Kenan and Kel



"Awwwwwwwww... Here it goes!"

In what would become a recurring theme among the show's alumni, Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell were such a big hit on Nickelodeon's variety show All That that they were given their own TV show. Set in Chicago, the sitcom chronicled the misadventures of ambitious Kenan Rockmore and dimwitted Kel Kimble. Kenan & Kel aired from 1996 to 2000. As of July 25th 2011, it airs as part of Teen Nick's "The 90s Are All That" block

Not to be confused with the webcomic Kevin and Kell.

Tropes found in this series include:
"Newscaster: It seems the robbers have demanded a car, a helicopter, $2,000,000 and curiously...some orange soda."
 * All Love Is Unrequited - Kenan constantly fails to impress his pretty co-worker, and Kel is completely oblivious (or plain annoyed) to the fact that Kenan's little sister, Kyra, has a massive crush on him.
 * Applied Mathematics - Kenan once uses this trope to explain Kel his plan, Kel then tells him he can't add things that aren't numbers.
 * Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering
 * Arson Murder and Jaywalking: Aside from the Noodle Implements, "Ditch Day Afternoon" had this:

"Man: I was just fixing a guy's teeth.
 * Artistic License - Law: "The Tainting of the Screw" seems to ignore the idea of tort reform. Found a screw in your tuna? Sue the company for $10,000,000!
 * Auction
 * Big No: In Diamonds are for Roger Kenan and Kel sit down next to a man asking why he's arrested.

Kenan: Ooh, so you're a dentist.

Man: NOOO!"

