Mike Speller interview

When you think of the 1991-93 Nickelodeon show "Welcome Freshmen" some folks get confused. But that's okay because if you're a die hard old school Nick fan you may remember this show and sadly it seems to be forgotten by the current people in charge of Nick today. Teens performing sketches, getting into mishaps, themes centered around teenage problems, and a bumbling principal was what this show was about(try not to think about Saved by the Bell). In this interview I talk with Mike Speller, who played vice principal Mr. Lippmann, to talk about his time on the show and at Nickelodeon Studios where it was filmed at!

Then

Now

1. How did you get the role of Mr. Lippman on Welcome Freshmen?

  Regular on-camera auditions via my agency, ending my first year in Orlando. I read a 'drill sergeant' type scene (aka Lippman) for the first audition, then overslept on callback day and was a sweaty wheezing mess when I arrived to read the scene again with producers...ie, Got lucky!

2. What was a typical day like at Nick Studios? 

    As I recall, first two seasons started at 8am on-set--doing the standup routines, of all things-- and went until about 4 or 5pm.  Later seasons the hours were more reasonable & better shared among the cast.  Off-times I either napped in my dressing room (my day-job was 6pm-1am)  OR snuck up to the production offices or editing suites to chat with friends...

3. Orlando was a known as Hollywood East during that time. Describe how great it was to have all the tv production going on then.

  Right place, right time.  There were a lot of commercials being filmed in the area, a few movies, and Disney & Nickelodeon doing their share.  My day job paid well but it was nice to have other opportunities & bounce creatively on a consistent basis.

4. Do you remember other shows being filmed where you were at?

  Clarissa Explains it All, Nick Arcade, and some other game show (?) in the studios when we started doing the first season. Superboy & Swamp Thing series were just taking off on the Universal lot then as well.

5. You also appeared on the game show Nick Arcade. How much fun was that show?

  I'm very competitive & the host Phil (?) loved our group for that.  Free video games too!  Who could ask for anything more?

6. Do you think there was a similarity btwn Welcome Freshmen and the other show Saved by the Bell? (Students, principal, shenanigans, etc)

    Definite similarities but our show did more of a Jekyll-Hyde turnaround from skit-based to character-based scripts.  More challenges = We win!  Btw, that's how we always referred to it: "the OTHER show."

7. Do you still keep in touch with anyone from the show?

  I have friends from the day job (Disney) that appeared with me on the show and I still keep in touch with them.  The kids were a vastly different age group & I trust they grew up just fine without this vice-principal watching over them.

8. Have you ever been slimed?

  I believe so...on an episode of Double Dare...or I have hysterical amnesia and can't recall accurately.

9. Did you have a favorite ride at Universal Studios Florida?

  I got to preview Back to the Future (so to speak) but didn't indulge too much at 'the competition'.

10. Though you have been performing before you did Welcome Freshmen,  do you think it helped inspired your performances today since the show had sketches when it first started?

  I had some theater & some improv experience at the time but both the day job (WDW Adventurers Club) and WF gave me license to play, which is a rarity.  I've written a few one-man shows, done a lot of spoken word stuff more recently because I like having that freedom & control.

11. Was there a reason the show changed to a sitcom during the last season?

   Seasons 1-2 were sketches, 3-4 were character-driven.  There's more possibilities (comic or dramatic) in situational writing than gag-writing, in my humble opinion...not sure if that was the motive behind the producers' decision.

12. You may not be aware but how do you feel knowing that the show and the rest of 90s Nickelodeon made a positive impact on fans and is still loved today?

  I'm pleased the show had a following, still amazed I was part of a network effort and--nostalgia or not--glad to be noticed again (YouTube be praised!)

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13. Any behind the scenes or fan moments that happened on set at the studio you can recall (studio tour,live audience)?

  We got to do a couple promotional things I was proud of--a trip to Washington DC with Linda Ellerbee leading an evening of educational content; and a fan-lottery to a school in Oregon where most of the cast & Hulk Hogan (don't remember him in the show) got to do interviews, autographs, and slime their principal! 

14. I think that Nickelodeon Studios was a special place for kids and adults to interact with actors and TV shows and just have a lot of fun especially somewhere like Orlando. Would you agree with that?

