Nickelodeon has gone through several schedule changes since its debut in the late 1970s. It always focused on programming for children and teenagers. The early years focused on cartoons for younger children in the morning and live action programming when older kids came home from school. Many 90s kids can remember watching Eureka’s Castle or Grimm’s Fairy Tale Classics before lunch.

The programming drastically changes when Nickelodeon debuted their own set of NickToons. Doug, Rugrats, and The Ren and Stimpy Show amazed audiences. They were original shows that made the channel worth watching on Sunday morning. Nickelodeon went through several administrative changes, and they ended up canceled shows that were beloved by young teenagers.

The programming line up only became more confusing after Dan Schneider came on-board. He created several widely popular live-action comedy shows but made it clear that most shows ran their course after two or three seasons. The cast considered that show length a blessing if it wasn’t canceled first. As the network grew in popularity, more issues would eventually arise. Nickelodeon management, child actors, and the animation companies, often butted heads. Most of the time, it ended with a series of permanent hiatus or just dropping off the radar.

Wondering about some of the scandalous cancellations that occurred in the Nickelodeon lineup? Check out our list of twenty shows that were canceled from Nickelodeon airwaves.

20 Unfortunately, Phantoms Don’t Print Money

Danny Phantom starred a teenage boy who had an unfortunate accident which turned him into a half-ghost. It was a hit with fans who loved the humor mixed in with supernatural elements. The series lasted three seasons from 2004 to 2007. There were no problems with ratings, and the show saw continued success. Fans were shocked when Nickelodeon decided to cancel the show.

Danny Phantom had become too expensive to continue making. Nickelodeon didn’t want to pay the producers more. Billionfold Studios just simply couldn’t afford to keep making it at the time since they were working on multiple shows for the network. A decade later, Butch Hartman, who created the show, announced a possible revival in the future. Thanks to YouTube, there's still hope our favorite shows will have a second life.

19 Destroyed Writers’ Plans For Season 3

Taina was one of Nickelodeon's earliest music-based shows. Taina was a teenager who aspired to be an actress and musician. Each episode featured an elaborate daydream played on the screen of Taina performing. The show was well-received and had many viewers. There was little reason to cancel such a popular show.

According to Josh Cruze, who portrayed Eduardo Morales, the show was becoming too expensive to produce. Nickelodeon didn't want to focus all of their funds on one show and decided to cancel Taina after two seasons. Christina Vidal, who played the lead role of Taina, stated in an interview that the writers had already written season three. Unfortunately, the final season was never released. Taina fans will never know if she lived up to her dreams of becoming a star.

18 Tired Of Telling Mermaid Tales

H2O: Just Add Water was filmed in Australia, but told a story kids worldwide could find relatable. Three best friends had to cope with being different. One splash of water and they would transform into mermaids. They had to hide their secret from friends and family. The production of the show became difficult. The costumes were hard to swim in, and the girls had to learn to swim with an extra two feet of fake tail attached to their bodies.

The show didn't do well with audiences and ratings were starting to plummet. The actresses also began to lose interest in the show. They wanted to move on to take on more serious roles. One of the mermaids, Claire Holt, even left the show early to film Messengers 2: The Scarecrow and later moved on to star in Pretty Little Liars.

17 A Normal Life Was More Important

The Secret World of Alex Mack replaced the long-running hit Clarissa Explains It All on Saturday nights. The show starred Larisa Oleynik, who was doused with a mysterious chemical which gave her superhuman powers. She had to keep her abilities a secret or else be captured by the Chemical Plant for experimentation. The show lasted for four seasons from 1994 to 1998. The show was popular and was scheduled to run for a fifth season. Larisa Oleynik decided to turn down the offer. Nickelodeon even offered her a large salary to stay on, but she refused. She wanted to continue her life normally, away from the spotlight. In later interviews, she would state that she didn't regret her decision at all. Larisa Oleynik has since returned to acting in the 2000s, but only in supporting roles.

16 They Should Have Stayed Babies

Rugrats was part of the popular NickToons lineup that first aired on Nickelodeon. Klasky Csupo, the studio behind the show, believed that Nickelodeon would cancel it and stopped producing new episodes. The show ended up being more successful than anyone expected and the show was renewed. After its tenth anniversary, the studio released a special called All Growed Up, which featured the cast as preteens. It was so popular that Nickelodeon wanted Klasky Csupo to put their efforts into making All Grown Up! Instead. The studio hoped that Nickelodeon would allow them to continue working on Rugrats as well, but the network was making more shows for teens than children. Though both series were successful, Nickelodeon wanted to move on with different animation styles and ended their long-running partnership with the company. Klasky Csupo then ceased any remaining projects with the network.

15 Refused To Move To The Sunshine State

During the early years of Nickelodeon, their live-action shows were filmed on the West Coast. Hey Dude! Was filmed in the Arizona desert, while another outdoors show, Salute Your Shorts was mostly shot on a set. The management of the network decided to move to Orlando Florida, home of Disney World and Universal Studios. Hey Dude! was canceled because it was too expensive to continue filming several states away. The same treatment was applied to Salute Your Shorts. The cast didn’t think it was worth it to move to Florida, especially since the teenagers were growing up and would soon head off to college. With clashing plans and the cast refusing to move to the Sunshine state, Salute Your Shorts was forced to end.

