Kenan & Kel is an American television sitcom created by Kim Bass that premiered on Nickelodeon on August 17, 1996, and ran for 65 episodes over four seasons. Set in Chicago, Illinois, the series follows the misadventures of two high-school-aged teenagers, Kenan Rockmore (Kenan Thompson) and Kel Kimble (Kel Mitchell). Episodes typically begin with the events leading to and, subsequently, the consequences of Kenan's half-thought-out scams, which the nimble-minded foil Kel invariably follows. Other major characters in the series include Kenan's parents, his younger sister, and his boss at Rigby's, a local grocery store. The series finale, a television film titled Two Heads Are Better Than None, aired on July 15, 2000.
Kenan and Kel try to raise money to buy a car before being offered one for just $400. After learning they have in fact entered into an agreement with a car thief, Kenan and Kel cooperate with the police in bringing the thief to justice in return for being let off the hook.
After revealing the personal information of others and seemingly predicting the future, everyone starts to think Kel has psychic abilities. It turns out to be a coincidence, but Kenan finds a way to use it to his advantage.
Inspired by Ernest Hemingway, Kenan devises three life goals to make his life more complete. Looking to accomplish them immediately, he has Kel come with him to climb to the top of the Sears Tower, where they get stuck.
Kenan chokes on an errant screw in his tuna sandwich and decides to sue the company for $10 million. The company offers Kenan a settlement that he refuses, prompting them to prepare for court, where it transpires that Kel accidentally dropped the screw in the tuna.
Kenan's crush, Brianna, agrees to go on a date with him. But before they leave, Kel makes a mess on her sweater made by her deceased grandmother. The two then spend the evening trying to clean it up without her finding out.
Kenan inadvertently succeeds in inventing a cure for Kel's cold, which he passes on to Roger and Chris, but forgets the recipe. In trying to replicate it, the boys instead create a concoction that causes drowsiness in those who drink it.
After being teased for being too young to get into a night club, Kenan creates his own at Rigby's called "Duh Bomb". His little sister Kyra finds out, and he agrees to let her attend to stop her from telling their parents.
While Roger and Sheryl are away for the weekend, Kenan and Kel are left in charge of the house and Roger's pet cockatoo Twizzles. After Twizzles drops dead, the boys scramble to find a replacement before Kenan's parents come home.
When Kenan calls Amy, the daughter of his father's mean boss Mr. Dawson, to ask her out, he and Kel inadvertently leave a scandalous message on the Dawson's answering machine. He and Kel then go to replace the tape before anyone hears it.
Ahead of the annual Grocery Bag-Off between Rigby's and Angus' Food Barn, Kel's skills at bagging groceries gives Rigby's a chance of winning for the first time ever, but there is a dilemma when Chris' rival Angus makes Kel an offer of $50 a day to work for him instead.
Needing only a few more dollars for a new bike, Kenan agrees to be a department store Santa for the day. When a boy says his Christmas wish is for his little sister to get a new bike, Kenan is inspired to make his wish come true.
12
12
"Diamonds Are for Roger"
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Dan Schneider
December 28, 1996 (1996-12-28)
106
N/A
After Kenan and Kel see a resemblance between Roger and serial jewel thief "The Diamond Bandit", their suspicions grow when they find diamond earrings Roger has bought as a present for Sheryl and assume they are stolen. They attempt to clear Roger's name by returning the jewels.
While spring cleaning in Rigby's basement, Kenan and Kel find a map which Kenan believes leads to a safe, while Kel thinks it leads to a sofa. Events take a turn when a mysterious man keeps showing up at Rigby's asking for something that belongs to his boss, which the boys believe means the map.
Kenan saves the President of the United States from a falling display of Orange Soda cans; he and Kel are rewarded with a visit to the White House where they cause a diplomatic incident and accidentally destroy the President's prized photo of him and Elvis Presley.
Fearing the worst when Principal Dimly calls a meeting with his parents, Kenan hires actors to stand in for Roger and Sheryl, but then has to take the ruse a step further when the actors invite Dimly to the Rockmores' house for dinner.
Rigby's is robbed by a clown which is strikingly similar to the one that shows up at Kyra's birthday party. Kenan and Kel try to determine if it's the same clown using their only clue: a rather peculiar sneeze.
Kel wins the lottery, but loses the ticket before he can collect the money; realizing he accidentally dropped it in Mrs. Quagmire's grocery bag, he and Kenan go to retrieve it before she finds it.
Ms. Horn (played by the episode's director Kim Fields) substitutes for Kenan and Kel's English teacher, and Kel mistakenly thinks that she has a crush on Kenan.
After injuring his ribs, an x-ray reveals that's Kel's insides are bright orange, due to his obsession with orange soda. Kenan then bets Kel that he can't go one week without orange soda, with the loser having to sing the national anthem in Rigby's wearing a woman's nightgown.
