There were a ton of awesome cartoons (and other types of shows) on in the '90s. Some Nickelodeon ones include "Hey Arnold" and "CatDog," "Rugrats" and "Doug" and many more. They're all great in their own way, but what about those cartoons that didn't quite air in time to be included? Of course I'm referring to "As Told by Ginger" which aired in 2000, so although close, it's not technically a '90s show.
It's still awesome though, and even though it doesn't qualify, more episodes should air on The Splat (a programming lineup of Nickelodeon '90s shows that airs on TeenNick) because this show was and still is the best. Here are some reasons why.
1. The stories have substance.
The show follows middle schooler Ginger Foutley and her friends (Dodie and Marcie) as they deal with life and growing up. Simple plot, right? But that's what so great about it. It's simple and relatable. Not only that, but the show actually dealt with topics that a lot of kids shows don't cover; Ginger's father left when she was young so her mom was the only parent for most of the series. Then once her mom found someone else and her dad came back into her life, they showed how she dealt with that. They also featured dealing with popularity and relationships pretty deeply for a Nickelodeon cartoon. Maybe that's why so many people still enjoy even now when they are older (I should know because I recently binge-watched this show. I definitely recommend you doing the same.)
2. The characters are awesome.
Even the character who starts off as the popular mean girl (Courtney Gripling) turns out to have endearing qualities. Plus they're diverse and most undergo character development that's clear to see by the end of the series. Also, they actually wear more than one outfit. As in, they wear different clothes just as often as characters do in a non-cartoon show.
3. Ginger Foutley is a great role model.
She's far from perfect, but she's someone kids (and even adults) can look up to. Ginger cares about the people she loves and wants what's best for them. She fights for the things she believes in and tries to not follow the crowd (once she realizes that it's actually not a good idea). Plus she's a writer so obviously that makes her cool to me and to anyone else who loves to write.
4. The theme song is as equally as awesome.
Just listen to it. (So much nostalgia.)
5. It contains helpful life lessons.
Cartoon or not, this show gives some pretty great advice. In fact, now that everyone who watched it as a kid is an adult by now, some of the advice might be more helpful now that it was back then.
