Recently, I had the pleasure, (or displeasure really) of catching some Nickelodeon shows with my little cousins. Not only did I feel extremely old by not recognizing a single show on Nick, (SpongeBob is basically over, apparently) but the shows weren’t even half as enjoyable as they were when I was a kid. It gave me some major nostalgia of being glued to the television set on Saturday mornings to watch hours of Nick Gas, or stay up late for some Teen Nick on a Saturday night. I’m convinced that if I turned on any of those shows today, I’d still laugh just as hard as I did as a goofy nine year old. Some networks, like Disney Channel and Netflix, are realizing that nothing could top 90’s TV shows and creating spin offs of hits like Boy Meets World and Full House. Others like Nickelodeon really need to step their game up and bring back variations of these shows so 90’s students could be shutting off their Netflix accounts and tuning into their old favorites. Check out my list of top 90’s Nickelodeon shows, and add your own!
1. Rugrats (1990-2006)
When thinking of childhood cartoons, this might be the first that comes to mind. "Rugrats" follows the adventures of heroic Tommy, scaredy-cat Chuckie, twins Phil and Lil, and bossy Angelica. It showed life through the eyes of a baby, featuring their clueless parents. Not only did it last for sixteen years, it had two movies and the famous “All Grown Up” spin off short lived series when the babies were cool preteens.
2. All That (1994-2005)
“All That” was basically a “Saturday Night Live” for kids, and featured a half hour of comedy skits and musical performers that probably frequented in our hit clips’ collections. “All That” was where kid comedians like Amanda Bynes and Kenan Thompson got their starts, and where we saw skits like “Everyday French with Pierre Escargot” and “Vital Information for Your Everyday Life.” At the end of the show’s run they got a new, not-so funny cast, but if they had a reunion with Lori Beth Denberg and the rest of the original cast, I think we’d all be on board to watch.
3. Hey Arnold! (1996-2004)
“Hey Arnold!” followed the everyday life of football-headed Arnold, a fourth grader living with his grandparents in a boarding house in a big city. It was this gem, where the legendary phrase “stoop kid’s afraid to leave his stoop!" first came into play, and where we felt Helga’s pain for her unrequited love when she created a shrine of gum for Arnold. The show was funny while also taking on serious themes, like the infamous tear-jerking Parents Day episode, explaining what happened to Arnold’s mom and dad.
4. Nickelodeon GUTS (1992-1996)
Do ya have it? While I was just a little tyke as this initially aired, repeats frequented Nickelodeon Gas and was among my favorites. The competitors went through challenging athletic competitions with referee Mo and host Mike tallying up their scores. If there were auditions for this today, I would probably sign up. Who didn’t want to sport a red, blue, or purple t-shirt and race up the Aggrocrag Mountain (which seemed absolutely terrifying by the way)? The show later had a spin-off of Global Guts with competitors from around the world.
5. Rocket Power (1999-2004)
This didn’t come out until the late 90’s, but focused on Otto, Reggie, Sam, and Twister skating, rollerblading, and surfing in a Californian town. This was where your childhood handshake, “woogity woogity woogity,” was born. I think the whole point of the show was to define the term "badass" to nine year olds everywhere, and I’m almost positive these kids grew up to compete in the X-Games.
6. Legends of the Hidden Temple (1993-1995)
Another golden oldie. So, the premise of this one was a little weird when you think about it. In a series of mental and physical challenges, kids are placed on six different teams, with names like the Blue Barracudas, Purple Parrots, and Silver Snakes, and then are narrowed down to one team to go through the temple and find a mysterious artifact they learn about from the stone face in the wall. While in the temple, they have to be careful and not get taken away by the horrifying Temple Guards. For some reason, all of these weird ingredients made for a great show.
7. Kenan & Kel (1996-2000)
Who loves orange soda? If you asked this question to a room full of college students, it’s safe to say everyone would know the answer. Kenan & Kel is the original definition of best friend goals. Kenan was smart and sarcastic, and Kel was goofy and … not so smart. This pair later created the movie “Good Burger,” which definitely should have won Oscars if you ask me.
Honorary Mention: The Amanda Show (1999-2002)
“The Amanda Show” was a complete classic, with skits like “The Girls Room,” “Moody’s Point,” and “Judge Trudy.” Amanda Bynes was every 90’s girl’s hero. This was where stars like Drake Bell and Josh Peck became Nickelodeon royalty. I think it’s pretty safe to say Amanda has quit show biz. I don’t think we can expect “The Amanda Show” to make a comeback any time soon. Because of that, it tops off our list of 90’s TV Shows as an Honorary Mention.
