Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids
Encyclopedia
Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids (stylized as Nick GAS and commonly known as Nick Gas) was an American
cable television
network that was part of MTV Networks
's suite of digital cable channels. The channel was available to all Digital cable
providers and satellite provider Dish Network
. With its focus on classic Nickelodeon game shows (all of which had been removed from the parent network by 2000), Nick GAS was essentially a children's version of (and Viacom's answer to) Game Show Network
, which launched on December 1, 1994.
The VP/General Manager of the network was Nickelodeon executive Mark Offitzer, producer of numerous Nick specials including the Kids Choice Awards. Summer Sanders
was named on-air Commissioner of the network; Dave Aizer
(1999-2003) and Vivianne Collins (1999-2003) were the network's original on-air hosts, with Mati Moralejo
(2001-2005) joining soon after and later on Nadine (2004).
on November 9, 1998 featuring game & sports-related shows like Renford Rejects
, Double Dare, Nickelodeon GUTS
and Figure It Out
. It was short-lived; it closed on February 20, 1999 to make way for the new channel.
Nick GAS launched on March 1, 1999 and its programming primarily consisted of children's game shows and sports-related programs from Nickelodeon, its parent network. This included shows such as GUTS
, all versions of Double Dare from 1986 onward, and Figure It Out
(which ended its run on the parent network nine months after GAS's launch).
Nick GAS also produced its own original programming, such as Play to Z, Gamefarm and Splash TV. Programs were usually grouped together in the blocks Heads Up!, Wild Card, Family Fuel, Extreme GAS (all removed in 2002), Camp GAS, Double Dare Double Play (both removed in 2004), and Pumping GAS (removed in 2005).
In lieu of commercials, Nick GAS aired interstitial
segments, some of which were produced at Nickelodeon On Sunset
and the defunct Nickelodeon Studios
at Universal Studios Florida
. However, in-show advertising (like consolation and grand prizes of the network's shows) were left intact, as it was part of the show itself.
The studio segments often included competitions between families, or interviews with athletes and other celebrities. Other interstitials included "Heroes of the Game", "GAS Grill", "Trade Tricks", "Time Out", "Skill Drill", "MLS
Play of the Week", and in the early years of the network "This Day in History".
After November 1, 2005, Nick GAS's programming was fully automated, putting only seven shows on a permanent time slot (GUTS, Legends of the Hidden Temple
, Figure It Out
, Get the Picture, Double Dare 2000, Nick Arcade and Finders Keepers) and regular segments. In September 2006, Finders Keepers, which aired in 3 a.m., left Nick GAS and for the last year of the network, only 6 shows were on the schedule.
. It then aired a bumper, but it was cut off halfway through and was replaced by The N, which became a 24-hour channel after splitting from sister station Noggin (now Nick Jr.). The N would eventually see a further re-branding as TeenNick
on September 28, 2009. Dish Network
kept an automated loop of the network on the air for fifteen months, due to either unknown concerns or satellite bandwidth problems.
On April 23, 2009, it was announced that Dish would drop Nick GAS and replace it with West Coast schedule
version of Cartoon Network
the following day, and the network loop ended during an episode of Legends of the Hidden Temple
.
Afterward, a limited selection of the network's programming remained on Nickelodeon's internet television
service TurboNick from January 2008 until that service was discontinued in mid-2009; the current Nick Video portal features a focus on the network's current programming only. In 2011, several of Nick GAS's rerun programs may return as a part of The '90s Are All That
, a 1990s-oriented block on TeenNick
that began on July 25, 2011.
, Speed Racer X
, Scaredy Camp
, and Rocket Power
(all of which mainly involved extreme sports and competition).
The network also aired a one-hour block of video game programming on Saturday nights from 2003-2004 – Play to Z (mainly re-purposed content from the British
Game Network
) and Nickelodeon Gamefarm (an original series featuring video game news and competitions).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
network that was part of MTV Networks
MTV Networks
MTV Networks is a division of media conglomerate Viacom that oversees the operations of many television channels and Internet brands, including the original MTV channel in the United States...
's suite of digital cable channels. The channel was available to all Digital cable
Digital cable
Digital cable is a generic term for any type of cable television distribution using digital video compression or distribution. The technology was originally developed by Motorola.-Background:...
providers and satellite provider Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
. With its focus on classic Nickelodeon game shows (all of which had been removed from the parent network by 2000), Nick GAS was essentially a children's version of (and Viacom's answer to) Game Show Network
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
, which launched on December 1, 1994.
