If the SquarePants Fit... | Nick.com | Rocket Power | Ooze News | SpongeBob SquarePants | September 1999

Ooze News - September 1999

If the SquarePants Fit...

GLUB-GLUB (clockwise from above, left): Steve diving; holding a land crab in Tahiti; and surfing in Baja, Mexico.

Sea-loving Steve Hillenburg (right) is the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants. It's a new Nicktoon about the underwater adventures of a happy-go-lucky sponge (above) and his splashy pals. We found Steve's answers to our questions quite absorbing.

NICKELODEON MAGAZINE: How did you come up with the character SpongeBob?
STEVE HILLENBURG: I've always been an ocean freak, so I thought I'd like to do a show about lesser-known creatures that live under the sea. Then I thought, What would be the funniest, weirdest kind of character to be the star? After considering the octopus, starfish, squid, and crab, I decided the sponge was the most ridiculous.

Is it true that you used to be a marine biologist?
I studied marine biology in college and then worked at a school program at the Orange County Marine Institute [in California]. We had all sorts of tanks, labs, and pools where kids could observe and interact with sea life, and we also ran whale watches.

Do you scuba dive?
I've done some diving, but if I go on a trip, I usually snorkel and surf.

How did you get into animation?
As much as I loved my work at the marine institute, I'd always been interested in drawing and painting, so I decided to go back to school for animation. Some of the films I made in school helped me get my start [in cartoons] on Nickelodeon's Rocko's Modern Life, which I worked on for three years.

When you were a kid, did anyone encourage you to become an artist?
My third-grade teacher, Mrs. McMahon, was very excited about my drawings. She asked me to draw her portrait once, and she thought it turned out really funny. She was definitely an inspiration.

What were you like when you were ten?
I grew up in Southern California, so pretty early on I was interested in critters and the ocean. I was into science and collecting bugs, and I had a tendency to build strange, smelly things, such as a dinosaur out of chicken bones.

What advice do you have for kids who are interested in animation or science-or both?
Sometimes people say you can only take one path. To that, I say, "Maybe that's not true." My work in marine biology helped me create a cartoon that might appear new to everyone. My other piece of advice is to follow your own instincts as an artist. If you have a style that seems different, have fun it with; be proud of it.

BUBBLY BOTTOM: SpongeBob and his friends (clockwise from top) Squidward, Sandy Cheeks, and Patrick.

How would you describe the style of SpongeBob SquarePants?
Whimsical. Since I love surfing, and the show takes place in the ocean, I decided to add a lot of Hawaiian surf culture-music, design, SpongeBob's pineapple house. I think that adds to the show's sense of optimism and fun.

Which SpongeBob character do you most identify with?
I identify with all the characters on some level. Sometimes I'm grumpy or being snobby about something, so I'm like Squidward (below). And sometimes I'm optimistic and naive, just like SpongeBob.

What's more fun: being a cartoonist or working with sea creatures?
They both have their advantages. I miss being able to work at the ocean every day. But when I was working by the ocean, I missed drawing and creating. I'll have to make a studio under the water, I guess.

SpongeBob SquarePants airs on Friday nights at 8 PM and Saturday and Sunday mornings at 10 AM. Show times are subject to change. Check www.nick.com, America Online (keyword: nick), or local listings for details.

Nick.com: Behind the Screen

Nickelodeon's website (www.nick.com) was started in 1997 to deliver up-to-the-minute Nick news, games, contests, and polls. As we learned on a recent trip to their offices, it takes about 30 people to bring it all together. Here are some of them.

WRITERS' BLOC

As the writers of the website's "Inside Nick: Your Backstage Pass to Nickelodeon" area, Sean McEvoy and Deb Levine (left) travel frequently to Los Angeles, California, and Orlando, Florida (where most Nickelodeon shows are taped), to interview Nick stars. Sure, it's fun for them, but only occasionally do they get starstruck. "I must admit, I was a little nervous interviewing [model] Rebecca Romijn-Stamos at Kids' Choice," says Sean. As for Deb, a highlight was meeting actor Chris Elliott on the set of an upcoming Nickelodeon movie. "I was psyched to meet him," says Deb, "and he turned out to be really funny and nice."

