BrainSurge: Nickelodeon's UNDERRATED Game Show

[@stuffthatithinkisfun]

Hey man Jeff Sutphen here. Great video. Thanks for the shout out. Glad to see that there are still so many fans.

[@3BaldDads]

I saw you comment on other Nick videos as well. Cool that you're still proud about your Nick work. You meant a lot to a lot of people

[@stuffthatithinkisfun]

Very proud! And seeing stuff like this confirms that we were doing it right. Thanks to all the fans for keeping it alive.

[@nostalgiamostalgia0319]

I am so proud of your nick legacy, all starting 2002 and then escalating it make a show during the peak year of viewership for the network! You have come a long way with your efforts and its reaching new generations! Thank you!

[@MrNostalgia]

JEFF! Thanks for commenting man! You're a Nick legend.

[@samv.3217]

No way dude, really? Jeff you were one of my childhood icons man. When I was a kid I used to love talking like the TV hosts I would watch and I would also quote "The Brain Drain." And even though it was a bit before my time, I really liked the Pickboy character and would've definitely loved that character as a kid. I do remember seeing him on that Nick Magazine special though. Thanks for all the memories man, you're really an inspiration for TV junkies like myself.

[@itsagirraffe4694]

I lost it when he said, “They even had Ariana Grande on the show. You know, back when she was still white.”

[@machoman1016]

He clearly hasn't seen her recently 😆

[@sheripatterson388]

WOW

[@Sweetwintercherry]

Random fact, at the Mall of America there is a ride based on Brain Surge as of writing this. It basically goes in circles and you have controls to flip yourself in circles. Its pretty cool.

[@MrNostalgia]

It's still there?

[@jakobwhite730]

⁠@@MrNostalgiaI just looked it up, the BrainSurge ride is still there at the Mall of America 👍

[@haileybarry722]

@@MrNostalgia MN resident here, it’s still there. Would love to watch a vid about Nickelodeon Universe 👀

[@Sweetwintercherry]

@@MrNostalgia yep still there as of 2024

[@800Ms-k6n]

Jeff Sutphen is one of the most underrated hosts out there. With "Brainsurge" and "Figure It Out", two hosting gig that he took at Nickelodeon, he's such a fun host to watch. I wonder what has he been doing lately 🤔

[@nostalgiamostalgia0319]

FIO would not have a reboot without Brainsurge IMO, we even got most of the same stars there.

[@coreypayne1208]

Hell I didn't know Jeff was Pick Boy from U-Pick Live until looking him up on Wikipedia

[@mrbow50001]

he also hosted the US version of 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show!

[@cadensunila]

As a kid growing up, I always wanted to go down that slime slide

[@Multiryerson]

*You mean the Brain Drain?!*

[@cadensunila]

@@Multiryerson yes I mean the brain drain 🤦‍♂️

[@Handyrandy2233]

Thia show was such a fever dream,you REMEMBER it existing,but your brain can’t put together an actual moment you remember

[@christiantreid]

speak for yourself because it’s all so clear to me

[@riddlemefish6217]

The final stage is so memorable to me :0

[@idkibk7]

I didnt even remember the show until I saw the round with the tiles.

[@800Ms-k6n]

Jeff Sutphen was one of the best things that ever happen to Nickelodeon. With "Brainsurge", "Figure It Out" and i remember that he hosted the 2010 Kids Choice Award with Lily Collins, you just can't go any wrong with him. I know that he isn't a big name but i'd be interested to see how he could host big award shows like the Golden Globes or the Oscars, he's got the charisma and the joy to watch as a host. I always smile whenever he's on screen hosting

[@Billibab]

We should stop with celebrities being hosts and revamp the host celebrities. Just like goooood hosts.

[@Uncle_Nut]

He was great as pick boy too. I remember loving those segments as a kid

[@emilyyamasaki4968]

Same

[@quintonposs3286]

The next Marc Summers.

