, the winner was selected from the team that came closest to guessing how many objects were placed into the “I’m Telling! Fun Box” or a jar without going over before the show.

The Pick-A-Prize Arcade.

The final round was the Pick-a-Prize Arcade, which was played after the set rotated 180 degrees to reveal 20 prizes in 2 rows of 10 on color-coded podiums; pink for the girls, yellow for the boys. Before the show, each sibling had to make a guess as to what 6 prizes the other would go for during this round. They then took turns selecting their 6 desired prizes from their designated rows. If their choices matched what their sibling selected beforehand, a light would flash after they hit a corresponding button. The team then took home every prize they matched (or, rather, a Service Merchandise gift certificate of equivalent value). If they matched a combined total of 10 prizes, they then won all 20 prizes.

Scoring a prize match.

I’m Telling! debuted on NBC on September 12, 1987. The game was hosted by actor Laurie Faso, with actor and veteran game show announcer Dean Goss announcing. Saban and partner Shuki Levy provided the series’ music. NBC would also have various stars from their shows appear in interstitials leading into a commercial break. Two episodes were populated by young NBC stars and their siblings, including Shannen Doherty (Our House) and her brother, Sean; Mackenzie Astin (The Facts of Life) and his brother, Sean; Heidi Zeigler (Rags to Riches) and her brother, Chuck; Chad Allen (Our House) and his sister, Charity; Benji Gregory (ALF) and his sister, Becky; and Ami Foster (Punky Brewster) and her brother, Shawn. For these shows, the equivalent of any winnings was donated to charity on top of a guaranteed $500.

Faso with that episode's winners.

Unfortunately, the show didn’t perform well on NBC’s already struggling Saturday morning lineup. The final new episode aired on March 5, 1988 and remained in reruns through August. On September 9, 1989, reruns aired on The Family Channel (now Freeform) for a year. It would return for two more runs on August 29, 1994 through September 30, 1995, and on October 30, 1995 through March 29, 1996. Notably, plugs for 7-Eleven and the commercial break between rounds 1 and 2 were edited out, and the credits were redone and presented over the descriptions of the prizes won. In the years since, several episodes of varying quality have found their way onto video sites like YouTube. This would be DiC’s only foray into game shows, while Saban would produce another for syndication, Treasure Mall, reusing several sounds and a reworking of the theme from I’m Telling!

COMMANDO CODY: SKY MARSHAL OF THE UNIVERSE

 

COMMANDO CODY: SKY MARSHAL OF THE UNIVERSE
(NBC, July 16-October 8, 1955)
 
Republic Pictures

 

            Commando Cody was a rocket-powered science-fiction action hero appearing in serials produced by Republic Pictures. Cody (George Wallace) was a civilian researcher and inventor from the near future assisted by Joan Gilbert (Aline Towne), Ted Richards (William Bakewell) and Dick Preston (Gayle Kellogg) and often tasked by the government to defend the world from alien invaders. The characters first appeared in Radar Men from the Moon, where Cody discovered the Earth was under attack by Retik, the ruler of the moon (Roy Barcroft). The 12-chapter serial began in theaters on January 9, 1952. It would be re-released in 1957 and on television under the title Retik the Moon Menace in 1966. The serial would often be confused with 1949’s King of the Rocket Men due to its liberal use of that serial’s flying sequences and costumes to save money.

Cody with Joan and Ted.

            Republic’s next Cody project was a television series that would serve as a prequel to Radar Men. Cody (now Judd Holdren) was tasked by the U.S. government to investigate strange climate changes affecting the planet. Joan and Ted (now William Schallert) applied for jobs with Cody as the story began, and together they discovered that the disasters were being caused by space alien forces led by The Ruler (Gregory Gaye) from the planet Venus. However, production on the series was put on hold after the first three episodes to work on a direct sequel, Zombies of the Stratosphere. While the serial still starred Holdren and Towne (Schallert was replaced by Wilson Wood due to availability), it was decided shortly before shooting to completely rename the characters--with Cody now “Larry Martin”--and make the film its own distinct thing. It was also released in 1952 to a cooler reception than its predecessor, and was later edited down and re-released as the 1958 feature film Satan’s Satellites. Notably, Zombies marked one of the earliest film appearances of actor Lenoard Nimoy. Production resumed on the television series, with Schallert having been replaced by Richard Crane (future star of Rocky Jones, Space Ranger) as Dick Preston, and The Ruler gaining a new henchwoman played by Gloria Pall.

