There was simply no better way to waste a couple hours in front of the television for a kid in the ’90s than vegging out to Nickelodeon. The cable station was one the first to offer original programming geared solely towards kids — at least until Nick at Nite took over in the evening with reruns of F Troop.
While Nick’s scripted shows like Salute Your Shorts and Clarissa Explains it All were solid entertainment, they couldn’t hold a candle to the game shows. It was every kid’s dream in the ’90s to dig through a giant boogery nose on Double Dare or scale the Crag on GUTS. The game-show hosts presented ridiculous obstacle courses and tests of both knowledge and athleticism for the contestants.
While the golden era of Nick’s game shows may have passed, we will be getting a movie revival of Legends of the Hidden Temple. In anticipation of that ’90s nostalgia overdose, let’s check in with the hosts from Nick’s game-show glory days.
Kirk Fogg — Legends of the Hidden Temple (1993-1995)
Yes, Kirk Fogg was the human host of this ancient ruin-themed game show, but we all know the real host was talking head Olmec. While Olmec is likely collecting dust in some Florida warehouse, Fogg who started his career as an actor in New York City went on to do commercial work — like this 2013 VW ad — and made his directorial debut with the thriller Distortion in 2006. These days, Fogg resides in California with his wife and two children. As for the impossible Legends task of assembling the silver monkey, it made many a kid crack under the pressure:
“The damn thing was hard to put together. Feet-belly-head sounds easy but putting them facing out was kind of difficult when the clock is ticking, you’re about to throw up, and there are psychotic temple guards on the loose.”
Marc Summers — Double Dare (1986-1993) What Would You Do? (1991-1993)
Marc Summers was the Bob Barker of Nickelodeon game shows in the ’90s. Kids’ game-show host simply didn’t get any bigger than Summers, as evidenced by his hosting duties with Double Dare and its various spin-offs as well as What Would You Do?. Since wrapping up his time on Nickelodeon he’s continued on in the hosting game, taking on duties with Food Network’s popular show Unwrapped in 2001, as well as spots on other food shows like Restaurant Impossible, Guys Grocery Games, and a role as himself in the first season of Workaholics.
While Summers’ career has flourished he’s had some scary close calls, suffering a head injury in a 2012 car crash and a bout with lymphocytic leukemia. After several treatments of chemo, Summers was finally given the “all clear” by his doctor and able to resume work with his television production company.
Wild & Crazy Kids (1990-1992)
Jessica Gaynes
After the exploding sand castles and waterslide races ended on Wild & Crazy Kids, Gaynes finished high school while still dabbling in commercial acting. In the years since the show’s ending she’s been in and out of the entertainment business, taking time to travel the world and run her family’s two L.A. based theaters, the Whitmore Lindley Theatre and the Two Roads Theatre.
Omar Gooding
As part of the Wild & Crazy Kids team, Cuba Gooding Jr.’s younger brother, Omar, brought a lighthearted energy to the show that put him on track for a career as an actor. Gooding followed up his sports game show gig with spots on ’90s shows like Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper and Touched by an Angel. While the actor hasn’t yet had a breakout starring role, he’s worked steadily over the last two decades appearing in everything from dramas like Baby Boy and Deadwood to comedy roles such as the short-lived Big Time in Hollywood, FL.
Donnie Jeffcoat
Donnie Jeffcoat’s first showbiz break came with playing Eric Antonio on The Wonder Years, but Wild & Crazy Kids is where he truly earned his ’90s nostalgia badge. Since his “wild and crazy” days came to an end, Jeffcoat has taken on guest roles in shows like 7th Heaven and the daytime soap, One Life to Live. According to the Donnie Jeffcoat fan blog — yes, there really is one — he also teaches martial arts in Hollywood.
Annette Chavez
Now known as Annette Lesure, the former Wild & Crazy Kids host is based out of L.A. and has acted in everything from ER to Bones to CSI. While Lesure’s last IMDB credit was a small role in a TV movie called Annie Claus Is Coming To Town, she has participated in Wild & Crazy Kids reunion panels along with the rest of the cast.
Mike O’Malley and Moira Quirk — GUTS (1992-1995)
Next to Marc Summers, Mike O’Malley might be the most recognizable face to former Nickelodeon game show viewers. O’Malley has had steady career in showbiz since pitting kids against the Crag with regular and guest roles in dozens of TV shows. O’Malley spent six years on the CBS sitcom Yes, Dear before signing up for stints on My Name is Earl and Glee as Burt Hummel. In 2015, O’Malley co-starred alongside Will Smith in Concussion.
Better known as “Mo,” Moira Quirk was the GUTS referee, busting kids for offenses in events with names like Slam-A-Jama and Eat My Dust. Besides keeping the rules on GUTS, Quirk was a regular on Nickelodeon, lending her voice to shows like Hey, Arnold! and The Wild Thornberrys. The British TV host has done everything from stand-up comedy to theater since GUTS wrapped up and is a regular voice actor for video games like The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim and Star Wars: The Old Republic. As for the Aggro Crag, Quirk displayed in her Twitter profile that she’s held on to a piece for old times’ sake.
Phillip Moore — Nick Arcade (1992)
Why Nick Arcade never made it more than one year is a mystery that’s tortured me since my youth. The show combined video games with an obstacle course. I mean, c’mon, that’s kids’ game-show gold! Its host, Phillip Moore, would pit teams of two against each other in trivia and original arcade games before sending one team into the virtual reality obstacle course, The Video Zone.
Moore landed the gig with Nick after working as a warm-up comic on the MTV game show Remote Control. After Nick Arcade wrapped, he occasionally popped up on the network as a panelist on Figure It Out. These days, Moore resides with his wife and child in Los Angeles and regularly does commercial acting and motivational speaking gigs with Better Man Ministries.
Summer Sanders — Figure It Out (1997-2000)
While hosting a classic Nickelodeon game show is an accomplishment in its own right, it’s not going to land you on the cover of a Wheaties box. Before quizzing kids on Figure It Out, Sanders was an Olympic athlete, taking home four medals (two gold, one silver, one bronze) for swimming in the 1992 Barcelona games. Since ending her time on Nickelodeon, Sanders has dabbled in acting (Jerry McGuire) and reality TV (Celebrity Apprentice season three), but spent the most time in front of the camera as a reporter for NBC Sports. Still an athlete, Sanders is an avid runner, having done the Boston Marathon twice, and philanthropist, working with charities like Right to Play and Unicef.
