What Would You Do?
|
|
What Would You Do? was a 30-minute television show hosted by Marc Summers on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1993. Robin Marrella acted as the on-camera stagehand for most of the show's run. Both Summers and Marrella performed their respective duties on Double Dare, also on Nickelodeon. The show was produced in Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios in Florida; some early segments were produced at Universal Studios in Hollywood.
| Contents |
Format
Part game show and part talk show, What Would You Do? relied on studio audience participation. Audience members were polled on what they would do in certain situations. Summers randomly picked some members, usually a parent and child, to perform stunts. (One shocked parent shouted "Oh, shit!" on one episode upon her being picked by Summers; this was, of course, bleeped out when taken to air.) Failure or refusal to complete a challenge landed an audience member into one of several pie contraptions.
Segments
During each show, the audience viewed a previously taped segment featuring kids or families put in unusual situations. The tape was stopped before the outcome and Summers asked the audience to vote on either what they would do in the same situation or what the outcome would be. After the results were tallied, the outcome was played.
Special guests, usually performers from other Universal Studios attractions, appeared on What Would You Do? and picked audience members to perform gross, silly or extraordinary stunts. Stunts could involve handling animals, painting, dancing or creating sound effects.
The end of each episode featured the What Would You Do? Medley, where randomly picked audience members and Summers had index cards attached to their foreheads. Each card had a different stunt such as "Hidden Talent" or "Mashed Potato Volcano" listed on it.
By the end of the series run, the medley was replaced with the Wall of Stuff, a wall of numbered doors, each hiding a prize or surprise. Each audience member was assigned a number, and if their number was drawn they would receive a token to open one of the doors.
Pie Contraptions
Whenever audience members were picked to perform a stunt, they were given the option to either perform it or go to one of several pie contraptions. Alternatively, failure to complete a stunt could also send someone to one of these devices.
The Pie Pod was the first of these to appear and could launch up to four whipped cream pies aimed at one audience member. He would be set up in a pneumatic chair and covered with a clear plastic tarp, leaving his head exposed. Summers asked the audience how many pies should be launched -- "4" was the usual answer -- and then released them, following a count of three.
Next was the Pie Wash, which attempted to spray the audience member with whipped cream before it cleaned him up using a rotating car wash styled brush. The Pie Wash often failed to get whipped cream onto the participant.
The Pie Slide came next, and an audience member was sent to the top of a wavy slide to end up in a large vat of whipped cream. Most slid down feet first, but some opted to go head first. All participants were instructed to take off their shoes and socks prior to going down the slide.
Last was the Pie Coaster, a mini roller coaster which ended with an audience member crashing into an oversized pie which stood on its side. Like the Pie Slide, the Pie Coaster's track was also wavy.
Personnel Change
Marrella left the series in 1992, but continued to work with Summers on Double Dare (at that time, Family Double Dare). Instead of a permanent replacement, a kid from the audience was picked to be "Co-Host of the Day" for the remainder of the series' run, expanding on What Would You Do's audience participation theme.