The Ruler getting an update from his men.

            Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe ended up having to receive a theatrical release due to contractual issues. It debuted in 1953 and ran as a typical serial. However, a debate has arisen among film fans as to whether Sky Marshall should be classified as a serial or not since it lacked the cliffhanger endings at the end of each episode that defined the genre. Sky Marshal eventually made its way to syndication on July 16, 1955 through Republic’s TV arm, Hollywood Television Service, and aired on NBC stations. Ultimately, this wound up being the final Commando Cody project. The series has seen numerous home media releases, including on Blu-ray for the first time in 2016 by Olive Films.

DOUBLE UP (1992)

 

DOUBLE UP

(NBC, September 5-October 17, 1992)
 
Slam Dunk Productions, NBC Productions

 

MAIN CAST:
J.D. Roth – Host
Darius Farrelly – Announcer DJ Disco

 

            Double Up was one of two American game shows to use the name. The first, produced by Dick Clark Productions and hosted by Jamie Farr, never made it past the pilot episode. The second was created by Pat Jarvis and developed and produced by J.D. Roth and Kurt Brendlinger.

Roth with that day's contestants.

            The game was essentially a kid’s version of The Dating Game hosted by Roth, who was backed up by rapping announcer Darius Farrell, aka DJ Disco. Two siblings aged 13-16 were tasked with finding dates for each other out of a selection of three choices; with the prize being an all-expenses paid date chaperoned by a limo service. Neither could see their potential date or knew them beyond a nickname, but they could hear their answers to the sibling’s questions.  After two rounds of questions, the potential dates then had a few seconds to make the case for why they should be chosen.

The potential dates seated above the large trash cans where they could end up dumped.

            Once the questioning was done, the audience would choose who they would pick, place their name in a ball, and toss it on stage. Those votes would be tabulated and the results fired to Roth by Disco with a Nerf Bow ‘n’ Arrow. The siblings would then announce their choice and explain why they didn’t pick the other two; pulling a lever to dump them into the confetti-filled giant garbage cans they were perched over. If their choice matched one of the audience choices, they won $100 towards the date. Matching both audience picks upgraded the date to The Ultimate Double Up Night Out, which involved larger events like a concert or wrestling match. Reportedly, actor Jennifer Love Hewitt was one of the potential dates in an episode and ended up dumped.

DJ Disco in his booth.

            Double Up debuted on NBC on September 5, 1992, a week before the debut of the Teen NBC programming block it would then become a part of. The series was the first production for Roth’s newly-formed Slam Dunk Productions, making him the youngest executive producer after previously taking the title of youngest game show host with Fun House. TKD Animation handled the animation for the show’s intro—a poster of Roth advertising the show folding itself up into a paper airplane and flying into the studio—and on the TV in Disco’s booth that would illustrate what’s included in The Ultimate Night as Disco explained it. The series’ theme was done by Dis Style Productions with lyrics by Jonte Ray. Farrelly served as the show’s music supervisor.

The audience pelts the stage with their votes.

            The series failed to find any significant audience and was quickly cancelled within a month, replaced by NBA Inside Stuff on the schedule. Roth would continue to go on hosting and producing game shows and reality shows; however, Slam Dunk Productions only did one more show: the Disney Channel game show Mad Libs, based on the popular word fill-in books, co-produced by Dick Clark Productions. Roth would form another basketball-themed production company, 3 Ball Productions, with Todd Nelson in 2001.

