W2W: Weinerville

Aug 5, 201210 min read

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Published: Aug 5, 2012

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Created by: Marc Weiner

Premiere: July 11, 1993

Finale: June 30, 1997

Seasons: 2

Episodes: 62

Starring: Marc Weiner, Ray Abruzzo, Scott Fellows, David Jordon, Brian Berns

About: Nickelodeon Weinerville was filmed at Nickelodeon Studios in Universal Studios Orlando Florida. It was an audience participation comedy show focused on Weiner and his puppets making a show.

Sketches

The show also featured several non-puppet characters played by Weiner himself:

Captain Bob - A sea pirate in yellow rain gear who constantly cracks puns. On many shows, an audience member would be invited to climb aboard Captain Bob's pirate ship where the host would fling water on him before the "tidal wave" (a bucket of water, or, in some cases, slime, thrown by a stage hand) soaked the participant. Captain Bob first appeared on Saturday Night Live, when Weiner was a writer in the early 1980s.

The Weinerville General Store - Members of the audience were also called down to participate in various activities during the main part of the show such as helping to demonstrate items in the Weinerville General Store. A recurring joke on the show took place in the General Store, in which Weiner would sell comedic props similar to those of Carrot Top. Nearly everything in the store sold for $13.50.

Running Joke - Occasionally, the "$13.50" gag was used in other segments. For example: on the "Talent Show" episode the winners won with 1,350 points; on the "DTV" episode, DTV was on channel 1350; and on the General Store and Captain Bob skits, that would be the price when Marc would hand the participant anything.

That's Not Fair! - A game show where a kid and an adult played for points answering questions. Usually the kids win. It was only featured in Season 2. According to an interview with Marc Weiner, "That's Not Fair" was a pilot he made for Comedy Central in 1991, after it was tested the network said its good for kids, so Nickelodeon got a hold of it and the pilot became "Weinerville".

Playland - These participants then competed in one of various games in "Playland" that tested the skill of operating their puppet bodies. The runner-up received the "Silver Hot Dog" with the winner receiving the "Golden Hot Dog" as well as the "Special Topping" (a small amount of green slime dumped onto the player's head.) If a malfunction occurred or both players tied they both get the "Golden Hot Dog". Occasionally, both players received the Special Topping (especially in the second season). If the game involved pies, both contestants would be hit with pies themselves instead of anyone getting the Special Topping. The Playland stage was enlarged and revamped the second season to incorporate more elaborate stunts; these frequently had the contestants facing each other and squirting water or whipped cream at some target, usually soaking the other contestant in the process. Season one was a carnival-style, and on the second season it was a radio-active style.

Weinerizing

The show always ended with Weiner; choosing two people from the audience to get "Weinerized" (turned into puppets). The participants entered a contraption called the "Weinerizer", which appeared to then shrink them to the puppet size (it did so by having the contestants place their heads into a hole above a miniature puppet body).

Characters

Marc Weiner - The host who is always forced to solve most of Dottie's problems. In season one, Marc wears an unbuttoned Weinerville baseball jersey with a green undershirt. In season two, the color of his undershirt changes.

Kevin Elemeno P. (pronounced: "L-M-N-O-P") - The "executive producer" on the show, who makes three appearances (only in season 2). The character, played by an older child, is a play on the name of the real executive producer of the program, current MTV Networks executive Kevin Kay.

Puppets

Dottie - The Mayor of Weinerville. She has a sidekick/assistant named "Zip", who is constantly getting knocked and kicked around his boss (usually by accident). And is recognized by his constant misfortune and agonizing scream.

Baby Jeffrey - He would usually introduces Marc at the beginning of each episode and always makes a mess.

Big Pops - The owner of the Diner. He usually does a lot with his nose, either picking it, or playing the kazoo. He only appeared in Season One.

Schnitzel - Marc's sassy parrot sidekick. He only appeared in Season One.

Commander Ozone - A space traveler who defends evil and saves the universe with his sidekick Wilson (who sounds like Scotty of Star Trek fame). However in Season 1, his name was "Captain Ozone", and Wilson did not sound like Scotty but had a squeaky voice like "Zip".

Eric Von Firstensecond - Commander Ozone's evil enemy. He always tries to figure out an evil scheme to take over Weinerville, or to marry Dottie. He only appeared in Season 2.

Cocktail Frank - The bandleader of the house band of the show "Cocktail Frank And His Weenies." Frank is the lead singer/guitarist.

