50 Essential Nickelodeon Shows That All The '80s And '90s Kids Were Obsessed With
Since 1979, Nickelodeon has made some of the best kids' shows out there. I don't know about y'all, but this network was a MA-JOR fixture in my life growing up.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
They had it all: game shows, comedy, drama, live-action, animation, YOU NAME IT.
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
To celebrate Nick being the GOAT of all kids' channels, here are some of their best shows ever.
1.Doug was one of the first animated Nickelodeon shows and things were A+ out the gate.
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
Doug went through the typical problems you face growing up, all of which he worked through while writing in his journal. We stan a self-care king.
2.The Ren & Stimpy Show was another early Nickelodeon title, and this one had something for the kids and the grown-ups.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
Ren & Stimpy was definitely one of those shows your parents let you watch and then got mad at you for watching when they walked by the room and heard a crude joke.
3.It didn't matter that you weren't allowed to stay up late enough to watch SNL if you were watching All That.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
All That was hands down the perfect sketch comedy show for kids. The jokes had something for everyone. It also introduced us to some of the network's brightest young stars.
4.Kenan & Kel were too good of a duo not to get their own spinoff.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
Everybody's got that one friend growing up that it seems like you can get into any kind of crazy situation with and they were that for each other and all of us too.
5.The Amanda Show kept that sketch comedy gold going.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
Amanda Bynes brought so many iconic characters to life on this show that no one can ever question her comedy chops.
6.That's where we met Drake & Josh, who got their own show to spread the brotherly love.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
These two as stepbrothers brought the laughs.
7.That, of course, brought us the iconic iCarly.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
iCarly was great because it brought a lot of modern elements to the signature comedy that started all the way back on All That.
8.Rugrats ended up being one of the most popular cartoons of the entire decade.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
It reminded us that life is one big adventure when you're a little kid.
9.Watching Hey Arnold made you feel SO cool.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
Hey Arnold always had a different, funky vibe to it that set it apart from other shows from this era of Nick. I'm unashamed to admit that I'm an adult who is still jealous of Arnold's room btw.
10.Ka-Blam! brought all kinds of cool animation and claymation that was so visually interesting.
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
The show itself was really good too if you have an offbeat sense of humor. It was an anthology hosted by two kids who live in a comic book, Henry and June.
11.Caitlin's Way was high drama and totally one of Nick's more ~mature~ productions.
12.Double Dare was the perfect combination of gross and funny.
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
The Double Dare obstacle course was many a kid's dream to run. You know you used to jump around in front of your screen and yell as these kids did it all wrong.
13.Figure It Out had Nick's funniest talent guessing what weird talents kids could come up with.
14.Legends of the Hidden Temple could also make you scream at your TV.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
How hard is it to put the head on the monkey in the Shrine of the Silver Monkey?! I digress, this show was awesome for trivia nerd kids who were hyper-competitive (me basically).
15.GUTS brought out the inner athlete in every single one of us.
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
The different competitions looked so fun (and sage rigged up to bungee cords 99% of the time). Plenty of '90s kids were dying to take home a piece of the Aggro Crag.
16.Nick Arcade lets you run around INSIDE of video games. What kid could want anything more?
17.Finder's Keepers would let you run amok in a messy house looking for any and every thing.
18.Clarissa Explains It All served some colorful, daring fashion while also being family and friendship goals.
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
Clarissa Darling was totally that super cool chick who knew how to dress and use a computer and could probably take on the world if she was up to it. Also, she and Sam were an awesome duo and the extended Darling family was hilarious and authentic.
19.The Secret World Of Alex Mack had us all a little jealous that we couldn't just melt into a puddle.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
I mean, a liquid blob seems like a convenient way to get around undetected, which you need to do a lot when you're at war with the local chemical factory that shadily runs the whole town.
20.The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo also fed our need for drama and intrigue.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
Shelby Woo was living our true crime dream in the '90s, interning at a local police station and getting allll up in the cases there.
21.Animorphs was one of the most awesome book series turned TV shows out there (and it gave us a young Shawn Ashmore).
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
Sure, the morphing itself was occasionally unsettling, but wouldn't you give your fiercest stare if you were turning into a whole other life form in front of someone's eyes? This one was for the sci-fi nerds and we were here for it.
22.If you were a cool kid who was more into horror, Are You Afraid Of The Dark? tested your bravery for sure.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
The horror was at the perfect level where you were unsettled, but you didn't have nightmares forever,
23.Aaahh! Real Monsters was the same way... like a darker Monsters Inc.