14 Animators And Producers Grew Too Angry

Angry Beavers starred two beaver brothers who had to survive the adventures of adulthood. The show already faced some issues with Nickelodeon by racy content and the implication of crude language. Co-creator Keith Kaczorek told Vice that the show was facing cancellation "We were significantly over budget, behind schedule, and had worn out our welcome [with the network]." Realizing that there was no chance to end things amicably, they decided to go out with a bang. In the final episode, "Bye Bye Beavers," the studio would attempt to do something Nickelodeon hated: breaking the fourth wall. They want kids to believe the characters are real in their world and don't attempt to break out into the real world. Nickelodeon didn't think it was so funny. They canceled the show before airing the scandalous "Bye Bye Beavers" episode.

13 Creators And Censors Couldn’t Get Along

The Ren & Stimpy Show was nothing like Rugrats or Doug. It was controversial for using violence, adult humor, and disturbing animation. Creator John Kricfalusi often butted heads with Nickelodeon censors over the content of the show. As the network began to change, they made it clear Ren and Stimpy didn't meet their Standards and Practices. Kricfalusi stood firm in his beliefs that the show wasn't meant to educate children, but to entertain them. Parents began to complain about the show's content. Scenes in the show faced heavy censorship, which only made the animation studio angry. Nickelodeon and Kricfalusi parted ways due to their creative differences. Kricfalusi didn't want his creation to die. He tried to revive it on Spike TV as Ren & Stimpy: Adult Party Cartoon and later on VH1, but low ratings caused the show to be canceled soon after its revival.

12 Too Bad It Couldn’t Morph Into A Good Show

Animorphs was based on the young adult novel series of the same name. It starred a group of teenagers who could morph into different animals. Nickelodeon decided to adapt the novel series into live-action television. Fans of the show looked forward to seeing their favorite characters on screen but were disappointed. The actors did a poor job of portraying the teens from the novel. Their acting distracted from serious scenes, and the cast had little chemistry on-screen. The morphing effects were also horribly done. The viewers that did tune in only did so to laugh at the computer effects. Soon, no one was watching the show. Reviewers were giving the show poor marks all around. Nickelodeon finally decided to cancel the show after 26 episodes.

11 Was Never Meant To Exist In The First Place

The Adventures of Pete and Pete was a 30-minute show about two brothers sharing the same name. They lived in a small city protected by Artie, the strongest man in the world. The show originally began as one-minute shorts that would air between other shows. The creators didn't plan on Pete and Pete becoming so popular with teens. Nickelodeon eventually hired the studio to create five, 30-minute specials. It continued to last for three seasons but soon faded off without further communication from Nickelodeon. The creators couldn't believe the show did so well every week and they believed the show would be canceled. Pete and Pete was never meant to be a 30-minute show spanning for several seasons. After the third season, the show wasn't renewed and no plans were made for a revival.

10 Studio Lost Faith In Their Projects

Klasky Csupo dominated the 1990s with their animated lineup. After Nickelodeon parted ways with the company, they decided to add 3D shows to the network. The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was first aired in 2001 and lasted until 2006. The boy genius would use his intelligence to create new inventions that may or may not have worked out in his favor.

The studio, DNA Productions, produced several television shows, but Jimmy Neutron was their most successful. The studio began to have financial troubles and was unable to keep producing the show. They decided to take one final risk and produce The Ant Bully. The movie wasn't a box office success. The studio ended up laying off most of their employees and closed their animation studio. With the closure came the end of Jimmy Neutron.

9 The Babysitters Had To Find New Careers

After the end of iCarly and Victorious, Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande teamed up for their spin-off show Sam and Cat. The two girls became roommates and babysitters. The actresses of the show caused more trouble for the network than their on-screen personas. Jennette McCurdy caused a scandal for the network when certain photos were leaked online. She blamed her ex-boyfriend, but Nickelodeon didn't care. The photos were causing damage to their public image. They didn't invite her to the Kids Choice Awards and began to keep their distance. This reaction angered McCurdy, and she was upset at Nickelodeon. She took to social media and Reddit to complain. Grande wasn't part of the controversy but was using her off-time to increase the popularity of her singing career. Sam and Cat was canceled after one year.

8 An Indefinite Hiatus

Big Time Rush was a live-action show starring a boy band. They lived in a hotel just for celebrities and rising stars. They were not only prank-loving teens but also had to deal with the relationship issues that came with being famous. The show lasted for 74 episodes and spawned four albums. Fans were crushed when the show was canceled since it was one of Nickelodeon's most popular live-action series. The show seasons were dwindling down and it was clear the show was heading towards cancellation. Kendall Schmidt of the band promised fans that wasn't the end of the band. That turned out to be false. After the show ended, the band went on a break that has lasted since 2014. None of the guys have made it big after the show's cancellation.