  Yeah, the studio tours were a mixed bag.  It was novel and exciting to see folks go by when we weren't performing; it also made me self-conscious when I messed up on tape because--perfectionist that I am--I had to censor myself from time to time. :)

15. Would you like to see Nick Studios be re-opened?

    I think there's a need for novel fun programming (that doesn't involve reality chumps,slobs, or snobs); I think there's a need for some educational messages to come from whatever product is put on-air.  If Nick Studios made those goals priorities, I'd be on-board.

Moira Quirk interview

From 1992-95 "Guts" on Nickelodeon set a new boundary for kids across the country. It combined extreme sports for and athleticism for kids. Swimming, running track, boat paddling, and of course the final challenge--the famous Aggro Crag is what made it was one of Nick's groundbreaking game shows of all time. It was so successful that it spawned a spin off titled "Global Guts" which featured kids,not just U.S. this time, from countries all over the world competing on the show. I guess you can say Guts in the 90s was a great time for kids to be active pre obesity and technology of the new millennium.  Well the "On your mark. Get set. *blows whistles*" game referee Moira Quirk who we knew as "Mo" on the show took the time for me to interview her to discuss what it was like filming at Nickelodeon Studios Florida and her time on the show. Do you have it?

Then

Now

1. How did you get the role in Guts?

It was simply an audition… or a series of them. They kept bringing me back to show me to the next person up the Nickelodeon line.

2. What was a typical day like at Nick Studios? I know the cast & crew filmed in Soundstage 21 as opposed to Stage 18 and 19 if I'm not mistaken.

I remember it was the largest soundstage Universal Studios had. We’d shoot three shows a day. Then we would or wouldn’t go home.

2. I know you've answered this before but describe climbing the Aggro Crag.

It wasn’t quite the same for me as when the contestants climbed it. I didn’t have Mylar being shot at me for a start. I remember being surprised that the ground below me was squishier than I had anticipated!

3. What was one of the good things about living/working in Orlando?

I made great friends in Orlando with amazingly talented people. A few are still there, but most of us are in LA and New York and Chicago now. As for Orlando, or rather Florida, the heat and humidity was too much for me. The cockroaches were too much for me. But I loved going to the ocean and the beautiful beaches. I lived in a lovely old Southern Gothic Victorian by a lake and I loved that!

4. Orlando,FL had a reputation of being known as Hollywood East in the early 90's. Do you remember any other shows being filmed where you were at?

Other than Nickelodeon shows, not really.

5. What was it like to see all these other nations, particularly your hometown England, compete on Global Guts? It was really like a mini Olympics to me.

It was fun! It was a great way to see the show out.

6. What did you think of the 2008 revival "My Family's Got Guts"

I’m embarrassed to say I never saw it.

7. Do you still talk to Mike O'Malley?

Of course!

8. You were also appeared on Figure It Out sometimes. How much fun was that show?

Perhaps it was my schedule, but I always felt I walked off the plane, walked onto the set, got slimed and then had to fly home. So, if it was a fun show, I never had time to notice.

10. Describe the feeling of getting slimed.

Well, if you can imagine a really slimy substance landing on you… it’s like that.

11. Speaking on upcoming projects you do alot of voice acting these days. is there a difference between that and regular acting?

Implying it’s irregular acting? Hmm! But yes, voice over is my gig now. Sometimes you might actually see me in person- check out Dirty Work at dirtywork.com (only if you’re older!)- but usually I’m in front of a microphone. There is definitely a different skill set involved, even between the different types of VO work I do. An audiobook is very different from a BBC radio play, which is different from an LA Theatre Works play-recording, which is different from a game like Skyrim, which is different from a game like Star Wars or X-Com, which is different from a Marvel cartoon which is different from Madagascar.

12. Did you have a favorite ride at Universal Studios Florida?

I did! At that time there was the Hanna Barbera ride. It was a simulator ride and you would chase Dick Dastardly and Muttley. I am hugely into Hanna Barbera cartoons, so that was like my happy place. Mostly because there was an interactive area attached and my favourite spot was where you could push the buttons to make the sound effects (like ‘zup zup zup’ when someone takes off really quickly!) I could waste quite a lot of time in that room.

13.How do you feel knowing that Guts is loved today along with the other Nickelodeon shows during that time?
It’s rather nice. I still remember shows I enjoyed as a kid, so if GUTS evokes those same feelings that’s pretty cool.

14. Any other behind the scenes or fan moments that happened on set at the studios?

Honestly, it’s all the behind the scenes tomfoolery that really informs a show. And my lips are sealed.

15. What do you think was the best thing about Nickelodeon Studios?

Its love of orange.