PLUGGED IN

As a kid, Nathan Potter (above) wasn't very good at learning foreign languages. But to become the technical manager of nick.com, he had to master several website-building computer languages, starting with the most basic, HTML. Nathan and his staff are responsible for taking other people's designs and words and making them function as a game or activity. For more advanced games and animation, he works with languages such as Perl and Java. And unlike many of his coworkers, one computer just isn't enough to get his job done. With both a PC and a Macintosh at his desk and about 20 servers that link the different parts of the site together, he has learned to accept technical break-downs. "If my computers don't crash two to three times a day, I'm not really working," says Nathan.

GAME BOY

To design games for nick.com, Steve Milaro (left) spends his weekends the same way many kids do: watching Nickelodeon. That's the easy part. The hard part is finding characters or scenes in Figure It Out, All That, Hey Arnold!, and CatDog that can be turned into funny, challenging games. Once he has an idea, Steve works with the shows' creators to decide how the game will look, sound, and play. Then it's up to a technical programmer, such as Nathan Potter, to turn the idea into reality. The whole process takes about six weeks. Steve is especially proud of the All That game in which players have to pitch peas into Miss Pidlin's mouth. He also has a soft spot for the cartoon kid known as Football Head. "I could watch Hey Arnold! all day long," says Steve. "In fact, I have!"

Extreme Friends

by Jessica Cutler

Meet the adventurous foursome of the new cartoon Nickelodeon Rocket Power. Otto and his sister Reggie team up with their friends Twister and Sam to skateboard, surf, and ski their way through their seaside town, Ocean Shores.

OTTO ROCKET

Always the center of attention

Nickname: Rocket Boy
Hair: Red dreadlocks
Family: Dad - Ray Rocket, an aging surfer - and sister, Reggie
Hobby: Excelling at all extreme sports
Also: He's known as much for his devilish personality as for his athletic talent. He received a V-- in classroom citizenship on his report card.

TWISTER RODRIGUEZ

The amateur filmmaker

Real name: Maurice - but don't tell anyone!
Hair: Red, and it's always covered by a hat.
Family: An older brother, Lars - who calls Twister and his pals Munchkins - and an ice-dancing cousin, Cleo
Hobby: Making videos in Twist-O-Vision (his own filmmaking style)
Also: He's Otto's best friend, but he's not as sharp as he is loyal. He also tends to accuse Sam (below) of embarrassing acts, such as picking his nose in the goalie box during roller hockey.

REGGIE ROCKET

The voice of reason

Nickname: Rocket Girl
Hair: Wavy and purple
Family: She's Otto's sister.
Hobby: Publishing her own magazine, called Reggie's 'Zine
Also: She's considered the most responsible member of the Rocket family. A natural athlete, she even won a figure-skating competition without ever taking a lesson.

SAM DULLARD

The brains of the bunch

Nickname: Squid
Hair: Blond brush cut
Family: An only child, Sam lives with his mother.
Hobbies: Computers, complaining, and wiping out on his skateboard
Also: He just moved to Ocean Shores from Kansas. He has a tendency to save the day with his technical know-how, but insists on wearing a babyish brand of pajamas called "Shmoopy Woopy Bears."

Nickelodeon Rocket Power premieres Monday, August 16, at 8:30 PM, then airs Mondays and Wednesdays at 8:30 PM. Show times are subject to change. Check www.nick.com, America Online (keyword: nick), or local listings for details.

HeY, HeRb!

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

Did you ever run for a student council office as a kid?

I was elected treasurer of my elementary school and president of my class in junior high school. I still have the campaign posters my dad helped me make. One of them was in the shape and style of a Superman shield and said SCANNELL FOR TREASURER [far right]. Another one was a play on an advertisement for Smucker's preserves [right]. My dad drew a jar of jam with a label on it that said SCANNELL'S: HERB'S PRESERVES and around it was the slogan WITH A NAME LIKE SCANNELL, HE'S GOT TO BE GOOD!!!

Send your questions to:

HeY, HeRb!

NICKELODEON MAGAZINE
1515 Broadway, 40th floor
New York, NY 10036

What's New on Nick

STRANGE JOURNEY

ALIEN VACATION: Arjay Smith as Allen Strange on his most incredible trip yet.