Joey Deluxe - The big shot manager and powerful TV show agent.

Soup Tureen - The 'That's not Fair' game show host. Only in Season 2.

Professor Phosphate - A Muppet-like puppet with green hair who can only be seen from the waist up. Phosphate is the owner of Weinerville Labs who often causes explosions. Despite this, he frequently solves problems. He only appeared in Season 2.

Boney - An obvious parody of Barney, he is a dinosaur skeleton who is beloved by children but hates them (the "theme song" to his show consisted of said puppet singing "Now get outta here! I'm Boney, I'm Boney, leave me aloney!"). According to the 1995 summer issue of Nickelodeon Magazine, Boney is Weiner's favorite puppet.

Zip - Dottie's helper, who always gets himself into trouble, makes his famous trademark scream and crashes into the wall.

Pops - Known on season 1 as "Little Pops". He is the local chef who argues and sometimes starts stuff with Louie.

Louie - The local laundromat owner who always argues with Pops.

Socko - An inverted hand puppet who likes to kick Marc, performed with his own props, and made sarcastic gestures when things did not go right.

Guest stars

Marc Summers of Family Double Dare is referenced regularly, made a cameo on the "Giant Spider" episode, "Chanukah Special", and the "New Year's Special"

Pro Wrestler Kevin Nash on the "Chanukah Special"

Phil Moore of Nick Arcade on the "Variety Show or Sitcom" episode

Dr. Joyce Brothers on the "XR-3 Space Shuttle Game" episode

Moira Quirk of Nickelodeon GUTS, on the "Variety Show or Sitcom" episode

Huey Lewis on the "Louie's Crush" episode

The cast of Clarissa Explains It All on the "DTV" episode

Melissa Joan Hart on the New Year's, and Election special, and on the "DTV" episode

Mike Maronna of The Adventures of Pete & Pete made a cameo on the New Year's special

Paul Shaffer made a cameo on the New Year's special

Bill Maher on the Election Special

Joe Lieberman on the Election Special

Andy Lawrence

Harry Smith

The Cartoon Shorts

Before Weinerville made its debut, Nickelodeon ran the cartoons by themselves on a half hour block called "Cartoon Kablooey".

Season 1 (1993) / Sunday Marathon (1993–1996): Classic Paramount (like Modern Madcaps), and UPA cartoons (like "Mr. Magoo")

Season 2 (1994–1995): Segments from The Alvin Show (1961)

Re-runs (1995–1997): Throughout 1995 the shorts were all shuffled, but in 1996 they began exclusively showing Batfink, and Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse

Marc Weiner's Weinerville Live

After the show finished its run, in 1996 Marc took the show on a live tour, and added a new segment called "The Comedy Challenge". In 2001 Marc started the show again in the United Kingdom more live shows were done throughout the years.

2011 Comeback

January 23, 2011 Marc Weiner and his son Max launched a YouTube Channel where Weiner will bring his puppet characters back to life in new short videos, exclusively on YouTube.

Weiner and His Puppets on Other Shows

Marc Weiner and his puppets guest starred on a Season 2 episode of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. The episode is titled Substitute Teachers and The New Kid. Marc Weiner plays Ned's elementary school substitute teacher Mr. Weiner. This episode originally aired in 2006.

Wordville with Marc Weiner and Friends

A preschool spinoff of Weinerville, which premiered on Nick Jr. on weekday mornings in 1998. Marc would bring puppets and children to teach words, and help with vocabulary, with skits and his well known big head/little body puppets. Marc’s son, Max Weiner, designed Sara, the Weinerette-style hand puppet, and the sun.

E.A.G.A.H.B.E.D.D

There was also a 13-minute educational VHS video made for the National Dairy Council called E.A.G.A.H.B.E.D.D The title stands for "Eat A Good And Healthy Breakfast Every Day Day" and is done in the style of an abbreviated Weinerville episode, with the usual characters and sets but without the Playland segment. This episode got made into a DVD and is known as the only official Weinerville DVD at this time.

From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weinervi…

Websites:

Official:

Weinerville

Facebook

Youtube

Marc Weiner Twitter

Episode Guide: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weinervi…

Merchandise Available:

Offical current merchandise:

Weinerville Store

Other

None at this time

DVD: Only E.A.G.A.H.B.E.D.D. is available currently. You can purchase it through the offical store: Weinerville Store

Watch Online: