I Was An 'All That' Extra | Ooze News | November 1997

Quick note: This post is currently incomplete, however, to celebrate the debut of Nickelodeon's All That revival, premiering Saturday, June 15 at 8:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon U.S.A., I thought I'd post the main part of the article, which goes behind-the-scenes of '90s All That. I'll update this post will the full issue of Ooze News soon. For now though, please enjoy "I Was An 'All That' Extra"!

Ooze News - November 1997

EXTRA! I WAS AN ALL THAT EXTRA

We sent writer and part-time actor David Lewman to the All That set to find out what it's like to be an extra (a person in a crowd) in a "Good Burger" sketch. In the segment, guest star Sherman Hemsley, of the TV shows Goode Behavior and Amen, plays a food critic who gets served a puppy instead of a burger.

DAVID'S REPORT:

1 Knock-knock

I arrive at All That's greenroom, where I find other extras hanging out. I think they call the waiting room the greenroom because the extras are green with envy of the show's stars. [It's really called the greenroom because the first ones were painted that color.] There's a big TV where we can watch what's happening on stage.

2 Puppy chow

I'm given a script to read while I'm waiting. In it, one actor declares, "Hey, that guy's trying to eat a puppy." The rest of the extras are supposed to react and say stuff like "Huh?" "What?" or "Man!" I decide to say "A puppy?" My first line! Excited, I share my idea with a kid who turns out to be the puppy's owner. Another extra looks on, smiling, and hoping to get her picture in the magazine. (She does.)

3 Getting in character

I explain to my fellow extras how I see my character, a customer at Good Burger: He's hungry, perhaps even thirsty for root beer; he likes puppies.

4 All dressed up

As instructed, I've brought four casual outfits. The wardrobe person quickly picks out jeans and a plaid shirt for me. "Where's my dressing room?" I ask. She points to the men's room.

5 Hanging out

I visit the dressing room of All That stars Lori Beth Denberg and Alyssa Reyes. I ask Lori, who is dressed as a baby for a different sketch, whether she has ever been an extra. "Never," she says. "Well," I think, "at least I don't have to wear a diaper!"

6 Powder my nose

The prop person gives me a backpack to carry. The stage manager tells me when and where to walk. The makeup artist wipes powder on my face.

7 Practice makes imperfect

During rehearsal, I stand behind a fake wall a Good Burger waiting for my cue to walk onto the set. Kel Mitchell, who's always clowning around, says, "Welcome to Bad Burger, Home of the Bad Burger."

8 Advice from the pros

After rehearsal, we go outside while the audience is "loaded" in. Kenan Thompson and Kel ride bikes around the lot. "Do you have any advice for me before I shoot my big scene?" I ask some of the All That cast. "Try not to be awful," cautions Josh Server. Amanda Bynes cheers, "Have fun!" Continued >>

9 Welcome to Good Barker

This is it! The scene starts. From behind the fake wall, I can hear the audience laughing. After Sherman gets his order, I walk over to the counter and look up at the menu.

10 Look, Ma, I'm acting!

I react to the man who says Sherman (seated, left) is going to eat the puppy. After the first take, the director tells us to react even more. In the second take, Kenan and Kel start laughing and we end up doing the scene over five times. This gives me time to get ready to put everything I have into my line. When the moment comes, I exclaim "A puppy?" right on cue. The audience cheers. Hey, I could get used to this.

11 The price of fame

Afterwards, I hand out pictures to my fans...and sign a few autographs. How do you spell superstar?

12 Hooray for Hollywood

I leave the Paramount lot with big plans for my future...maybe next time I'll be an extra on Rugrats.

And All That Jazz

• An All That extra is paid between $70 and $75 for a day's work.
• The burgers behind the Good Burger counter are just wrapped buns.
• The director doesn't say "action" or "cut." The stage manager starts the scene by saying "In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1" and ends it by yelling "clear."
• Extras often don't make it to the final cut of an episode. If you watch David's scene carefully, you'll get a glimpse at one of his legs, but not much else.

-DL

Watch this All That episode on Saturday, November 1, at 8:30 PM *.

  

Good Burger: A Movie Well Done - Ooze News - June/July (Summer) 1997

Ooze News - June/July 1997

(Summer Issue)

Good Burger: A Movie Well Done

Good Burger, based on the popular All That sketch, will sizzle on movie screens this summer. Kel Mitchell and Kenan Thompson star in the full-length feature film as employees of Good Burger, a run-down fast-food restaurant. The movie follows the duo's meatheaded adventures while they try and stop the competition, Mondo Burger, from stealing Ed's secret sauce recipe. Guest stars include Carmen Electra, Sinbad, and Shaquille O'Neal.

David Lewman grilled some of the cast about what makes a good burger and more.

Kel Mitchell (Ed, a Good Burger employee):

Do you eat meat?
Yes, I eat meat! I like meat. It's all right. First time I met meat, or me and meat met, it was neat.

What's the weirdest way you've ever eaten a burger?
When I was little, I'd put my finger through the middle of a burger and eat around it. I'd eat all the way around until the meat was small. I was a weird child.

Kenan Thompson (Dexter, a Good Burger employee):

Would you eat at a place like Good Burger?
Yes, maybe. But if I saw Ed, I might run.

Abe Vigoda (Otis, the oldest Good Burger employee):

What makes a good burger?
A good burger has to be made of very fresh meat, as opposed to a hamburger that is mixed with fillers such as bread and other ingredients. You want all of the patty to be meat, from a big cut of fresh beef. It should be cooked medium rare and juicy.