FUN HOUSE / FOX'S FUN HOUSE

 

FUN HOUSE / FOX’S FUN HOUSE
(Syndication, FOX, September 5, 1988-April 13, 1991)
 
Stone Television/Stone Stanley Productions, Lorimar-Telepictures (season 1), Lorimar Television (season 2-3)

 

MAIN CAST:

J.D. Roth – Host

Jacqueline Forrest – Jackie the Cheerleader

Samantha Forrest – Sammi the Cheerleader

John “Tiny” Hurley – Announcer (season 1-2)

Michael “Boogaloo Shrimp” Chambers – Announcer M.C. Mike (season 3)

Brian Cummings – Announcer (pilot)

 

 

Nickelodeon struck gold when it debuted its kid-centric game show Double Dare in 1986. Double Dare would pit two teams of two kids against each other by having them win money answering trivia questions. If they didn’t know an answer, or thought the other team didn’t, they could pass it over with a “dare” for double the money. But it could be “double dared” back for four times the money, in which case that dared team either had to answer or take a “physical challenge”. These physical challenges often featured deceptively simple and incredibly messy tasks; like building an ice cream sundae on their partner’s head, popping goop-filled balloons with a needle headpiece, plucking cherries out of gelatin with their mouths, etc. Success won them the money; failure gave it to the opposing team. The team with the most money then went on to an even messier obstacle course for a chance to win up to 8 prizes within a minute.

A contestant making soup on top of her partner's head on Double Dare.

In the world of entertainment, a success breeds imitators trying to duplicate that success. One such attempt came in the form of Fun House, created by veteran game show producer Bob Synes. Tasked by Lorimar-Telepictures with coming up with a kid’s show for syndication, Synes presented executive producer Scott Stone with a drawing of carnival midway games leading to a funhouse at the end. Stone scaled down Synes’ ambitions a bit and suggested focusing on just the funhouse aspect of it. Lorimar fronted the money to construct a massive set designed by Phyllis Hofberg, Rick Bluhm, Bill Harris and Anthony Sabatino (for which they won an Emmy), and produce a pilot to sell the series.

The teams and their respective cheerleaders taking their places at the podium.

Like Double Dare, it featured two teams of kids comprised of a boy and a girl either related or friends. These teams were distinguished by red and gold uniforms, rather than the wacky self-made names utilized on Double Dare. Occasionally, young celebrity guests would appear or fill the role of one of the teammates, including Danny Ponce (The Hogan Family); Staci Keanan (My Two Dads, Step by Step); Danny Pintauro (Who’s the Boss?); Soleil Moon Frye (Punky Brewster); Jeremy Miller and Leonardo DiCaprio (Growing Pains); Sara Gilbert and Michael Fishman (Roseanne); Tiffany Brisette (Small Wonder); Josh Saviano (The Wonder Years); Jenny Beck (Paradise); Brian Austin Green and Douglas Emerson (Beverly Hills, 90210); Candace Cameron and Jodie Sweetin (Full House); Alexander Polinsky (Charles in Charge); Jaleel White and Kellie Shanygne Williams (Family Matters); Benji Gregory and Josh Blake (ALF); and Tannis Valley (Head of the Class).

The teams sitting in the "Slop Machine", where they got showered in either slime or candy.

Unlike Double Dare, Fun House placed a greater focus on their “stunts”, which would then segue into a single related toss-up question asked at a colorful podium equipped with buzzers. Three timed stunts were played each episode; either with one player at a time (alternating for each solo challenge) or both teammates together. Stunts could involve using their faces to lift up a pie to find a “win” symbol on the bottom of the tin; bobbing for bagels in chocolate milk; assembling a mixed-up image on giant blocks; batting slimy softballs into the audience; pulling “hair extensions” off a giant model’s head to place on their own while being covered in goop; using their teeth to remove gum from under rows of seats; turning their partner into the world’s largest sandwich; using a giant slingshot to fire water balloons at pictures of the announcer; and more. Synes would come up with a title for the stunt first, and then the crew, overseen by producer Stephen Brown, had to create a stunt to go along with that name. The type of stunts featured were usually related to the overall theme of that week’s batch of episodes in keeping with Stone’s philosophy of everything telling a story. The winning team—or both, in the case of a tie—won 25 points. Answering the question correctly earned them an additional 25 points.

