Pop Culture Retrospective Podcast Episode #47 - 'Tween shows on Nickelodeon from the '90s!

Show #47 Tween Shows on Nickelodeon in the 1990s 

Nickelodeon BUMP to open the show.

If that sound clip sounds familiar to you, then you had a great childhood, spent in front of a large tube TV that was likely built into a cabinet.  Although you possibly had a blue couch with flowers on it or perhaps a brown and orange plaid couch with wooden arms, you likely opted to sit on the carpet so that you could be closer to said TV, like me and my sister.  I imagine everyone is a bit nostalgic for the television shows of their childhood, but I think there was something incredibly special about the shows children could watch when me and my sister were kids and tweenagers.  There weren’t a ton of options for what to watch or where to watch it, but, nonetheless there are a handful of shows that I often find myself thinking about.  

Nickelodeon made a critical decision in the very beginning - to produce and showcase as much original programming as possible.  This would prove to be incredibly effective both in the 1980s (which we will discuss on a future episode of the podcast) and the 1990s.  I am so grateful that my sister and I were able to watch these shows in what was really the heyday of top notch programming on Nickelodeon. With that said, grab your doc martens, your stonewashed Mom jeans and don’t worry, your braces will be worth it but remember to wear your retainer when they come off…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 # 47 - Tween Shows on Nickelodeon in the late 1980s and early 1990s.  

Before we get to the infamous and excellent I might add, teen programming of the 1990s on Nickelodeon, let’s discuss a brief history of the channel.  Nickelodeon launched on April 1, 1979.  It was essentially the nationwide version of a channel called C-3 which was broadcast in Ohio.  The goal was to create a child-centered network.  In the early days, there weren’t any commercials!  Let’s fast forward a bit to the late 1980s where we begin our discussion about some notable shows of yesteryear.

In 1989, Nickelodeon released one of their first live action shows - Hey Dude, a scripted show set on a dude ranch in Arizona.  Actual filming took place in Tucson, AZ.  Sets were built on an actual operating dude ranch.  The fictional ranch was owned by a New York City businessman who arrived with his son, Buddy to take charge of the ranch after purchasing it.  The ranch has several employees, most of whom are high school/college age who work seasonally and one older ranch hand. Like most shows aimed at teenagers from the 80s and 90s, the group of youngsters would be friends one minute, enemies the next, attracted to each other in one episode, hating each other in the next, etc. etc.  In many episodes a moment of tension is eased when someone either accidentally or is intentionally pushed into one of the many, many water troughs on the ranch.  

Hilarity always ensued!  At the time of the show’s run, there were no major veteran actors, they were all sort of unknown newbies.  Filming during the summer months was incredibly challenging as there was no A/C.  The group became very tight knit as they lived essentially on set.  The show was on for 5 seasons.  

David Brisbon played the role of Benjamin Ernst Sr, the ranch owner.  His character is kind of nerdy and it’s clear he’s new to the concept of managing a dude ranch. He is easily overwhelmed and often wears stereotypical cowboy gear including a huge cowboy hat.  Following his role on Hey Dude, he went on to many acting gigs including parts in films like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Erin Brockovich.  He has also starred on shows like ER and Desperate Housewives.  

Kelly Brown played Brad Taylor, a riding instructor and horse trainer.  She plays the equally stereotypical wealthy and stuck up girl who ultimately has a kind side even if she is rough around the edges. Her character seemed relatively similar to Brenda Walsh a bit from 90210. Prior to her role on the show, she was a model.  Following the series's end, she left acting and apparently owns some upscale boutiques in New York.  How very Brad, indeed.  

Debra Kelman played the role of Lucy, a ranch hand and supervisor at Bar None Ranch.  She got her first modeling gig in a Sears Catalog.  Following Hey Dude, Kelman took a break from acting to raise a family.  More recently though she’s had roles in films like Halfway Home and At the End of the Day.  

David Lascher played heartthrob Ted McGriff, a senior staff member at the ranch.  He often gets in trouble and is also coming up with some sketchy plan to avoid working, sounds like Zach Morris.  Lascher starred in 44 of the 65 show episodes.  Following Hey Dude, Lascher played Vinnie, Blossom’s boyfriend in the show of the same name.  He was also on TV shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Veronica’s Closet which was led by everyone’s favorite Scientologist, Kirsty Alley and the TV adaptation of Clueless.  

