Honestly, the mid-2010s were a fever dream for Nickelodeon fans. You had all these massive shows running simultaneously—Henry Danger, The Thundermans, Game Shakers—and then, out of nowhere in 2017, the network decided to smash them all together into a weird, hour-long musical variety show. The cast of Nickelodeon's Sizzling Summer Camp Special wasn't just a few kids; it was basically every face you saw on the channel at the time, all trapped in a "sketchy" summer camp run by an eccentric counselor.
It was chaotic. It was loud. It had a giant ice cream sundae and a weirdly catchy song about "The Worst Guy at Camp." Looking back, it serves as a perfect time capsule of that specific era of kids' TV.
The Big Names from the 2017 Special
The anchor of the whole thing was Jace Norman. At the time, Henry Danger was the undisputed king of the network, and Jace was the face of it. He played a version of himself, which most of the actors did, though they were really just playing heightened versions of their TV personas. He’s moved on from the superhero spandex now, focusing a lot on his production company, Cooper+Mays, and taking a bit of a step back from the constant limelight of children's sitcoms.
Then you had JoJo Siwa. This was right as the JoJo phenomenon was reaching a boiling point. She wasn't just a guest; she was the energy source for half the sketches. Her career trajectory since that summer camp special has been wild to watch, transitioning from glittery hair bows to a more "bad girl" pop aesthetic that’s sparked about a million TikTok debates recently.
The Thundermans Crew
You can't talk about the cast of Nickelodeon's Sizzling Summer Camp Special without mentioning the Thunderman siblings. Jack Griffo and Kira Kosarin were the veteran presence there. Kira, who played Phoebe, has transitioned almost entirely into a music career, often sharing raw, acoustic sessions with her fans. Jack has stayed busy in the acting world, appearing in various films and even returning for The Thundermans Return movie in 2024. Seeing them in the special reminds you how much of a grip that show had on the Saturday night lineup.
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The Game Shakers and Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn
The variety was the point. You had the younger kids from Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn—specifically Mace Coronel, Aidan Gallagher, and Casey Simpson. Aidan Gallagher is perhaps the most interesting "where are they now" story here. Most people don't associate him with a goofy Nick special anymore because he’s become so iconic as Number Five in Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy. His vibe in the special was very "talented kid actor," but nobody predicted he’d become a sci-fi cult favorite.
From Game Shakers, Cree Cicchino and Madisyn Shipman brought a different kind of comedic timing. Cree has since gone on to do some great work in Mr. Iglesias and the And Just Like That... reboot.
Why This Crossover Actually Mattered
Nickelodeon was trying to replicate the "crossover" magic they’d seen work in the past. Remember iParty with Victorious? This was the 2017 version of that, but with a weird, campy twist. The special was directed by Jonathan Judge, a guy who basically knows the Nick DNA better than anyone else. He’s directed everything from The Loud House live-action projects to Talia in the Kitchen.
The plot was paper-thin. Basically, the kids are at a camp where things keep going wrong, and they have to deal with a bizarre counselor played by Jonathan Lekkerkerker. But the plot wasn't why people tuned in. They tuned in to see if Babe from Game Shakers would interact with Max Thunderman. It was about the "multiverse" before everyone was sick of that word.
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The Full Ensemble Breakdown
If you try to list everyone, you realize how much money Nick must have spent on craft services that week.
- Riele Downs and Ella Anderson: The Henry Danger sidekicks. Riele has since earned massive acclaim for her lead role in the film Darby and the Dead.
- Lizzy Greene: She was the "Dawn" of the quadruplets. She successfully jumped from Nickelodeon to a series regular role on the ABC drama A Million Little Things, proving she had some serious dramatic range.
- Sean Ryan Fox: Another Henry Danger alum who has since leaned into music and independent projects.
- Benjamin Flores Jr.: Known as Lil' P-Nut, he was the breakout star of Game Shakers. Since the special, he’s had a legitimate film career, including roles in the Fear Street trilogy on Netflix.
It's a lot of names. Too many, maybe? The special often felt like it was tripping over its own feet trying to give everyone a line. But for a kid watching in 2017, it felt like the Avengers of their world.
The Legacy of the "Sizzling Summer"
Is it a cinematic masterpiece? No. Is it weirdly nostalgic? Absolutely. The cast of Nickelodeon's Sizzling Summer Camp Special represents the last "Golden Age" of the traditional multi-cam sitcom for the network before everything shifted toward streaming and shorter-form content.
Most of these actors have managed to avoid the "child star curse." You don't see them in the tabloids for the wrong reasons. Instead, you see them on Broadway, in indie films, or producing their own content. Aidan Gallagher is an environmental activist. Kira Kosarin is an independent artist. Jace Norman is a businessman.
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What to Do if You're Feeling Nostalgic
If you’re looking to revisit this era, don't just stop at the special. Most of it is available on Paramount+, but the real way to see the evolution of these actors is to track their "post-Nick" projects.
- Watch The Umbrella Academy to see Aidan Gallagher's range.
- Check out Riele Downs in Darby and the Dead for a fresh take on the teen comedy genre.
- Listen to Kira Kosarin's album Off Brand to see how her voice has matured since those Nickelodeon musical numbers.
The Sizzling Summer Camp Special was a moment in time—a loud, messy, colorful moment that signaled the end of an era for Nickelodeon's biggest stars. It wasn't about the script; it was about the goodbye.
To get the most out of your nostalgia trip, head over to Paramount+ and look for the "Nick Crossover" collection. It’s the easiest way to find the special along with the behind-the-scenes "making of" footage that actually shows the kids just hanging out on set, which, honestly, is usually more entertaining than the actual sketches. Keep an eye on the upcoming projects from Jace Norman’s production company, as he’s currently the most active in trying to bridge the gap between old-school Nick fans and new audiences.