While Les Lye was primarily known internationally for this show, he was a familiar figure in Ottawa media for decades, and was probably best known to Canadians for his work on another CJOH-produced series, Willy and Floyd, which aired across Canada in syndication but is virtually unknown south of the border.
Alt-rocker Alanis Morissette appeared in five episodes in 1986, using money she made on the show to finance her earliest recording sessions. Eagle-eyed viewers can spot her as an uncredited extra in other episodes as well.
Klea Scott, a cast member from 1982-1984, went on to star in several American network shows including "Brooklyn South."
And Rekha Shah, a minor cast member in 1986 and 1989, starred as "Janice" in season two of the Canadian teen soap opera "Hillside", which was broadcast on Nickelodeon in 1990-1991 as "Fifteen."
If you've watched Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller, you will recognize "Nancy" as 1989-1990 cast member Jill Stanley.
Many of the mid-'80s YCDTOTV cast, including Christine, Alasdair and Kevin Kubusheskie, also appeared on Turkey Television, another Roger Price creation.
Hey, It's That Voice!: A number of cast members also worked as voice actors in both Canadian animated shows and in American-produced shows that outsourced their voiceover work to Canadian studios.
Les Lye's and Abby Hagyard's voices are easily recognizable in The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin and Babar, among others. "One-episode wonder" Kai Engstad ("Parties", 1986) also voiced Alexander in Babar and Father Christmas, which was frequently aired in the U.S. on HBO.
Vanessa Lindores voiced a minor character named Julie on The Raccoons.
The 1994 For Better or for Worse special "The Babe Magnet," in addition to Abby Hagyard in the lead role of Elly, also featured former YCDTOTV kids Vik Sahay, Rekha Shah, Chris Bickford (as a character named Chris), and Sariya Sharp in various smaller roles.
The whole green slime concept came from a first season, only-aired-in-Ottawa episode. The dungeon master Nasti agreed to let his kid prisoner go if he could answer two questions, but if he failed, he would get the green slime. The first question was, "What is the largest lake in Canada," which the kid correctly answered with, "The Great Bear Lake." The second question was, "How many fish are in it," which brought forth the first "I don't know." This became a Running Gag for other "How many fish are in it" questions (such as "name one of the Great Lakes"), and eventually the words themselves instead of just an admission of ignorance became the trigger.
The idea of having "I don't know" as a trigger phrase for the slime was Roger Price's idea, as he was frustrated by his kids constantly answering his questions with those words whenever they were in trouble.
The slime was originally made with badly rotted and moldy food leftovers, but sanitary concerns led to them switching to a much more hygienic lime-green gelatin powder, oatmeal and water.