[@BlueBlazeKing]

Legit me and my buds were shouting at the contestant during the grid level like we were gambling our houses

[@domm.]

rip mr nostalgia its like hes still here with us

[@MrNostalgia]

what

[@ivarberkman8907]

@@MrNostalgia Thanks for your great video, it’s a shame about the accident. You were always a amazing content creator. Rest in peace

[@maximuffin6395]

@@ivarberkman8907 we told him not to eat the Nickelodeon Slime

[@800Ms-k6n]

I remember the episode when Stephen Kramer Glickman (played Gustavo Rocque in Big Time Rush) got the highest score in the first round than anybody else but eventually got screwed up and disqualified at the second round after he forgot to answer a question 😂😂

[@Channeleven2345789]

Join the club, and I believe Nathan Kress won in that episode too.

[@800Ms-k6n]

@@Channeleven2345789 Nope, Nathan lost in the third round as far as I can remember. James Maslow was the winner at that episode

[@Channeleven2345789]

@@800Ms-k6n I see, I did recall that Nathan made it past the round Stephen lost, and I believe Jenette McCurdy made it to the final round

[@2004froggy]

@@Channeleven2345789 Jennette didn’t make it past the first round and she was on Brainsurge three times where she didn’t make it past the first round even though she was close one time.

[@Channeleven2345789]

@@2004froggy Okay, it was a long time since I saw the show. Call it a brain fart on my part

[@AJPiersonToonParadise]

Yes! BrainSurge is definitely my favorite Nickelodeon game show. It's play-along, but challengess your concentration and memory skills. You can feel so much energy in this show.

[@BatmanFan76]

Brainsurge was definitely an underrated game show. How is it that Double Dare and Legends of the Hidden Temple are always remembered, yet this show was completely forgotten? This was a lot of fun. From the slime to the brain drain, it was a blast. Nickelodeon, please consider bringing this back.

[@nostalgiamostalgia0319]

It’s sad irony that a show like Brainsurge was explicitly trying to improve your memory.

[@izzinet1]

i sat in the audience for an episode of this show as a kid! i was so jealous of the kids that got to go down the slide lol

[@MrNostalgia]

How did you manage to get tickets for that, out of curiosity?

[@izzinet1]

​@@MrNostalgia In LA you can sign up to be in the audience for shows like these through a seat filler company-- usually they have a preferred audience type, like for this they probably wanted kids age 10-15. My mom got an email from a seat filler company about a Nickelodeon show looking for Kid audience members and requested tickets for me & my sister. I think most of the time they use a lottery system to choose who goes. My sister & I both got approved so we got tickets. Since it was a new show at the time they probably paid us around $20 each as incentive as well.

[@PowerJusho]

Erin Fitzgerald, the announcer of the show and well known voice actress, is an active streamer on twitch/tiktok. You can ask to interview her about it if you'd like

[@kranbabushka7887]

No way, it's her? That's so damn cool. This was like right around the time she broke out as a big name.

[@nostalgiamostalgia0319]

This game show is one of the best examples of Nickelodeon shows being vindicated by history. Like this was the point were so many people tuned it for nick during its peak year in viewership and now even more of the generation are cherishing it. Also, thanks for giving the stats of the show. It's so overlooked that Brainsurge is statistically one of the winningest nick game shows, over twice as much as the win rate for Double Dare, Legends of the Hidden Temple, or Nick Arcade, so I appreciate that mention. I know this connection to the show will only improve because this show indeed helped shape and improve the memories of children like us.

[@somerandomgameranimator4481]

As a part of the BrainSurge community, YOU DEFINITELY COOKED 🔥🔥🔥 Considering my love for slides but also big want to actually win, I don’t really know if I’d rather be slimed or go down the brain drain.

[@totalcattitude4339]

What about that Wipeout-style show that was on Nick for a while? The one where contestants got heckled by people playing some sort of villain? I completely forgot the show existed before watching this, and it would be interesting to see what you can find on it

[@ladybugmac]

Yes!!! I thought of that too! I can't for the life of me remember what it was called or how anything looked

[@spannmona]

SPLATALOT!!!

[@mbdg6810]

Splatalot was fun!

[@ezequielcastet]

Funfact: here in Latin America we had our version of Brain Surge but called Veloz mente (fast mind in english) was broadcast on discovery kids between 2012-2013, the participants were thrown foam and the games were somewhat similar to Brain Surge, especially the final game, those eliminated got into a train car and foam was thrown at them

[@freakytostadacartoon]

I watched both, and I love to watch it.

