For those who know your history she needs no introduction.
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Classic Nick Rocks
Stray
Cats – Be Bop A Lula
Fandango
– Autos, Moda y Rock and Roll (video)
ABC
– When Smokey Sings
John
Mellencamp – Crumblin' Down
Musical
Youth – Pass the Dutchie
Thursday, June 15, 2017
You Know You’re Addicted to Classic Nickelodeon When / If...
- (For those with on-screen
search) You still search for “Pinwheel”, “The Tomorrow People”, “YCDTOTV”,
“Today’s Special” and various other Classic Nick shows.
- You ever wished you could jaunt,
or had any other TP special power.
- You’ve ever wanted to go to
London to search for the Lab or the Tomorrow People.
- You always talk in rhyme because
Muffy does.
- You know the real meaning behind
“hocus pocus alamagocus”.
- You can name all, or most, of
the original cast of the TP. (I can yay!)
- You know that TP is the short
form for “The Tomorrow People”.
- You didn’t like the 90’s
remake of the TP.
- You were disappointed when the
CW version of the TP didn’t include any of the original cast, and when they did
they were under different names.
- You’ve started naming your pets,
or children, after Classic Nickelodeon characters.
- To this day you are still afraid
to say, “I don’t know”, or “water”, and when you do you look up and duck
because you think slime or water is going to fall from the sky / ceiling.
- You spend your free time
searching eBay and iOffer for Classic Nick stuff. (videos, games, books, etc.)
- You did, or still, have a crush
on Jeff from “Today’s Special”.
- You actually know which one is
Plus and which one is Minus.
- You ever tried any of the
experiments on “Mr. Wizard’s World”.
- You remember watching music
videos in between each show, this was BEFORE Nick Rocks.
- (For ‘80’s fans) You remember
when Nick use to show more than just those crappy cartoons all through out the
90’s.
- (For ‘90’s fans) You remember what
Nickelodeon was like before it became the “SpongeBob Square Pants” network!
- You remember the “nickelodeon
song” that they use to play in between shows.
- You sit around thinking of ways
to update “Pinwheel”, “Today’s Special” and “YCDTOTV”.
- You’ve ever done the “Hobo Bug
Giggle Dance”.
- After watching the “Pinwheel
Songbook” and hearing Ebenezer sing about his “lovely weeds” you’re out and
about with your Mom, or your friend, and they are looking at different plants
and mention something about weed control and you break out into song…
“Weeds how I love my lovely weeds
I attend to all their needs
They’ve my buddies they’re my
weeds.
Weeds when you’re troubled my
heart bleeds
All my care and whoa received
When I’m caring for my weeds”
- While you’re singing this they
just look at you and laugh b/c they actually know the song and know that this
is nothing unusual for you. (Guess that would make them a fan too huh?)
- You have a sound box collection.
(Like Jake did on “Pinwheel”.)
- You campaign to have national
“Les Lye” and “Don Herbert (Mr. Wizard)” days.
- You knew that Don Herbert was
Mr. Wizard’s real name.
- You still have a crush on
Christine (Moose) or Kevin/Alistair from “YCDTOTV”.
- You still have, or found on
eBay, a “Double Dare” NES game. – And still have the system to be able to play
it on! (I did find it and I have played it!)
- When you saw Marc Summers on
“Unwrapped” you wondered why he wasn’t behind a podium reading off questions
and why no one was covered in goop.
- You’ve ever built, or still want
to build, your own “Double Dare” obstacle course.
- You’ve ever walking into a café
and ordered a Barth Burger.
- You’ve ever made green slime.
- Not only did you make the slime you
used it on your friends, or had them use it on you.
- You campaign to have a “show and
tell day”
at work so that you can take in different parts of your Classic Nickelodeon
collection to show them off.
- You knew when, “it was just the
introduction to the opposites.”
- You’ve ever said, “Duhhh I heard
that.”
- You remember, “Who got you
last.”
- You remember when “Pinwheel” was
lunchtime entertainment.
- You know the significance of
“Dare”, “Double Dare” and the “Physical Challenge”.
- You wanted to live on your own
tiny planet with a talking rose like “The Little Prince”.
- By the end of the 80’s you could
name the two shows Dave Coulier was on.
- You remember when “Uncle Joey”
from “Full House” hosted “Out of Control”.
-
You remember when you saw Dave Coulier on “Full House” and said, “Hey that’s
the guy from “Out of Control!”” (I actually did that and I know others who have
done that as well.)
- Your toughest lessons as a
preschooler came from “Today’s Special”.
