12 Dark Secrets About Nickelodeon Game Shows That'll Change How You See Your Childhood

When we were kids, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, and Hollywood Squares were not the game shows we wanted to watch. If it wasn't kids competing and no one was getting slimed, what was the point?

That's why Nickelodeon TV shows were so important to us! We got to imagine ourselves running Legends Of The Hidden Temple or being mesmerized by the VR technology on Arcade. But there are some things about your favorite game shows you may not have known.

1. Marc Summers Had OCD

Host of arguably the messiest show on television, Summers had a severe case of OCD. He mentioned on multiple occasions that the slime, messes, and overall chaos of Double Dare made him uncomfortable even while they filmed.

2. Legend of the Hidden Rat Race

Watching Legends of the Hidden Temple was an adrenaline rush like no other. You always hoped the kids at the end would be able to complete the temple run at the end and get that new pair of shoes (or whatever the prize was), but host Kirk Fogg says it was almost impossible to complete. Fogg says that as a grown man he had trouble completing the run in 3 minutes, let alone a child.

3.  Mike O'Malley Was Almost Fired

Before he was one of the most respected Nickelodeon hosts of all time, Mike O'Malley had to step up his game. In the first season of Get The Picture, O'Malley was pretty tame. He would calmly announce the bonus game of Power Surge and that wasn't okay with producers. They basically told him to either get more excited or pack his bags. He got more excited.

4. The Crew Was High

The crew on a lot of the Nickelodeon shows say the shows are pretty fun to watch high, and they know this from firsthand experience. Imagine watching someone get slimed while you're high as a kite.

5. Nick Was Sued By Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters came out in 1984, and that's where a lot of people believe the term "slimed" comes from. They would be wrong. The creators of Ghostbusters actually sued Nickelodeon for copying their use of slime, but the network hit back saying they'd been using it for years. The lawsuit was dropped.

6. Jocks Only

The physical challenges on a lot of these shows were pretty intense. The obstacle course on Double Dare was not to be messed with. If you had even the slightest prior health problem or injury, you would be barred from participating on the show. The last thing Nickelodeon wanted was a lawsuit (that didn't relate to slime.)

7. Gak Gadgets

Gak allowed kids to take home slime and make their own houses messy. But while you may think the name was just random, Marc Summers confessed it was actually named after an illegal narcotic that the crew enjoyed using.

8. They Intentionally Stressed Kids

The marketing team for the network knew there was one way to get kids to like them: make it so they can't look away. Bright orange and bright green are considered the international colors of distress, so they knew the psychology behind it would keep kids wanting more.

9. No Parents Allowed

Nickelodeon boasted itself as a channel for kids, but I don't think people realized how far they went. After the show stopped airing, it was revealed that parents weren't even allowed on set during filming.

10. Mo No Know

When Mo went in to audition for Guts, she had no clue what the show was about, or sport in general for that matter. It was just a lucky pick that Nickelodeon made, as Mo turned out to be the cornerstone of the show.

11. Yours Until It's Not

If you managed to successfully scale Aggros Crag, you got a gold medal and got to hold a piece of the course. You were praised to no end, and got excited about taking your victory Crag home. However, when the cameras stopped rolling, your metaphorical trophy was taken away and you were mailed a cheap version after the show.

Which was your favorite Nickelodeon game show to watch?