The former All That and Kenan & Kel stars gathered for their "first phoner together in years" to talk about their upcoming movie.
"Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger. Can I take your order?"
For '90s kids, there may be no more iconic sketch comedy line than the one Nickelodeon alum Kel Mitchell uttered on All That's popular "Good Burger" sketches starting in 1994.
The sketches became so popular that they spawned a 1997 movie starring Mitchell and his All That and Kenan & Kel costar Kenan Thompson. And now — after years of teasing fans with mini-reunion moments and even new sketches on the All That reboot and late-night shows — the comedic duo and friends are officially reuniting for Good Burger 2.
As described by the team behind the film, in Good Burger 2, "Dexter Reed [Thompson] is down on his luck after another one of his inventions fails. Ed [Mitchell] welcomes Dex back to Good Burger with open arms and gives him his old job back. With a new crew working at Good Burger, Dex devises a plan to get back on his feet but unfortunately puts the fate of Good Burger at risk once again."
Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell in 'Good Burger'
Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell in 1997's 'Good Burger'
| Credit: Everett Collection
With production slated to begin in May, and a Paramount+ premiere date expected for later this year, Thompson and Mitchell are excited to get to work. Ahead of their appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Friday on March 17, Entertainment Weekly got on the phone with the actors to talk about what Good Burger has meant to them and fans, why now was the right time to bring the characters back, and the "surprises" in store.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Congrats on the announcement. How does it feel to share the news?
KENAN THOMPSON: I'm excited! And you're getting a double up — we haven't done a phone together in years. This is awesome. It is such a blessing to be able to be working with my brother again. He's one of the funniest people I've ever met. When we spend hours upon hours upon hours, it's just all laughs and good times. And I'm really excited to open this new chapter up — this reunited adventure we are going to go on together. As a team, there are just so many possibilities. It's really, really exciting.
KEL MITCHELL: Man, it is such a blessing. It's been an amazing journey for both of us. I don't think we thought that we would be going back and doing Good Burger at this point, which is so beautiful and it has a special place in people's hearts.
See also: Good Burger: A Movie Well Done - Nickelodeon Magazine Ooze News - June/July (Summer) 1997!
What do you think it is about Good Burger that has kept it in fans' hearts all this time?
THOMPSON: I think the movie speaks to people. I think our bond came through pretty strong on camera because our bond off camera was beyond strong. We're like a family and I think that resonated with people. And I feel that representation is important, especially for young Black children. But at the end of the day, I think everyone just loves that it's wholesome and funny and silly and we're just having a good time. I think it's infectious
MITCHELL: Pretty much get it every day I go to a restaurant — it could be a five-star, it could be a drive-thru... They're definitely going to talk about Good Burger or orange soda [from Kenan & Kel]. People talk about Good Burger all the time, and I'm just happy to be a part of something that is so special to so many people. I mean, it's even 5-year-olds that are doing Good Burger birthday parties, and they weren't even born when we first did 'Good Burger' in '94. So this is really cool.
THOMPSON: We didn't really know that it was going to echo through time or affect so many different generations. We were just having fun with each other and doing what we thought was funny. So, after being on a different job for 20 years [on Saturday Night Live] and still hearing about our work when we were kids, it's so flattering. I'm like, "Man, we must have been really dope." And now, to be able to get back to it on something that is already so beloved is like... Man, I never really thought that I would be in the business long enough to even do a sequel 30 years later. It's crazy.
MITCHELL: [Doing the All That reboot,] our audience was very mixed from the parents and new kids that enjoyed the show. And also the musical guests! I loved the fact that all the musical guests loved being in the "Good Burger" sketches. They were like, "Yeah, I'll be a part of the show, as long as I get to be in a 'Good Burger' sketch." That was cool to hear, and to be able to do some fun sketches with them.
Why is now the right time for the sequel?
THOMPSON: I mean, I feel like it's been in the mix since the first one, you know what I mean? We just pushed it all the way up the hill finally, as far as script and timing is concerned, and finally just dotted all the i's and t's.
What got the script to where it needed to be?
THOMPSON: Honestly, when we brought it back for the reboot of All That, it was just so nice to hear that the beats and rhythms were still working. And it was the same thing at the table read that we did for the movie. It was so refreshing to hear all those jokes and hear Ed's character come to life once again — the way he just does not understand the world the way everybody else does. It's just so hilarious, and it's so ripe for new opportunities, new storytelling, new jokes.
MITCHELL: It really felt like we were back in the '90s. I was saying, "Thank God for water and good exercise — and that we still look young." [Laughs]
So what can you tease for us about any surprise cameos or casting?
THOMPSON: This is on you, Kel. This is your baby.
MITCHELL: Oh, man. I'm just really excited for people to see it. The script is really amazing. Kenan and I had an amazing time at the table read, and it's been great to figure out all the surprises. We have a lot of surprises in the script that we're excited for people to see. We just wanted to make sure that this was a fun watch for everyone who has watched us over the years. I'm really excited to bring this to the world.
Good Burger 2 is scheduled for release on Paramount+ later this year!
Good Burger is streaming now on Paramount+ along with the original run of All That and the recent reboot, in which Thompson and Mitchell served as executive producers, as well.
Stream a Mountain of Entertainment, including your Nickelodeon favourites on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!
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