"Kel: When the bread popped out of the toaster, no one knew what to put on it jelly, margarine, cinnamon-sugar. I suggested butter, crumbs were everywhere...
 * Birthday Suit Surprise Party
 * Black Humor: Kenan and Kel cause bad things to happen to a sweater. This sweater belongs to Kenan's date, and is irreplaceable because it was made by the girl's grandma who passed away.
 * Broken Record: "Time to write! Time to write! Time to write!"
 * "I! DROPPED THE SCREW! IN THE TUNA!"
 * Butt Monkey - Kenan's Dad and Chris.
 * Can't Get Away With Nuthin: Almost every episode ends this way.
 * Catch Phrase - "Aww, here it goes!" from Kel at the beginning and ending of each episode.
 * WHHHHHYYYYYYY?!
 * And of course, "Who loves orange soda?"
 * "Kel loves orange soda!"
 * "Is it true?"
 * "Mmmmmmmhmmmmmmm! I do, I do, I dooo-oooooh."
 * Chewing the Scenery:
 * Iii...dropped the screeew....in the tuna!
 * Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!
 * "Open me, Kel! Enjoyyyyy meeeeeeee!" "Nooooooooooooo, I can't!"
 * The City vs. the Country: The two-parter where Kenan's family moves to Montana so Roger can live out his dream of being a park ranger. Subverted when the whole family hates the run-down house, Kenan hates his new school and Roger finds his job boring and the family can't wait to move back to Chicago.
 * Clingy Jealous Girl - Kyra
 * Clip Show: One episode, in which Kenan and Kel introduce a clip show, but have a fight. The show can't actually start, so time is spent trying to get them to make up - with numerous clips shown in the process.
 * Cloudcuckoolander - Kel
 * Continuity Drift - Originally Kel loved ham, not orange soda (or, at the very least, in addition to orange soda).
 * Continuity Nod - Grape-flavored orange soda is seen in "Who Loves Orange Soda?" and mentioned in "Aw, Here It Goes To Hollywood: Part 1".
 * At the end of the Clip Show, Kel opens the curtain and reveals he has acquired virtually every single thing Kenan asked him to get for him at the end of previous episodes.
 * The Couch - Part of the Standardized Sitcom Housing.
 * Couch Gag - The Noodle Implements bit at the end of every episode
 * Criminal Doppelganger: One episode had Kenan's father Roger mistaken by the title characters (although Kenan believes in his innocence) for a jewel thief nicknamed "The Diamond Bandit" that they heard about on an America's Most Wanted-type program.
 * John Walsh also makes a Cameo on this show.
 * There was also a clown that tied the duo up and robbed Chris's store who just happened to be exactly like the clown who was later hired to perform at Kyra's birthday party.
 * They both happen to have the same unusual sneeze.
 * Crossover - With another Nick show Cousin Skeeter.
 * The Cuckoolander Was Right - In one episode, Kenan and Kel find an old map in the Rigby's storeroom. Kenan thinks it says "safe", Kel thinks it looks more like "sofa". Just guess which one is correct.
 * The Danza - Kenan and Kel themselves.
 * Darker and Edgier: The TV movie, Two Heads Are Better Than None, is definitely this.
 * Demoted to Extra: Kyra in Seasons 3 and 4. She still made appearances, but not in every episode and her absences were quite noticeable.
 * Do It Yourself Plumbing Project - It ended up flooding Kenan's basement.
 * Ditzy Genius - It is revealed in one episode that Kel has a genius IQ (even higher than Kenan's), despite being a dimwit.
 * Everythings Better With Monkeys - "We Are The Chimpions".
 * The Faceless - Chris's mother
 * Face Heel Mole: During the 18th annual grocery bagging contest, Chris' rival Angus offers a job for Kel as a way to win the contest. Kel accepts, but
 * Flanderization - Kel wasn't really that stupid when the show started out; just rather clumsy and childish. As the series progresses, however, he becomes so completely, aggressively retarded that one begins to wonder how he manages to function as a human being or why Kenan continues to put up with him, childhood friend or not.
 * There are two episodes that show how far Kel has fallen. The first of which is when Rigby's is holding a raffle, with a television for a prize. At first, Kel is tasked in selling tickets...he gets scammed out of all of them for a single orange balloon. Then while Kenan is distracted, Kel lets go of the balloon and it floats to the ceiling above the TV, which he uses as a bench to try to grab it. His jumping breaks the TV. Kenan decides to put the brand new TV that his parents got in the auction since Kel said he has the winning ticket...and during the raffle Kel loses it. Finally, they are at the only place that they can get the same TV at an insanely low price, while Kenan is making the deal...Kel plays with a video camera because he likes seeing himself on TV...and breaks it too, ruining the deal and making Kenan buy a small crappy television in exchange. At the end of the episode, Kenan asks why Kel does all this stupid crap...all of which Kel responds 'Accident, accident, accident...I had to get my balloon back'. Why the HELL Kenan didn't just snap and punch or even murder Kel then is anyone's guess.
 * The second time is when Kenan and his family go to a pirate themed restaurant. Kel, of course, tags along since he has no where else to go. Due to Kel's stupidity, when he has to go to the bathroom, he runs into the chef and knocks the arrow to where the bathroom is and gets himself stuck in the freezer. To compound things, Kenan then gets trapped. Then everyone else in the restaurant gets trapped in too. And Kel? He doesn't see how it's his fault at all, and keeps being stupid and complaining...and then he gets the door open...and doesn't let anyone else out. At the end, you want the crowd to take their revenge on the fucking moron.
 * Frying Pan of Doom - Kel used one of these on a robber in an episode, leading to fears of his death.
 * Genius Ditz - Kel, despite being a orange soda loving idiot, gets a 96 (Later then corrected to 98) in an (marked out of 100) IQ test.
 * He also got a 98 on the written part of the driver's test.
 * Getting Crap Past the Radar: In "Clothes Encounter of the Third Kind", Kenan grabs a guy's newspaper to hide his nudity. The guy looks on and smiles.
 * G Rated Drug - One episode had Kel try and give up orange soda (he suffered from hallucinations and other withdrawal symptoms). It didn't take.
 * The Ghost - Chris's mother.
 * Ghost Story:

Kenan: Man! He said let's tell ghost stories not toast stories."