Christine Taylor played the role of Melody Hanson, another summer staff member at Bar None Ranch.  Melody is a lifeguard on the ranch.  Taylor starred in all 65 episodes of the show. Taylor would go on to star as Marsha Brady in the Brady Bunch Movies.  Odds are if you are listening to this show you have seen those movies, but if you haven’t, Taylor is soooooo good in her own take on Marsha Brady.  She is so funny and embodies that character so incredibly well.  She has also starred in multiple movies with Ben Stiller who she was married to, then almost divorced, then reconciled with.  Taylor has some more recent acting credits like the film Friendsgiving and the TV show iCarly.   

Joe Torres played the role of Danny Lightfoot.  He is a proud, Hopi Native American.  He is kind and conscientious unlike Ted who he is friends with.  Not much is known about Torres both before and after Hey Dude. Rumors have swirled on the internet that he was either a car salesman in NJ or that he died of liver cancer.  Nothing has been confirmed but I always found his character on the show very endearing.  I hope all is well for Mr. Torres.  

Finally, Josh Tygiel played Benjamin Buddy Ernst, the son of Mr. Ernst. 

Apparently he beat out 100 other young men for the role.  His character struggles with the move to the desert, he is from the city afterall and is disappointed that there really isn’t anywhere to skateboard.  According to his Linkedin profile which I located online which was an incredibly worthwhile use of my time, he is a senior editor and investigator for First Advantage/Back Track reports.  He investigates due diligence and business history reports.  Snore noise.  Oh god, I was so bored I fell asleep.  

There have been some reunions of most of the cast members of the show over the years, the most recent being in 2014 I believe.  You can watch episodes of Hey Dude on Paramount plus.  

In 1991, we were first introduced to Clarissa, the lead character on the show, Clarissa Explains it All (THEME MUSIC HERE).  Melissa Joan Hart played the role of the memorable character.  She had actually auditioned for the role of Six on the show, Blossom.  Six was Blossom’s quirky best friend in the show.  Although she had auditioned for both roles, she preferred the character of Clarissa, thank god.  When Melissa Joan Hart was interviewed for the role, at one point she was asked what kind of music she listened to and whether or not she liked New Kids on the Block, a boyband that was very popular at the time.  Hart listed off some classic rock bands that she liked and mentioned that she hated New Kids on the Block.  The producers then knew they had their star.  The premise of the show revolved around a middle-school aged girl named Clarissa.  She would often turn to the audience and talk to them about her life- i.e. dealing with her parents, her annoying brother, bullying and zits.  She would often break the “fourth wall” if you will, in many rooms throughout her house, but most often in her bedroom.  There she was often visited, by her best friend Sam.  You knew he was coming because you would hear this:  SOUND BITE.  Apparently the producers of the show wanted Sam to be able to enter a scene and hang out with Clarissa efficiently.  They didn’t want him to have to go to the door, have one of the parent’s answer the door, ask for Clarissa, etc. etc.  So the idea for having him appear right away via ladder was born.  CEIA was one of a few TV series where the lead character was a female without being involved romantically with a boy.  In addition, CEIA was the first Nickelodeon series to have a female lead.  

Ferguson Darling, Clarissa’s little brother was played by Jason Zimbler.  He is often referred to as “Ferg Face or Ferg Breath” by Clarissa.  Following the show, Zimbler decided to stop pursuing acting and instead ended up attending college and now currently works as a Software Engineer. Ferguson often bugs his big sister, tries to eavesdrop, etc. He is almost always dressed in a polo shirt or a rugby shirt ducked into a pair of pleated khakis.   

Sam, Clarissa’s best friend was played by Sean O’Neal.  Sam is close with the darling family and lives with his Dad who is a single parent.  His mom apparently left the family to join the roller derby.  He is often dressed in baggy clothes with messy hair and black chuck taylors.  He tries to help Clarissa look at the bright side of things when she is having a hard time.   He’s had a handful of small acting roles over the years including starring in Cop and a Half, a movie that I really liked when I was a kid and which stars Burt Reynonds.  Good grief I was a dork.  Anyways…

Elizabeth Hess played Janet Darling, Clarissa’s mom.  She and her character’s husband are both former flower children.  She is a teacher and also works at a Children’s museum.  

She tries to eat healthy and sometimes introduces the family to strange foods.  Since CEIA, she has starred in several episodes of Law and Order.  She has taught acting at a few Universities in the US including NYU.  I wonder if students are ever like, excuse me, Professor Darling, er, I mean, Professor Hess, I have a question!