-
When you meet someone named Jeff, Jodie, Sam or even Muffy you immediately
start to sing the "Today's Special" theme song in your head so that
you can remember their name. (This happened to me recently and it did help!)
-
You go on Facebook and search for all your favorite CN shows then join every
page and fan group you can find for it.
-
When you can’t find a page or group for your particular show you start your
own.
-
You spend hours on eBay and iOffer hunting down your favorite CN shows. (I do
this.)
-
When you can’t find what you want you start hunting down private collectors and
buy your shows through them. (I have done this several times and it was worth
it!)
-
You create a list like this to celebrate in your obsession!
-
You start a CN Yahoo group, website and Facebook page / group.
-
You still write fan letters to your favorite CN stars.
-
While watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade you start to wonder what a CN
parade would look like then start designing the floats and giant balloons.
(Guilty)
-
Every year on Halloween you dress up like your favorite CN character / cartoon.
-
To celebrate Half-O-Ween in May (like Christmas in July) you dress up like your
favorite CN character / cartoon.
-
You hang out at, or ride, every roller coaster named in “Wild Rides” hoping
that you’ll run into Matt Dillon.
-
You program your cell phone to play a different CN theme song for every person
on your contact list.
-Your
default ringtone on your cell phone is the theme from “Pinwheel.” (Mine
actually is.)
- You wonder if Smitty is still looking for
the Admiral Byrd.
- You’re still hoping that Ebeneezer will
full fill his life long goal to be on the front page of the "The Daily
Noodle".
- You wonder if Silas the Snail is still
trying to get to the other side of the garden, or if he’s ever going to make it
to the snail convention.
-
When you see the (then new) Energizer battery commercial it reminds you of the
“Livewire” opening credits.
-You
are friends with several CN stars.
-Someone
asks if they can interview you for a new Nickelodeon documentary which will
look back on the history of Nickelodeon. (I blogged about this not long ago.)
-Your playlist is filed with music from
Pinwheel, Today’s Special, Black Beauty’s theme, and so forth.
**NEW**
You Know Your Mom is Addicted to
Classic Nickelodeon When / If She...
-When
you tell her it’s “John & Stephen’s” birthdays and she knows who you’re
talking about.
-She
asks you to with them happy birthday for her because she knows your friends with
them on Facebook.
-She
knows that a Barth burger is.
-She
knows how to make REAL slime. (Not the versions they have out these days.)
-When
you tell her that “Jake from Pinwheel” called you back she knows who you’re
talking about and wants to hear all about it.
-She
knows who Sam and Muffy are.
-On
the day you’re supposed to go hang out with her she calls you and asks you to bring
over Black Beauty and The Tomorrow People.
-She
helps you put ideas together for your upcoming CN convention. (We’re working on
it.)
Sunday, June 11, 2017
Happy Birthday
Sending out very special Happy Birthday wishes to Peter
Vaughan-Clarke (Stephen) and Nicholas Young (John) from The Tomorrow People.
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Classic Nick Rocks
Thompson
Twins –
Hold Me Now
David
Bowie – Modern Love
Madness
– Our House
Georgia
Satellites –
Keep Your Hands To Yourself
The
Hooters – And We Danced
Friday, June 9, 2017
Jake From Pinwheel Called Me Back!
Alright,
I can’t really get into the details of this but. Sometimes last week I emailed
Mr. James and, as always, when he answered me he added his phone number to his signature.
So yesterday, Thursday, June 8, 2017 I picked up the phone and called him. I
got is answering service and left my message. Then today, Friday, June 9, 2017,
at 4:36 pm Mr. James phoned me back!!!
Honestly
y’all, I had to catch my breath for a moment I was, and still am, very excited
about it. We spoke about forty-five minutes and I must say, he is an absolute
joy to speak to. His warmth and grace shone through the telephone receiver as
none other. I am so honored that I had a chance to visit with one of my oldest friends
whom I am just meeting for the first time. I am, at this moment, crying tears
of joy as I write this. Happy tears 😊. My goodness…just…wow.
Please
keep me in your prayers, it’s something good but I still need God’s favor and
thank you for listening to my very, very happy story.
Here’s What 'Double Dare' Host Marc Summers Is Up To Today
By Chris Snyder, June 9, 2017
Marc Summers hosted
Nickelodeon's "Double Dare" for about a decade. The popular
kid's trivia show included bizarre — and often messy — physical challenges as
well as an elaborate obstacle course. Summers recently performed a one-man
stage show about his life that has been turned into a documentary called "On Your Marc," which will premiere
this fall at Alamo Drafthouses around the country. We spoke with him about his
OCD, what it was like working on "Double Dare," and what people can
expect in the new film.
