With all the recent talk about classic 80’s TV shows (both Paul and I have had at least one entry in the last month mentioning them), one that’s been overlooked is Nickelodeon’s You Can’t Do That on Television! I used to be obsessed with this show and had all but forgotten when I saw it as part of a Nickelodeon advertising montage (odd since they haven’t aired the show in years). Here are what I can remember about it:
- Lisa talked too much.
- They always ate at Barth’s restaurant, and when they’d talk about him, he’d say “D’Iiiiiii heard that!”
- Saying “I Don’t Know” would get you green slimed
- Saying “Water” would get water dumped on your head
- Moose always got shafted
- Les Lye played multiple parts (Blip, El Capitan, the nasty old director, the disgusting father — whose name was “Mr. Prevert”, the gross chef…)
- Vanessa had big glasses.
And I found this incredible site. Some things I forgot/didn’t know:
- The show ran for 20 years!
- Alanis Morrissette got her start on the show.
- There’s an actual recipe for slime.
- Christine (Moose) wore a wig because her hair was “too punk”…
- An episode dealing with adoption was banned after its first airing
Posted in Television, Movies, and Music
lithiumfx October 16, 2006, 1:27 pm
http://www.retrojunk.com
I found this website, and it has more stuff on it like YCDTOTV. Other show’s I’d long forgotten from the 80’s.
WHERE THE HELL ARE THE DVD’S!!
go visit retrojunk, it has every show i swear!!
Mike M November 1, 2008, 5:46 am
hahaha, I remember this show! This web site:
http://tvokay.com/watch-tv.php?q=you-can-t-do-that-on-television
has a few episodes available free over the net. I BARELY even remembered the show a couple of days ago when searching for old nick shows. In fact, I didn’t even remember the NAME of the show when I saw it. I was like “huh, I don;t remember that show.” Then I started watching, and all of my old forgetten child-hood memories started coming back.
I remember my older brother (I am currently 25, he’s 30) would be allowed to stay up and watch this show, but I always had to go to bed. I would sometimes sneek out of my room, go downstairs, and watch that show with him. We would also watch Married with Children as well, which is another show I was “banned” from watching.
BTW: The factory of kids heads, and seeing them get dumped out a faucet into a bus, I remember that always kind of scared me 🙂
paola April 7, 2009, 11:18 am
I had a pet rabbit that i named after Alasdair Gillis (Alasdair Loppy- a lop-eared bunny). The rabbit lived from 1987-1996- long after the show stopped airing.
You could say I was a fan and maybe had a crush! : )
Susan Pappalardo March 28, 2010, 5:46 pm
I was just watching the 2020 Kids Choice Awards and realized that all those kids in the audience wasn’t even born when You Can’t Do That On Television was airing on a fledgling kids network called Nickolodeon! Nick she bring it back for these kids!