Marc Summers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marc Summers
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Summers in 2016
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| Born |
Marc Berkowitz
November 11, 1951 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
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| Occupation | Television personality, television host, producer, comedian |
| Years active | 1972–present |
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Notable credit(s)
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Double Dare (Nickelodeon) What Would You Do? (Nickelodeon) Pick Your Brain (syndication) History IQ (History) WinTuition (Game Show Network) Unwrapped (Food Network) The Next Food Network Star (Food Network) Dinner: Impossible (Food Network) (executive producer) Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network) (executive producer) |
| Spouse(s) |
Alice Filous
(m. 1974) |
| Children | 2 |
Marc Summers, born Marc Berkowitz on November 11, 1951, is a well-known American TV personality. He's a comedian, a game show host, and a producer. Many people know him as the host of Double Dare on Nickelodeon. He also hosted Unwrapped on Food Network. Besides hosting, he was an executive producer for shows like Dinner: Impossible and Restaurant: Impossible on Food Network.
Since 2023, Marc Summers has hosted his own podcast called Marc Summers Unwraps. He also performs in a special one-man show about his life, titled The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers.
Contents
Marc Summers' Early Life
Marc Berkowitz was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He grew up in a Jewish family. He went to Westlane Middle School and North Central High School in Indianapolis. Later, he studied at Grahm Junior College in Boston.
When he was thinking about his future, Marc talked to a rabbi. He asked if he should become a rabbi or an entertainer. The rabbi told him that as a performer, he could help many people a little bit. Marc decided he wanted to help a lot of people, which led him to a career in entertainment.
Starting His TV Career
In 1972, Marc moved to Los Angeles. He got a job as a page at CBS Television City. This job allowed him to work on many different TV shows. He sometimes filled in as an announcer for The Joker's Wild. He also helped warm up the audience for The Carol Burnett Show. He even helped with production on The New Price is Right.
Before becoming a famous host, Marc worked as a radio DJ and a stand-up comedian. His career got a big boost in 1986. He worked as a co-announcer on a game show called Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak.
Hosting Double Dare
Marc Summers' work on Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak caught the eye of Nickelodeon. They hired him to host Double Dare from 1986 to 1993.
Marc says that a friend was supposed to interview for Double Dare. But his friend had never heard of Nickelodeon, so he sent Marc instead. Marc was the first person to interview for the job. He was hired as both the host and a producer.
Double Dare became very popular. Within two years, it was shown on many different TV channels. It even had a short run during prime time as Fox Family Double Dare in 1988.
Marc Summers' Later Career
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After Double Dare became famous, Marc hosted other shows. These included Couch Potatoes in 1989. He also hosted Nickelodeon's What Would You Do? in 1991.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Marc appeared on many talk shows. He was also on ABC television's Home Show. Marc even showed his skills as a stage magician in a Nickelodeon Halloween special called Mystery Magical Special.
Marc also appeared as a celebrity guest on other game shows. These included Scrabble, Super Password, Talk About, Lingo, To Tell the Truth, Win, Lose or Draw, and Hollywood Squares.
After Double Dare ended in 1993, Marc co-hosted Our Home. This was a daily talk show for homemakers on Lifetime. He later co-hosted another Lifetime talk show called Biggers & Summers.
In 1993, Marc hosted a special episode of Nova called "The NOVA Quiz." This celebrated the science show's 20th anniversary. Contestants answered science questions and did experiments.
Continuing in Television
During the 1990s, Marc continued to work on many TV shows. He created and hosted a children's game show called Pick Your Brain. He also co-hosted Great Day America on the PAX Network. He produced I Can't Believe You Said That and hosted It's a Surprise on Food Network.
In 2000, Marc returned to Nickelodeon as an executive consultant for Double Dare 2000. This was an updated version of the original show. Two years later, he was an executive producer for another Nickelodeon show, Wild and Crazy Kids.
GSN chose Marc to host its show WinTuition in 2002. He also hosted History IQ on the History Channel. Marc became well-known for hosting the Food Network series Unwrapped. He also hosted its spin-off game show, Trivia Unwrapped.
In 2005, Marc became the host of Food Network's reality series The Next Food Network Star. In 2008, he joined Chef Guy Fieri as co-host of Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown. Marc has also been an executive producer for Food Network's Dinner: Impossible and Restaurant: Impossible.
Marc has hosted live stage versions of The Price Is Right. He says that Bob Barker and The Price Is Right helped him want to be a game show host. When he was a young page at CBS, he often asked advice from the hosts of game shows. He believes this was the best training for his career.
Marc has appeared in music videos and played himself on cartoon shows. These include The Cleveland Show, Robot Chicken, Workaholics, and Sanjay & Craig.
Recent Projects
Marc is the subject and executive producer of a documentary called On Your Marc. This film tells the story of his life and how he created his one-man theater show. Famous people like Neil Patrick Harris, Ryan Seacrest, Guy Fieri, and Seth Green are interviewed in the film.
In 2016, Marc returned to host a 30th anniversary celebration of Double Dare at San Diego Comic-Con. He also appeared in a special TV show celebrating the 30th anniversary of Double Dare on November 23, 2016.
In 2018, Marc provided commentary for the revival of Double Dare with Liza Koshy. He also served as an executive producer for the show. In 2019, Marc hosted Double Dare Live, which was a touring stage version of the show.
His one-man show The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers was performed off-Broadway in New York City from February to June 2024. In December 2024, Marc Summers starred in the Hallmark Original Movie Hanukkah on the Rocks.
Marc Summers' Health Journey
Marc Summers has openly shared that he has obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). He talked about his condition on TV shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show and Today. In 1999, he even produced a video about his experiences with OCD. Despite his OCD, he was always able to interact with his fans and contestants on Double Dare. He even let himself get slimed and shook hands with contestants.
In August 2012, Marc was in a taxi accident in Philadelphia and suffered head injuries.
In 2015, Marc shared that he had been diagnosed with chronic lymphatic leukemia in 2009. He went through chemotherapy for two years, which he described as "brutal." As of 2016, he was in remission. In late 2019, Marc revealed that he was battling cancer again. He stated that he was taking medication and felt good about his treatment.
