Someone Other Than Clarissa Explains it All

I've recently begun reading the new book Slimed! An Oral History of Nickelodeon's Golden Age by Mathew Klickstein. It's exactly what you think it is, a book full of history, details, and info on all those great old Nick shows that filled our heads, and that are still with an entire generation. The book covers the kid's network from around 1985-1998, with a forward written by Marc Summers (the host of Double Dare) and an afterword by Artie, The Strongest Man in the World, this book is an ideal read for anyone who grew up in the late 80s and early 90s.

Did you know that the costume designer for Mad Men was also the costume designer on The Adventures of Pete & Pete? Yep, from Artie to Don Draper, who would have thunk it? There's also details on projects that never came to be, perhaps the most disappointingly, is the story of how Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures were going to make a movie based on Are You Afraid of The Dark?, the kids “spooky tales and horror” show that was a part of the Saturday night programming block. Things went as far as having a full script completed, the film was never made as Paramount didn't think they could market a “kids horror movie.”

Klickstein interviewed over 250 different people for this book, everyone from cast, crew, writers, producers, and even the president of Nickelodeon during the golden years Geraldine Laybourne, known to any reader of Nickelodeon Magazine back in the day from their “Ask the Boss Lady” section. Some of the best quotes in the book come from her. A particular favorite from Laybourne, is on the day they shot the first episode of Double Dare (the show which help put Nickelodeon on the map).

“The first day that we shot, I'm sitting in the bleachers and the set is so spectacular. The kids have never seen anything like this. The doors open, the kids come in. It was electric. I have never heard so many little kids swear in all my life. It was fantastic.”

The chapters are organized by topic, not by show, which can make the reading get a little disjointed, but it's never too hard to get caught up. An section in the back of the book explains who everyone is. It may be best to read this first, as I found I looked to it often to be reminded about who was who. And in case you're wondering Slimed! does in fact reveal what was in the recipe for Green Slime—there was around four different versions.

 If you grew up as a Nick Kid, and this writer was most definitely one of those, the book is a nostalgic, fun read. Mathew Klickstein has written what is quite possibly the first serious pop culture book of my generation. Turning on Nickelodeon now reveals a channel full of shows that could be on any other channel for kids. But Slimed celebrates that time when the shows of Nickelodeon were different both visually, and in content. It was Kid's Television like no one had done before, or since, and reading Slimed will make you appreciate it all even more.