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MEMO TO NICKELODEON AND THE WRITERS OF "ALL THAT"

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tmc_6882

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Nov 2, 2003, 1:44:11 AM11/2/03
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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111875/board/nest/3181611

MEMO TO NICKELODEON AND THE WRITERS OF "ALL THAT"

01.) STOP DUMBING IT DOWN - I know it's for kids. But that's no reason
to dumb it down with dumb sketches and predictable jokes. Kids
nowadays are a little more sophisticated. The previous seasons of "All
That" have flashes of intelligence that entertained both kids and even
adults. Don't be too afraid to be even occasionally sophisticated.

02.) GET RID OF LAME 'BUMPER' SKETCHES - These are short skits/jokes
inserted between the major ones. Examples from previous seasons
included "Pierre Escargot" (not a big fan of that one) and "Vital
Information" (am a big fan of this one). Now you got lame sketches
like "Rate the Pain", "Coming At Ya" and the worst of all "Connect the
Zits" (which, frankly, I don't see how anyone with a brain could look
at it on paper and say 'this would be funny on TV').

03.) GET RID OF LAME CAST MEMBERS - Giovonnie Samuels and Jamie Spears
are awful performers. Not funny at all. You need Jamie to boost
ratings. Hopefully she'll be too big a star and develop a too big an
ego and she'll leave soon. *crosses fingers*.

04.) STOP USING 'SPECIAL GUEST STARS' EVERY WEEK - You only have half
an hour (not an hour like "MadTV" or an hour and a half like "SNL").
Don't let the 'special guest star' overshadow the cast or even stink
it up if they're no good.

05.) KEEP ADULT ACTORS TO A MINIMUM - "All That" is about kid power.
There's something seriously wrong with the sketch when the funniest
person in it is an adult. One prime example of this is Professor Chafe
in "Harry Bladder". The sketch is lame and he was the only bright
spot. Something very very wrong there.

06.) UTILIZE THE TALENTS OF THE ACTORS TO THE MAX - Kyle Sullivan can
play the piano. Why not incorporate that into a sketch? (I came up
with one -- a piano player who insults everyone through song). Lisa
Foiles can do ballet. Why not incorporate that into a sketch?

07.) GET RID OF THE PICKLE DUDE - I just don't like the guy.

08.) STOP USING LAME SKETCHES - "Trashin' Fashion" (awful!), "Chit
Chat" (the premise of that can only go too far) and "Sugar and Coffee"
(yet another one-joke premise that is only funny the first couple of
times).

09.) IMPROVE THE SKETCHES WITH POTENTIAL - I can see "Randy Quench" as
being sort of the inverse of Jim Carrey's old "Fire Marshall Bill"
sketch. All it needs is tighter writing and directing. It can be very
funny if improved. "Rowdy Sports Fans" is also potentially funny.
Again, writing and directing needs to improve. Get rid of "Slumber
Party" but don't get rid of Claudia. She can be a great character in a
sketch all her own. Parodying "Harry Potter" is a great idea but
"Harry Bladder" is not the way to do it.

10.) WATCH PREVIOUS SEASONS OF "ALL THAT" - To see where you went
wrong.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.jumptheshark.com/a/allthat.htm

ang's

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Nov 2, 2003, 4:44:02 AM11/2/03
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first cast was sooooo much funnyer


"tmc_6882" <tmc_...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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> quote:
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

NickUKFan

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Nov 2, 2003, 6:35:29 AM11/2/03
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Giovonnie isn't bad, Jamie's not absolutely awful at every sketch.
With the matter of getting rid of characters - we'll see this by next
Season, I think after 3 Seasons they'll be a need for a major cast
change.

PICKLE MAN RULES!!

And we don't want to see Kyle playing the piano.

tmc_...@yahoo.com (tmc_6882) wrote in message news:<57679ca4.03110...@posting.google.com>...

btrposter

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Nov 3, 2003, 2:58:17 AM11/3/03
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Some of your complaints sound like they come from a person who grew up
watching the show and just don't like how it is now. Saturday Night
Live has the same problem with people getting older and thinking it
"just sucks now, I wish they would do it like they did before." The
fact is, it's just about the same as it ever was.*

*- Water flowing under ground. :-)

(more below)



> MEMO TO NICKELODEON AND THE WRITERS OF "ALL THAT"
>
> 01.) STOP DUMBING IT DOWN - I know it's for kids. But that's no reason
> to dumb it down with dumb sketches and predictable jokes. Kids
> nowadays are a little more sophisticated. The previous seasons of "All
> That" have flashes of intelligence that entertained both kids and even
> adults. Don't be too afraid to be even occasionally sophisticated.

I'm sure they ain't worried about the "kids at heart" in the crowd.
What exactly was so sophisicated about previous seasons that it now
lacks?

>
> 02.) GET RID OF LAME 'BUMPER' SKETCHES - These are short skits/jokes
> inserted between the major ones. Examples from previous seasons
> included "Pierre Escargot" (not a big fan of that one) and "Vital
> Information" (am a big fan of this one). Now you got lame sketches
> like "Rate the Pain", "Coming At Ya" and the worst of all "Connect the
> Zits" (which, frankly, I don't see how anyone with a brain could look
> at it on paper and say 'this would be funny on TV').
>

Some things are more interesting funny than "ha-ha" funny. Zits and
Coming at Ya are of that sort. Don't your kids (if you have any) like
to see weird stuff explode from a cannon? Coming at Ya's humor lies
not in the cannon, really, but in the combination of things put into
it. Connect the Zits is gross, and believe it or not, kids like gross.