In "Alien Vacation," a 90-minute episode of The Journey of Allen Strange, Allen sets out on a trek across Earth with his friends Robbie and Josh. His mission: to find a message he thinks his fellow Xelans have left for him. Tune in to the premiere on SNICK, September 18, from 8:30 to 10 PM.

ELEPHANTS AND LLAMAS AND CATS, OH, MY!

Have the folks at Figure It Out gone completely wild? Find out, when the game show starts airing all-new episodes called Figure It Out Wild Style. The new season focuses on kids and their talented animals, including dogs, parakeets, and snakes. Look for it this fall!

Shows air an hour earlier in the central time zone. Show times are subject to change. Check www.nick.com, America Online (keyword: nick), or local listings for details.

Let It Beavers - Ooze News - May 1997

Ooze News - May 1997

Let It Beavers

The newest Nicktoon is The Angry Beavers, featuring Daggett and Norbert, beaver brothers trying to make it in the big world - or at least in the forest. We found out how an episode is made.

1. Getting Ready

Before work on a cartoon series can start, the creators need to agree on what the main characters will look like. The pictures below show early versions of Daggett and Norbert and how they ended up [final designs]. Among other changes, Norbert was given more hair so that it would be easier to tell the brothers apart.

2. All Aboard

A script must be written before production of an episode begins. It tells the story through dialogue and action descriptions. Then, using the script, artists create a storyboard (above), which looks like a comic book. The storyboard is the first visual guide for an episode, showing the characters' facial expressions and physical action.

3. For the Record

The actors perform the dialogue in a recording booth. Of the 300 people who auditioned, Richard Horowitz [Richard Steven Horvitz] and Nick Bakay were chosen as the perfect voices for Daggett and Norbert. "No one could play the characters the way they did," says creator Mitch Schauer. "They're just like Daggett and Norbert."

4. Black-and-White Beavers

The director figures out how long the action will take. Then the storyboards are filmed and the recorded lines are added to simulate the final cartoon. The result, called an animatic (right), is sort of a black-and-white comic book in motion. It has no color, music, or sound effects, but it shows how the dialogue and story will fit into a 22-minute episode.

5. In Living Color

The backgrounds for every scene are first sketched and then painted with colors selected by color stylist Geri Rochon (left), who also selects character colors. All the scenery is then finished without any characters. Later, Daggett and Norbert in action will be added on top of the backgrounds. That way, animators don't have to draw the same scenery again and again.





6. At Last, the Animating!

After these steps, which take several months, the storyboards, animatic, and backgrounds are sent to animators in Korea, who produce 26,000 cels. Cels are color drawings on clear plastic sheets. The cels are placed over a background and filmed one after another, which creates the illusion of motion. The whole animation process requires 250 people and takes about three months.

7. Fine-Tuning

When the film returns to the U.S. from Korea, the episode looks like a cartoon (left), but it still needs the sound effects and music. Adding these elements takes another three weeks. Finally, after nearly eight months of work, the episode is ready to air.

Furry Fact File

Do you know a Daggett from a Norbert? Here's a guide:

Daggett

Personality: An overeager beaver with a short attention span; can't stand Norbert's mellowness.

Fur: Brown

Nose: Red

Height: Shorter than Norbert

Hair factor: Slicked back and black

Stuff he would do: Convince himself he's a superhero; annoy other animals; watch weird old movies.

Stuff he says: "This is nuts!" "Easy peasy!"

Norbert

Personality: Laid back; talented; likes to tease his brother.

Fur: Tan

Nose: Lavender

Height: Taller than Daggett by a quarter inch, which annoys Daggett.

Hair factor: Spiky

Stuff he would do: Tease Daggett; calm Daggett down; tease Daggett again; watch weird old movies.

Stuff he says: "Bro" "Wolaboga!"

The Angry Beavers airs on Sundays at 11:30 AM, one hour earlier in the central time zone. Showtime subject to change.

Happy Human

The Angry Beavers creator

Cartoonist Mitch Schauer (left) has worked on shows featuring characters such as Freakazoid and Scooby Doo. We spoke to him about his latest creation, The Angry Beavers.

Nickelodeon Magazine: How did you come up with the characters' names?