The VP/General Manager of the network was Nickelodeon executive Mark Offitzer, producer of numerous Nick specials including the Kids Choice Awards. Summer Sanders
Summer Sanders
Summer Elisabeth Sanders is a sports commentator and reporter, TV show host, actress and retired Olympic gold medalist in swimming.- School and swimming :...
was named on-air Commissioner of the network; Dave Aizer
Dave Aizer
Dave Aizer is a television host and writer. Currently he is the host of The Morning Show, a television morning show on WSFL-TV in South Florida...
(1999-2003) and Vivianne Collins (1999-2003) were the network's original on-air hosts, with Mati Moralejo
Mati Moralejo
Mati Moralejo is an actor and was a recurring personality on the Nickelodeon Games and Sports television network. He is regularly seen in 60 second featurettes highlighting lesser known sports from around the world called Global GAS.Mati was also a host of a remake of Nickelodeon's Wild and Crazy...
(2001-2005) joining soon after and later on Nadine (2004).
History and programming
Nick GAS originally launched as a 2-hour block on NickelodeonNickelodeon
Nickelodeon is a US cable TV channel.Nickelodeon may also refer to:-In television:*Spinoffs of the Nickelodeon channel:** Nickelodeon Magazine, a children's magazine.** Nickelodeon Universe, an amusement park....
on November 9, 1998 featuring game & sports-related shows like Renford Rejects
Renford Rejects
Renford Rejects was a teen sitcom produced and broadcast by Nickelodeon UK between 1998 and 2001. The show briefly aired in the United States on Nick GaS....
, Double Dare, Nickelodeon GUTS
Nickelodeon GUTS
Nickelodeon GUTS is an American television reality "action sports" competition series hosted by actor/comedian Mike O'Malley and officiated by British actress Moira "Mo" Quirk. The series was broadcast by the cable television network Nickelodeon from 1992 to 1995...
and Figure It Out
Figure It Out
Figure It Out is an American children's game show hosted by Summer Sanders that aired on Nickelodeon for four seasons from July 7, 1997 to December 12, 1999....
. It was short-lived; it closed on February 20, 1999 to make way for the new channel.
Nick GAS launched on March 1, 1999 and its programming primarily consisted of children's game shows and sports-related programs from Nickelodeon, its parent network. This included shows such as GUTS
Nickelodeon GUTS
Nickelodeon GUTS is an American television reality "action sports" competition series hosted by actor/comedian Mike O'Malley and officiated by British actress Moira "Mo" Quirk. The series was broadcast by the cable television network Nickelodeon from 1992 to 1995...
, all versions of Double Dare from 1986 onward, and Figure It Out
Figure It Out
Figure It Out is an American children's game show hosted by Summer Sanders that aired on Nickelodeon for four seasons from July 7, 1997 to December 12, 1999....
(which ended its run on the parent network nine months after GAS's launch).
Nick GAS also produced its own original programming, such as Play to Z, Gamefarm and Splash TV. Programs were usually grouped together in the blocks Heads Up!, Wild Card, Family Fuel, Extreme GAS (all removed in 2002), Camp GAS, Double Dare Double Play (both removed in 2004), and Pumping GAS (removed in 2005).
In lieu of commercials, Nick GAS aired interstitial
Interstitial program
In television programming, an interstitial program refers to a short program which is often shown between movies or other events, e.g. a cast interview after movies on premium channels...
segments, some of which were produced at Nickelodeon On Sunset
Nickelodeon On Sunset
Nickelodeon On Sunset, formerly known as the Earl Carroll Theatre, is a stage facility located at 6230 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California which has housed the West Coast production of live-action original series produced for the Nickelodeon cable channel since 1997, starting with the...
and the defunct Nickelodeon Studios
Nickelodeon Studios
Nickelodeon Studios was a television taping studio as well as an original attraction at Universal Studios Florida.-History:...
at Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
. However, in-show advertising (like consolation and grand prizes of the network's shows) were left intact, as it was part of the show itself.
The studio segments often included competitions between families, or interviews with athletes and other celebrities. Other interstitials included "Heroes of the Game", "GAS Grill", "Trade Tricks", "Time Out", "Skill Drill", "MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
Play of the Week", and in the early years of the network "This Day in History".
