Nickelodeon ruled the 90s and early 2000s, at least in the realm of cable TV. The American channel launched in 1977 and primarily broadcasted original series targeted towards children and teenagers. With a solid mix of cartoons and live-action shows, Nickelodeon holds a special place in most people's hearts, as a consistent source of entertainment during their childhood. Nickelodeon divided itself into a variety of brands, with each focusing on particular elements. For example, Nicktoons refers to the original animated television series produced for the channel, while Nick's New Saturday Night mostly serves as a showcase for live-action shows like Game Shakers, School of Rock, and Drake & Josh.
Since its inception, Nickelodeon has created countless of brilliant products, some which continue to live on in reruns and YouTube fan videos. Classics like The Ren & Stimpy Show, Rugrats, and Invader Zim helped establish the brand, while SpongeBob SquarePants and The Fairly OddParents continue churning out original episodes after more than a decade on the air. There is a huge fanbase for the channel, which is not limited merely to viewers who grew up in the 1990s, as newer series have managed to find an audience.
This year marks the 40 year anniversary since the launch of the channel, making it a perfect time to take a trip down memory lane and point out some cool tidbits associated with the brand. Here are 25 awesome things you did not know about Nickelodeon kid's shows!
25 For Awhile, Nickelodeon Had An Official Mascot - And It Was Not SpongeBob
Nickelodeon has not struggled to create identifiable characters. SpongeBob Squarepants, Hey Arnold!, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Rugrats feature iconic and one-of-a-kind protagonists who are associated with the channel, so they are spoiled for choice when it comes to who should represent the brand overall. For a short period, that honor went to the boy genius himself Jimmy Neutron, who was arguably the least likely to accidentally offend anyone. In 2001, the film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was released, which was followed up with a proper series. During the early 2000s, Jimmy was considered a mascot for the channel, although this came to an end once the series concluded in 2006. After all these years, Jimmy remains popular, even if now-a-day SpongeBob is considered the unofficial mascot for Nickelodeon.
24 The Ren & Stimpy Show Had An Edgier Version On Spike TV
For a children's show, The Ren & Stimpy Show took quite a few risks. The Nickelodeon cartoon often featured mature or disgusting jokes, but they were subtle enough to not be noticed by children. On the other hand, Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon" was about as nuanced as a brick to the face. In 2003, The creator of The Ren & Stimpy Show revived the franchise for an adults-only run on Spike TV. This version prioritized gross-out gags and established an explicit physical relationship between the title characters. The series was canceled after just three episode when the channel decided to end their animation block, leaving more than half the season unaired or incomplete. Three further episodes were eventually released as part of the Ren & Stimpy: The Lost Episodes, although they are only worth watching out of morbid curiosity.
23 The Lost Horror Movie
Nickelodeon occasionally dapples in horror, with Are You Afraid Of The Dark? lasting for a solid seven-season run. While the series had its goofy moments, there were a few genuinely intense stories which did not treat its audience with kid gloves. It would take something particularly special for Nickelodeon to pull a program off rotation, which might have happened with Cry Baby Lane. This horror movie originally aired as part of SNICK but was only shown once before disappearing from cable TV. Rumours suggested that parents complained due to Cry Baby Lane being too terrifying for children, prompting Nickelodeon to take action. Ironically, this banishment led to a cult following, resulting in a Reddit user recovering a VHS copy and uploading it online. Nickelodeon stated they simply forgot about Cry Baby Lane and it was never banned. Once the VHS copy was found, Nickelodeon started to broadcast the movie again.
22 Who You Gonna Call? In This Case, Our Lawyers
1984's Ghostbusters was a ridiculously creative movie, which helped solidify its cast within Hollywood, and spawned many spin-offs and rip-offs. One thing it cannot take credit for is inspiring the green slime on Nickelodeon's You Can't Do That On Television. The creator behind the sketch comedy series, Roger Price, was sued by the Ghostbusters Team, who alleged the show's green slime ripped off the movie's ectoplasm. In terms of appearance, the two share a fair amount of similarities, which explains why they might have assumed the idea was stolen. The lawsuit proved to be a non-starter, as You Can't Do That On Television had been sliming children since 1979. Nickelodeon's series only gained traction after Ghostbusters hit the theatres, so the mistake was kind of understandable. Still, a bit of research would have saved everyone the trouble.
21 Seven Years In The Making
iCarly ran for seven successful seasons. During that time, the sitcom received 61 award nominations and took home the gold 12 times, while earning a reputation as one of the more popular shows on Nickelodeon. The comedy centers around a group of teenagers who run a webcast called iCarly, although this premise serves mostly as a backdrop for typical school-based hijinks. In a blog post following the final episode, Dan Schneider revealed the last scene was planned from the very first season. Considering how long the series lasted, it is incredible they managed to stick to their original vision. To avoid going into spoilers, the climactic scene works well within its context, so it was not just a case of them shoehorning in an idea.