Mitch Schauer: I found them in the book 35,000 Plus Baby Names, [which said that] in Scandinavian Norbert means means "brilliant hero" and Daggett means "bright." Although Daggett, the character, is the opposite of that.

Who are the beavers based on? Norbert is based on me, and Daggett is based on Karl Toerge, whom I used to work with at Warner Bros. Television Animation. Karl, like Daggett, is outgoing and enthusiastic. Plus, he wears his heart on his sleeve.

Are any of Norbert's expressions like yours? Norbert and I both use a lot of finger gestures. We both wiggle a finger back and forth to say no.

How did you come up with the idea for the show? I thought I'd do the opposite of what people expect from cartoon characters, which are usually happy animals. I made mine angry. Then I went down through a list of silly animals and decided on beavers.

Do you have any pets? I have a teddy-bear hamster, a dog, a love bird, and two guinea pigs. One of them, Psycho, has the same hair as Norbert.

Hey, Herb!

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

What is the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you at work?
One day, when I was working at another company, I bent down to pick something up and my pants ripped, just as my new boss was on his way to see me! Luckily one of my coworkers offered to sew them for me. In the meantime, I sat at my desk in my underwear. Fortunately, my boss didn't get to my office until right after I put the mended pants on.

Do you speak any languages other than English?
I learned a little Spanish from my mom, who grew up in Puerto Rico. As a kid, I always knew I was in big trouble when my mom yelled "Guillermo Heriberto," which is my full name in Spanish.

Send your questions to:

¡Hola, Heriberto!
NICKELODEON MAGAZINE
1515 Broadway, 41st Floor
New York, NY 10036

What's New on Nick

Mom's the Word On The Rugrats Mother's Day Special, the Rugrats try to find the perfect gifts for their moms - and they try to find a mom for Chuckie.

Get ready for the episode by doing this Rugrats puzzle. Read each of the clues below to figure out what the rhyming answer is. Hint: One word in each answer is the name of a Rugrat. Answers on page 56.

1. Fortunate Rugrat:

_ _ _ K _ _ H _ _ _ _ _

2. Tommy's five-cent coins:

_ _ _ K _ _ _ N _ _ _ _ _ _

3. Lil's brother's milk accidents:

_ _ I _'_ _ P _ _ _ _

The Rugrats Mother's Day Special airs on Tuesday, May 6, at 8 PM; Friday, May 9, at 7:30 PM; and on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11, at 8 PM.

All shows air one hour earlier in central time zone. Show times subject to change.

Bonus article - Nickelodeon Magazine's exclusive interview with actor Vanessa Lee Chester (Harriet the Spy, The Lost World: Jurassic Park):

Jurassa Lee Chester

Twelve-year-old VANESSA LEE CHESTER has acted in The Little Princess [(also known as A Little Princess)] and Harriet the Spy. Now she's off to The Lost World as Kelly. We had a raptorvating conversation with Vanessa.

Nickelodeon Magazine: What's your character, Kelly, like?
Vanessa Lee Chester: She's just one of the kids. She's a lot like me. We're both kind of funky.

Did you travel for the movie?
We went to Hawaii. We also filmed on the Universal Studios lot in Hollywood.

Was the Universal lot fun?
Yes. On lunch breaks, I'd ride my bicycle over to stage 35, where they had free Sega games. I was in heaven.

Did you have a favorite scene?
All the dangerous, scary ones where we were chased by dinosaurs.

Was the Tyrannosaurus rex model as big as a real T-rex?
Yes. You can see a T-rex in books and think it's cool, but when you actually see how big it is, it's scary.

What scary stuff did the dinosaur models do?
The eyes could actually move. And some robots could even bleed.

What would you do if you saw a real T-rex?

I would look at it for a minute, then run the other way, because I'd want to live and tell my story.

Did the cast goof around?
Oh yeah. Once, Vince Vaughn put my hand into a dinosaur model that had intestines hanging out. It was so disgusting.

So you didn't feel like the only kid?
I felt like the only adult on the film. Everyone was always playing around, throwing grapes at each other.

How would Janie Gibbs from Harriet the Spy deal with dinosaurs?
That's where her science would stop. She'd just say, "Wow, dinosaurs."