Kids also like that screaming guy who rates the pain... it's
slap-stick, which is funny. Especially because at the end he stops
reacting and gives a rating as if nothing had happened. Below you say
that he steals the Harry Bladder sketch... when he's rating pain, he's
doing the same as he did when he had chafed thighs. His claim to fame
is his screaming ability. I'm sure he got the job because of it.


> 03.) GET RID OF LAME CAST MEMBERS - Giovonnie Samuels and Jamie Spears
> are awful performers. Not funny at all. You need Jamie to boost
> ratings. Hopefully she'll be too big a star and develop a too big an
> ego and she'll leave soon. *crosses fingers*.
>

It's hard to replace Amanda Bynes, who herself replaced that one girl
who was the one who would pop up and explain lactose intolerance in
the Super Dude sketches. I think she got booted because she wasn't the
cute little girl they hired anymore. (read: boobs) Jamie Spears was
obviously meant to be the new "cute little girl", but I'm sure her
having a famous sister didn't hurt.

> 04.) STOP USING 'SPECIAL GUEST STARS' EVERY WEEK - You only have half
> an hour (not an hour like "MadTV" or an hour and a half like "SNL").
> Don't let the 'special guest star' overshadow the cast or even stink
> it up if they're no good.
>

EVERY week? Am I missing something, because I've only seen one guest
star and he wasn't in but one sketch.


> 05.) KEEP ADULT ACTORS TO A MINIMUM - "All That" is about kid power.
> There's something seriously wrong with the sketch when the funniest
> person in it is an adult. One prime example of this is Professor Chafe
> in "Harry Bladder". The sketch is lame and he was the only bright
> spot. Something very very wrong there.

I'm pretty sure having adults steal a sketch or two really matters.
There was nothing wrong when Lori Beth Denberg did Vital Information.
All That doesn't have an agenda, its a Nickelodeon show. All
Nickelodeon shows are about kids, and have adults in them also. Why is
All That any different? I don't think Round House had any kids in it,
but it was pretty good times.

>
> 06.) UTILIZE THE TALENTS OF THE ACTORS TO THE MAX - Kyle Sullivan can
> play the piano. Why not incorporate that into a sketch? (I came up
> with one -- a piano player who insults everyone through song). Lisa
> Foiles can do ballet. Why not incorporate that into a sketch?
>

What about Jamie Spears's long-distance lugi hocking prowess?

> 07.) GET RID OF THE PICKLE DUDE - I just don't like the guy.

What's wrong with him? He's awesome. Not liking the pickle dude
explains something about you and why you had to write a book about why
All That now doesn't suit your tastes. :-/


>
> 08.) STOP USING LAME SKETCHES - "Trashin' Fashion" (awful!), "Chit
> Chat" (the premise of that can only go too far) and "Sugar and Coffee"
> (yet another one-joke premise that is only funny the first couple of
> times).
>

"Trashin Fashion" is a formula sketch, they're trying to rehash old
ideas that worked (a time honored tradition). In this case, it's a
rehash of "Whatever!".

"Sugar and Coffee" is awesome. It's funny everytime. Those two actors
really commit when they do that sketch.


> 09.) IMPROVE THE SKETCHES WITH POTENTIAL - I can see "Randy Quench" as
> being sort of the inverse of Jim Carrey's old "Fire Marshall Bill"
> sketch. All it needs is tighter writing and directing. It can be very
> funny if improved. "Rowdy Sports Fans" is also potentially funny.
> Again, writing and directing needs to improve. Get rid of "Slumber
> Party" but don't get rid of Claudia. She can be a great character in a
> sketch all her own. Parodying "Harry Potter" is a great idea but
> "Harry Bladder" is not the way to do it.
>

Randy Quench is a rehash of Repairman(man man man). Josh Server was
the Jim Carrey impersonator.

About Bridgette's Slumber Party, being that its a kids show and she's
a kid (as far as I know, I didn't find out Lori Beth wasn't a kids
until she left the show), Chelsea (Bridgette) really needs to wear a
shirt that has a higher neck line. She's always prone on the bed and
that low neck line is ill-suited for an adolescent that position. It's
a little risque for a Nick show, I think. :-/

Get rid of Giovonnie Samuels, but not not the character she plays?
Doesn't she play Claudia in that sketch? I don't think she should be
gotten rid of, but maybe they shouldn't have her jumping rope anymore.


> 10.) WATCH PREVIOUS SEASONS OF "ALL THAT" - To see where you went
> wrong.

To be sure, they watched previous seasons and saw what went right and
made sure to keep doing it.


>
> http://www.jumptheshark.com/a/allthat.htm


If jumping the shark means that they're re-hashing old ideas, then ya,
All That is, but I don't think it deserves the ire you're expressing.
It's a kids show that appeals to the kids of today. What you remember
appealed to you "back then", there's no going back. Nick isn't the
first network for old fogies, afterall.

Jonathan DeVowe

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Nov 3, 2003, 1:13:29 PM11/3/03
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I agree and I was 17 or 18 at the time and still found it to be funny.

Also Jamie Spears is completely unfunny and not a very good actor, I think
she's only on the show because Nickelodeon wants to kiss Britney Spears
buttocks. At the time Jamie was added to the cast I think Britney was doing
alot of stuff for Nick.

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