Kenan & Kel: The Youngest Comic Nick Stars in the 90s

They are the Black Version of Drake and Josh

By Gladys W. MuturiPublished 3 years ago • Updated 3 years ago • 4 min read

Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell

Before Nick stars Drake Bell and Josh Peck show Drake & Josh during the 2000s.

There was a duo that came long before their time and had a hit sitcom on Nickelodeon called Kenan & Kel but before that they were the kids that were on All That, a sketch comedy series for younger audiences. After their show ended, the two went off their venturous ways to do their individual projects and later reunited working together on new projects.

The Story of Kenan and Kel

Early Years

Kenan Thompson was born on May 10, 1978 in Columbus, Ohio to his parents are Fletcher and Elizabeth Ann Thompson. He has two siblings: an older brother and a younger sister. His family moved to Atlanta, Georgia when he was 9 months old. Thompson's mother enrolled him in acting classes at age five and landed the role as Toto in The Wiz at his church production.

Kel Johari Rice Mitchell was born on August 25, 1978 in Chicago, Illinois to his parents: James and Marieth Mitchell. He attended Chicago Vocational High School and took drama classes at the ETA Creative Arts Foundation.

The Kids of All That

It started off when Dan Schneider friend Brain Robbins made a television pitch on creating a comedy sketch series for Nickelodeon with the help of Schneider as the head writer and Mike Tollin help develop the show. Kind of like Saturday Night Live for a younger audience. Before Kenan and Kel were booked on the show, Thompson was on a Disney comedy film Heavyweights playing as a chubby kid at a weight loss camp. Thompson's performance in the film garnered the attention of Robbins and Tollin. As for Mitchell, he never had any acting experience for film and television. Mitchell was in his sophomore year in high school and heard about the auditions for All That. Though he didn't do the monologue for the show, the casting directors made him impersonation. They were so impressed with Mitchell's impersonation and just like that Angelique Bates, Lori Beth Denberg, Katrina Johnson, Kel Mitchell, Alisa Reyes, Josh Server, and Kenan Thompson were cast in All That.

All That premiered on April 16, 1994. The show was hit receiving mixed reviews but became popular for the younger audiences.

"There was no doubt from the first time we met him that he’d be an asset to our cast. And pairing him with Kel Mitchell was magic."
Michael Tollin (co-creator of All That) tells The Hollywood Reporter.

It's Time for Kenan & Kel

After spending seasons on All That, Film writer and television producer Kim Bass thought of creating a buddy sitcom this time starring All That cast mates Kenan and Kel. So if you are thinking it is Dan Schneider created the show, it's not. He only produced the show. The show set in the Southside of Chicago of two best friends: Thompson portrays as grocery store working Kenan Rockmore while Mitchell portrays as Kenan's orange soda loving dim witted best friend Kel Kimble. Put it together: it's Kenan & Kel. The show premiered on July 15, 1996.

The show was hit making Kenan and Kel, Nickelodeon favorite comic duo. It won for "Favorite TV Show" award at the 1998 Kids' Choice Awards and received some accolades.

The duo would star in their first Nickelodeon film Good Burger in 1997, based on the All That sketch becoming a nostalgia cult classic film.

"They put us in every sketch together, because Kenan and I would always hang out after a sketch, after a show. We were just hanging out, joking around and doing pranks, all kinds of stuff, on set."
Kel told Yahoo! Entertainment

The duo would continue star in television and films like The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Cousin Skeeter and Sister, Sister. On July 15, 2000 after four seasons and 65 episodes their show Kenan & Kel ended with a television film. In 2003, Mitchell and Thompson were auditioning for Saturday Night Live unfortunately Thompson was casted in SNL and Mitchell didn't make the cut. Thompson became the first cast member born after its 1975 premiere. Kel told Yahoo! Entertainment that he wasn't bitter that he lost on SNL to his fellow cast mate. Even though he didn't get cast in SNL, Mitchell continued doing tv shows and films like Clifford the Big Red Dog, which earned him an Emmy nomination, The Parkers, Like Mike 2, Half & Half, and Honeydripper. He also co-wrote and starred in film called Dance Fu directed by comedian Cedric the Entertainer.

Before Thompson was cast in SNL, he starred in films like D2: The Mighty Ducks, D3: The Mighty Ducks, Love Don't Cost a Thing, Barbershop 2: Back in Business, My Boss's Daughter, Fat Albert, and Snakes on a Plane. In SNL, Thompson has made celebrity impressions on SNL include Al Sharpton, Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Cosby, Charles Barkley, David Ortiz, OJ Simpson, and Steve Harvey on the recurring Family Feud sketch. He would be nominated five times for a Primetime Emmy. Rumors started swirling the duo have feud or rumors of their friendship dissolved after years not working together, however Kel denies it and says they says they still talk despite rumors.

"Kenan and I talk all the time. We're dads now. We talk about our kids and all of that stuff."
Kel told Paper Magazine in November 2018.

Kenan and Kel have reunited on Jimmy Fallon show and at Emmys while Kenan was hosting. Kenan have returned to Nickelodeon to guest star in iCarly. Kel would also return on Nickelodeon as well as a guest appearance on Sam & Cat and starred in a new Nickelodeon sitcom called Game Shakers.

Mitchell competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2019 placing in second place. In 2019, Brian Robbins, the current president of Nickelodeon, announced a revival of the All series with original cast member Kenan Thompson serving as executive producer, with Kel Mitchell later confirmed in the same role and the co-executive producer of the show. Thankfully, they are still good friends and working together.