Which role was more fun, Janie or Kelly?
It's hard to compare. In Harriet, I loved my wardrobe. I had some funky outfits. In The Lost World, I had one costume. By the last day, I was really sick of it.

Which dinosaur would you like to be?
Probably a raptor. They're sly and swift. They hunt in packs, and I'm always with my little clique.

But you wouldn't hunt other kids, would you?
No, that's where the line is drawn.

[Bonus Advertisement: Schering Corporation "Young Artists Against Allergies" Calendar Design Contest]

###

Additional source: IMDb.

Also Starring...: Behind The Scenes At Kenan & Kel | Ooze News | November 1996

Ooze News - November 1996

Also Starring...

Behind the scenes at Kenan & Kel

It takes five days and 75 crew members to produce one half-hour episode of Kenan & Kel, Nickelodeon's spin-off of All That. The crew does everything from directing to making sure the stars have their favorite kind of soda (orange). Here's a peek at some of the people who worked behind the scenes for nearly four months last summer to being you the show.

Head of the Crew

Name: Brian Robbins

Job: Executive producer with Mike Tollin

What that means: Brian oversees the scriptwriting, casting, and hiring of the entire crew, and he even directs some episodes. He also supervises the editing of each show.

Quality control: Brian has worked both behind and in front of the cameras (he played Eric on Head of the Class), but he prefers producing and directing. "It's more creative, because I work on the whole process," he says. "As an actor, I could only control how I said my lines."

The Write Stuff

Names: Kevin Kopelow, Heath Seifert, and Dan Schneider (above, from left)

Jobs: Writers

What that means: It takes Kevin and Heath (who work as a team) and Dan about one week to come up with the plot and write the script for each episode. And, as the show is rehearsed, they have to rewrite some of the dialogue and jokes to get bigger laughs from the studio audience.

Moonlighting: Dan, who's also the co-executive producer, guest stars as Angus, the rival of Kenan's boss. Kevin and Heath (who are both producers, too) and Dan also write for All That.

One Show, Hold the Mayo

Name: Merrie Dudley

Job: Producer

What that means: Merrie's job is all about the nuts and bolts of the show. She makes a schedule that lets the cast and crew know where they should be and what they should be doing every minute of the 10-hour workdays. During the summer, each week's schedule would lead up to Friday night's taping in front of a studio audience.

On a roll: "I'm pretty much like a fast-food manager," says Merrie. "It's like I know who's making the fries, who's cleaning the bathroom, and who's working the drive-thru."

Shop 'Til You Drop

Name: Bruce Anthony Marshall

Job: Costume Designer

What that means: Bruce makes sure Kenan, Kel, and all the other actors have the right things to wear in every scene. For an average show, he needs to buy or sew more than 20 different outfits.

Sew much fun: Bruce's favorite part of his job is creating looks for brand-new characters. He once made up costumes for people from imaginary countries. "That's when my job gets really good," he says.

Joel of All Trades

Name: Joel Fisher

Job: Production Coordinator

What that means: Joel keeps things running behind the scenes. He wears a headset and carries a beeper while working so he can be reached at any moment to take care of everyone's requests, which once entailed sending someone to buy a specific flavor of gum.

A dogged worker: "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure the show goes on. I've had producers ask me to walk their dog when there was no way for them to get home to do it," he says.

It's a Dirty Job

Name: David Jordan Jr.

Job: Prop Master

What that means: David builds the show's props and scenery. In one episode, Kel dreams that he is trapped in a giant brown paper bag filled with huge candies, fruit, and ointment. David and his staff had to construct all those objects - mostly by sculpting and painting foam.

Chew on this pencil: David once made an edible pencil for an All That sketch. "I used bubble gum as the center. Then I put Fruit Roll-Ups around the outside and used chocolate sprinkles for the lead," he says.

Scene stealer: David also designs sets for All That. And, woodn't you know, he designed Stick Stickly.

Names: Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell

Jobs: Stars

We asked Kenan Thompson (left) and Kel Mitchell about their new show.

Nickelodeon Magazine: How is Kenan & Kel different from All That?

Kenan: Well, on Kenan & Kel we play the same characters every week. We're always getting into trouble. I'm always scheming, trying to come up with a get-rich-quick plan. And Kel follows me because he's my best friend.

NM: Does that happen in real life, too?