Marshall Darling was played by Joe O’Connor.  He works as an architect on the show. He designs oddly shaped and inspired buildings.  He often referred to Clarissa as “Sport.”  Following CEIA, he had a role on Sabrina the Teenage Witch which, MJH was the star of.  He has also had a few small film roles, but several TV acting credits including roles on Friends, Grace Under Fire, ER, the L Word and How I Met Your Mother.  

Melissa Joan Hart has been acting since she was 4 years old, starting in commercials.  While she was playing the role of Clarissa Darling, she also starred in an episode of AYAOTD (which we will talk about in a little bit) in 1993.  Following CEIA, she starred as Sabrina in Sabrina the Teenage Witch from 1996-2003.  She was then in Melissa and Joey with Joey “Whoa” Lawrence from 2010-2015.  Hart has also gone behind the camera to direct episodes of TV shows like the Goldbergs and Young Sheldon.  More recently she has starred on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.  She won 1 million dollars for charity and gave it to an organization called Youth Villages.  They provide support to children and families through services like residential programming, foster care, crisis services and adoption.  Hart married a musician named Mark Wilkerson in 2003.  They have 3 sons together.  

Clarissa had a unique style that the costume designer of the show, Lisa Lederer described as: “Clarissa wasn’t really a tomboy and she wasn’t really the weird girl.  She was always just herself.”  She often wore mismatched patterns, hats, unique earrings and doc marten boots.  MJH has allegedly saved all of her wardrobe items from the show.  Ah, there’s nothing I love more than the smell of 30 year old birkenstocks shoved into the back of a closet in the morning.  

The show would run for 5 seasons between 1991-1994 and a total of 65 episodes.  The show was incredibly popular and sort of ended abruptly.  Some people at the network thought she was getting too old, but the show still had a wide audience - one that was made up of equal parts female and male viewers.  Regardless though, the show had an impact and it was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Children’s program.  

There have been discussions over the years around a reboot being created for the CEIA series, perhaps catching back up with her as she lives in NYC and becoming an adult.  None of that has come to fruition, but if it does, I think we all know darn well that MJH better be the show’s star, again.

1991 presented us with yet another unforgettable Nickelodeon show, undoubtedly one of my all-time favorite shows and one of my sister’s, Salute Your Short.  The show had an incredibly memorable theme song which I believe is the only theme song in the history of television to include mentioned flatulence. (INSERT THEME SONG HERE) I loved this show so much that I recorded as many episodes as possible on our multitude of blank VHS tapes.  My sister, the artist, would often create labels for me for said VHS tapes.  I remember she wrote out Salute Your Shorts on the white JVC label, and included a drawing of a pair of, well, shorts.  I watched that tape hundreds of times. 

The series is set at a fictional camp called Camp Anawanna which is inspired by the all too often used phrase “I don’t wanna” by kids.  Can you clean your room?  Ugh, I don’t wanna.  Please eat your vegetables!  I don’t wanna! Inspiration for the show came from creator Steve Slavkin’s book that he wrote with Thomas Hill about their experiences as camp counselors in Maine.  The original book is called “Salute Your Shorts- Life at Summer Camp.”  Slavkin would serve as Dr. Khan in the TV show, the camp director who is often heard over the intercom system, but never seen.  Most episodes focus on 3 female campers named Telly, ZZ and Dina and 4 male campers - Donkey Lips, Budnick, Sponge and one additional male bunkmate. In the first season there is an additional character named Michael and in the second season, he is replaced by Pinksy.  Which begs the question- were you team Michael or Team Pinsky?  For me, I was team Michael.  He was cuter and less annoying than Pinksy.  Plus he had a normal name.  Most episodes also included the antics of the camper’s goofy counselor, Ug whose last name was Lee.  Get it?  Ugly.  The group often disagreed in many of the episodes but ultimately came together whenever it was needed.  They often had to attend instructional swim, even though we never saw them swimming.  They tried to find buried treasure and time capsules and they competed in sports.  One thing I appreciated about the show is that they really tried to find kids that looked like real kids. They put very little makeup on the kids and when Megan Berwick who played ZZ needed to get braces, they wrote it into the show.  