20 The Nuclear Aftermath
SpongeBob Squarepants has more than a few adult jokes and mature themes, but the whole premise is considerably darker than it first appears. Bikini Bottom is the town under the sea where SpongeBob and Patrick live. It is filled with colorful characters and weird buildings, a perfect environment to set a children's show. How did Bikini Bottom come to be? Was it always there? Just existing beneath the surface, beyond the reach of humans? Actually, it has only been around for about 50 years, as SpongeBob's home is located on Bikini Atoll. This was the site used for Nuclear testing in the 1950s, and the show presents Bikini Bottom as the result of those tests. Most of the island sank into the sea, creating the popular children's show. Now, that is dark.
19 Hey Arnold! Was Really Progressive For Its Time
Who has recently rewatched Hey, Arnold!? If it has been awhile, we really recommend revisiting Nickelodeon's comedy, as there are quite a few innuendo that only adults would understand. One aspect which might have gone over our younger selves involved Mr. Simmons, Arnold's fourth-grade teacher. The balding educator encouraged his students to constantly seek out new learning opportunities, although the students generally treated him like scum. Seriously, Harold ate his lunch at one point, which is just mean. Mr. Simmons was also in a relationship with Peter - yes, a dude - which means that a 90s children's show was brave enough to include a gay character. Actually, Nickelodeon tackled the subject better than most live-action sitcoms, as Mr. Simmons was not defined by his orientation.
18 Even Children Knew About Donald Trump...
Since 1988, Nickelodeon has run a special mock election called Kids Pick the President. In this simple special, children vote on who they believe should be elected to the oval office. It is taken relatively seriously and they can only select from the candidates up for the prize, so, at no point was Jimmy Neutron crowned President. Since the program commenced, the children have nearly always gotten it right. The only two exceptions were 2004 and 2016 when George W. Bush and Donald Trump received the majority of votes. These two Presidents pulled off upsets. On the plus side, the next generations seem to know what they are doing.
17 Nancy Callahan's Humble Beginnings
For a good few years, Jessica Alba was Hollywood's IT girl. While she had already gained success via Dark Angel, the attractive actress' worth grew to an incredible extent after her performance as Nancy Callahan in Robert Rodriguez's Sin City. She followed up this head-turning performance with Fantastic Four and Into the Blue, making 2005 a massive year for Jessica Alba. When the script allows for it, she has proven to be a capable actress, who is much more than just a pretty face. Before earning bit-part roles on Chicago Hope and Beverly Hills, 90210; Alba's first showed up on Nickelodeon's The Secret World of Alex Mack as the creatively named character Jessica. She only featured in a handful of episodes, although Alba's face was plastered all over the promotional material once the series was re-released on DVD.
16 No Pie For You!
Double Dare was a messy game show that saw teams compete for prizes by completing a few embarrassing stunts. One of those challenges featured a pie and someone's face, resulting in many hilarious moments. For those taking part in Double Dare, it was recommended to not wear your Sunday best. The comedy was mostly in good fun, although one participant did not feel that way, as she sued Nickelodeon for ruining her libido after Marc Summers threw a pie in her general face direction. While we cannot speak about the legitimacy of her claim, the broadcaster did eventually give her $25,000 to bring the lawsuit to an end. For a company as big as Nickelodeon, paying such a sum would undoubtedly be a better option than taking this to court.
15 The Simpsons Connection
Alongside Arlene Klasky and Paul Germain, Gábor Csupó is responsible for quite a hefty portion of your childhood as the creator of Rugrats. The Hungarian animator has an impressive resume that includes Duckman, Rocket Power, The Wild Thornberrys, and All Grown Up! At Nickelodeon, he clearly played a substantial role in turning them into an animation juggernaut during the 1990s. Prior to Rugrats, Csupó worked on The Simpsons and is partly responsible for their yellow skin. With colorist Gyorgyi Peluce, they pitched the risky design and recommended that Marge's hair be blue. Csupó worked on the short cartoons and the first three seasons of The Simpsons, before creating Rugrats for Nickelodeon. Considering he is responsible for giving birth to one of the most iconic animated families of all time, it is no surprise that Chuckie and friends ended up being rather memorable.
14 The Ren & Stimpy Show Creator Went A Step Too Far
The Ren & Stimpy Show is a gold mine for crude humor. Even HBO shows struggle to match the grown up subjects seen in this Nickelodeon cartoon. The creator of the series, John Kricfalusi, loves to push the envelope, although he eventually went a step too far. Kricfalusi was fired at the beginning of season 2 due to an unreleased episode entitled Man's Best Friend. Originally scheduled to be the second season's fourth episode, Nickelodeon banned it due to an overwhelming amount of brutal scenes and scat jokes. The creator credited this episode for his eventual dismissal, although Man's Best Friend was finally released as part of Spike TV's Adult Party Cartoon. Children can handle violence, but there should be a limit to what is shown. Do you think Nickelodeon should have let this one air?