Piloting submarines in the Grand Prix Race.

The fourth and final round was The Grand Prix Race. The teams had to race two laps on a track that circled the studio; switching lanes on the second lap. There were two types of races: one utilizing a vehicle of some kind that was ridden by one teammate and moved by the other, switching between laps, and the other was a footrace with each teammate running a lap. The races all featured a different theme with associated challenges that had to be accomplished. For instance, a toy-themed race saw the contestants riding/pulling little red wagons while picking up various toys placed on the track. Additionally, the teams could snag white and blue tokens from stations around the track for 10 and 25 extra points, respectively. During the second season, a Token Bank was added on the second lap that contained a pre-packaged bundle of tokens worth up to 200 points. The winning team earned 25 points, but the ultimate winner was determined after the acquired tokens were tallied by being dropped into slots at the podium. The team with the most points went on to The Fun House obstacle course, while the losing team left with consolation prizes. Ties were broken with a toss-up question.

One of the many configurations of the Fun House obstacle course.

The titular Fun House stood roughly 3-stories tall and featured several interchangeable “rooms” of varying themes and obstacles. They could include toppling Styrofoam skyscrapers; punching out thinly covered holes in a board; an “ice mountain” climb; crawling through a tunnel full of balloons or one that’s spinning; digging through school lockers; traversing a ball pit; etc. Each room contained 16 oversized price tags either plainly visible or hidden somewhere: 6 red representing different prizes revealed before the course was run, and 10 green ones representing cash amounts ranging from $50 to $300. The contestants had 2 minutes to collect as many tags as possible; grabbing three at a time before switching with their partner. This continued until all tags were collected or time ran out. Additionally, one tag was designated as the “Power Prize” that if collected won them a bonus vacation along with everything else they picked up. For the second season, the Fun House became larger and featured more intricate elements like a swimming pool and shooting water.

Host J.D. Roth kicking off the show while John "Tiny" Hurley covers himself in mud.

Fun House debuted in syndication on September 5, 1988. J.D. Roth served as host for the entire run; becoming the youngest game show host in history at just 19. Aiding Roth on the playfield were identical twin cheerleaders. They escorted the teams to the podium, introduced them, and provided support to them based on what color uniform the teams were assigned: Jackie (Jacqueline Forrest) for the gold team and Sammi (Samantha Forrest) for the red. For the pilot, veteran announcer Brain Cummings was utilized. Cummings had previously announced the first season of the 1984-86 syndicated version of Let’s Make a Deal, which Synes produced. John “Tiny” Hurley took over those duties once the series went into production. Along with announcing, Hurley would appear on camera in wacky costumes, participate in skits, or sometimes in various stunts. Other differences in the pilot included playing for cash instead of points; four stunts played instead of three; The Grand Prix awarding $50 for winning and featuring a third red token worth $10 while blue was worth $50; contestants only being allowed two prize tags at a time in the Fun House, with as many cash tags as they wanted; a “Button Banger” in the Fun House awarding a random cash bonus up to $2000 when hit; and the prize tags being scanned at the podium to reveal the Power Prize, which awarded the contestants every prize in the Fun House. Unlike the $2,000-$3,000 Double Dare or fellow Nickelodeon game show Finders Keepers—which filmed in the same complex as Fun House—paid out in cash in prizes, Fun House offered contestants a potential prize payout in excess of $10,000. Score Productions composed the series’ music along with Matt Ender and Jonathan Firstenberg. Props from the show were used in another Lorimar-Telepictures production, Perfect Strangers, for the episode “Games People Play”. Series stars Mark Linn-Baker and Bronson Pinchot also filmed a promo for Fun House as their characters Larry Appleton and Balki Bartokomous.