Kirk Bailey played the role of Ug.  He learned a lot about solid physical comedy which he incorporated into this role, through the help of the Groundlings, an improv comedy troupe of which Kathy Griffin and Lisa Kudrow were a part of.  He was sort of a goofball in the show and was always getting irritated with the kids and their impulsive and immature behavior.  In one memorable episode, Bailey played the role of Zeek the Plumber.  He is terrifying (google it, trust me).  Apparently Zeek was a, you guessed it, plumber, and he used to plunge the toilets of Camp Anawanna.  Due to an accident while plunging he lost his nose and thus his sense of smell.  At one point there was a gas leak and since he couldn’t smell it, it killed him.  Sounds like an episode of AYAOTD but alas it was Salute Your Shorts.  I bring this up as a testament to how well-rounded an actor Kirk Bailey is.  That was really the only episode of the show that was creepy.  The rest were pretty light-hearted and perfect for the target audience of the show.

Michael Bower played the role of Donkeylips, part of the dynamic duo with Budnick, played by Danny Cooksey.  Bower faced a lot of challenges growing up - his mother left his family when he was a little boy, so his dad raised him and his brother by himself.  They lived in a trailer park and thankfully Bower got into acting and the paychecks from those gigs helped cover the family’s bills, like his role in the Moonwalker music video and later SYS.  Donkey Lips character was a bit of an impressionable and goofy young man who ultimately wants to be friends with everyone but is loyal to Budnick most of the time.  

Venus DeMilo played the role of Telly Radford.  She was the tomboy of the group, really into playing basketball and tennis.  She was often found wearing a backwards baseball cap and a pair of Chuck Taylor hightops.  Coincidentally DeMilo attended a girl’s camp near the exact same location where some scenes from the show were filmed - at the Griffith Park Boy’s Camp in California.  

Megan Berwick played the role of animal lover and environmentalist, ZZ Ziff.  Prior to SYS, she had a small role on an episode of Full House.  

Eric MacArthur played the role of Michael in season one of the show. He is originally from Hawaii and when he was in high school, his parents sent him to a prep school in California where he went on a few auditions and eventually landed the role on Salute Your Shorts.  After the first season though he decided he did not want to be an actor.  

Blake Soper played the role of Pinskey in season 2 of SYS.  He was born in San Diego, California and was almost 20 years old when he was on the show.  

Timothy “Trevor” Eyster starred as everyone’s favorite nerd - Sponge Harris.  Eyster started acting at age 7 in many commercials.  About his favorite dorky character, Eyster once said:  “I was one of the first of what was to become that lovable archetype :  Before Steve Urkel and Harry Potter, there was Sponge.”  Mic drop.  Sponge was by far my favorite character - what can I say, dorks love dorks.  

Heidi Lucas played Dina Alexander, the wealthy and sometimes stuck up/snobby girly girl of the girl’s cabin.  She is often the object of many of the boy’s affection including Donkeylips and Budnick.  

Danny Cooksey played the role of Budnick, the rough-around-the-edges bad boy who rocked a mullet during the first season and looked like Axel Rose during the second season.  Budnick is often butting heads with Ug.  Prior to SYS, he starred in the last few seasons of Diff’rent strokes when he had a perfectly trimmed bowl cut/Dorothy Hammel hairstyle.  

We talked about the Zeke the Plumber episode, but here are a few notable episodes of the show and a brief description. In ‘Toilet Seat Basketball,’ the campers are going to be playing in a championship basketball game.  Whoever wins gets their name put on the winners plaque, but whoever loses gets their name put on a toilet seat that hangs in the main lodge.  The team captain goes from Telly to Budnick to Telly and sadly the team loses.  This was a common theme during the show which I certainly appreciated, kids don’t always win, and that's okay.  

In an episode entitled “Capture the Flag” Donkeylips ends up saving the day even though some of the other campers doubted him because he doesn’t move very fast due to his size.  He takes the lead, rallies everyone with a game winning strategy and captures the flag.  

The final episode is called Annawanna Incorporated where the campers decide to start a bird house building company for career day.  Once again the underdog himself, Donkeylips takes hold of the company after observing how lazy some of his co-workers are and he reaps all of the benefits.  

Salute Your Shorts was an incredibly popular show, but it only ran for two seasons between 1991-1993 because production was going to move from Los Angeles to Orlando.  The cast didn’t want that to happen because many of them were high school aged and lived in the LA area so moving wasn’t going to be an option.  

Slavkin, the show’s creator, was very much against this move as well because the show would have been filmed before a live studio audience which definitely would have changed it’s feel.  Following the ending of the show, many members of the cast have continued to act or do voice work and some have opted to stay out of the spotlight.  