After November 1, 2005, Nick GAS's programming was fully automated, putting only seven shows on a permanent time slot (GUTS, Legends of the Hidden Temple
Legends of the Hidden Temple
Legends of the Hidden Temple is an action-adventure game show for children. The show centers around a "Temple" that is "filled with lost treasures protected by mysterious Mayan Temple Guards"...
, Figure It Out
Figure It Out
Figure It Out is an American children's game show hosted by Summer Sanders that aired on Nickelodeon for four seasons from July 7, 1997 to December 12, 1999....
, Get the Picture, Double Dare 2000, Nick Arcade and Finders Keepers) and regular segments. In September 2006, Finders Keepers, which aired in 3 a.m., left Nick GAS and for the last year of the network, only 6 shows were on the schedule.
Shutdown
On December 31, 2007, Nick GAS was shutting down as a digital cable and satellite channel after an episode of Figure It OutFigure It Out
Figure It Out is an American children's game show hosted by Summer Sanders that aired on Nickelodeon for four seasons from July 7, 1997 to December 12, 1999....
. It then aired a bumper, but it was cut off halfway through and was replaced by The N, which became a 24-hour channel after splitting from sister station Noggin (now Nick Jr.). The N would eventually see a further re-branding as TeenNick
TeenNick
TeenNick, formerly The N, is an American television network aimed at the teenage market. TeenNick is owned by the MTV Networks subsidiary, Viacom. The channel was originally known as The N from its April 1, 2002 launch until September 28, 2009....
on September 28, 2009. Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
kept an automated loop of the network on the air for fifteen months, due to either unknown concerns or satellite bandwidth problems.
On April 23, 2009, it was announced that Dish would drop Nick GAS and replace it with West Coast schedule
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
version of Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (United States)
Cartoon Network is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting which primarily airs animated programming. The channel was launched on October 1, 1992 after Turner purchased the animation studio Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1991...
the following day, and the network loop ended during an episode of Legends of the Hidden Temple
Legends of the Hidden Temple
Legends of the Hidden Temple is an action-adventure game show for children. The show centers around a "Temple" that is "filled with lost treasures protected by mysterious Mayan Temple Guards"...
.
Afterward, a limited selection of the network's programming remained on Nickelodeon's internet television
Internet television
Internet television is the digital distribution of television content via the Internet...
service TurboNick from January 2008 until that service was discontinued in mid-2009; the current Nick Video portal features a focus on the network's current programming only. In 2011, several of Nick GAS's rerun programs may return as a part of The '90s Are All That
The '90s Are All That
The '90s Are All That is a programming block that airs on TeenNick. The block shows requested Nickelodeon shows from the 1990s, airing in a two-hour block running every night from midnight to 2 a.m., with an encore from 2 to 4 a.m...
, a 1990s-oriented block on TeenNick
TeenNick
TeenNick, formerly The N, is an American television network aimed at the teenage market. TeenNick is owned by the MTV Networks subsidiary, Viacom. The channel was originally known as The N from its April 1, 2002 launch until September 28, 2009....
that began on July 25, 2011.
Programs
Nick GAS aired every game show broadcast on Nick from the parent network's inception onward, as well as non-game programming such as Salute Your ShortsSalute Your Shorts
Salute Your Shorts is an American comedy television series that aired on Nickelodeon from 1991–1992 and in reruns until early 1999. It was last rerun on Nickelodeon GaS from July through September of 2003....
, Speed Racer X
Speed Racer X
Speed Racer X, known in Japan as , is a remake of the original 1967 series produced by Tatsunoko Productions, the same studio that did the original...
, Scaredy Camp
Scaredy Camp
Scaredy Camp is a reality show that aired on Nickelodeon, hosted by Emma Wilson . Season one ran from October 27, 2002 - November 3, 2002...
, and Rocket Power
Rocket Power
Rocket Power is an American animated television series that aired on Nickelodeon.-Premise:Rocket Power involves the daily situations of a group of best friends named Oswald "Otto" Rocket, Regina "Reggie" Rocket, Maurice "Twister" Rodriguez, and Sam "Squid" Dullard, as they live in the fictional...
(all of which mainly involved extreme sports and competition).
The network also aired a one-hour block of video game programming on Saturday nights from 2003-2004 – Play to Z (mainly re-purposed content from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Game Network
Game Network
Game Network was a European online game and television network company. It was initially owned by Digital Bros. group, but was later sold to Cellcast...
) and Nickelodeon Gamefarm (an original series featuring video game news and competitions).