Kel: Sometimes, though in real life it's not always Kenan doing the leading.

NM: Do you like the fact that your characters have your real names?

Kenan: Yeah - but we're not really like them. Kel is a lot brighter in real life, and I'm not as much of a schemer as I am on TV.

NM: Did you help develop your characters?

Kenan: Yes. The writers gave us a skeleton of the characters, and we put the meat on them. We bring our own shenanigans into the show.

NM: Why isn't the show called Kel & Kenan?

Kel: Kenan & Kel just flows better. Anyway, we're a team, so I don't mind.

Kenan & Kel airs Saturdays at 8 PM*.

*Show airs one hour earlier in the central time zone. Times subject to change. Check local listings for details.

Sidoni's No Phony

Nick stars David Sidoni and Melissa Joan Hart are the spokespeople for Nickelodeon's Kids Pick the President campaign coverage. We asked David about the time he spent at the Republican and Democratic Conventions, where Bob Dole and Bill Clinton were officially nominated as their parties' presidential candidates.

Nickelodeon Magazine: Did you get bored during all those speeches?
David Sidoni: No. There were huge video screens where I could either watch the speakers or read along, because the words ran across the screen. I also looked around to see people's reactions.

NM:  Did you see many silly hats?
DS: Yes. I saw the silliest hat at the Democratic Convention. It was 15 feet tall and made of lacquered balloons. Each balloon had a political message written on it.

NM: Do you remember any funny slogans?
DS: A lot of funny sayings were on buttons. They were often about Socks, the Clintons' cat. The Republican buttons read THROW SOCKS OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE. The Democrats' read WE LOVE SOCKS.

NM: What is the funniest thing that happened at either convention?
DS: The craziest, coolest thing happened at the Democratic Convention. All of a sudden, "Macarena" was played over the loudspeakers, and the whole place went nuts. I did the Macarena with 75-year-old delegates.

NM: During the Democratic Convention, was it exciting to walk around United Center, the home of the Chicago Bulls?
DS: Of course. I'm a huge sports fan. I was excited to be on the convention floor but even more excited to be on the floor where the Bulls play.

NM: Did you ever run for class president?
DS: I did in the sixth grade. I asked 16 of my friends to hold a 30-foot-long banner in front of me while I was giving a speech. The banner read VOTE FOR SIDONI. HE'S NO PHONY. AND THAT'S NO BALONEY. And I won.

Hey, Herb!

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

People call you "The Big Cheese." Do you even like cheese?
I'm a big cheese fan. My favorite cheeses are really stinky ones - the stinkier the better. One time my wife and I bought some smelly cheese at the store, and then we got on the bus to go home. When I walked on, people must have thought there was a baby in a stinky diaper on board. We had to tell them that it was just our cheese.

What do you do at Nickelodeon?
I'm kind of like a principal, but I don't think the people who work here are afraid of me. I oversee Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, and TV Land. I'm responsible for everything from Nickelodeon Online to the channels we are starting around the world. I try to make sure that kids are happy with us. It's a problem if they aren't.

Do you have any questions for Herb?

Send them to:

Hey, Herb!

NICKELODEON MAGAZINE

1515 Broadway, 41st Floor

New York, NY 10036

TUNE IN

Watch back-to-back episodes of all the Nicktoons during the Non-Stop Nicktoons Weekend beginning Wednesday, November 27, at 6 PM*.

* Shows air one hour earlier in the central time zone. Shows subject to change. Check your local listings for details.

Additional source: Wikipedia.

Space Cases Blasts Off - Ooze News - March 1996

Ooze News - March 1996

Space Cases

Blasts Off

What would you do if you were trapped on a spaceship with your teacher and assistant principal for the next seven years?

Space Cases, Nickelodeon's new science-fiction show, is the story of five kids who find out for themselves. Set in the year 2261, Space Cases follows five students (the "space cases") who study - or rather, don't study - at the Starcademy, a training school for intergalactic heroes.

Their troubles begin when they are sent to a special three-week summer-school program. One day, the students wander aboard a mysterious alien ship, which is empty - except for a robot. Their teacher and assistant principal follow them on board - and are about to tell the kids to return to school - when the ship suddenly blasts off through a freak hole in space. The ship ends up on the other side of the galaxy, and the shortest course back to the Starcademy will take seven years to complete. The space cases are trapped - and their adventures begin.