Josh Server (Fizz, a Good Burger employee):

Have you ever been recognized at a drive-through?
Yeah. I was driving Kenan home from work and the woman in the window at Astro Burger [a Los Angeles fast-food chain] said, "Excuse me, my friend wants to know if you're on TV."

Did she give you extra fries?
All I'm gonna say is, it's not bad being on TV.

Ron Lester (Spatch, a Good Burger cook):

What makes a good burger?
Love, man. When you're done and you realize you've just bitten into a hamburger that was made with love, it's so mmm good.

Would you ever eat at a place like Good Burger?
Oh, absolutely. The hamburgers are made with love.

What do you put on your fries?
Believe it or not, mayonnaise or ranch dressing or ice cream.

What's the weirdest burger you've ever eaten?
I went home to Virginia to see some of my cousins, and they fed me an opossum burger.

How was it?
Hairy.

Can You Figure It Out?

Nickelodeon's newest game show, Figure It Out, allows kids to show off their talents. Each show features two kids with special skills - such as the girl who can fold herself into the shape of a pretzel or the one who can play piano while lying on her back. A celebrity panel tries to figure out what the skill is by asking a series of questions. The longer it takes the panel to uncover the special talent, the more prizes the contestant wins.

Some of the celebrity panelists who'll rack their brains are Curtis Williams Jr., Reagan Gomez-Preston, Taran Noah Smith, and Michelle Trachtenberg. Other panelists include Nickelodeon stars Lori Beth Denberg, Josh Server, Amanda Bynes, Irene Ng, and Danny Tamberelli.

Summer Lovin'

Before becoming the host of Figure It Out, Summer Sanders (above) kept busy. In the 1992 Olympics, she won four swimming medals - two gold, a silver, and a bronze. She's worked as an NBC sports commentator and hosted MTV's Sand Blast. Lindsey von Busch asked Summer some puzzling questions.

Nickelodeon Magazine: Do you do a lot of puzzles?
Summer Sanders: Right before the 1992 Olympics [in Barcelona, Spain], the athletes spent a lot of time resting in the hotel. We'd do enormous jigsaw puzzles.

What's it like being a game show host?
I'm a cheerleader and a traffic cop. I really have to get psyched before the game. I prepare for the show as I would for a race - I jump up and down to build up my energy.

Do you find it hard to keep a secret?
Yes. In real life, I'm the worst. I always give presents early or give hints.

Do the panelists have to follow any rules?
Only one: Questions must be worded so that they get "yes" or "no" answers.

What was your favorite game show as a kid?
I used to watch The Price Is Right when I was little. I knew that show like the back of my hand.

Tune into Figure It Out weekdays at 6 PM, beginning Monday, July 7. On July 19, the show will move into its regular time slot, Saturdays and Sundays at 6 PM.

Show airs one hour earlier in central time zone. Show times subject to change.

Where It's SPLAT

This year, more than 8 million people will visit Nickelodeon's theme park shows and attractions. Here's a guide to the sights.

Totally Nickelodeon at Universal Studios Hollywood [USH] in California

An interactive show where kids control the action - from making a burger to collecting sweaty socks.

What to look for: The Sliminator, a contraption that sprays at least 36,500 gallons of slime per year.

Weirdest items used in the show: Six TV dinners (which are dumped on a couch potato).

Also at USH: Jurassic Park - The Ride.

Nickelodeon Studios Florida at Universal Studios Florida [USF] in Orlando

Nickelodeon's studio headquarters features a backstage tour that includes a peek at the taping of many Nick shows, such as Kenan & Kel and Figure It Out.

What to look for: A 17-foot-tall Green Slime geyser that erupts every 10 minutes.

Famous guest: Steven Spielberg, director of The Lost World, was once slimed at the park.

Also at USF: Terminator 2: 3-D.

Nickelodeon SPLAT Cities at Paramount's Great America in Santa Clara, California; Paramount's Kings Island in Cincinnati, Ohio; and Paramount's Kings Dominion in Richmond, Virginia.

A 25-minute interactive show based on popular Nick series, such as AAAHH!!! Real Monsters and Rugrats.

U Pick Nick at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri; and Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Kids selected from the audience help the hosts of this variety show, which usually features lots of smiling, sliming, and pie-throwing.

Hey, Herb!

Where you ask the president of Nickelodeon, Herb Scannell, anything you want.

Have you ever eaten any bugs?
Not that I know of, but I once ate rattlesnake at a restaurant. It tasted just like chicken.

How do your friends feel about your being the president of a kids' network?
My friends are very supportive of me and think I have a pretty cool job. I get to think about kids and think like a kid all day long...and get paid for it!

Then we asked Herb's friend, Steve Reynolds "Do you tease Herb about being the president of a kids' network?"
I can tease Herb about lots of things, but his job's not one of them. I make fun of him because he likes the New York Mets, who haven't won a game in, like, five years. And I tease him because his jump shot isn't what it used to be. And Herb is forgetful-if it weren't for his assistant, Dana Stern, Herb would probably forget when we plans to do stuff like watch a Knicks game.

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO:
Hey, Herb!
Nickelodeon Magazine
1515 Broadway, 41st Floor
New York, NY 10036

NICK IS com.ING

This summer when you're surfing the Net, look for NICK.COM, Nickelodeon's website, where you can customize your screen, play games, and interact with pages based on your favorite shows. While you're there, be sure to check out the magazine's area, which features, among other stuff, "Behind the Zine," a sneak peek at the inner workings of NICKELODEON MAGAZINE.