# 51 - The History of Slime on Nickelodeon

Thanks for tuning in!  On today's show you will learn about the history of Slime - the green, sticky liquid that has made frequent appearances on Nickelodeon since the early 1980s.  You will learn how the idea for it came to be, what it was made from and where it can be found today.  We will also briefly touch on some of the game shows it has been used for over the years (i.e. Double Dare, Wild & Crazy Kids, etc.).  

So kick back, relax and enjoy the show!

Contact me anytime:

Email:  popcultureretrospective@gmail.com
Twitter:  @popcultureretro
Instagram:  @popcultureretrospective

Transcript

Episode #51 - The History of Slime

If you listened to episode #47 of the PCRP, then you know that me and my sister were huge fans of Nickelodeon, the cable channel devoted to children’s television.  Nickelodeon was truly groundbreaking and ahead of its time when you take a look back at how the channel got started.  Besides the unique programming (especially in the 80s and 90s) there was one thing or substance I guess you could say, that really separated it from competitors and that was SLIME - the neon-colored green, chunky liquid that was and is, often dumped on various actors who star on a tv show or special on the network.  It’s really one of the most prominent things Nickelodeon is known for, just ask anyone who watched the channel growing up.  

Today’s show is the 2nd to last from listener suggestions - this time coming from a devoted listener named Preston, thank you for your show idea!  With that being said, on today’s show we will be taking a brief look back at the history of Slime, a staple on the Nickelodeon network since it’s early days.  So, grab your Double Dare helmet, make sure you refrain from uttering “I don’t know” and watch out, it’s slippery, here we go! 

Hello and thank you so very much for tuning in to the Pop Culture Retrospective Podcast, a show inspired by, and in memory of, my big sister Rebecca and her love for all things pop-culture, especially the people, places and things of the 80s, 90s and early 00s.  My name is Amy Lewis and I am your captain aboard this pop-culture time machine.  You are tuning in to episode #51, the History of Slime as suggested by a friendly listener of the show.  Before we get into that I would like to apologize for the delay in producing this episode.  Between illness going through our house impacting both of our kids, as well as a lot of traveling, I have been quite busy these past few weeks, but I am excited to be back!  Thank you for your patience and now on with the show! 

The first time we got to see slime on TV came on a show called “You Can’t Do That on Television '' SOUND CLIP! which was a kid’s comedy sketch show that originated in Canada and was shown on Nickelodeon.  This show really pushed the boundaries when it came to being categorized as a kid’s show.  For example, some of the sketches included:  Firing Squad in which one of the child actors would be tied to a post and was slated to be shot by El Capitano and his firing squad dubbed the Amigos.  The kid would often trick El Capitano so that he would in fact be the one to get shot.  There was also a bit where two cast members would tell each other jokes from one locker to another locker with each kid being inside of one.  And who could forget the frequent airing of a bit called Barth’s Burgers in which a creepy looking chef who chain smokes I might add, cooks up burgers utilizing unsanitary methods and serves it to the kids.   He shares the nasty ingredients with the kids who are then grossed out.  

The show ran from 1979-1990 and had a few well-known cast members including Alanis Morrissette who starred in just 6 episodes during the 1986 season.  She would go on to be an incredibly successful musician as you likely know.  There was also Abby Hagyard (pronounced HA-dyard) who played the mother on the show, often clad in a blue dress and yellow cleaning gloves.  In addition to her work on YCDTOT she also provided her voice talents to Dennis the Menace, the Care Bears and Teddy Ruxpin.  Now if that isn’t an 80s trifecta, I don’t know what is! And not to worry, I’m pretty sure at some point we will be doing a show on all 3 of those topics, trust me! 

Let’s get back to the slime though…

A gentleman by the name of Bill Buchanan worked in the props department and was given the directive to find some kind of green, slimy and hopefully disgusting substance that was needed for a sketch. A propmaster named Paul Copping was told to make said slime but wasn’t given any more information about how to make it.  Allegedly, Copping made the first batch by combining a mix of latex paint and other unknown items.  

Eventually the crew found out that the slime was going to be used for dumping on cast members of the show, anytime they uttered the phrase- “I don’t know.” CLIP HERE. Afraid of the contents hurting the actors, the crew and producers agreed that a new slime formula needed to be created.  The next round was made out of green jello mixed with flour.  It was used for some time, but it became a bit too labor intensive to use on the show.  They then tried Cream of Wheat with green food coloring.  That didn’t work too well because it got stuck in the actor’s hair.  Eventually, a mix of cottage cheese and vegetable oil was used.  Finally, vanilla pudding, oatmeal, applesauce and green food coloring was used. This was also used on the classic kid’s game show, Double Dare. In addition to being on YCDTOT of course, and Double Dare, slime has also been used on most of Nickelodeon’s game shows, On Wild and Crazy Kids (SOUND CLIP HERE) where it was called Blap and the Kid’s Choice Awards which started in 1988.  On the KCA, Viewers get to pick favorites in categories like movies and music.  

Let’s go back to Double Dare for a second.  In case you are not familiar with the show or if you have forgotten, DD was a very popular game show which included two teams competing with each other in trivia, physical challenges and the ultimate obstacle course at the end of the show.  Said obstacle course could include challenges such as picking a large nose filled with goup, where the individual on the course was trying to find a flag, pedaling a tricycle through whipped cream, and so much more.  DESCRIPTION and SOUND BITE HERE.  The show needed 30 gallons of slime ready for the show.  It took a crew of over a dozen people to clean up the set after each taping.  The slime was needed for various physical challenges and the infamous obstacle course.  

And let’s not forget Wild and Crazy Kids which had an impressive and catchy theme song that just screamed 90s, have a listen:  CLIP HERE.  WACK ran for 3 seasons from 1990-1992 and was co-hosted by Omar Gooding, Donnie Jeffcoat who had the most annoying mannerisms I have ever seen on TV and also had a female co-host that changed throughout the show’s run.  Like Double Dare, contestants on the show competed again each other on teams in events like Dizzy Bat home run derby where kids competed against adults who had to put their heads on top of a baseball bat that was standing up on the ground, spin several times and attempt to hit the ball off of a tee.  Other games included green light, red light, splash football where an NFL quarterback would throw a football to a kid jumping off a diving board, and many others.  There were no awards given for winning a contest on the show, unlike some other Nickelodeon game shows.  The reward was hanging out with Donny Jeffcoat and his annoying demeanor and his Tony Hawk rip-off appearance.  

According to many former Nickelodeon stars, Slime is apparently extremely cold and can often find it’s way into many nooks and crannies of a person’s body.  You can think about that more on your own.  Celebrities outside of the Nickelodeon family have also been slimed - famous Director Steven Speilberg was once slimed - he said he felt like he was being quote “Thrown up on.”  Ugh, thinking about being thrown up on makes me want to barf.  

Slime became so well-known and popular that it was available outside of Nickelodeon shows, at one point you could even BUY slime.  Also, there was slime cereal, slime ketchup (which apparently is still available for purchase on Amazon, when it’s in stock that is) and at one time there was a slime geyser at the now-defunct Nickelodeon studios.  It erupted every 15 minutes.  For several years, Nickelodeon also hosted Slimefests all over the country.  Here, visitors could watch live music and participate in activities based around, you guessed it, slime.  These events ran from 2012-2019.  There was supposed to be one held in 2020, but it was canceled due to concerns over Covid-19.  Perhaps it will come back at some point, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

If you want to know more about Slime and Nickelodeon, there are several resources available to educate yourself on all things Orange and well, green..  First, you can check out the fantastic documentary entitled the Orange Years which I referenced on the recent episode I did about tween shows on Nickelodeon in the 1990s.  You can also watch a documentary about YCDTOT on Amazon called You Can’t Do That on Film, available to rent.  There’s also a book I hope to read at some point in the near future entitled “The Nickelodeon '90s: Cartoons, Game Shows and a Whole Bunch of Slime.”  Another interesting read is entitled:  “Slimed!: An Oral History of Nickelodeon’s Golden Age.”  So needless to say, Nickelodeon and subsequently slime, continue to be a popular topic when it comes to films and books, I’m guessing mostly for the 39-49 year old demographic of which I just happen to fall into and so would my sister.  Even Saturday Night Live recently incorporated YCDTOT and slime into a recent episode.  Again, 39-49 year old demographic.  

If you are enjoying the PCRP please subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform and please rate the show.  We have been holding steady at the same amount of reviews for quite some time, so if you are a fan of the show (or any other podcast for that matter) please rate it and share your thoughts.  It doesn’t cost anything and it’s a huge support to podcasters.  

I hope you will join me for my next show where we will close out our show topic suggestions series where we will be discussing Soul Train.  Not familiar with it?  I have seen more episodes than I can count on both of my hands and you will learn why, it’s both an interesting and irritating story if I do say so myself.  My sister would be rolling her eyes if she was here, trust me.  More on that later.

But until then, BKBSAHOTYM.