[@mado5586]

omg really? why the hell was it in discovery kids and not nick lol

[@ezequielcastet]

I don't know but I guess they copied and made the necessary changes to the program

[@maxgarcia8389]

@@ezequielcastet I used to watch this show and Velozmente all the time! I don't know if it's an actual copy but I loved both!

[@CoolEric258]

lol I am basically that guy you described when it comes to remembering this show. I watched it every single day after school, but I genuinely forgot everything about it until this video. And the memories just flooded back hardcore. Guess that's why they call you Mr. Nostalgia.

[@phanpyken986]

This is really well made, thank you for the shout out. Also thanks for using episodes that aren’t specifically 216 only, people need to see more episodes besides that one

[@weirdbunmi]

My request to nickelodeon to be on brainsurge was one of the first emails I ever sent. Unfortunately, I never got to go, but I still look back on those old emails with fondness.

[@OurKindofEntertainment]

After watching Quiet On Set, I had to double take when you said 'Pick Boy' because I thought I heard 'Pickle Boy' 😩

[@RemixproductionsAj]

I’m so upset that the show is lost to time. It has always been my favorite gameshow and I seriously wish they’d just release all the episodes for streaming. I’ve always had fun trying to play the games as I watched the show. And honestly… I always wanted to be on the show.

[@mrbow50001]

my boy kiyo-pon! lol

[@Chris.Batchelor]

I have vivid memories of watching this after school while doing homework all the time. I know the pressure probably got to them but man the way those kids would fumble the bag on the light tiles was crazy to me.

[@samv.3217]

I used to love playing along at home anytime this show was on. My sister and I would sit on a chair to reenact the second round and would pull each other back when one of got an answer wrong. I would also try to act like Jeff and talked with the same tone and inflections in his voice. And during the knockout round, I would always have a strategy. Don't match the pictures that are right next to each other until most of the other ones are matched. It was all about psyching out your opponent. Because once they messed up, you only needed one match to win. That's why you save the easier ones for last. I also freaked out when Tom Kenny, Tony Hawk, and Larry King were on there. Although I only knew him as the guy on Gravity Falls at the time. It was always good time watching this show and playing it at home.

[@tommyhetrick]

Audrey Whitby from shows like Thundermans and So Random was also on BrainSurge. I was just watching clips from the show and recognized her

[@kluaoha731]

I would always be screaming at the tv watching these kids fail level 3, but something you have to realize is that they don't get a bird's-eye vantage point like us. That's why Matt did it so easily, because he's taller.

[@alec2000]

I have been rewatching this show a lot in recent years, and it gives me so much nostalgia and happiness everytime😌. I’d do anything to get this show back, and also Jeff Sutphen will FOREVER be a legend. I hope he’s doing well.❤️ Thank you so much for this video, man. Really made my day.❤️😌

[@emilyyamasaki4968]

As a kid, being smart was one of the only things I was complimented on, so I took pride in it. I loved shows that made me think or made me learn. This was one of those shows. I loved getting the answers right, especially when some of the older kids didn’t. I hated missing episodes, sometimes I was forced to if there was something I had to do after school or if my father was picking me up. I was 5-7 when this show was airing so I was too young to ever get to be on it, but man what I would do to be on an adult’s version of it.

[@phoebexoxo2345]

This video is bringing back so many memories! I used to watch BrainSurge everyday after school 🥹

[@91divoC]

Big shoutout to the new funko pops in the back

[@800Ms-k6n]

After this, you should talk about "Figure It Out", another brilliant game show from Nickelodeon. I only grew up with 2010s "Figure It Out" with Jeff Sutphen as the host than the old one so i do have a soft spot for that. I used to watched it after school, i remember the whole Big Time Rush members were part of the show

[@BlueJimmie48Fan]

Man this show still to this day has such a special place in my heart. I would get so excited to go home from school, finish my homework as I could so I can be glued to that TV and watch the new episodes. Jeff Sutphen will forever be one of my childhood goats and i'm glad to hear that the fandom is very passionate in preserving the history of this underrated gem!