16. Would you like to see Nick Studios be reopened?

I don’t know what studios might already be there and operating, but if Nick wanted to reopen and run a union operation and it was beneficial to the region, then godspeed!

Shaina Freeman interview

Gullah Gullah Island was the musical show that ran on Nick Jr. for preschoolers from 1994-99. It showcased a family residing in South Carolina on a secluded area called "Gullah Gullah Island" (though actually the show filmed in Orlando,FL) and they would sing,dance,and rap in musical acts while teaching educational stuff to kids. I got the chance to interview Shaina Freeman who starred on the show(she left before the final season) to discuss her time at Nickelodeon Studios all part of the project!

Then

Now

1. How did you get the role in Gullah Gullah Island?

It was the usual way anyone gets a role, a casting call, several auditions and being selected. I already did commercials and print modeling, but this was my first television role. I will say that I had a competitive edge because at age 4 I could read and memorize my lines a lot better than most girls my age.

2. What was a typical day like at Nick Studios?
Depending on whether we were filming or rehearsing, sometimes we'd get there in the morning and do table reads and walk throughs of the stage or Get there in the morning, hair/makeup and wardrobe, and filming. Between scenes I could go to the green room and hang out and eat or sometimes have a little while to play in the theme park. Sometimes I was doing voice-overs for the songs 

3. What was one of the good things about living and working in Orlando?
There was nothing in particular I liked about living in Orlando more than any other city. I did however particularly enjoy the location filming in South Carolina, it was beautiful.

4. Do you remember any other shows being filmed where you were at?
I remember all that, Kenan and Kel, Legends of the hidden temple and Clarissa explains it all was actually the exact same set as Gullah Gullah, only decorated differently. (You'll notice the position of the front door, stairs, kitchen door, etc.) Also, all the animators and voice actors of some of the nicktoons were at the studios, as well as the offices of Nickelodeon Magazine

5. What was Phillip Garcia, who played Binyah Binyah, like when not in costume?
He was really funny. He liked playing pranks and was always smiling and telling jokes. 

6. Is it true that you moved out of Florida and that's why you weren't back for the third season?
I did three seasons, including the pilot season. My family moved to California shortly before the last season started filming where I started school, joined a girl scout troop and started dance lessons. I chose not to return because I preferred being a normal kid over acting and wanted to stay in California.

7. Did you get a chance to meet Tristan Mays, who replaced you on the show?
No, but we talk online sometimes

8. Do you still keep in touch with former cast mates?
I'm facebook friends with most of the cast and a few crew members  

9. Have you ever gotten slimed?
yes

10. Did you have a favorite ride at Universal Studios Florida?
 I really used to enjoy Fieval's playland and the Barney attraction ( I was very young, and a lot of the attractions were very scary for me: Jaws, ET, Alfred Hitchcock, Back to the future, etc.) 

11. Gullah Gullah Island has since become a cult favorite and very loved show among adults who watched Nick Jr when they were younger. How do you feel knowing that your show and the rest of the 80s and 90s Nickelodeon shows made an impact on fans? 

It's always nice to hear that it had such a positive impact on anyone of any age. I take it as a compliment and am just grateful for the happiness it brings them

11. What have you been up to these days?
I graduated from Auburn University in 2010 and have since been working in marketing and sales

12. Can you describe any behind the scenes or fan moments that happened at the studio?

I remember hanging out with the older kids from All That in the green room between scenes and they were so nice and cool. 

13. I think that Nickelodeon Studios was a special place for kids and adults to interact with actors and TV shows and just have a lot of fun especially somewhere like Orlando. Would you agree with that?
 Yes. 

14. Would you like to see Nick Studios be re-opened?

Yes. I think kids deserve the rare opportunity to get a behind the scenes view of their favorite tv shows and have something to do at Universal Studios besides waiting in hour-long lines for 3 minute rides

Irene Ng interview

Ahh The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo! From 1996-99 the show ran on Nickelodeon about a 15 year old girl solving crimes in her grandfather's police organization and getting into alot of misadventures along the way. You're probably wondering whatever happened to the star of the show Irene Ng? Well she's now married with two kids and is a founder and schoolteacher of a preschool in Connecticut  In this exclusive interview I got the chance to chat with Irene about Nick Studios and her time on the show all a part of the documentary about Nickelodeon Studios.

Then

Now

1. How did you get the role as Shelby Woo?

I auditioned many many rounds in NYC through my agent and got the role.

