Kenan Thompson has been a familiar face on television for over 20 years now, and it would take a long time to compile all the different character's he's portrayed, since the majority of his small screen time has been invested in sketch comedy. And the Saturday Night Live mainstay is doubling down on that concept, as Thompson has signed on to create a brand new live-action sketch comedy TV show called SKOOGLE. And this will be a major throwback for the actor, as it's being created specifically for kids.
Having gained national fame on Nickelodeon originals such as All That and Kenan & Kel, Kenan Thompson knows a thing or two about child actor ensembles and what makes them laugh. And intriguingly enough, this new project will see Thompson reteaming with former Nickelodeon Entertainment head honcho Albie Hecht, who was one of the original developers for All That. Hecht is now the Chief Content Officer for the kid-focused media company pocket.watch, where the project is being produced. In fact, the show will officially be called pocket.watch presents SKOOGLE.
While it's not clear just yet if Kenan Thompson will show up in an on-screen capacity, his acting will most definitely be on display. In the show, the former Pierre Escargot portrayer will voice the titular role of SKOOGLE, which is a kid-friendly digital personal assistant in the style of Siri or Alexa. Within the show, SKOOGLE will help the show's cast members in their efforts of being entrepreneurial inventors. And to do that, the show itself will be bringing some silly satire to the world of social media, streaming services, popular mobile apps, and more. We probably shouldn't expect to see Alec Baldwin's Trump on Twitter, though, since that's more of an SNL thing.
The show won't merely be something to laugh at, though, as Thompson explained the show's core strength in the official announcement.
The 'never too young' entrepreneurial spirit that is encouraging kids everywhere to start their own businesses at any age. And have a blast doing it!
Back in 1994, Kenan Thompson got his big break with not only the onset of All That's seasons-long run, but also a role in the Mighty Ducks follow-up features. His camaraderie with co-star Kel Mitchell resulted in not only an All That spinoff feature, Good Burger, but also another standalone TV show, Kenan & Kel, which lasted four seasons. Thompson returned for All That's 10th anniversary reunion in 2005, but by that point, he was already two years into his still-ongoing tenure on Saturday Night Live.
The first major production for pocket.watch -- which boasts Robert Downey Jr. and Les Moonves as angel investors, among others -- SKOOGLE doesn't yet have a release window set, as the show is just starting to come together. You'll be able to see Kenan Thompson when Saturday Night Live returns for Season 42 (minus some stars) this fall. In the meantime, head to our summer TV schedule and our fall premiere guide to see what's coming to the small screen in the near future.