[@serenitygreene5661]

OMG, I’m glad someone is finally talking about this show. This was my favorite game show and I used to watch it every day it came on and used to want to be on it so bad. My favorite game was the memory squares because it reminded of Billie Jean lol. I wished it stayed and hope this one of the shows there’ll think about rebooting in the future

[@zwebackshyper]

i used to watch this all the time i was always a big fan of game shows and this was one of my favorites i still remember the bacne beast story from this show lmao its ingrained in my brain

[@bluebaron6858]

I hope all the Brain Surge fans continue to find the lost episodes

[@lintries465]

The ride at Mall of America for this show was so good.

[@ethanuy2261]

I’m a simple man. I see someone covering Nick show from my childhood, I click.

[@sarahtelles1931]

Oh you said Vanessa Williams, she used to be a model. She had the Antagonist role in the ABC show called Ugly Betty, which starred America Farrerra

[@DigiRangerScott]

BrainSurge and Figure It Out helped uphold a tightness among the slate better than the late splat era did, complimenting a lot of the network bumpers that highlighted the live action realm of that early rebrand era (late 2009/2010-2013). Let alone how they managed to keep Sutphen on the network for like, a dozen years since the U-Pick Live days. The Clark Kent of Nickelodeon

[@sierraking4312]

I remember watching this show as a kid with my family. Good times.😃

[@dinohall2595]

I legit got an ad right after the "We'll be right back...on Nick!" segment...doubled the nostalgia.

[@smolminz9588]

Matt Shively being such an op brain surge killer was always smth i rmbed esp because it greatly contrasted his airhead character on true jackson.. i remember my parents thinking like woah he's just really good at acting dumb 😭

[@chrisrockett5897]

Man, FINALLY. We eatin' tonight. Probably Nick's greatest game show host.

[@sm0keyd0key]

oh my god i’m so happy you’re covering brainsurge i absolutely LOVED this show

[@hockeymaskkid7085]

YES! FINALLY! I've waited so longer for someone I follow to talk about this show. I remember being so mad at the contestants for not getting the floor right when it seemed so easy. Thank you for your work and for another fun video!

[@thebingelpuppettroupe]

Awesome video! (Also, I’m a co-host of Jake’s Happy Nostalgia Show, which was mentioned in the video! Jeff’s episode was before I started on the show, but awesome that it’s mentioned!)

[@michaelblanco679]

no way, I was on an episode of the show and i'm actually in this video, so cool. love the show and thanks for making this awesome video

[@MrNostalgia]

Oh wow lol that's cool. And yeah no problem. Thanks for being on the show. What timestamp are you at?

[@tykamen5588]

26:05 I really hope you do a video Supah Ninjas because that show does not get talked about enough.

[@brooklynleeeea]

the moment they added stars to compete as well absolutely changed this show! huge part of my childhood - i even went on the nick website to play the puzzles from the Brainsurge game

[@dylpickled]

Never forget that carebears on fire song that played in the nick rebrand promo 🔥🧸

[@Dallasrocker124]

Bro you dug in for this one dude I FORGOT I used to watch this show and I fucked with it hard. The other show i liked from nick besides icarly and spongebob was the penguins of Madagascar, OG classic for me. Also I think you used and instrumental version of poppin' my collar early in the video, 12 year old me loved that mf song

[@MrNostalgia]

It was actually Precision by Big Sean which sampled that song.

[@QueenA.G.]

I remember watching this show religiously when it came on! This show was SO much a part of my childhood that my mom and I came up with “Math Surge” to help me master my times tables 🤣

[@ladymilliejean4166]

BEST BIRTHDAY GIFT I COULD HAVE EVER ASKED FOR!!! I WAS OBSESSED WITH THIS SHOW!!!!

[@deadasfork]

I’m so glad you talked about this show cause it has fr been forgotten by most. I remember being a kid watching this show desperately wanting to go on this show cause I figured out every puzzle and also really wanted to go down the brain drain!

[@KidDangerthepony]

Kid Danger: *wearing his mighty pup movie outfit* Oh my Princess Luna! I love watching Brain surge! That was my *goat baa* jam on nickelodeon! Besides Paw Patrol of course.