2. What was a typical day like at Nickelodeon Studios?

You get there, change into your wardrobe and have your makeup done, block the scenes and rehearse, then wait in your dressing room for them to come call you then film. We ususally order our lunch from a menu there, work till evening then go home.

3. Do you remember any other shows being filmed where you were at?

Keanan and Kel and All That

4. What was one of the good things about living/working in Orlando?

Definitely Universal Studios - my family and friends would come to visit, stay with me, and get to cut through lines using my Disney pass!

5. Do you keep in touch with anyone from the show?

For many years I kept in touch with Adam Busch from the show but in recent years we have lost touch, unfortunately

6. You were also often a panelist on Figure It Out. How much fun was that show?

It was very fun to meet all the different celebrities they would have on the show - not to mention being slimed and having to take a shower in the studio after that!

7. Can you describe the feeling of getting slimed?

Wet, gooey, cold!

8. Did you have a favorite ride at Universal Studios Florida?

Space Mountain

9. Are you aware of the 90s Are All that on Teenick? How do you feel about people who were fans of Shelby Woo and other Nickelodeon shows during that time?

No I am not aware of that. I am so touched by Shelby Woo fans, of course. My other fellow actors were all really cute and talented kids. I was much older than them though I look young so I was always like an older sister among them. I became really good friends with the older sister of Michelle Trachtenberg, actually, who's my age and we still meet up with each other. Saw Michelle a few years ago and she looked fabulous!

10. Any other behind the scenes or fan moments that happened on set at the studios you can recall? What do you miss about the show?

I miss the people that I worked with the most - the crew were such nice people. We heard once that Tiger Woods was filming an American Express commercial next door once and we found out which studio and we watched him film the commercial about 20 ft from him, pretty cool.

11. I think that Nickelodeon Studios was a special place for kids and adults to interact with actors and tv shows and just have a lot of fun especially somewhere like Orlando. Would you agree with that?

yes, to the kids it's such a big deal to see the actors of their shows in person and it's so nice to see how happy it makes their day

12. Would you like to see Nick Studios be re-opened?

Most definitely!

13. Well thank you so much for this rare interview Irene and being a part of the documentary. Hope everything is going well for you and new career and family life. Take care.

You are so welcome! Thanks so much, Bilaal!

Nickelodeon Studios documentary coming soon...

So I will be making a documentary to talk about Nickelodeon Studios, the legacy, and what if it returned today. Here's my cause explaining it : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDaGUJ_2pHA

Even better here's what these former Nick Stars had to say about the studio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WREPjJps-Q&feature=plcp

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPXabre3qws&feature=plcp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4fWfnHS2ZLw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lRuRyLBRIM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbnBdkQP_Gs

Dave Aizer interview

For the past 3 decades slime has always been the trademark for Nickelodeon. Shows such as You Can't Do That on Television, Double Dare, and Figure It Out is what made us familiar to the substance. From 2000-03 every kid wanted to be a part of the program Slime Time Live and be silly. If you think about it ever since that program ended, the slime identity that made Nickelodeon what it is now is not really noticeable anymore,except the Kids Choice Awards. Slime Time Live's main host Dave Aizer was nice to chat with me about his memories on the show and how wonderful Nick Studios was. All apart of the Nick Studios documentary.

Then

Now

1. How did you get the role in Nick Gas and Slime Time Live?

I was working for Disney at The ESPN Club on Disney’s Boardwalk, when I heard about some auditions for Nick Gas. So, even though I didn’t have an appointment, I decided to grab a headshot and go to the auditions. They agreed to see me, it went welkl, and I was offered the job with Gas. From there, a few years later, Nickelodeon gave me the incredible opportunity to host SlimeTime.

2. What was a typical day like at Nickelodeon Studios?

Very busy. Between hosting Gas and SlimeTime, it was a full day of production. Pretty much nonstop TV hosting the entire day. But I absolutely loved it.

3. Do you remember any other shows being filmed where you were at?

Yes, Nickelodeon also filmed Taina at those studios.

4. What was one of the good things about living/working in Orlando?

The weather was great. There were amusement parks everywhere you turned and the people were very cool.

5. Slime Time Live holds the record for the most amount of sliming onto the crowd. Describe the feeling of getting slimed. I'm sure the set was messy everyday from all the sliming and pies in the face. Did it ever get exhausting at times?

It’s actually really fun getting slimed. It tastes pretty good and it washes out of your hair very easily. It never got old.