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm go to monster school to learn all about the scare business and hone their craft.
24.Rocko's Modern Life also got away with some very risque jokes.
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
If the sense of humor feels familiar, it's probably because the team from this moved on to do another beloved Nicktoon.
25.Nickelodeon blew the collective world's mind when they introduced Spongebob Squarepants.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
Bikini Bottom gave us a whole new appreciation for aquatic life and a full, thriving meme folder.
26.Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide hooked us up with the tools we needed to navigate the weird and wonderful world of middle school.
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
Ned and his crew were super funny and very relatable.
27.Before Wild, Wild West, we got our western fix with Hey Dude.
Spending the summer on a dude ranch sounded like torture til this show offered us some new perspective.
28.Though short-lived, we hold Salute Your Shorts and Camp Anawanna in our hearts.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
Who doesn't love some good summer camp antics, honestly?
29.The Journey Of Allen Strange was about a teenage alien who ended up adopted by an Earth family, but it also offered some bigger life lessons.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
It was a lot deeper than you expected, but not in an overwhelming way.
30.Rocket Power made you feel like you could conquer any and all extreme sports.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
It also showed how a group of friends with different personalities could bond over common interests
31.As Told By Ginger gave us some more unforgettable middle school moments.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
The cool thing was that in their search for popularity, Ginger and all her friends had moments of bad judgment. Even the mean girl, Courtney, wasn't so mean and the show illustrated she was also just trying to find where she fit.
32.CatDog was one of Nick's most underrated duos.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
33.The Angry Beavers weren't too far off where iconic duos were concerned.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
Angry Beavers also required a certain sense of humor, but they were some true-blue buddies who also had classic roommate problems.
34.And who among us didn't want to be one of The Wild Thornberrys?
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
Traveling the world? Talking to animals? Sign me up!
35.Avatar: The Last Airbender was a whole masterpiece that made you jealous you couldn't manipulate the elements.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
The responsibility of world peace being in your hands isn't an easy task but it's more about the lessons you learn along the way, and there is a lot to learn with subjects you don't always see discussed in shows meant for kids.
36.The Fairly Oddparents had us all dreaming of a little more magic in our lives.
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
Cosmo and Wanda fulfilled Timmy's every wish, but also helped him learn the price it came with some of those dreams in a series of hilarious ways.
37.Invader Zim is the origin of a lot of cuteness aggression, but also was cool but dark.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
Aliens, but approachable and so hilarious.
38.The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius basically pioneered the STEM movement.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
I can still hear the theme song for this loud and clear in my head.
39.The Adventures Of Pete & Pete took being brothers in a different direction. There was a lot of that little brother-big brother chaos.
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
We all wanted to be chaotic Little Pete, with his hat and his main girl, Petunia.
40.The Brothers Garcia was also all about family, showing Latino culture some love.
There's actually an adult reboot coming soon for all those dying to know what those Garcia siblings are up to these days.
41.My Brother And Me was one of the first shows to follow the day-to-day of a Black family.
It was only a 13-episode single season, but it was revolutionary TV for its time.
42.Cousin Skeeter celebrated a family that wasn't like a lot of others.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
Families on Nick came in all shapes and sizes, but few bridged the human-puppet world quite like this.
43.Taina was another short-lived but powerful piece of representation on Nickelodeon.
44.Victorious and the students at Hollywood Arts High School gave us some bops and, oh yeah, ARIANA GRANDE.
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
If you weren't jealous of her red velvet-colored hair, it's probably because you wanted to be Jade.
45.Zoey 101 made boarding school look like theee move.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
I mean, what tweens didn't want to be away from their parents and around a bunch of their peers?
46.And while we're on the subject of bangers, you can't forget about Big Time Rush.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
Just when you thought you were out of your boyband stage, the hockey players turned triple threats danced into your life.
47.Queen Keke Palmer proved once a boss, always a boss as True Jackson, VP.
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
True Jackson is the come-up queen. She inspired the childhood hustle.
48.Danny Phantom saves his town from ghost attacks with his besties, who are the only ones who know his secret.
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
Perfect for all the times it felt like your friends were the only ones who knew the real you.
49.I spent a lot of time imagining what I would do if I was Rudy from ChalkZone.
Nickelodeon / Via tenor.com
Rudy didn't need tech, just some magic chalk and a lot of imagination. Those were simpler times.