[@emilyyamasaki4968]

To add to your list of former Brainsurge contestants who ended up doing other things: Audrey Whitby. She appeared on season 2, episode 2. Audrey later made guest appearances on Austin and Ally and Liv and Maddie. She was also a prominent cast member on So Random! and later appeared as Cherry on the Thundermans.

[@_alexxncl]

this is entirely unrelated to the video itself but i heard "my girl" by mindless behavior and had to do a double take 😭 two remnants of my childhood in one video

[@gavinhayes12312]

I've been waiting for someone to make this video, I remember rewatching it in like 2017. Absolute banger

[@smackjack78]

Man, the era of game shows like Brain Surge and Hub Family Game Night was peak game shows. Makes me wish we could get some revivals of sorts for them in the future

[@PenguinMajesty]

Brain Surge was THE Nick game show of my time. Tuning in every day to watch the show, playing along with the contestants and wishing I could win one of those sweet prizes, and hearing other kids talking about the episode I just watched the next day was routine for me around that time. The fact that it’s not on any streaming service is truly baffling. Paramount + what are you doing?!

[@rhiannenlmao4401]

i didnt think i new what this show was but decided to watch the video anyway but then immediately when the video started it all came back to me what a trip down memory lane!

[@pessimisticprofessorfarnsw3241]

Oh those are some deep memories you just unlocked.

[@chasehavensmusic]

Always a good day when Mr. Nostalgia uploads

[@HutchIsOnYT]

Absolutely loved this show. I remember dreaming of being on Brainsurge as a kid. Jeff was an excellent host and had great on air chemistry with the contestants. Cant think of a better man for the job. I also loved Brain Rush for its brief run on Cartoon Network lol

[@script_0529]

Honestly had no clue about House of Anubis until watching it a few months ago. Quickly became one of my favorite shows! While watching this and seeing two of the actresses were on this game show surprised me since I do remember watching this show when I was little.

[@realrider24]

This unlocked a core memory in 8-year-old me's head. Great video. (Also, did Nathan Kress really only do the show five times? Swear I remember him getting eliminated that many times in the Knockout Round alone, dude could never get past it. 😭)

[@lucicorinne297]

THANK YOU FOR THE BRAINSURGE APPRECIATION AS A SOCIETY WE NEEDED THIS

[@fahminazaman9447]

I was a little too old to really have interest in BrainSurge at this time, I definitely remember earlier Double Dare, Figure it Out and Legends of the Hidden Temple...I was more into the sitcoms at the time like BTR...however, I remember Jeff from U-Pick Live, and I remember he was always so much fun! I'm so glad that he has commented on this video (!!!) and left so much happy nostalgic memories for you all, amidst traditional TV turning into streaming and all the recent negativity associated with Nickelodeon. Keep it coming with these videos, Mr. Nostalgia!

[@vze38bss]

Foul as hell for putting the Green Mile clip in here!

[@Videos2Lights]

This show felt like a fever dream i had and never remembered the name. I only ever watched Nick's game shows at friend's houses and this one, with the visual of the slide out of the ear stuck with me except the title. Glad to know my brain didnt make this up! Thanks for makin this video, Mr. Nostalgia!

[@LocalShortie]

Im so happy that other people remember this gameshow! I remember watching it all the time, and I remember the ride at Nick Universe at the Mall of America still being a thing for quite some time after the show ended! (Although I go to MOA a lot since I only live like an hour away, I haven't been to Nick Universe in awhile so I have no idea if the ride still exists).

[@RomaroBrandon]

I loved this show and wished I was on it.

[@scootm.w.f744]

I remember rushing home after school every day to make it home by 4:00 to watch brain surge!!! It was my fav and nobody ever talks about it :') thanks for making this video

[@Branfllake]

I was sooo obsessed with this show!! Haha thanks for the nostalgia as always

[@AniGamerNX]

13:50 I remember reading that there is a possibility of the two contestants getting all the correct matches in the Level 2 Knockout Round, though they would be edited out until one contestant messes up.

[@BMoney8600]

My sister and I would always race home from school to watch Brain Surge. It is definitely one of my favorite shows from my childhood!

