Get ready for more slime. Marc Summers, who hosted the original Double Dare on Nickelodeon from 1986 to 1993, has joined the revival of the show, this time as a color commentator alongside new host Liza Koshy. However, the reboot was his idea.
“They brought back Blue’s Clues, Clarissa [Explains It All]. I still have everyone’s email so I said simply, ‘Am I getting the next phone call?’ and two weeks later, I did,” Summers, 66, told Us Weekly exclusively. “I’ve always been very aggressive when it comes to staying alive in this business for 40 plus years. If you sit back and wait for the phone to ring, it’s not gonna happen. So, I [got] motivated. When I got the phone call, it was a lot of really nice talk and then the words, ‘Your passion has paid off, we’re bringing it back.’”
It was the network’s idea to have Koshy, a social media star, take over as host – something Summers agreed with. “I get it. I didn’t have any objections,” he told Us. “I just want success for the program. I’m glad I’m still a part of it. Maybe the timing is perfect and people are just ready to sit back and giggle and have fun.”
As for Koshy, who joined the TRL reboot as one of many hosts in 2017, Summers says she’s “wise beyond her years.”
“Could I still do it? Sure, but would it be right for the program? Probably not,” he said. “So we have a 22-year-old and a guy who’s been doing it for a long time, and we instantly bonded!”
Koshy, on the other hand, could not be more excited, telling Us she actually screamed when she got the offer.
“The ‘90s are coming back! The iconic games and obstacles are back. I’m glad that this generation gets to live the experience I had [watching it],” she said, adding that the most vivid memory she has from watching has to be the “Pick It” challenge, in which kids have to reach inside a giant nose to find a flag. “I also love seeing someone get pied in the face. I’m hoping it happens to me,” she added.
As for challenges, the new season will combine the classics with some new touches. “It’s definitely going to be a tip of the hat to all the stuff we had growing up but also new challenges, new games – it’s bigger, messier, sloppier. We’ve had a lot of time to save up the slime,” she noted.
Nickelodeon also partnered with HQ and Summers will join host Scott Rogowsky to cohost a ‘90s version of the show on Sunday, June 24 at 9 p.m. ET. Double Dare returns to Nickelodeon Monday, June 25, at 8 p.m. ET.