Follow Tech Insider: OnFacebook
On your mark.
Get Set.
Go!
Hi there. My name is Marc Summers. You may know me from "Double Dare." You may know me from "What Would You Do." Perhaps you watch the Food Network and watched me do "Unwrapped."
But I've been around for a while.
"Welcome to 'Double Dare.' This is the show where we run through a crazy obstacle course, and in the process win 8 fabulous prizes!"
"Double Dare" started on October 6, 1986, in Philadelphia, of all places. They had auditioned 1,000 people in New York, didn't like anybody, moved to LA. I was the first person to audition, and I got the job.
It was fun. We started off doing 4 shows a day, then 5 shows a day, and we got up to 6 shows in one day. Times 5 days, that was 30 shows a week.
The contestants were chosen by a contestant coordinator — such a great name — who worked in Philadelphia. And the thing that made us distinctive, over anything that was on the Disney Channel, was we used real kids. We didn't have the blonde-haired, blue-eyed a perfect child. Our kids had acne, and their hair was messed up. And I think the kids at home related more to the people that we had on our show than anything that was currently running on Disney at that time.
"Answer that question or take the physical challenge."
The big keyword was "physical challenge." You wanted to take a physical challenge, and the kids at home wanted you to take the physical challenge. And then after that, it was going to the obstacle course. You win 8 obstacles in 60 seconds or less, you go to Space Camp.
"On your mark. Get set. Go!"
Favorite physical challenge of all time on "Double Dare" was "Pies in your Pants." There was a catapult over here. You'd put a pie down, you'd shoot it up in the air, somebody had clown pants, and they had to catch 3 pies in their pants in 30 seconds or less.
The one thing that I had trouble with physical challenges, was pet food. You see, if you open up a can of dog food, I pretty much lose it. And so they kept trying to get me to do this physical challenge, and as soon as I walked over to the set, and there was all this dog food, I almost lost it. I puked, almost. And I had to go outside, and they had to change the physical challenge.
So here's the thing I didn't know when I started "Double Dare," is I had this little thing called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Now mine was about neatness and orderliness, but it was a little bit about staying clean and not getting messy. So here I am, age 34, finally got my first show on television. I didn't know that it involved all this mess.
So people say to me all the time, "Well you must have hated it." I didn't. You know, think about it. I've been around in LA for about 13 years, it was my first real job on television. So I was happy as hell to have it. And so the slime didn't bother me in any way, shape, or form. Now, after the show, did I want to get showered and get that stuff off me? Absolutely.
I think you're always a little OCD if you've had it. So I always say I'm 80 percent cured and 20 percent every now and then it sneaks back into my life. But very rarely.
James Taylor has a line in the song, "Fortune and fame, such a curious game. Perfect strangers call you by name." And that's it. You walk down the street and say "Hey 'Double Dare' guy. Hey Marc Summers! Hey Food Network guy!" So, you never get used to it. I can only tell you, it’s never comfortable.
We were in a restaurant not too long ago, and there was a guy who said, "Well, you remember me?" And I went, "Umm… no." And he goes, "Come on!" And I said, "No." And he goes, "The Bodacious Tatas?" I went, "What's that?" "That was our team name." I said, "Oh, you were on 'Double Dare'?" "Yah." He says,"You don't remember me?" I said, "How old were you?" "11." "How old are you now?" "30." "OK, let me figure that out." "11 to 30, uh yeah, there's a reason I don't remember who the heck…" And he got all bent out of shape. He got all angry with me that I didn't recognize him and the days he was on.
"I'll be asking you a question. If you don’t know the answer and think the other team doesn't have a clue, you can dare them to answer it for double the dollars. But be careful, because you can always double dare them back."
I always wanted to host shows, but I didn't get my first opportunity until I was 34. Prior to that, I was doing theater. I always wanted to be on Broadway, in a show. And one thing leads to another, and I was a stand-up comic, and I was a magician, and I was a game show host, and I was the food guy, and then I got hit with a couple of odd things. One was cancer, and the other one was a car accident, where I broke every bone in my face. So I cheated death twice, and I figured, well, if I'm going to do theater, now is the time.
So I did summer stock about 6 years ago. I played Vince Fontaine in "Grease." And I met a couple of guys who were young up-and-comers on Broadway. And I talked to them about doing a one-man show. And they wrote it for me, and we performed it last year at a place called Bloomington Playwrights Project in Bloomington Indiana. And then we did the Adirondack Theatre Festival. And we're now in conversations to take it around the country and also do it Off- Broadway.
