Kel Mitchell Talks Nickelodeon Return & Tear-Jerking New Show ‘Play It Forward: Game On’

Time to stock up on your orange soda because Kel Mitchell is returning to Nickelodeon for Play It Forward: Game On. The new unscripted series sees the All That, Kenan & Kel, and Good Burger fan-favorite join YouTube star Jesser (Jesse Riedel) as they go undercover with hometown coaches and parents to pull off jaw-dropping makeovers. 

Kristen Garmey, youth sports expert and director of Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation, oversees the transformations while the kids are distracted before the big reveal.  These under-resourced youth teams are given the ultimate surprise of everything from new uniforms and training equipment to game gear and full-blown field upgrades. Renee Montgomery, CBS Sports analyst and WNBA champion, serves as executive producer and host of the feel-good show. 

Before the November 19 premiere, Mitchell opens up about what the program means to him and his Nick kid roots.

What were your thoughts on the Play It Forward show concept? 

Kel Mitchell: I work a lot in the community here in Los Angeles, in my hometown of Chicago, and I always show my kids how important it is to give back. So, when I heard about this show, I was like, “of course I want to be a part of it.” There are a lot of gyms, schools, and teams that need a lot of help as far as equipment and things of that nature. When they told me it was us going in there and giving back in such a way that could help build a future for youth, I had to be a part of it. It’s also cool to go undercover. I get to play characters with these kids. It’s a tearjerker, so get ready because you’re going to be crying in a good way. I tell my daughter all the time it’s happy tears. 

Nickelodeon

It sounds like you have to put your sketch comedy and character background to good use. 

I do. It’s super fun for me to do that. Shoutout to our makeup team and wardrobe team. One of them I do remember was a volleyball team, and I had to tell them something was wrong with the pipes. I was a guy filming my own YouTube page, but I fixed pipes and did construction. So, I had to change my voice, and they had to quickly change my beard and all that stuff. You have to remember that I’ve been on kids shows for years. Even the new generation, they know me from Game Shakers and things like that. Immediately, they hear my voice, so I have to change my voice with every character. My eyes are a dead give away where people may be like, “wait, is that Double G, and Ed from Good Burger?”  I have to switch my voice, so it’s fun for me to go undercover and these kids. I think I did a good job. All in good fun. 

How was it working with Jesser? And also Renee Montgomery, who knows the importance of accessibility in terms of youth sports programs? 

Jesser is amazing. We had a blast. There is a part where I’m at Dicks Sporting Goods and get a lot of equipment for the kids. Jesser helps me out with that part. We had the employees laughing and everyone cracking up in there. It’s just super fun. Renee, I always say she comes prepared and ready. I love that about her. I’m the same way. She is awesome with the kids and to work alongside. We are like a dynamic duo on this. She is like a sister now. That’s my lil’ sis now. 

What can you tell us about some of the stories and transformations we’re going to see? I’m thinking there isn’t a lot of time to work on these projects.  

Sometimes we have to change it around in 48 hours, 72 hours. It’s super quick. One of them was a wheelchair basketball team. Hearing the kids telling their story of how much they love playing at this gym and how much they love working, even though they needed new wheelchairs and all these new things. We came in and changed it for them. When you see the tears…We had a few Olympic players come that they looked up to come by that were also wheelchair basketball players. To hear their stories and see the kids’ faces and the parents when they started talking, we just started crying while we’re hosting. It’s a beautiful moment. To give back and be the reason someone smiles that’s awesome to have that as a job at the end of the day. 

Courtesy of Everett Collection

How is it for you to have the show airing on Nickelodeon? It’s like coming full-circle. 

It’s crazy. It’s wild. I do so many other different things, but when Nickelodeon calls I’m there if it makes sense with what I’m doing. This project made sense to me. It’s beautiful. Giving back is right up my alley. They told me that too when they approached me. They said, “Kel, we know you do this on the regular.” They were right. So, we’re doing it again. It’s lightning in a bottle again with Nickelodeon. 

This show carries a positive message. What are your thoughts on the landscape of kids’ programming today? 

You have some shows that presently rely on the silliness of everything, which is fun because sometimes you just want to sit back and laugh. I do like it when a show is silly, makes you laugh, but then there is some meaningfulness there. You walk away learning something. You walk away with a message. I love that.  A lot of shows in the 1990s had that message that would go through somewhere in the middle or toward the end of a show. That’s why I gravitated to a show like this so much because we’re going to make you laugh, but there is a message in there too, to be kind. I think that’s really cool. I’m glad that entertainment is coming back, at least in my household. 

In this world of social media, how do you think All That would have done had it came out today? 

I think what’s cool about All That is in our sketches is we created a world made up. You can watch it now, and we really didn’t touch on what was going on currently. You’re talking about Repairman. You’re talking about Superdude, who was allergic to yogurt and all this crazy stuff. It was more like we were like live action cartoons in a way. You watch it right now, it still works. I think that is what is good. It could still work. 

Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell at Emmys (Chris Haston/NBC via Getty Images)

You’re coming up to 30 years in 2026 since Kenan & Kel started. Anything you’re doing to mark the occasion? 

Oh wow, you’ve done the math. Has it been 30 years? See, that’s why I’m in the gym right now. We haven’t talked about it. I know the fans want us to do something. A lot of fans have come up to us asking about reunions and things of that nature. I did have a fun meeting last week that I can’t tell you about where they want to do with me and some of my characters. We’ll have some surprises for the fans because we love our fans. We actually hear when they talk on social media with what they would like to see. We like to make them happy. 

It’s cool to see you and Kenan remain good friends. You never know in the industry and after years pass, but the bond seems to still be there between you two. 

It’s definitely strong. I admire what he is doing. He admires what I’m doing. That’s what it’s all about within this industry and learning from another and applauding one another. There is no competition with any of my peers and those I grew up with after all these years. I’m just excited for everyone. To be still in this business from the 1990s and still thriving, it’s a blessing within itself. That needs to be applauded by everyone. 

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How is it now sharing your work with your kids? 

I love it. I just dropped my daughter off and one of her friends walked up and was like, “your dad was in Good Burger!” It’s crazy because her friend wasn’t even born then. Neither was my daughter when Good Burger first came out. It’s so cool to have my kids to enjoy these shows I’m on where they can watch the stuff daddy is on. That’s super fun for me. And the fact they can be excited about it and talk to their friends about it. 

Is there anything you haven’t done in your acting career that you want to do? 

I touch on a lot of things. I’ve done drama. I write. I put out novels. I just go wherever God takes me and whatever I feel within that moment creatively I put out in the world, I just rock with it. I do have two thrillers coming out though. My children probably can’t see those thrillers, but I’m excited about that too as well. I am an actor at the core of it all and want to show my dramatic side. I have two projects coming out that I’m very excited about. 

Play It Forward: Game On premiere, November 19, 5:30/4:30c, Nickelodeon