Double Dare

Double Dare is a children's game show, originally hosted by Marc Summers, that aired on Nickelodeon. The show combines trivia questions with occasionally messy "physical challenges". It is often credited with putting the then-fledgling network on the map, and ranked #29 in TV Guide's list of the 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time.

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The show originated from the WHYY-TV studios in Philadelphia in 1986. In 1987, the show temporarily moved to New York City for a special weekend edition called Super Sloppy Double Dare. The show returned to Philadelphia in 1988; by then, Viacom syndicated the show to independent stations & affiliates of the young Fox network.

 

Interesting fact about the Fox syndication - While Super Sloppy Double Dare would make fun of Fun House, a number of fox affiliates had syndication rights to air Fun House and Double Dare both. It wasn't until Fox began airing "Fox Kids" Monday through Saturday that Double Dare and Finders Keepers returned to Nickelodeon exclusively. This is because Fun House became "Fox's Fun House" shutting out Double Dare completely

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Beginning in January 1989, more episodes of Super Sloppy Double Dare were produced (during which time Nickelodeon began airing reruns of the previous year's syndicated episodes). Tapings began in Philadelphia, but later that year was moved to Universal Studios in Orlando (which opened on June 7th 1990). Once the show moved to Nickelodeon Studios in 1990, it then became Family Double Dare later that fall. Nickelodeon's highest rated programming was largely on hiatus in 1991, but returned in 1992. The Tournament of Champions aired in 1993, with Marc claiming that the show would be back in 1994, but it never did.

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In 1994, Marc Summers returned to film "Double Dare Super Sloppiest Moments." Robin Russo joined Phil Moore, Olmec and Mike O'Malley for one final stunt called "Nickelodeon's All Star Challenge" during the 1994 "Big Help a thon". The contestants played a round of the Bumping Balloon Break toss up challenge that was likely the only part of Double Dare still remaining intact at Nickelodeon Studios at that time. After that, Double Dare would air in rerun format at 7 am weekends until 1997.

 

After they pulled it, Nickelodeon created Nick GAS. Since nobody was able to watch it, it was supposedly available via QuickTime 3's new video streaming function. Unfortunately, the stream never appeared to work. It wasn't until 2000 that Double Dare made a return to Nickelodeon. 

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Double Dare 2000 was hosted by Jason Harris Katz, with Tiffany Phillips as the announcer. The show was taped at Nickelodeon Studios in 2000, and was one of the last shows shot at Universal Studios Escape.

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Nick GAS finally came to TV after Double Dare 2000 was added to the lineup in 2001. By the time most people could actually watch GAS, GAS only showed 4 hours of game shows per day, and replayed the entire thing over 5 more times a day until it became The N at 3 am PST on 1/1/2008. 

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A few other game shows came and went through Nickelodeon between 2002 and 2014. All of them were about as awful as Double Dare 2000. Then, in 2016, Marc Summers finally got Double Dare back on TV. It took Nickelodeon 2 years to finally give Marc his wish, but it was worth it. 

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Double Dare 20183 was hosted by Liza Koshy, with Marc Summers as the announcer. The show was one of the best projects that was created by Fremantle. We still have no idea how they got involved with Double Dare, but, we're glad they did. Without their help, Double Dare would have been so bad that ARHS Mac Dude Productions would still be working on Let's Get Messy! for the post pandemic era!

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By the time Double Dare 2018 was green lit, Nickelodeon was now a part of the "New New" CBSViacom (AKA Paramount+). At this point, all of Nickelodeon's programming is filmed in Southern California. Because of this change, Double Dare 2018 was finally allowed to have breathing room. 

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Based upon all of the photos that can be seen on the Double Dare Fandom Page, Double Dare required the audience to sit in two places... The Main Stage, and then the Obstacle Course.