7 Aaahh!!! They’re Too Scary!

Klasky Csupo's Aaahh!!! Real Monsters was meant to both delight and scare children. The monsters were in school to learn how to scare unsuspecting humans living on the surface. The show was relatively tame at first. The main monster trio wasn't very good at their craft but did their best. The show continued down a dark and disturbing path and was set to be canceled. There were no plans for a season five, either because Klasky Csupo was expecting a cancelation or Nickelodeon put the show in limbo. Before the show was taken off the air for good, an Aaahh!!! Real Monsters movie was planned. Since it would be released in theaters, the creators would have more freedom to create disturbing content. Unfortunately, production was shut down after claims that it was too frightening for kids.

6 A Massive Fight Caused Everyone To Lose Their Jobs

My Brother and Me aired in the mid-1990s. It was a show about a family living in North Carolina. The show aired during TeenNick and was aimed at older audiences. The showrunners had different ideas on where they wanted to take the show. Ralph McKinley Woolfolk, who portrayed the younger brother Dee Dee Parker, didn't find out about why the show was canceled until years afterward. He learned that the production staff's debate was so intense that they no longer speak to each other. Woolfolk stated he wasn't upset at the cancellation as much as his belief that the showrunners contributed to the stereotype that "African Americans can't get along." They held a grudge for so long that they ended a show that provided a positive experience for families.

5 Growing Up Has Its Consequences

Clarissa Explains It All starred a teenage girl who stood out among her peers. She had a pet baby alligator named Elvis, programmed a new video game every week, and her best friend Sam visited her via ladder every day. Clarissa also had an outlandish fashion style. She was an inspiration to growing girls. Nickelodeon was happy to have her on because it did well, ratings-wise. They grew concerned with the show's star, Melissa Joan Hart. She was doing a great job, but she was also becoming too old to play the role of a teenager. Nickelodeon decided to cancel the show before Melissa grew too old. Clarissa Explains It All was eventually replaced with another show starring a teenage girl called The Secret of Alex Mack.

4 His Loathing Of The Show Was Palpable

Mike O'Malley was a comedian and actor who got his big break hosting Nickelodeon shows. He appeared on Get the Picture, where two teams had to answer questions to complete a photo. O'Malley went on to host the game show GUTS soon after. Most of the time, he appeared with a smile and seemed to enjoy hosting. During the filming of Get the Picture, he began to display how unhappy he was filming game shows for families. GUTS was continually canceled and rebranded with happier hosts appeal to more viewers, but O'Malley never returned to the series. He took the advice of his friends and fellow show host Marc Summers to pursue acting instead. Nickelodeon hasn't revived GUTS since its 2008 revival, but O'Malley has enjoyed a long and successful acting career since leaving the network.

3 Wanted Kids To Drop Class For More Work

The Naked Brothers Band may not seem like Nickelodeon material, but it was a fairly popular live-action show. It starred the Wolff Brothers who were popular musicians living in New York City. Each episode focused on the issues that a traveling band and their families would face. The show quickly became one of the most popular live-action shows on Nickelodeon. It did so well that the producers wanted to increase the seasons from 13 episodes each to a jaw-dropping 60 episodes in a year. The parents of the leading actors refused, stating that Nickelodeon had previously agreed not to interfere with the kids' school schedule. The network was tired of their demands and decided to cancel the show in 2009, even though it was still incredibly popular. It wasn't until 2013 that both the Wolff's parents and Nickelodeon formally announced that the show was canceled for good.

2 Appealed To The Wrong Demographic

Invader Zim was created by Jhonen Vasquez and aired on Friday nights. It was a dark series starring an alien boy and his robotic minion, GIR. Nickelodeon wanted the show to appeal to kids, like their previous SNICK and TeenNick shows in the 1990s. Vasquez disagreed, and wanted the show to appeal to older viewers. Since Vasquez was already known for his mature, violent comic series, older fans were watching more than kids. The show faced other issues. Ratings were sinking, and it was becoming too expensive to produce the show. The show's production staff were also growing tired of working for such a big company. Nickelodeon decided to cancel the second series before it was completed. It was still popular with Vasquez's fans and talked about online years after its cancellation. In 2017, Nickelodeon announced the show would be brought back as a made-for-tv movie.

1 A Scandal Of Epic Proportions

Jamie Lynn Spears started out her career on Nickelodeon, while her sister Britney started hers on the Disney Channel. Jamie first starred in All That but soon landed the leading role in Zoey 101. She played a teenager living in a co-ed boarding school. The show was fairly popular and lasted four seasons from 2005 to 2008. In 2007, 16-year-old Jaime shocked the entertainment world by announcing she was pregnant by her 18-year-old boyfriend at the time. It was not only a scandal because she was so young, but also that her boyfriend could potentially be arrested for having a relationship with a minor. Since Jaime was now busy with a newborn, Nickelodeon had to cancel Zoey 101 sooner than expected. Ten years later, Nickelodeon eventually wrapped up the cliffhangers of Season 4 with no further plans to revive the series