Nickelodeon is revving up for another 90s-00s reboot with the return ofAll That. Once upon a time, the kids network was the one and only place to find sketch comedy and variety shows that were appropriate for families and children in the viewing audience. Speaking as one such kid who used to watchAll That, its Canadian import predecessorYou Can’t Do That on Television, and its slightly older and more musical sister seriesRoundhouse, these shows were an absolute blast to watch Saturday nights on the big orange couch. Oddly, it’s a format that onlySaturday Night Liveseems to have been able to fully take advantage of as all similar shows have long since been cancelled and forgotten.
Not so when it comes to Nickelodeon andAll That!Varietyreports that not only is a revival in the works, but that series star and breakoutKenan Thompsonwill be on board as an executive producer. We’re not sure yet if Thompson will also star on the show in some capacity, but theAll ThatandSaturday Night Liveveteran should act as a great mentor for up-and-coming comedians, even if he’s putting hisSNLduties first. Fans should expect to see some former cast members making appearance on the series, however, acting alongside the new generation of sketch-comedy geniuses.
Here’s what Thompson had to say about the show:
“It was my first job that I ever had. It gave me an opportunity. It means everything to me.”
Nickelodeon presidentBrian Robbinsconfirmed that they’ll be bringing back the original cast and cast members from over the years to introduce them to the new cast this summer. Fans can also look forward to seeing a mash-up of old sketches with a bunch of new ones. (‘Good Burger’ feels like a fantastic way to bring the two casts together, but as a lover of orange soda, I’m a bit biased.)
The original cast has gotten together a couple of times over the years, once atNew York Comic-Con 2015, and once for areunion special in the spring of 2016. And it’s been since at least 2015 that Nickelodeon has been mulling reboots and revivals of some of its most beloved, award-winning, and critically acclaimed properties. Back then, they launched a programming block called“The Splat”on their Teen Nick channel to showcase a bunch of their 90s and early 00s programming with a retro twist. Now, it seems like some earnest revivals are in the works, starting withAll That.