Kirk Bailey- kept his infamous fishing hat after the show ended.  He has provided some voice overs in recent years, i.e. the Spongebob movie:  Sponge on the run, Big Hero 6, Frozen and Hotel Transylvania.  He has remained close to the cast after the show’s run.  

Michael Bower- has continued to act and in recent years he has starred on shows like CSI and Dark Angel.  

Venus DeMilo- had recurring roles on shows like Family Matters and My So Called Life following SYS.  More recently she has starred in American Crime Story, Veronica Mars and Cherish the Day.  

Timothy “Trever” Eyster has had some recent acting credits like Hopeful Romantic and Say Again Your Last (a short) both in 2015 and Bones, the television show in 2014.  According to some information I found he is also a fitness enthusiast and a life coach.  Hopefully people soak up his words of encouragement like a “sponge.” 

Heidi Lucas hasn’t really acted since the mid 1990s when she started on the Wayan’s Brothers and Saved by the Bell, the New Class.  She actually ended up leaving high school during her senior year because she was bullied.  I’m not sure if the bullying was focused on her sort of snooty character from SYS but apparently it was so bad that she didn’t want to be there.  It was noted that she often felt bad while on the show for her character’s cruel comments to others.  Apparently she is currently working as an attorney.  

Danny Cookey has done a lot of voice over work since the ending of SYS on shows like Ren & Stimpy and Hey Arnold.  He is also a musician, he’s been the lead singer of a few bands over the years.  When he got married, Michael Bower (Donkeylips) and Kirk Bailey (Ug) served as two of his groomsmen.  

Megan Berwick left acting  and went into non-profit work.  

Blake Soper continued to act, was on shows like Boy Meets World and 3rd Rock from the Sun.  He has also gone on to play music in bands like Rilo Kiley.  

Eric MacArthur returned home to Hawaii after his appearance in the first season.  He is actually a quite talented baseball player who was being scouted while he was in college, but an injury prevented him from playing after college. He has since returned to Hollywood and works behind the scenes.  

On April 15, 1992, Nickelodeon launched SNICK which stood for Saturday Night Nickelodeon.  If you were a kid or middle schooler at this time, there was nothing else you would rather be doing on a Saturday.  In addition to Clarissa Explains it All eventually appearing on Snick, so too did a show called Are You Afraid of the Dark (THEME MUSIC HERE).  The concept for AYAOTD was originally going to be an old man by a fireplace telling scary stories, but thankfully that concept was scrapped.  The creators of the show wanted to produce a sort of a “twilight zone” for kids if you will, and boy did they succeed! 

This show was produced by a company called Cinar and was filmed in Quebec and Richmond, British Columbia.  The first episode aired on Halloween of all days and was called “Tale of the Twisted Claw.”  Each episode followed a similar format- a group of teenagers who referred to themselves as a “midnight society” would meet up in the middle of the night, in the woods, to tell spooky stories.  They would then gather around a fire and a group member would tell a story.  That person would begin by saying- “submitted for your approval of the midnight society, I call this story….”  The storyteller would then throw something into the fire from a small, leather bag to intensify the flames.  One source I read said that the powdery substance in the bag was non-dairy creamer.  I always thought it was sand for some reason, not that this thought makes any sense, but that’s what it looked like.  Anyways, after the storyteller named the story, it would cut to said story being told and acted out via different actors for about 15-20 minutes.  

Some of the stories were downright creepy, such as “The Tale of Laughing in the Dark” where a teen named Josh wants to prove that a haunted house isn’t haunted so he decides to STEAL a nose from a clown inside said haunted house. The clown, named Zeebo, then decides to taunt and haunt Josh by playing pranks on him like putting a pile of dirty, used, cigars in the bottom of his pudding bowl.  Some other episode examples include “Tale of Locker 22” which tells the story of a young girl who has immigrated from France.  Transitioning to a new country and a new school has been challenging, especially because her locker is haunted by a ghost from the 1960s. Another episode is called the Tale of the Dream Machine where a kid who is hoping to become a writer someday finds a typewriter.  Whatever gets typed up, comes true.  