The show proved a success, becoming the highest rated syndicated new show upon its debut and surpassing even Double Dare (in response, Double Dare added theme weeks and upped the ante in physical challenges by reinstating a previous limited time rebranding as Super Sloppy Double Dare). In 1989, Fun House gained two spin-offs. In the United States, there was College Mad House. Hosted by Greg Kinnear, it featured two teams of four college students (two men, two women) from rival universities playing it out. Rather than cheerleaders, Kinnear was assisted by referees Donna Wilson and Richard MacGregor, with Beau Weaver announcing. Stunts involved the men or women going against each other, and then all four together. The content of this show skewed a bit more risqué than the original; involving more gross-out humor and lewd body movements. Rather than the Grand Prix, the fourth round was the Finals Round. Each member of the team took turns answering as many toss-up questions as possible within a minute and a half; with the winner hitting their opponent in the face with a pie or whipped cream each time. The Mad House, which featured college-themed rooms, had each teammate getting 30 seconds to grab as many tags as they could in order to “clean house” by getting them all. Getting all the tags awarded them a trip; otherwise, they kept whatever prizes they collected for themselves with any cash (up to $1000) going to their school. College Mad House only lasted a single year, ending in September of 1990.

Over in the United Kingdom, ITV debuted their own version of Fun House produced by Scottish Television. It featured host Pat Sharp, twin cheerleaders Melanie and Martina Grant, and announcer Gary King. Played in much the same way as the original with minor gameplay and naming differences, it actually outlasted its parent program to run a full 11 seasons, ending in 1999. Their own adult-themed spin-off was planned and a pilot produced, but it never went to series.

Playing hockey with pies.

Unfortunately, Fun House was beginning to lose steam as sloppy game shows were wearing out their welcome. They were finding difficulty remaining in syndication, despite their best efforts. Enter: FOX. FOX was about to launch its new kid-focused effort, Fox Kids Network, and the show they wanted to acquire for it was…Double Dare. Previously, FOX was pivotal in the success of Double Dare; having distributed it and aired it regularly on affiliated stations, and even airing a version of the show, Family Double Dare, on their own network on Saturday nights. After attempting to bring the show over to their new line up, FOX ended its direct affiliation with the series over “creative differences” and abruptly cancelled Family shortly before they were set to begin filming a new season. Regular Double Dare continued on, however, and was still shown on FOX affiliates, and Family was eventually revived by Nickelodeon two years later. Looking for a replacement that could be just as popular, FOX turned to Double Dare’s closest competitor: Fun House.

M.C. Mike rapping his intro.

Renamed FOX’s Fun House for its third season, it joined the inaugural Fox Kids Saturday morning line-up on September 8, 1990. It also became the first weekday Fox Kids show, filling in for the delayed Peter Pan and the Pirates by airing a special week’s worth of programs featuring some of the earlier-mentioned celebrity guests. While essentially the same show, several changes were made. Hurley was replaced by Michael Chambers, a.k.a M.C. Mike, best known as “Boogaloo Shrimp” from the Breakin’ films. He opened each episode by showing off his rapping skills before the title sequence. While Jackie and Sammi still escorted players to the podium, introductions were now handled by Mike. Carrying over from College Mad House, the player that answered a question correctly got to slap a pie into the face of their opponent. The entire set also shed its carnival-like aesthetic in favor of more urban flair; with distorted cartoon skyscrapers and riveted pipe theming.

The all-new Fun House.