Rigby's is chosen as a filming location for the new movie, "Supermarket Cop 3", and Kenan and Kel get cast as extras, but keep ruining the shot and get on the wrong side of the film's star, Buck Savage.
21
7
"Ditch Day Afternoon"
Kim Fields Freeman
Kevin Kopelow & Heath Seifert
October 18, 1997 (1997-10-18)
217
N/A
Kenan and Kel ditch an unappealing day of school and work, but are taken hostage in a bank robbery. When TV news crews arrive on the scene, Kenan has to keep the siege going for as long as possible to prevent himself and Kel getting caught.
After Kel causes Roger one injury too many, Roger bans him from the Rockmore house. Kel tries to apologize to Roger who repeatedly rejects him, especially since his attempts only hurt Roger more.
The Chicago Bulls's season is in jeopardy after Ron Harper gets injured slipping on orange soda at Rigby's; the entire city blames Kenan and Kel, who seek to rectify the situation, but are unable to reach Harper for help.
Kel is revealed to be a talented artist; after his art class painting sells high at an auction. Kenan decides to take advantage of Kel's talent, forcing him to paint an entire collection for an auction he sets up at Rigby's.
When Roger gets a new job as a forest ranger, Kenan and Kel have to come to terms that Kenan and his family will be moving away to Pummis, Montana.
27
13
"Bye Bye Kenan: Part 2"
Brian Robbins
Dan Schneider and Kevin Kopelow & Heath Seifert
December 27, 1997 (1997-12-27)
225
N/A
Kel visits the Rockmores in Pummis, where he finds the family miserable in their new house, Kenan unhappy with his new school and Roger hates his new job. When Roger won't resign, Kenan realizes the only way to get back to Chicago is to sabotage him at work.
Kenan and Kel land dates with girls whose biggest concern is punctuality; Kenan has them leave hours early so they will be on time, but gets his head stuck in a fence, forcing him and Kel to find a way to free Kenan with time running out.
Kenan is tasked with training Rigby's newest employee, Sharla Morrison (Alexis Fields). But instead, he and Kel sneak off to a comic book convention, seeking the only missing issue of his favorite superhero, Skunkator.
Rigby's is holding a raffle where the prize is a new television set, which Kel accidentally breaks. At the same time, Kenan's parents have bought a new high-quality TV, so Kenan plots to replace the broken TV with his parents' and rig the raffle so Kel wins.
Kel develops a crush on new girl Becky (Linda Cardellini), who Kenan suspects is in fact a witch who has cursed him with bad luck and sets out to free himself from the supposed hex.
Before joining the Rockmores for dinner at Pizza Farm, Kenan and Kel have to finish a game of Penguin Hunter. While doing so, they allow two burglars posing as exterminators to steal everything on the ground floor of Kenan's house. Kenan must then keep his family at the restaurant for as long as possible while the police track down the stolen property.
Kenan does not accept an exceptionally low score on an I.Q. test that also rates Kel as a genius and goes to Principal Dimly to find out the truth, but in doing so, leaves an incriminating doodle of her in her office.
35
8
"Surprise, Surprise"
Kim Fields Freeman
Daka Hermon
December 5, 1998 (1998-12-05)
333
N/A
Roger is planning a surprise anniversary party for Sheryl and asks Kenan and Kel to collect the cake and gift while they are out to dinner.
36
9
"You Dirty Rat"
Virgil L. Fabian
Gregory Shelton
December 12, 1998 (1998-12-12)
335
N/A
When a loose rat at Rigby's starts scaring away customers, Kenan wants to have it exterminated but is persuaded by Kel, who has named the rat Wendell, to try and save it.
After Kel accidentally switches a restroom sign at a restaurant, everyone gets trapped inside the freezer and becomes increasingly angry at Kel when he keeps making the situation worse.
While Kenan searches for his surprise birthday gift, Kel breaks it and they have to replace it before Roger and Sheryl find out. In fact, the gift they broke was for Kenan's uncle Louie, whom Kenan and Kel give Kenan's real present: Roger's prized baseball signed by Babe Ruth.
39
12
"Housesitter"
Virgil L. Fabian
Steve Holland
January 16, 1999 (1999-01-16)
342
N/A
While Chris is away for the weekend, he asks Kenan and Kel to tend to his plants and pet goldfish, but they forget until the day he is to come back. In their scramble to put everything right last minute, they end up making everything worse.
40
13
"Happy B-Day Marc"
Kim Fields Freeman
Steve Holland
January 23, 1999 (1999-01-23)
339
N/A
Kenan avoids Marc Cram so he doesn't get invited to his birthday party, but takes it personally when he learns he is the only one Marc did not invite and hatches a scheme to get back at his neighbor.
After Kel destroys the yearbook photos of all students with surnames beginning with A-L, the only course of action is to re-take them all; to achieve this, Kenan sets up a photo op with Bill Bellamy without him knowing.