"Kel: You talked me into wearing pantyhose, you talked me into tickling that policeman...you talked me into selling my kidney, you talked me into gluing myself to that train--you remember that?
 * Hero With Bad Publicity - In one episode, "Foul Bull".
 * Heterosexual Life Partners
 * How Much Did You Hear - Kyra managed to get her way when she eavesdropped into one of Kenan's schemes.
 * Idea Bulb: Parodied in one episode; Kenan is standing in front of a lamp when he has an idea.
 * Inner Monologue Conversation: One episode begins with Kenan and Kel prepping the audience, then thinking to themselves about each other and the audience. Inexplicably, halfway through the intro, Kenan is able to hear Kel's thoughts and proceeds to tell him what to do while in Kel's head. Kel is left wondering why he can't actually talk back, then opens the episode anyway.
 * Intercontinuity Crossover - Kenan and Kel did a crossover in the two part Cousin Skeeter episode "The "Hoo, I'm Wild" Wild West"
 * It Makes Sense in Context - When Kel told the police officers that Kenan accidentally killed all of Chris' friends.
 * Except for Norman, he was upstairs in the bathtub.
 * I Want You to Meet An Old Friend of Mine: In "Poem Sweet Poem," Philip (one of Kenan and Kel's school friends) is played by their old pal Josh Server.
 * Jail Bake - In "The April Fools" Kel tries to smuggle Kenan a very obvious saw in a cake. It doesn't work.
 * Limited Wardrobe - One must wonder if Kenan and Kel ever change their underwear.
 * Locked in A Freezer - One episode had everyone in the restaurant locked in the restaurant's freezer.
 * Love Letter Lunacy - It was actually a love poem Kenan wrote for class (He didn't know they were going to read it out loud) and carelessly threw away. Said poem reached his good friend's girlfriend, Hilarity Ensues.
 * Misplaced Wildlife - In "Natural Born Kenan", Kenan dreams that his "real" parents are snow-people from the north pole, and they have a pet penguin. Justified of course, since it is a dream.
 * Mommas Boy - Kenan's boss, Chris.
 * Motionless Makeover - Kel does this to Kenan's parents when they realize their expensive TV was replaced and become so shocked that they freeze.
 * The Movie: Two Heads Are Better Than None
 * Good Burger was essentially a spiritual film version, since both Kenan and Kel star in it with similar roles.
 * My Name Is Not Durwood: Kenan is often misnamed Kevin by some characters.
 * In "A Star Is Peeved", Kel and Chris called Goldberg "Goldfish".
 * In "Natural Born Kenan", Kel calls Kenan "Marvin" in his third dream because Kevin is a better friend.
 * My Sister Is Off Limits - Subverted. Kel doesn't like Kyra and Kenan shoos his sister off since she's bothering them.
 * Name and Name
 * Nice Hat - Kel is always seen wearing a hat every episode. Usually a baseball cap or a beret.
 * Noodle Implements - Once an Episode, as a Couch Gag.
 * Notably, at the end of the final episode, the curtains open, showing every single item Kenan had requested over the years.
 * Noodle Incident - Kel gives Kenan a Long List of things he was talked into doing:

Kenan: Oh, yeah; you ran pretty fast!

Kel: I HAD to!"

"Newscaster: ...and that pickle never swam again."
 * In "I'm Gonna Get You Kenan", right after Kenan turned on the TV:

"Kyra: You're squeezing my liver!
 * Nuclear Family
 * Once an Episode - "Who loves orange soda?"
 * Kel loves orange soda!
 * Is it true?
 * Mm-hmm!
 * I do! I do, I do, I do, I do-ooooooooh.
 * WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?
 * This trope just gave Me an idea. Grab a flashlight, some glitter and a flare gun and meet Me at the cemetery. Come On, slappy!
 * Offscreen Crash - Often.
 * Ow My Body Part

Kenan: Your liver?"

"Police officer: What does that have to do with the robbery?
 * Pepper Sneeze - They tried using pepper to confirm the identity of a criminal dressed as a clown but they ran out and ended up using Chris' mom's "foot crust dust".
 * Polar Bears and Penguins: In Kenan's second dream, with his "real" parents as snow people (Eskimos), they have a pet penguin which Kenan has to walk.
 * Precocious Crush: Kyra on Kel.
 * Prepare to Die - "You have angered Chimpy..."
 * Rashomon Style - The recounting of how a botched robbery ended in the robber unconscious on the ground. Kel's recounting consists solely of his inability to open a gigantic bottle of orange soda that coaxes him to open it, much to his heartbreak.