6. Were there ever any times when a kid, got picked to be on stage, got carried away and tried to sneak in a pie to your face or any one really? LOL!

Pretty much all the time! It was a free-for-all. People were always throwing pies and getting wrapped up in the mess.

7. I went to Nick Studios myself when I was younger and I recall the gak kitchen (and also slimed). I believe that was where you got all sliming and pies from I assume.

Yes that’s correct.

8. There were alot of noticeable guest stars on STL. Who was the coolest to hang with?

Tough question. I became pretty good friends with some of the guys from N’SYNC and Backstreet Boys. So probably those guys.

9. Did you have a favorite ride at Universal Studios Florida?

Spiderman

10. Sadly STL was one of the last shows or block taped at Nick Studios. Did you notice a decrease in the audience during the studio's final years? Were there any producers who were thinking of creating a hit show or anything to save the studio?

No the audience was still packed pretty much every show. As far as I know, there weren’t plans to create any other shows.

11. I think that Nickelodeon Studios was a special place for kids and adults to interact with actors and tv shows and just have a lot of fun especially somewhere like Orlando. Would you agree with that?

Absolutely. It was a great environment, there was a ton of energy, and it was honestly one of the best experiences of my entire career. I genuinely loved going to work every day … it didn’t even feel like work.

12. Would you like to see Nick Studios be re-opened?

Sure. That would be great!

13. As a matter of fact, once it reopens I think you should be a producer this time around or you can host again if you would return to Nickelodeon.

Haha thanks. If it opens and they want me to be part of it, I’d be honored. I have a lot of great memories from there and made some incredible friendships.

14. Well thank you for the interview Dave. I'll be sure to show you the collage with the videos and everyone's words, including yours, when finished. Keep in touch.

Thanks very much. I sincerely appreciate your interest in SlimeTime and Nick Studios. Good luck!

Melissa Joan Hart interview

Na- Na- Na- Na! Hey cool! From 1991-94 Clarissa Explains It All on Nickelodeon was the it thing. Clarissa Darling was the girl you wanted advice from. Of course the lead actress Melissa Joan Hart has accomplished many big things since the show ended in movies,tv, fashion, merchandising,marriage,and motherhood and has become one of the most popular televison stars of this generation. Melissa was nice enough to chat with me about the show and Nickelodeon Studios all in part of the documentary about the studios.

Then

Now

1. How did you get the role in "Clarissa Explains it All"?

 I auditioned 3 times in NY 

2. What was a typical day like at Nickelodeon Studios?

 We worked 10 hour days, 6 days a week and inside the dark studios the only time we saw the Florida sun was when we walked to our school trailer which was outside the studios elephant doors.  

3. Do you remember any other shows being filmed where you were at?

 Welcome freshman was there when we first started and the variety show called RoundHouse that I loved to sneak into the stage and watch. The kids on these other shows and I would hang out once in a while. 

4. I know that "Clarissa" was the first scripted show produced at Nick Studios and was a deciding factor on whether a show could be filmed in Florida. What was one of the good things about living/working in Orlando?

At that age I enjoyed the theme parks. I didn't get a chance to enjoy the area since we worked 6 day weeks and then on my off weeks I headed home to New York. But the weather was a plus.

5. "Clarissa" was the first Nickelodeon show that centered around a female protagonist and really paved a way for the female centered Nickelodeon shows right now. How do you feel about that role today?

 I hold Clarissa in a very special place in my heart for many reasons. When you read my book Melissa Explains it All this fall you might get a good idea of how I felt about the character. 

6.. Have you ever gotten slimed?

Yes I think I did once as a taped segment for the awards show but we also did a Clarissa episode called Brain Drain which was a game show like Double Dare and me and Ferg slid down a gooey slide into a pool of slime. Nick studios had a gal kitchen and I would often go in and taste the slime and gak which were made of applesauce and pudding.

7. Did you have a favorite ride at Universal Studios Florida?

 I loved Back to the Future at the time. I have to go visit the Harry Potter world next time. 

8. I think that Nickelodeon Studios was a special place for kids and adults to interact with actors and tv shows and just have a lot of fun especially somewhere like Orlando. Would you agree with that?

Yes it was a great way to show the world how tv is produced without being disruptive to the process. I think it was educational for kids and adults alike.

9. Would you like to see Nick Studios be re-opened?

Sure. At the time they were cutting edge technology and brand new. It would be nice to see them open to the public whether Nickelodeon or another network/studio for the public to enjoy and as a great place to make some tv magic.