What Would You Do? was a 30-minute television show hosted by Marc Summers on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1993. Robin Marrella acted as the on-camera stagehand for most of the show's run. Both Summers and Marrella performed their respective duties on Double Dare, also on Nickelodeon. The show was produced in Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios in Florida; some early segments were produced at Universal Studios in Hollywood.
Format
Part game show and part talk show, What Would You Do? relied on studio audience participation. Audience members were polled on what they would do in certain situations. Summers randomly picked some members, usually a parent and child, to perform stunts. (One shocked parent shouted "Oh, s---!" on one episode upon her being picked by Summers; this was, of course, bleeped out when taken to air.) Failure or refusal to complete a challenge landed an audience member into one of several pie contraptions.
Segments
During each show, the audience viewed a previously taped segment featuring kids or families put in unusual situations. The tape was stopped before the outcome and Summers asked the audience to vote on either what they would do in the same situation or what the outcome would be. After the results were tallied, the outcome was played.
Special guests, usually performers from other Universal Studios attractions, appeared on What Would You Do? and picked audience members to perform gross, silly or extraordinary stunts. Stunts could involve handling animals, painting, dancing or creating sound effects.
The end of each episode featured the What Would You Do? Medley, where randomly picked audience members and Summers had index cards attached to their foreheads. Each card had a different stunt such as "Hidden Talent," "Peanut Butter Jumping Jacks," or "Mashed Potato Volcano" listed on it. The participant either had to do what it said on the card, sight unseen, or be sent to the Pie Pod (explained below.)
By the end of the series run, the medley was replaced with the Wall of Stuff, a wall of numbered doors, each hiding a prize or surprise. Each audience member was assigned a number, and if their number was drawn they would receive a token to open one of the doors.
Pie Contraptions
The cream pie was central to the show's premise, and was frequently doled out as "punishment" for anything. Whenever audience members were picked to perform a stunt, they were given the option to either perform it or go to one of several pie contraptions. Alternatively, failure to complete a stunt could also send someone to one of these devices.
- Pie Pod - The most used and most popular "pie device" on the show, this contraption could launch up to four whipped cream pies at one audience member. He would be set up in a pneumatic chair and covered with a clear plastic tarp, leaving his head exposed. Summers asked the audience how many pies should be launched -- "4" was the usual answer -- and then released them, following a count of three. During the first season, a device called the "Crowning Glory" was suspended over the participant's head. This was a container shaped like a crown that held a small amount of pink slime. Most of the time this was only released if the audience determined that the "victim" flinched during the release of the pies; however it could be used for any random occasion Marc deemed warranted it. In the second season, the Crowning Glory was removed, but a fifth pie was added. (Incidentally, when the show first aired, the Pie Pod could be loaded with up to six pies - but the two outer ones were never launched and were subsequently removed.)
- Pie Slide - An audience member was sent to the top of a wavy slide to end up in a large vat of whipped cream. Most slid down feet first, but some opted to go head first. All participants were instructed to take off their shoes and socks prior to going down the slide.
- Pie Pendulum - A family was selected, with one family member being strapped to a long board with his face hanging over the side. Five questions were asked to this participant, with each incorrect answer reculting in a family member turning a crank which lowered the victim's face toward a large pie. Three incorrect answers resulted in the victim's face landing in the pie; three correct answers resulted in the victim being "saved" and him being able to choose another member of his family to lower all the way into the pie.
- Pie in the Sky - Two participants were chosen. Three bowls were stacked directly above each participant's head, with the top one containing pink slime (referred to as "pie filling".) The participants were asked questions; each time a participant missed one, one of three levers was pulled, allowing the slime to be emptied into the bowl underneath the current one. Three incorrect answers resulted in the third lever being pulled, releasing the "pie filling" onto the contestant's head.
- Pie Roulette - Borrowed from Wild and Crazy Kids, another Woody Fraser/Nickelodeon production, the chosen participants took turns being seated at a table loaded with a pie. The contestant placed his head in a chin rest on the table. He then rolled a die, and had to turn a crank whatever number of times the die showed. At any time the crank was being turned, the device could spring the pie, which would land in the contestant's face. In addition, a bucket containing the aforementioned pink "pie filling" was positioned above the contestant's head; if the audience voted that the contestant flinched at any time (whether he was pied or not), the bucket would be released onto his head. On at least one occasion a contestant was slimed with the bucket even though he had not been pied. (On the Wild and Crazy Kids version, this bucket was filled with actual cherry pie filling, and was "reloaded" after each use.)
- Pie Wash - appearing in the second season only, this device attempted to spray the audience member with whipped cream while he was being spun around rapidly, before it "cleaned him up" using a rotating car wash styled brush. The Pie Wash often failed to get whipped cream onto the participant, as the whipped cream had either melted in the contraption (causing it to simply dribble out onto the floor), or the hoses failed to spray it out altogether.
- Pie Coaster - this was a mini roller coaster which ended with an audience member crashing into an oversized pie which stood on its side. Like the Pie Slide, the Pie Coaster's track was also wavy. The participant usually got hit multiple times as he rocked back and forth on the final dip, where the pie was located.
Personnel Change
Marrella left the series in 1992, but continued to work with Summers on Double Dare (at that time, Family Double Dare). Instead of a permanent replacement, a kid from the audience was picked to be "Co-Host of the Day" for the remainder of the series' run, expanding on What Would You Do's audience participation theme.