The original cast included Ross Hull who played Gary, one of the older kids on the show.  Hull is currently a meteorologist in Canada.  Jodie Resther played the role of Kiki on the show.  She was also Alice in the film Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveler, a movie I was really into as a child.  As an adult, I found the movie for sale on DVD so I immediately purchased it, but quickly realized it didn’t hold up all that well.  Oh well.  She also provided the voice for Francine Frensky, aka my spirit animal, on the show Arthur.  Francine was me as a kid.  Rocking her jeans and Chuck Taylors, always wanting to play sports.  I feel seen! Resther has continued to act on both tv and film and is also a musician.  Raine Pare Coull played Betty Ann on AYAOTD and also provided voice work for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  It sounds like she has taken a step back from acting and doesn’t have any recent credits on her resume. Jason Alisharan played Frank on the show.  He appeared in the first 4 seasons of the show.  Following AYAOTD, he acted in a few tv movies like the halfback of Notre Dame and Breaker High.  From the information I could find, it sounds like he still works in media, but does more behind the scenes type work.  Rachel Blanchard played Kristen on the show for the first 2 seasons.  After leaving the show, she played the role of Cher on the TV adaptation of Clueless.  She also played Roxanne Richardson on 7th Heaven.  Some of her more recent acting credits include roles in Snakes on a Plane, Fargo and a TV series called You, Me, Her.  Nathaniel Moreau played David for the first two seasons.  

He would go on to star in Tales of the Cryptkeeper and Ku Fung - the Legend Continues.  He doesn’t have many acting credits as of late, but he has done some background vocal work in movies.  Jacob Tierney starred in the first season only and is the one character on the show who left without any explanation.  He has gone on to have some smaller roles in TV and movies and co-created a hit Canadian TV series called Letterkenny.  

Are You Afraid of the Dark ran for 5 seasons on Nickelodeon, each season consisted of 13 episodes.  I know that I am biased toward a lot of things from me and my sister’s childhood, but I will say that Are You Afraid of the Dark was incredibly creative, well-executed and imaginative.  It really spoke to our demographic and spooked us a little bit.  I have always been a scardy  cat, but I really loved the ominous nature of AYAOTD.  It was the perfect combination of eeriness, but not overwhelmingly so, as well as being sort of adventurous.  The show was praised for the diversity of its cast and storylines.  Further, the characters on the show were dealing with real life issues facing other young people including- parent’s divorce, death, and the infamous awkward and insecure teen years.  At one point there was a movie in the works based on the show, but sadly it was scrapped.  

There have been several reboots of the series, one that ran during 99-00 for 26 episodes and others ran in 2019 and 2021.  No matter how amazing any reboots were or will be in the future, nothing will match the original.   

Finally, we will discuss probably my second favorite show on this list, the Adventures of Pete & Pete.  The show started as a “short” between commercials on Nickelodeon in 1989.  Production of a full show started in 1993.  The show revolves around two red-headed brothers and their misadventures.  Both boys are named Pete.  The episodes are told sort of like a kid would think - a long stream of consciousness as described by some pop culture experts.  Michael C. Maronna played Big Pete who is middle school-ish age at the start of the show.  He is a bit more on the quiet side than his outgoing and loud-mouthed brother, Little Pete.  Big Pete is struggling with getting older and not being a kid anymore, but at the same time wanting to stay a kid and thus more connected with his brother.  He is very insightful and says things like:  “Why is it that when you miss somebody so much that your heart is ready to disintegrate, you always hear the saddest song ever on the radio?”  Big Pete is often the narrator of the show offering us tidbits and thoughts that could be running across the mind of any adolescent.  Little Pete is played by Danny Tamberelli who was a child actor with an impressive resume by the time he was on the show. I’m pretty sure he was in a few episodes of the original Babysitter’s club series.  Impressive indeed. Little Pete had a sailor’s tattoo on his forearm, a pinup model named Petunia.  Pretty sure that would never fly on TV today. Other characters on the show included Ellen, Big Pete’s childhood best friend and periodic love interest, played by Alison Fanelli.  Little Pete’s best friend in the show is named Artie who has dubbed himself the “strongest man in the world” and is often found clad in red stretch pants and a matching blue and red striped shirt.  Artie is one the few adults in the show that Little Pete doesn’t get frustrated with.  Little Pete often confides in Artie when he needs help or is having a hard time.  Prior to his role on the show, he had a handful of bizarre acting credits including films such as “Handgun” and “Zadar, the Cow From Hell.”  They say don’t just a book by it’s cover but both of those films sound abysmal.  Anyways, Judy Grafe played the role of Pete and Pete’s Mom, Joyce Wrigley.  

Her character famously had a metal plate inside of her head and she met her husband, aka Pete and Pete’s Dad, Don when he was using a metal detector one day on a beach and picked up a signal off of Joyce’s head.  There is really no explanation offered as to why she had a plate in her head other than she was involved in an accident during her childhood.  In some episodes she picks up various radio signals off of her plate.  The Mom’s plate was even given some airtime in the opening credits.  Hardy Rawls played Dad, Don Wrigley. He was in some episodes of Valerie and All my Children prior to this role. In addition to the main characters of the show, there were several special appearances by celebrities like Michael Stipe, Janene Garafalo, LL Cool J and Iggy Pop.  

The show is set in Wellsville, in an unidentified state, but the license plates in the show indicate Wellsville is in the “sideburn” state.  For the most part the show was filmed in New Jersey.  

Pete and Pete has often been described as one of the most insightfully and endearing children’s shows ever written and acted out on the screen.  The show’s episodes were equally creative including shows like-

Inspector 34 where Little Pete becomes friends with an underwear inspector.  Soon Pete also becomes an underwear quality inspector but soon realizes that it’s exhausting (and unrealistic) to be perfect. In an episode entitled X=Why, Ellen questions the purpose of word problems in her math class which leads to her teacher questioning her life’s purpose.  This leads to several substitute teachers trying to take over the class, one of which who plays the guitar and sings about figuring out the number of pigs in a barn, while all of the students try to fight being intrigued but quickly shut him down.  Another episode is called Grounded for Life where little Pete digs a tunnel, under his lawn, to escape being grounded much to his father’s dismay.   

After what started with 16 shorts, which then led to 3 seasons and a few specials, the Adventures of Pete and Pete came to an end in 1996.  

Following the end of the show, Michael C. Maronna (big Pete) began working as an electrician for film and tv in Brooklyn, NY.  Little Pete played by Danny Tamberelli would go on to voice a character on the Magical School Bus.  He’d also star in Mighty Ducks and provide additional voice work to other media like the game Grand Theft Auto.  Ellen was played by Alison Fanelli, she apparently retired after acting on the show and now works as a Physician Assistant.  Toby Hess, who played Artie the strongest man in the world, would go on to also do some voice over work, this time for the show, King of the Hill.  Hardy Rawls, aka Don Wrigley has continued to act following the end of the show including starring on TV shows like Law and Order and Judging Amy.  Judy Grafe also continued to act following the ending of Pete and Pete on shows like Judging Amy like Hardy did and Untold Stories of the ER.  In addition to her acting credits she was also a volunteer in an emergency room and a volunteer firefighter.  Sadly Grafe passed away at the end of last year.  I was not able to find any additional information about her passing other than she is sadly no longer with us which I’m sure was a big hit to the stars of Pete and Pete.  

On a website called Den of Geek, writer Seb Patrick did an excellent job summarizing the brilliance that is Pete & Pete.  

He said quote:  “....to those who grew up with it – and maybe a few who’ve discovered it in the years since – Pete And Pete was an absolute delight. Just like Artie taught Pete, the show taught so many of us that we may all be a little weird, but that’s okay; because the most important thing is just to be ourselves.”  I couldn’t agree more.

I hope you have enjoyed this look back on some of the classic shows from Nickelodeon from the late 1980s and early 1990s.  I was surprised at how much information I was able to find, on just a few shows.  Thank you for your patience with me releasing this show as it took a bit longer than expected to put together, but I hope you find it was worth it!  I know I really enjoyed revisiting some of my favorite TV shows, many of which I watched with my sister.  If you are interested in learning more about the shows I spoke about and tons more from the best era of television on Nickelodeon, I highly suggest you check out a documentary entitled “The Orange Years : The Nickelodeon Story.”  You can rent it on Amazon, YouTube and Hulu I believe.  It covers the start of the channel through to the late 1990s/early 2000s.  It is incredibly well done and sentimental.  It’s a must watch for anyone who grew up watching Nickelodeon. 

Don’t forget that I am doing a little giveaway for listeners who submit show ideas for a future podcast.  If you have an idea about a topic I should cover, please submit it to popcultureretrospective@gmail.com by March 1, 2022.  If your topic fits the criteria of the show - something my sister and I were into as kids and I pick it, I will mail you a few stickers of the podcast logo!

I hope you will join me for my show where we will be discussing some of director John Hughe’s most memorable films until then BYBSAHOTYM.