Space Cases premieres on Saturday, March 2, at 9 PM.
Subject to change. Check local listings for details.

Lost In Space... Again

Space Cases co-creator Bill Mumy (left) with Mark Hamill (of Star Wars fame) make guest appearances on Space Cases as Jin and Pel, respectively.

Bill Mumy, the show's co-creator (with Peter David), knows a lot about science fiction. From ages 10 to 14, he starred in the classic TV show Lost in Space. Currently, he stars on Babylon 5, another TV sci-fi adventure show. We asked him some spacey questions.

Nickelodeon Magazine: What would you do if you met an alien?
Bill Mumy: I guess it would depend on the alien. If he were friendly, I'd find out what kind of music he listens to. I would ask him if he'd like to make a guest appearance on Space Cases. He wouldn't have to go to makeup.

NM: What makes Space Cases different from other TV shows?
BM: It's a sci-fi show about kids. Another thing that makes it different is that there are no hand weapons. People aren't going around blasting one another.

NM: If you could ride a rocket into space, would you?
BM: If I could go to the airport and get on a spacecraft, I'd do it in a minute.

NM: What's your favorite planet?
BM: My favorite planet is Earth, but it needs a lot of work.

NM: Would you want to live in space?
BM: I'd rather live in Hawaii. But California isn't so bad.

The Cast Of Cases

Your guide to who's who in the crew

Catalina
Home: Titan (one of Saturn's moons)
Special characteristics: Catalina has rainbow-striped hair. She also has an invisible friend named Suzee. No one but Catalina knows if Suzee really exists. Catalina says that it's Suzee who comes up with all the bright ideas.
Played by: Jewel Staite, age 13

Harlan
Home: Earth
Special characteristics: Harlan has natural leadership skills, but he often makes mistakes. After all, he's only human.
Played by: Walter Jones

Radu
Home: Andromeda (a constellation)
Special characteristics: Radu has spiral-shaped ears, which give him super-hearing. He also has super-strength - 10 times that of a human.
Played by: Kristian Ayre, age 18

Rosie
Home: Mercury
Special characteristics: Pink skin and a hairless body. When she gets angry, her face turns very red. If Rosie gets frustrated or upset, she also radiates heat. The temperature of the room increases and she sets off the sprinkler systems.
Played by: Paige Christina, age 13

Bova
Home: Uranus
Special characteristics: Bova has a pair of antennae on his forehead. They can generate electricity.
Played by: Rahi Azizi, age 13.

And...

Thelma is an android. Her fingers can do almost anything, from screwing in screws to dispensing beverages. [Thelma stands for Techno Human EmuLating MAchine, and is played by Anik Matern.]

Commander Seth Goddard is the kids' teacher. He sometimes loses his temper trying to keep the space cases in line. [Played by Paul Boretski.]

T.J. Davenport is the assistant principal who expects perfection from others and herself. [Played by Cary Lawrence.]

Ask the Boss Lady

Where you ask the president of Nickelodeon, Geraldine B. Laybourne, anything you want.

Do you always wear pencils in your hair?
Only when I'm trying to look really smart!

What was the worst smell you ever smelled, and where were you when you smelled it?
When I was growing up, the New Jersey Meadowlands smelled like 40,000 skunks had had a spraying party. (That was before the property was cleaned up and a sports complex was built there.)

What is your favorite smell?
My favorite smell is chocolate-chip cookies being baked in the oven - or maybe it's brownies.

Are you as funky as Nickelodeon's characters?
I've always thought of myself as down-to-earth and funky. But, to make sure I answered your question correctly, I looked up funky in the dictionary. One definition is "having a offensive odor." The next time someone calls me funky, I'm going to ask them exactly what they mean by it.

What's New on Nick

Ren and Stimpy on the Move
Starting March 16, The Ren & Stimpy Show will be on Saturdays at 6 PM.

Woodunit?
Watch The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo, a new show about a 16-year-old amateur detective, on weekends starting in March.

All times are for Eastern and Pacific time zones. Shows air one hour earlier in the central time zone. Shows subject to change. Check your local listings for details.

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Additional source: Wikipedia.