Kel: Nothing. It's about orange soda. You have to pay attention!"

"Kenan: Quick! What's the number for 911?
 * Refuge in Audacity - The last act of ''Two Heads Are Better Than None," where they chow down on a human dinner with five other guests, three of whom are murdered off-screen during the course of the dinner, their severed heads later found on a table in the basement, next to other two in stocks, seemingly ignorant of their surroundings. Just...wow.
 * Running Gag - At the end of each episode, Kenan would ask Kel to fetch three random and seemingly unrelated items and meet him at some random place.
 * Schemer: Kenan
 * Serious Business: After Bulls guard Ron Harper slips on some spilled orange soda, injuring himself, all of Chicago is out to get Kenan & Kel. And Chris.
 * If it was MJ himself, they would've been dead within the hour.
 * Anything orange soda related, for Kel.
 * The donut shop Kel worked at in "He Got Job". Friends of employees aren't allowed to hang out, and they aren't allowed to give their family and friends free samples.
 * Shout Out: Kel tries to learn an episode's plot by reading the TV listings, but reads a description for Rugrats instead.
 * In "Foul Bull", Kenan tried to change the channel to My Brother and Me, his favorite character is Goo.
 * Kel Kimbel in: Drinkin' Orange Rain
 * "May the Pork be with you."
 * "Did I do that?"
 * Something Completely Different: "Futurama," the Zeerust episode.
 * Spanner in The Works - Kel, occasionally Kenan.
 * Standardized Sitcom Housing
 * Stand-In Parents: Kenan once felt the need to hire stand-ins for a conference with his school principal.
 * The Show Goes Hollywood: There's an episode when they catch the wrong plane and end up in Hollywood. They were trying to go to an orange soda convention.
 * Throw the Dog A Bone: During her birthday party in "Clownin' Around," Kyra has to put up with an Alpha Bitch that's obnoxious to her and crushing on Kel. Kyra eventually stands up for herself, but Kel then plays the trope straight - making a point of siding with Kyra and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
 * Subverted at the end of the same episode. Kenan quickly ends the show and is about to walk off, but Kel interrupts the credits to ask about the lack of a final wacky plan. Kenan said he was intending to give Kel a break this time... only to then think of a new plan.
 * Title Drop - Subverted. Kel holds a camera in front of him and Kenan with a red curtain behind them: "It's like we have our own show: The Kel and Kenan Show!"
 * In "Natural Born Kenan", in Kenan's dream Kel said he and the Rockmore's "real" son Kevin are going to have their own show: Kevin and Kel.
 * To Be Continued: Kel says this in "Bye-Bye Kenan: Part 1" and "Aw, Here It Goes to Hollywood: Part 1".
 * Tongue On the Flagpole - Or a fish in a restaurant refrigerator in this case.
 * Kenan's parents too.
 * Token White - Chris Potter
 * Too Dumb to Live - Kel, to such a degree that this trope could easily be called "The Kel".
 * This Aint Rocket Surgery
 * Trademark Favorite Food (with overtones of Cargo Ship) - "Kel loves orange soda!"
 * Is it true?
 * Mm-hm.
 * I do, I do, I do, I do-OOH!
 * Trail of Bread Crumbs: Kel leaves some of these while he and Kenan climb up the stairs of the tallest building in Chicago. Kenan reminds him they're just going upstairs and they'll come back downstairs.
 * You Answered Your Own Question: In "Clowning Around".

Kel: (long pause) I forget.

(Kenan groans)"


 * Zany Scheme - Kenan was fond of these. They never ever worked out.
 * The occasional bandit either used these, or had their simple plans cooked up into long-ass conspiracies by Kenan and Kel.
 * Zeerust - The episode set in the future, which distinctly had elements from the future envisioned in the seventies and fifties, played for laughs.

Kel, grab a picket fence, a minigun, and the power of love and meet me at the Other Wiki! Now come on... Tropey!

Kenan?! How am I supposed to get a picket fence?! The other wiki, I don't even know about the first wiki! And who can I get the power of love from? Isn't that the crazy future song?! KE-KENAN?!?! AWWWWWW, HERE IT GOES.