[@misslumastarr1051]

I worked at friendlys as a teen!! So I always catch when it’s referenced. It was actually in the Ted peacock series where even fribbles were mentioned. Good burger 2 used an old friendlys for filming as well!

[@blaskiewicz]

this was THE hot topic on the bus coming home. we got home at 4:00 and new episodes came home at 4:30! everybody was psyched to watch somebody struggle over that stupid light puzzle

[@alexdeghost2729]

I remember on the blue and white tile game where you gotta remember where to go, someone (an older guy) tried to go right before it ended end it kept failing and the host said “you gotta wait! 😆”

[@Mizzimickiamii]

“Who ever Vanessa Williams is …?” Did you really just say that

[@BreaBabii]

OMG i been looking for anyone who remembers this show besides for a little while now and i’m so glad i found this video !!

[@Gol_D_Mac]

BrainSurge was such a good show I remembering watching it religiously alongside legends of the hidden temple and Nickelodeon guts.

[@briannaferrell6771]

I loved this show as a kid crazy to think this show aired when I was 9 years old (thanks for making me feel old in my 20s 😂) but it’s all good as it feels good to watch something good involving nick as of recently so thank you 😊

[@takodabostwick8507]

Brain Surge was such a great show! I remember watching it a lot when it was Nick. Such an awesome show. Went to Nickeoldon Universe and they have even have a ride over there at the Mall of America. That is totally awesome. This show is extremely underrated. Not a lot of game shows left anymore besides Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. It's a shame. Bring back more game shows.

[@OurKindofEntertainment]

A few years ago, I stumbled upon some Cousin Skeeter episodes here on KZbin. Considering I haven't seen the series since it originally aired, I was pumped to watch it again! Sadly, I couldn't even make it 6 minutes into the episode. That dang laugh track was annoying as heck! Seriously, they played it after almost EVERY SINGLE LINE OF DIALOGUE!

[@murderman8578]

Honestly the Ones I seen didn't have so it must have been only that 1 ep

[@ryancarless7921]

This was one of my favorite Nick shows. I always wanted to go on the show and ride the Brain Drain. Love the video, really took me back to the late 2000s.

[@AniGamerNX]

I really loved this Gameshow, BrainSurge! It looked really fun and always wanted to be one of the contestants!

[@brewstin]

Man this really did unlock some hidden memories. I honestly don't remember AAAANYTHING about this show, but like, the tile puzzle thing made me remember something... I think? I dunno if I ever watched the show but I guess I know I must've seen that tile puzzle SOMEWHERE.

[@Ri-bd1jz]

I used to watch this show everyday after school. My dad and I would get so annoyed when people messed up with the grid at the end lol. Those were the days. 💕

[@muffin8460]

I like that you use your community tab to post sneak peeks of videos, maybe the next vid is the Zeke & Luther podcast

[@That1CrappyGuy]

Mannn I fuckin loved BrainSurge growing up, Jeff was such a great host

[@thetruej7872]

Bro I loved Brainsurge as a kid. I always wanted to be in the show to win and get slimed.

[@maddiemcnugget1076]

Just finished a Quinton video and he mentioned Brainsurge in that vid. So def interesting that you recently finished a vid on brainsurge. Tbh despite what people say, I actually really liked brainsurge as a kid. Who was watching it? Me. I was watching it.

[@nyxdragon5460]

i wanted to be on brainsurge soooo badly when i was younger. i remember getting so frustrated with the contestants not getting the freaking memory thing at the end with the lights on the floor

[@Channeleven2345789]

I remember I used to tune into this show whenever it was on. Only reason I stopped watching was because my cable provider rolled out an option to replay a show from the beginning, and because I replayed a show that came on before Brainsurge, I came into it several minutes in. It was a fun show, and I'm glad to see a lot of people love it.

[@Felipe-wt6jf]

BrainSurge, not to be confused with BrainStorm from Ben 10. We dont talk about this show here.

[@j062]

The reason I remember the show so much is because it was always on right after school.

[@trinityt122]

YES YES YES!! Someone is finally talking about this show!! I LOVED this damn showww lol

[@QuiverCraft]

@stuffthatithinkisfun Was great. Loved watching after school before homework. Was so happy it was on, sad when it was over lol.