42
15
"Clothes Encounters"
Virgil L. Fabian
Andrew Hirsch
February 20, 1999 (1999-02-20)
345
N/A
While trying on some new clothes, Kenan manages to get locked out of his dressing room in only his shirt and his underwear.
Kenan and Kel adopt Charles, a chimpanzee from the zoo. But after they find out he is to be transferred, Kel kidnaps him and he and Kenan have to cover when the monkey starts causing havoc.
44
17
"I'm Gonna Get You Kenan"
Virgil L. Fabian
Wayne Conley
March 13, 1999 (1999-03-13)
346
N/A
Kenan is hailed as a hero after incapacitating notorious criminal John "The Jackhammer" Rogan (Joe Rose). However, his pride soon turns to fear when the Jackhammer escapes custody and vows vengeance on Kenan.
45
18
"The Limo"
Virgil L. Fabian
Kevin Kopelow & Heath Seifert
March 20, 1999 (1999-03-20)
347
N/A
In order to impress a rich girl, Kenan pretends to be rich as well and hires a limo to take her on a date, only for Kel to knock out the driver and left with no option but to take his place.
After Chris refuses him any more orange soda without paying for it, Kel gets a job at a local donut store where he invents a sensational new donut.
48
21
"Poem Sweet Poem"
Kim Fields Freeman
Kevin Kopelow & Heath Seifert
April 17, 1999 (1999-04-17)
340
N/A
Lovebirds Phillip and Allison break up after she reads a poem Kenan wrote for Sharla, believing it was from Phillip. Kenan's attempt to rectify the situation sees Allison becoming devoted to him, just as Phillip (Josh Server) swears to get back at the one Allison left him for.
Kenan tries to build the courage to ask Sharla to the Sweetheart's Ball, but panics and says he is actually going with R&B star Tamia, who he then has to convince to go with him. Meanwhile, Kel keeps receiving gifts from a secret admirer who will meet him at the dance.
Wanting to move up in the world, Kenan goes for a mail room job at a corporation. But a mix-up with his résumé sees him mistakenly made vice president, but finds his new responsibilities daunting, particularly as he has no idea what the company does.
Finding no privacy at home, Kenan schemes to appear on the game show "The Honeymoon's Over" where couples compete for the chance to win a house, roping Kel in to go on the show with him posing as his wife.
After collecting Kenan's cousin Eric's girlfriend at the airport, Kenan and Kel then have to keep her from harm after she ends up with amnesia and falls in with a biker gang.
Kenan attempts to get his driver's license against his parents' wishes, neglecting an important science project which is due on the same day as his test.
Kenan agrees to go on a date with Sharla and Caitlin, the daughter of family friends, at the same time and tries to keep them from discovering each other while also avoiding Yovanda (Guest star The Lady of Rage) who Kel has set him up with.
Unable to find anything of his from when he was a baby, Kenan starts to think he was adopted and sets out to find who his true parents may actually be, in the process coming to realize how much Sheryl and Roger mean to him.
Kel wins a trip to the European Orange Soda Festival, but he and Kenan get on the wrong plane and end up in Hollywood. Exploring while waiting for the next flight out, they get tickets to a talk show hosted by Downtown Julie Brown./ After being denied entry to the taping, Kenan and Kel sneak into the studio, where they cause trouble backstage and evoke the ire of guests Bill Bellamy, Britney Spears and David Allen Grier.
After a senior prank backfires, Principal Horn bans Kenan from attending the graduation ceremony; not wanting to disappoint his family and relatives who have flown to Chicago especially, he does all he can to keep the truth from them.
Chris's affluent twin brother Rick comes to town and buys Rigby's, leaving Chris with no job and nowhere to live. The Rockmores take him in but soon find him overbearing and try to find a way to get Rick to leave and get Chris his life back.
60
11
"Futurama"
Kim Fields Freeman
Jonathan Green & Gabe Miller
December 31, 1999 (1999-12-31)
453
N/A
In the year 3000, Kel accidentally makes Roger invisible using a gadget designed to disintegrate garbage.
61
12
"The April Fools"
Virgil L. Fabian
Erica Rothschild
April 1, 2000 (2000-04-01)
460
N/A
Kenan and Kel pull increasingly elaborate April Fools pranks on everyone, which eventually lead to everyone getting arrested.
The Rockmores set off on a road trip, with Kel stowed away in the back of the car. On the way, Kenan keeps seeing a mysterious man in armor, though no one else will believe him. After learning of local legend "The Headless Knight", who decapitates people and wears their heads as his own, Kenan starts to believe that is who he keeps seeing.
When the Rockmores' car breaks down, Kenan and Kel go for help, reaching the nearby town of Rockville. There, they come to a castle whose owner, Arthur, seems welcoming and benevolent but turns out to be perpetuating the myth of the Headless Knight to serve his own nefarious ends.
Kenan and Kel's friendship may be over following a fight and they are shown clips of all the times they have shared together (breaking the fourth wall in the process).
