Kenan & Kel

Set in Chicago, Kenan & Kel centers on two high-school friends whose schemes and mishaps drive each episode. Kenan Rockmore is the planner, juggling a job at a local grocery store while dreaming up get-rich ideas that predictably collapse. His buddy Kel Kimble loves orange soda and tags along, eager and well-meaning but prone to creating bigger problems with his earnest clumsiness. Episodes spin out from one ill-advised plan into escalating misunderstandings, family or work complications, and a last-minute scramble to put things right. The show keeps a light, comic tone and wraps each story so the next episode can start fresh. It's aimed at kids and families, and parents often laugh.

Premiering in 1996, the series was created by Kim Bass and Nick Cannon, and stars Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, with Vanessa Baden Kelly, Ken Foree and Teal Marchande in supporting roles. The series targeted younger viewers and parents alike.

Kel's obsession with orange soda became a recurring gag and a memorable catchphrase, and the pair's chemistry helped make the show a touchstone for 90s kids. Reruns and internet nostalgia keep references and sketches alive among later generations. Kenan and Kel's routines are referenced in modern comedy and reunion appearances.

Audiences rate it highly, reflected in a vote average of 8.1/10 from 395 votes, praising the slapstick humor and tight comic timing. Episodes revolve around friendship, family life, and workplace mishaps, leaning into exaggerated misunderstandings and physical comedy for laughs. Fast pacing, sketch-like structure, and recurring gags keep episodes fresh.

While it wasn't a major awards contender in adult industry circles, the show earned wide popularity with its target audience and helped launch its stars' long careers in comedy and television. Its legacy is more cultural and career-making than trophy-based. Decades later it still turns up in nostalgia and panels.