So it involves many aspects of my life, prior to "Double Dare," after "Double Dare," the Food Network, and everything in between.
And currently there is a documentary coming out. It's called "On Your Marc," A little play on words of "Double Dare."
We just made an arrangement with something called Alamo Drafthouse. These guys have the best movie theaters all around the country. And starting in October/November, we're going to launch this documentary that was shot behind the scenes of doing a one-man show and everything in between. So should be very interesting.
Here's a question I get all the time. If they brought "Double Dare" back, would I do it. And the answer is: absolutely. Why not?
We did a 30th Anniversary show that aired last Thanksgiving. It got huge numbers. We did a live Facebook thing. I still do appearances around the country. There's no reason not to.
I did it from '86 to about '96. And then it ran in reruns til about 2000. Somebody else tried it for a short time. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for them.
For whatever reason, I'm always thought of as the guy who hosted that program. There are constant conversations going on about bringing the show back. Will it happen? I don't know.
"When you hear this sound… it means the game is over."
Get Set.
Go!
Hi there. My name is Marc Summers. You may know me from "Double Dare." You may know me from "What Would You Do." Perhaps you watch the Food Network and watched me do "Unwrapped."
But I've been around for a while.
"Welcome to 'Double Dare.' This is the show where we run through a crazy obstacle course, and in the process win 8 fabulous prizes!"
"Double Dare" started on October 6, 1986, in Philadelphia, of all places. They had auditioned 1,000 people in New York, didn't like anybody, moved to LA. I was the first person to audition, and I got the job.
It was fun. We started off doing 4 shows a day, then 5 shows a day, and we got up to 6 shows in one day. Times 5 days, that was 30 shows a week.
The contestants were chosen by a contestant coordinator — such a great name — who worked in Philadelphia. And the thing that made us distinctive, over anything that was on the Disney Channel, was we used real kids. We didn't have the blonde-haired, blue-eyed a perfect child. Our kids had acne, and their hair was messed up. And I think the kids at home related more to the people that we had on our show than anything that was currently running on Disney at that time.
"Answer that question or take the physical challenge."
The big keyword was "physical challenge." You wanted to take a physical challenge, and the kids at home wanted you to take the physical challenge. And then after that, it was going to the obstacle course. You win 8 obstacles in 60 seconds or less, you go to Space Camp.
"On your mark. Get set. Go!"
Favorite physical challenge of all time on "Double Dare" was "Pies in your Pants." There was a catapult over here. You'd put a pie down, you'd shoot it up in the air, somebody had clown pants, and they had to catch 3 pies in their pants in 30 seconds or less.
The one thing that I had trouble with physical challenges, was pet food. You see, if you open up a can of dog food, I pretty much lose it. And so they kept trying to get me to do this physical challenge, and as soon as I walked over to the set, and there was all this dog food, I almost lost it. I puked, almost. And I had to go outside, and they had to change the physical challenge.
So here's the thing I didn't know when I started "Double Dare," is I had this little thing called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Now mine was about neatness and orderliness, but it was a little bit about staying clean and not getting messy. So here I am, age 34, finally got my first show on television. I didn't know that it involved all this mess.
So people say to me all the time, "Well you must have hated it." I didn't. You know, think about it. I've been around in LA for about 13 years, it was my first real job on television. So I was happy as hell to have it. And so the slime didn't bother me in any way, shape, or form. Now, after the show, did I want to get showered and get that stuff off me? Absolutely.
I think you're always a little OCD if you've had it. So I always say I'm 80 percent cured and 20 percent every now and then it sneaks back into my life. But very rarely.
James Taylor has a line in the song, "Fortune and fame, such a curious game. Perfect strangers call you by name." And that's it. You walk down the street and say "Hey 'Double Dare' guy. Hey Marc Summers! Hey Food Network guy!" So, you never get used to it. I can only tell you, it’s never comfortable.
We were in a restaurant not too long ago, and there was a guy who said, "Well, you remember me?" And I went, "Umm… no." And he goes, "Come on!" And I said, "No." And he goes, "The Bodacious Tatas?" I went, "What's that?" "That was our team name." I said, "Oh, you were on 'Double Dare'?" "Yah." He says,"You don't remember me?" I said, "How old were you?" "11." "How old are you now?" "30." "OK, let me figure that out." "11 to 30, uh yeah, there's a reason I don't remember who the heck…" And he got all bent out of shape. He got all angry with me that I didn't recognize him and the days he was on.