The Fun House itself was also redesigned to emulate a slice of a city block. Starting at the top rather than the bottom, Roth began the run by turning a large valve to activate the “Whitewater Slide” that let one of the players splash down into a waiting pool and officially start the clock counting down. From there, they could go into the “Hardhat Hallway”, which looked like a scrapyard or garbage-filled empty lot; the “Zippity Zoo Dah”, a zoo full of various stuffed animals, a performer in a creature suit, and bendable cage bars; the “Funky Slop Sewer”, resembling a slimy sewer pipe with fake rats and steamy sewage comprised of green balls in water; the “Recycling Zone”, where pulling a lever dumped trash on the player as well as a prize tag; “Bob’s Mad Mall”, which featured dummies holding shopping bags on rotating doors, one of which held the prize tag; the “Kockeyed Kitchen”, an upside-down kitchen whose cabinets held the tag (and was typically filmed upside-down to make it seem like the player was walking on the ceiling); “Flushing Meadows”, a bathroom-like area with three giant colored toilets that sprayed water up when opened; “Fast Food Fight”, a diner area where the opposing team got to impede the winning team by pelting them with food items; and returning from the original Fun House was the rotating “Tubular Tunnel”. Although cash tags were still in plain sight, the prize tags were now hidden within each area. A large slimy alarm clock called the Crazy Glop Clock was added that gave the team an additional 15 seconds in the Fun House when found.

Celebrity guest Kellie S. Williams receiving a pie to the face for a wrong answer.

Behind the scenes, Lorimar-Telepictures was acquired by Warner Bros. Lorimar-Telepictures served as the distributor during the first season as well as the co-producer, but was replaced by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution for the remainder. This, along with Tiny Toon Adventures, would begin Warner Bros.’ association with Fox Kids that would prove mutually beneficial for both the studio’s burgeoning animation efforts and the block’s legitimacy as a major player in broadcasting. British Knights was replaced as the primary sponsor by LA Gear, and everyone on stage wore the sponsoring company’s shoes. Synes, sadly, died in 1990. Stone replaced him with David G. Stanley and renamed his production company, Stone Productions, as Stone Stanley Productions (now Stone & Company Entertainment). Each episode of the third season was dedicated to Synes.

A trade ad celebrating Fun House's Emmy win.

FOX’s Fun House only lasted a short time on the network, airing 22 episodes before it was replaced on the schedule by the short-lived Swamp Thing animated series in 1991. Despite being nominated for four additional Emmys, winning one other, and winning a Young Artist Award, the show disappeared from the airwaves….in the United States. The British version has aired reruns and even got a special one-time revival in 2015 as a promotional gimmick by Fayre & Square pubs and associated Wacky Warehouse play areas. The American version only eventually resurfaced in videos of various quality on YouTube, including the pilot as a feature entry of legendary game show host Wink Martindale’s Wink’s Vault series. Roth would go on to acting and hosting a few more game shows before moving into producing them—including Moolah Beach, which would air during the final year of Fox Kids (meaning Roth both opened and closed the block). Stone Stanly Productions continued producing game shows, including Fun House spiritual successors Legends of the Hidden Temple, geared towards kids, and Shop ‘til you Drop, geared towards adults. Both featured stunt-heavy gameplay in an elaborate setting: a Mayan temple for Legends, and a 2-story mall for Shop. The latter also reused some of Fun House’s music. In 2022, YouTube channel Hosts at Home hosted a Fun House reunion with Roth, Sharp, Stone, and Brown to discuss and reminisce about the show.

The Fun House NES game box.

In 1988, Pressman Toy Corp. published a board game version of Fun House. A travel game was made by Tiger Electronics the following year as part of their Klix Pocket Travel Games series, as well as their customary LCD handheld game. Hi-Tech Expressions produced a video game in 1989 for the Commodore 64 and MS-Dos, and in 1990 for the NES. No version fully captured the show, but the computer versions were closer than the NES’ as they featured some semblance of the stunts while the NES involved just throwing balls at targets and avoiding obstacles in a top-down view. The board game, and eventually the video games, were given out as consolation prizes on the show.

Exercising on the Fun House set.

The oddest tie-in merchandise had to have been the workout videos. Stone had been on a flight with Julie LaFond, who ran the Jane Fonda exercise empire. A conversation about fitness in kids led to a collaboration between Fonda and the show. Fonda came to the set to introduce Roth, who then led the exercise routines. Two videos ended up being made for the Fun House Fitness series: The Swamp Stomp for kids 3-7, and The Fun House Funk for kids 7+. They were re-released together onto DVD in 2005 as part of the Jane Fonda Collection compilation series.