13 13 Years Of Prequels
SpongeBob Squarepants has already ended. Actually, it has been over since 2004. Sure, the TV show continues to release episodes and even a new feature was made, but The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie was considered the ending point for the story. It brings SpongeBob's character arc to a satisfactory resolution and would have been the perfect point to conclude the cartoon. Nickelodeon had other plans, as the series was simply too popular to not continue. With a change in showrunner, a new set of episodes were put into production. Everything that happens after the movie can be considered as happening prior to the first movie. SpongeBob never really prioritized continuity, so the continuation did not require too many changes, but this one was not meant to go on for so long.
12 Helga Is Rejected By The Man
All Grown Up! took Rugrats' beloved characters and jumped forward a few years, offering fans an opportunity to spend more time within this universe. Hey Arnold! almost received a similar follow-up in the form of The Patakis, which centered around a teenage Helga. Craig Bartlett and Michelle Lamoreaux penned a script for Nickelodeon, but it was rejected due to being too dark. MTV also passed as they had a similar show called Daria. The concept did not really get too far into production, although the creators had decided to remove Arnold from the picture. Otherwise, most of the cast from the original series returned for this one, with Helga taking center stage. It is hard to image Helga without Arnold, but we would have watched it.
11 Drake & Josh Before Drake & Josh
Drake & Josh brought Drake Bell and Josh Peck to the forefront as two lovable brothers who were constantly foiled by their younger sister. The show benefitted from some genuinely great chemistry between the main actors, as it was hard to not buy them as siblings. Their friendly rapport predates Nickelodeon's sitcom, as Bell and Peck got to know each other while working on Dan Schneider's The Amanda Show. This sketch comedy series also ran on Nickelodeon and featured the young actors. They became friends during their time on the series, which translated to their on-screen bromance in Drake & Josh. You just cannot fake that type of brotherly love. The odd-couple-esque sitcom lasted for multiple seasons and spawned two TV movies.
10 Rocko's Modern Life Did Not Think About The Children
As established in the article 25 Inappropriate Things You Never Noticed In Nickelodeon Shows, Nickelodeon loved to include a treat for parents. While children were distracted by the colorful design of the characters and the slapstick humor, attentive adults might pick up on a subtle and risky visual gag in the background. Rocko's Modern Life was one of these shows, and they got away with some incredible stuff. The amazing thing is the innuendos were often rather blatant. At one point, Rocko literally worked as an adults-only phone operator, with the creators leaving nothing to the imagination. Rocko's Modern Life actually gets better as its fanbase grew up since they were finally able to pick up on all the jokes included in any given episode.
9 The Flintstones Connection
The Flintstones might be the most influential animation series of all time, or at the very least, it earns a place in the top 10. Shows like The Simpsons perfected the formula, but Fred Flintstone continues to serve as inspiration for protagonists in modern animated sitcoms. On the other hand, Wilma does not get anywhere near as much love. Sure, her nagging wife persona is rather dated, but her design deserves its fair share of recognition. Thankfully, Butch Hartman rectified that shortcoming, as Wanda from The Fairly OddParents is based on Wilma. Their characters are widely different, but they clearly go to the same stylist. It is always cool when creators share their idols or inspirations since fans rarely get a glimpse into the creative process.
8 Soaking Up The Awards
SpongeBob Squarepants is a critical darling. Seriously, Nickelodeon's wacky comedy about a sponge has been nominated for nine Primetime Emmy Awards since its inception. While it has yet to take home the gold, the cartoon has earned more than 70 awards over the years. That includes six wins at the Annie Awards, which recognize brilliance in animation, and 14 victories at the Kids' Choice Awards. The cartoon has also been praised for its writing and sound editing, notching up a few accolades in those sectors. In total, SpongeBob Squarepants earned 141 nominations, with 16 of those being for the two released movies. This proves that SpongeBob is not only popular with children, but has touched the hearts of many critics and TV veterans.
7 A Recipe For Success
You Can't Do That On Television has already been touched upon during this list, and we are once again talking about their infamous green slime. Nickelodeon was hardly a juggernaut of cable TV during the series' heyday, so the popularity of this visual gag helped elevate the channel's public perception. A few episodes showed contestants trying to figure out the slime's recipe, although they always failed to find out the truth. In reality, the green goo consisted of whatever the creators could find. During the game shows' earlier episodes, they used moldy food leftovers, although this was later changed to gelatin powder, flour, and oatmeal. Baby shampoo was eventually added to make it easier for the actors to wash their hair. Yeah, the green slime used to get everywhere.
6 Rugrats Pissed Off The Anti-Defamation League
Rugrats has received a substantial amount of praise for the way the series handled Jewish themes. The cartoon dedicated episodes to Hanukkah and the Passover, with both earning positive feedback. The main family was Jewish, with the religious themes arising from Tommy's Grandpa Boris and Grandma Minka. Co-creator Arlene Klasky based these two grandparents on her own Eastern European great aunts and uncles, so the content was presented earnestly and in a sensitive manner. Unfortunately, there has to always be that single person who tries to ruin everyone's mood. In this case, the Anti-Defamation League stepped into that role, as they criticized Grandpa Boris' design and labeled it as anti-Semitic. This controversy arose from a Rugrats comic strip published in The Washington Post.