"I'll be asking you a question. If you don’t know the answer and think the other team doesn't have a clue, you can dare them to answer it for double the dollars. But be careful, because you can always double dare them back."
I always wanted to host shows, but I didn't get my first opportunity until I was 34. Prior to that, I was doing theater. I always wanted to be on Broadway, in a show. And one thing leads to another, and I was a stand-up comic, and I was a magician, and I was a game show host, and I was the food guy, and then I got hit with a couple of odd things. One was cancer, and the other one was a car accident, where I broke every bone in my face. So I cheated death twice, and I figured, well, if I'm going to do theater, now is the time.
So I did summer stock about 6 years ago. I played Vince Fontaine in "Grease." And I met a couple of guys who were young up-and-comers on Broadway. And I talked to them about doing a one-man show. And they wrote it for me, and we performed it last year at a place called Bloomington Playwrights Project in Bloomington Indiana. And then we did the Adirondack Theatre Festival. And we're now in conversations to take it around the country and also do it Off- Broadway.
So it involves many aspects of my life, prior to "Double Dare," after "Double Dare," the Food Network, and everything in between.
And currently there is a documentary coming out. It's called "On Your Marc," A little play on words of "Double Dare."
We just made an arrangement with something called Alamo Drafthouse. These guys have the best movie theaters all around the country. And starting in October/November, we're going to launch this documentary that was shot behind the scenes of doing a one-man show and everything in between. So should be very interesting.
Here's a question I get all the time. If they brought "Double Dare" back, would I do it. And the answer is: absolutely. Why not?
We did a 30th Anniversary show that aired last Thanksgiving. It got huge numbers. We did a live Facebook thing. I still do appearances around the country. There's no reason not to.
I did it from '86 to about '96. And then it ran in reruns til about 2000. Somebody else tried it for a short time. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for them.
For whatever reason, I'm always thought of as the guy who hosted that program. There are constant conversations going on about bringing the show back. Will it happen? I don't know.
"When you hear this sound… it means the game is over."
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Special Delivery – Tuck Everlasting
Even on the blog I’ve got to give a little shout out to the
commercials and clips that made Nickelodeon so special in those early years.
Here is a clip from Bill Cosby’s Picture Pages and a commercial from one of my
favorite Special Deliveries that I remember when I was growing up Nickelodeon.
Picture
Pages
Mariposa
– Special Presentation – Commercial
X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X
Most people are familiar with the Disney version of Tuck Everlasting but I venture to say that none of them have
ever seen the original 1981 version which, in my opinion, is much better than
the remake.
The film is based on Natalie
Babbitt's 1975 children's book of the same title and tells the story ten-year-old
Winnie Foster (Margaret Chamberlain) who comes from a well-bred, strait-laced
family. One day she gets lost in the woods, an attempt to escape her smothered
lifestyle, where she encounters Jesse Tuck (Paul Flessa).
While visiting Winnie becomes
thirsty but when she tried to drink from the spring Jessie stops her. He makes
up a story about the water being bitter. Soon his mother and brother happen
along [Mae Tuck (Sonia Raimi) & Miles Tuck (Bruce D'Auria)], they were to
meet at the spring in the woods.
Much other surprise Winnie finds
herself in an adventure when she’s whisked away by this strage, but kind,
family. After a few days she longs for home but unbeknowns to any of them is
the trouble they are about to encounter from the Man in the Yellow Suit (James
McGuire).
How does it all turn out? Find out
in this charming version of Tuck Everlasting.
Rest of the Cast
Fred A. Keller – Angus Tuck
Marvin Macnow – Mr. Foster
Tuck
Everlasting
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Nickelodeon Documentary – I’M BEING INTERVIEWED!!!
A few weeks ago, I was
contacted by the guys from The Orange Years, they are making a documentary
about Nickelodeon and they asked me if I would be available for an interview!
After a few back and forths I (finally) received a call from Scott Barber for
my pre-interview. That’s right, yours truly has been asked to participate in an
upcoming Nickelodeon documentary! Needless to say, I’m very excited. So, who
are these guys? Here is their story from their Facebook page:
THEIR STORY
For
millions of children and adults, the Nickelodeon Network is synonymous with
growing up. In just a few years, the channel grew from a small local channel to
an international phenomenon that helped shape a generation, led by Geraldine
Laybourne, the visionary who turned the company into an $8 billion juggernaut.
But what was the whole story?
The Orange Years journeys behind the scenes of the “kids first” phenomenonal programming to chronicle the unprecedented success of Nickelodeon, straight from the mouths of those who brought the classic shows to us as children. Filled with interviews from the actors, writers, and creators from all your favorite golden age Nick shows, the film offers a new perspective on Nickelodeon, from the humble origins of the channel deep into the SNICK years.
