We are living in a time where 90’s nostalgia is not only accepted, but thriving. 90’s kids are now in their twenties and have been able to use their influence on the media to bring back some of their childhood favorite programs in both syndication and reboots. Nickelodeon has apparently seen this trend, including the Full House reboot, and is planning to cash in on millennials’ desire to revisit the simpler times.
Variety is reporting that beloved 90’s adventure game show Legends of the Hidden Temple will soon be returning to Nickelodeon. While this is exciting news to fans of Olmec, this revival won’t be bringing back the game show we all loved. Instead, Nickelodeon will be producing a live-action TV movie inspired by the original.
The concept of a Legends of the Hidden Temple movie seems pretty out there for fans of the original series. Rather than having pairs of contestants going through multiple obstacle courses, we’ll be transported into the actual Hidden Temple. There’s some pros and cons to this twist on the original show, let’s analyze it for a second.
Changing the format of Legends of the Hidden temple is pretty risky. What is making Fuller House so successful on Netflix is that it’s exactly what fans of the original expected. They got new episodes of the cheesy feel good sitcom complete with laugh tracks and the original cast. Legends; however, is going to take a more serious note than the original, which is not exactly what fans of the 90’s show have asked for. Adding that Nick’s TV movies don’t usually have adult appeal, less 90’s kids are likely to tune in to watch the new version of their favorite childhood show.
Then again, Legends of the Hidden temple might benefit from a more serious budget and tone. Seeing a CGI Olmec and a darker temple full of Temple Guards will essentially bring our childhood memories and imagination to reality. Rather than a sound stage and live audience, the Blue Barracudas and Purple Parrots will be seen exploring a more authentic version of the temple. And perhaps if ratings are high enough for the TV movie, the network may explore the possibility of bringing the 90’s game show back into programming for modern audiences.
Legends of the Hidden Temple was a game show that originally aired in 1993-1995, and then went into syndication for the later half of the decade. The show, hosted by Kirk Fogg, followed teams of two kids who would face obstacle courses in order to avoid elimination and continue onto the next stage. The show culminated in an exciting final Temple Run, where the last team standing would run through a gargantuan Temple set and find the episode’s artifacts. In addition to facing the challenges of the temple, contestants were in constant fear over the nightmare-inducing Temple Guards which would take you out of the game if they caught you. As a kid, the guards were basically evil incarnate.
We’ll continue to update you as the Legends of the Hidden Temple movie moves forward at Nickelodeon.