More than just a history lesson or a “where are they now?” special, the documentary explores the network’s revolutionary approach to storytelling, the impact it had on a generation of youth, and aims to find out of why these shows have stayed in the hearts of so many people.
The Orange Years journeys behind the scenes of the “kids first” phenomenonal programming to chronicle the unprecedented success of Nickelodeon, straight from the mouths of those who brought the classic shows to us as children. Filled with interviews from the actors, writers, and creators from all your favorite golden age Nick shows, the film offers a new perspective on Nickelodeon, from the humble origins of the channel deep into the SNICK years.
More than just a history lesson or a “where are they now?” special, the documentary explores the network’s revolutionary approach to storytelling, the impact it had on a generation of youth, and aims to find out of why these shows have stayed in the hearts of so many people.
Orange
Years Website
Orange
Years Twitter
Orange
Years Facebook
The Orange Years: Nickelodeon Documentary Crowdfunding Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLUuRi0Hmh4
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Classic Nick Rocks
Fame
– Only Love Will Hold Fast
Naked
Eyes – Always Something There To Remind Me (1981)
Dream Academy – Life In A Northern Town
Geoff
Moore and the Distance –
A Friend Like You
Menudo – Claridad (1981)
Menudo – Claridad (2009)
Monday, May 29, 2017
SOBEWFF 2017: Marc Summers Talks the Perfect Burger and the Return of Double Dare
By
David Minsky | Thursday, February 23, 2017 AT 8:30 A.M.
Marc
Summers is about to stuff his face with burgers.
The
former host of Nickelodeon's Double Dare, a TV game show where kids (and
families) got covered in green slime, will judge the Best of the Bash award at
this year's South Beach Wine & Food Festival Burger Bash. The award,
sponsored by restaurant chain Red Robin, gives a chef $10,000 and a chance to
get his or her creation on the eatery's menu.
What
makes Summers a qualified burger judge? For starters, this is his 12th year at
SOBEWFF. He's also the host of Unwrapped,
the longest-running show on Food Network, which first aired in 2001.
For
many chefs, Burger Bash is their chance to make the burger big-time. But they
shouldn't get carried away with elaborate creations. A fancy burger might wow
other judges, but it'll be difficult to convince Summers. His advice: Keep it
simple, but pay attention to detail.
The
TV host recently spoke with New Times about burger tips, being a
granddad, and the possible return of Double Dare.
New Times: What makes a good
burger?
Marc Summers: Here's my feeling, because
everyone has an opinion on this: You have to be able to taste the meat, number
one. And I think the biggest problem people have done recently is that they try
to overload it with too many flavors. They put mushrooms and bizarre things on
it. I want to go back to the traditional hamburger that I had as a kid growing
up in Indiana. That's meat, maybe some cheese, lettuce, tomato, some sort of
interesting dressing — Thousand Island — with maybe a little bit of a kick. And
that's all I need.
I
just don't want something, also, that I can't put in my mouth. People make
these burgers that I find crazy, that are so huge, and they take one bite at
Burger Bash and then they throw it away. It's such a waste. I think if they
made sort of like sliders as opposed to full sandwiches, you'd get a chance to
taste more. When I first started going to Burger Bash, there were maybe 15 to
18 contestants competing for the best burger, and you could try pretty much all
of them. Now there are like 50 places, so you have to be very selective. What I
generally do is walk around and eliminate people by ingredients that I would
never eat on anything and go from there.
What are some ingredients
you think don't belong on a burger?
I'm also a purist. I don't want to combine pork and veal and beef. To me, that's a meatball with sauce on it, and that's got a whole different feel to it. But now there's the foie gras burger: I'm not against foie gras for all of the obvious reasons of being politically correct — I just don't want that on my burger. I don't want truffles on my burger. I don't want truffle oil on my burger. This whole high-end [burger] for $100, make it as expensive as you possibly can so you can charge the customer, is not my cup of tea. Once again, maybe growing up in the Midwest and having your simple burger as a kid is what impressed me, and it's actually hard to find that.
I'm also a purist. I don't want to combine pork and veal and beef. To me, that's a meatball with sauce on it, and that's got a whole different feel to it. But now there's the foie gras burger: I'm not against foie gras for all of the obvious reasons of being politically correct — I just don't want that on my burger. I don't want truffles on my burger. I don't want truffle oil on my burger. This whole high-end [burger] for $100, make it as expensive as you possibly can so you can charge the customer, is not my cup of tea. Once again, maybe growing up in the Midwest and having your simple burger as a kid is what impressed me, and it's actually hard to find that.
How do you judge a burger?
Do you get some training from your colleagues at Food Network?
Actually, I do. Bobby Flay taught me years ago that if you don't season your meat, he will eliminate you from working in his restaurants. Salt and pepper, which is often not used on burgers, is key; that's number one. Certainly, the type of beef that you use. Everybody has their favorite butcher or their favorite company that provides their beef, so that's key. And also, and this is also an opinion thing, medium-rare is what I like. I don't want it too juicy. I hate to pick up a burger and the bun is just wet because the juices are too much. The other thing is that you've got to let your meat rest — even a burger. You can't take it right off the grill and put it on the bun, because then it's going to leak. Some people like stuff well-done. I don't like that because it sort of tastes like charcoal. It's not a feeling that I love in my mouth. Medium-rare is what I'm looking for.
Actually, I do. Bobby Flay taught me years ago that if you don't season your meat, he will eliminate you from working in his restaurants. Salt and pepper, which is often not used on burgers, is key; that's number one. Certainly, the type of beef that you use. Everybody has their favorite butcher or their favorite company that provides their beef, so that's key. And also, and this is also an opinion thing, medium-rare is what I like. I don't want it too juicy. I hate to pick up a burger and the bun is just wet because the juices are too much. The other thing is that you've got to let your meat rest — even a burger. You can't take it right off the grill and put it on the bun, because then it's going to leak. Some people like stuff well-done. I don't like that because it sort of tastes like charcoal. It's not a feeling that I love in my mouth. Medium-rare is what I'm looking for.
Any new episodes of Unwrapped coming?
It's the longest-running series on Food Network, but we haven't shot any new ones in a couple of years. I did 11 seasons of Dinner: Impossible and Restaurant: Impossible. I'm in development right with a new show with Guy Fieri, as a matter of fact. He and I will be producing something together. Can't talk about it just yet, but it's something to look forward to. We're developing a couple of things. We've been friends for years, and I've been a regular judge on Guy's Grocery Games and came up with a project that we originally pitched to him, and we partnered up on it. I was the host of The Next Food Network Star when he won. That was 12 years ago. That's where our friendship began.
It's the longest-running series on Food Network, but we haven't shot any new ones in a couple of years. I did 11 seasons of Dinner: Impossible and Restaurant: Impossible. I'm in development right with a new show with Guy Fieri, as a matter of fact. He and I will be producing something together. Can't talk about it just yet, but it's something to look forward to. We're developing a couple of things. We've been friends for years, and I've been a regular judge on Guy's Grocery Games and came up with a project that we originally pitched to him, and we partnered up on it. I was the host of The Next Food Network Star when he won. That was 12 years ago. That's where our friendship began.
Are you bringing
back Double Dare?
We did the 30th-anniversary show the night before Thanksgiving, and it just killed in the ratings. I'm in negotiations right now to bring Double Dare back in some form or fashion. I'm not allowed to talk about it just yet. That is a big possibility that after 16 years of not being at Nickelodeon, I will be back throwing green liquids at kids, and not just kids, maybe adults.
We did the 30th-anniversary show the night before Thanksgiving, and it just killed in the ratings. I'm in negotiations right now to bring Double Dare back in some form or fashion. I'm not allowed to talk about it just yet. That is a big possibility that after 16 years of not being at Nickelodeon, I will be back throwing green liquids at kids, and not just kids, maybe adults.
You're a grandfather now?
I'm a grandfather now. I coached baseball for eight years when my son was playing, and [Red Robin] was always the go-to spot after we got done playing... It's kind of fun to go back and do the tradition of what I did with my kids and to be representing them at Burger Bash.
I'm a grandfather now. I coached baseball for eight years when my son was playing, and [Red Robin] was always the go-to spot after we got done playing... It's kind of fun to go back and do the tradition of what I did with my kids and to be representing them at Burger Bash.
South
Beach Wine & Food Festival's Burger Bash
7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, February 24, at the North Venue, beachside at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, 1 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. Tickets cost $250 via sobefest.com.
7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, February 24, at the North Venue, beachside at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, 1 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. Tickets cost $250 via sobefest.com.
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Classic Nick Rocks
Michael
Sembello – Maniac
The
Knack - My Sharona
Air
Supply – All Out Of Love
Chayanne
– Provcame
Paula
Abdul – Forever Your Girl
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Special Delivery – Double Dare We Say It: A Nickelodeon Historical Celebration
Mathew
Klickstein has written a non-fiction book titled SLIMED! An Oral History of
Nickelodeon's Golden Age, which covers the early development of Nickelodeon.
SLIMED! was featured on Parade's "Year’s Best Books About Movies and
TV" for 2013, listed as one of the top four tell-all books of 2013 by
Entertainment Weekly and picked as one of the top ten social science books by
Publishers Weekly.
On
September 27, 2013, Matthew moderated and produced a three-hour long series of
panels with more than 40 creative members of the Nickelodeon community,
including actors, producers, writers, show creators and network personnel at
the 92nd Street Y in New York called Double Dare We Say It: A Nickelodeon
Historical Celebration. The event was hosted by Marc Summers and included the
first live performance by the Beets, a fictional band featured on the animated
Nickelodeon series Doug, made up of Fred Newman and Dan Sawyer who produced the
music and sound effects for the show.
Similar
reunion and panel events followed at Book Soup, Innisfree Poetry Bookstore and
Cafe, Iowa City's FilmScene and, in 2014, various others as part of a short
Jewish Book Council tour.
Matthew Klickstein Official
Website
Official SLIMED! Site
Nickelodeon's Glory Days (Full)
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Classic Nick Rocks
Billy
Joel – Allentown
Tanya
Tucker – Down to My Last Teardrop
Geoff
Moore and the Distance – Home Run
Pat
Benatar – Heartbreaker
Nena
– 99 Luftballons
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
At Last, Children’s Programming That’s Fit For Children
Toedo Blade – Feb. 21, 1980
The debate about what kids watch
on TV continues. Certainly everyone is concerned about it. And experts on both
sides of the issue will, undoubtedly, continue to juggle their ways through
research studies and case findings to arrive at their respective conclusions.
But that still leaves the kids caught in the middle.
That is, until now.
We, at the CableSystem, are proud to
announce that the void in solid children’s television has been filled.
The CableSystem is now offering a
selection of 10-11 hours of daily, Nickelodeon. Children’s programming experts
convinced us that the best way to get kids away from the violence and
commercials they’re constantly subjected to on regular TV is by offering them
something they like better.
They’ll like Nickelodeon better.
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PINWHEEL
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10:00 - 3:00
weekdays
9:00 - 2:00
weekends
Pinwheel is the nationally acclaimed
creation of a talented group of professionals including veterans of the
Children’s Television Workshop. Specially tailored to the interests and
attention span of the preschooler, each Pinwheel segment averages about three
minutes. Blended into the format are award wining animated films as well as
live action films.
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VIDEO COMIC BOOKS
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3:00/4:30
weekdays
3:00/4:00/ 6:30
weekends
The half-hour Video
Comic Books show is a unique reading experience for children. Starring favorite
super heroes like green Lantern and Space Ranger, this show is devoted to
paging through comic books panel by panel. The visuals with printed captions
are arranged for easy reading and viewing. Voice-overs and sound effects are
used with the exception of one comic adventure per show during which the
children are compelled to read the dialogue for themselves.
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CHILDREN’S CLASSICS
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7:00-7:30
weekdays
2:30-4:00
weekends
Children’s Classics are high-quality
presentations from the British Broadcasting Company. With universal appeal to
children of all ages. BBC Children’s Classics include such timeless tales as
“The Prince and the Pauper,” Robin Hood,” “Heidi,” and “David Copperfield.”
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AMERICA GOES
BANANAZ
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6:00-7:00
weekdays
America goes Bananaz is a teen
variety show offering a multitude of happenings molded to meet the needs of the
American adolescent. In addition to being an entertaining talent showcase for
young artists, it also provides a great information service providing a stimulating
array of
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HOCUS FOCUS
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3: 30/7:30
weekdays
5:30-6:30
weekends
Seven to twelve year olds explore
the world around them through the eyes of the host character Kryspen, a
medieval time traveler who comes to learn about life in the 20th
Century.
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FIRST ROW
FEATURES
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5:00-6:00
weekdays
4:30/7:00 weekends
First Row
Features are special one hours children’s films broadly ranging from comedies
and adventures to dramas and semi-documentaries.
AT LAST.
Now, you can breath your sigh of
relief. Worry no more about what the kids are home watching.
There’s loads of healthy,
educational commercial-free viewing enjoyment for your kids on Nickelodeon. And
it’s available at no additional charge to our regular subscribers. The usual
monthly charge of $7.50 (plus installation) gets your kids Nickelodeon and your
get all the great entertainment variety the CableSystem offers you. See for
yourself. Call 535-0081
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