Top 10 Nickelodeon TV Shows From the 1990s

Although most of them are now off the air, the society of the rebellious 90s thrived on the comedic magic these shows represented. Today, teenagers from this generation, even though they were born in the late 1990s, always say “If you were a 90s kid, you would understand”, and in a way, it’s true. Since most of the TV shows from this era ended in the early 2000s, the generation born after that will never experience the amazing comedy from back then. You could say Nickelodeon was the father of all things 90s: with their abundance of wacky cartoons, and hysterical teenage reality portrayal shows (shh, don’t tell Disney).

1. The show that started the snowball effect of sketch/comedy shows on Nickelodeon, created their own teenage version of Saturday Night Live. Yes, I’m talking about All That! With its iconic child stars and extremely catchy opening song, All That was SNL’s crazy daughter. Despite the performers’ mediocre acting, the show never ceased to entertain this era’s audience.                                                               (If you want to have a song stuck in your head all day, check out the theme song for All That here!) (1994-2005)
2. Deriving from All That, over the years, spin off shows with some of the same actors, started to form. In chronological order, Kenan and Kel was the first to air after All That. As another comedic sketch series, Kenan and Kel entertained and amused people for about four years. However, this show was different from it’s neighboring sister. Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell played two best friends, Kenan and Kel who worked at a convenience store, made corny jokes, and constantly got into mischievous trouble with their parents. Other than it’s 30 minute time frame every week, Kenan and Kel eventually starred in their own movie “Good Burger”, in 1997.    (Take a gander at one of the funniest scenes from Good Burger!)
3. I guess you could say Nickelodeon likes to make copy-cat shows, because here comes yet another derivation of All That: The Amanda Show. Amanda Bynes, the star of the 90s Nick show that ended the millenium (1999-2002), became famous from not only All That , but more so The Amanda Show. This series consisted of a live studio audience, wacky lobsters, a different Judge Judy persona played by Bynes, and the debut of none other than Drake Bell and Josh Peck. The Amanda Show had people laughing and quoting the insanity well after it’s three years of making new episodes was over.
4. Here, we break off from the copy-cat sketch comedies and move onto one of two teenage regularly funny shows from the 1990’s, an example of one is Clarissa Explains It All (1991-1994). This breaks from chronological order, because it is less popular than “All That” and its children, but the show was equally as funny. In “Clarissa Explains It All”, Clarissa Darling, who is played by Melissa Joan Hart, directly speaks to the audience while giving them advice on all things Teen. Similar to 2004’s “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide”, it was definitely a show to watch if you needed advice on school, boys, or what to wear.
5. Hey Dude, another lesser comedy series, even though it aired from 1989-1991, the show was still classified as a great 90’s Nick sitcom. It was set on a farm in Arizona and it’s main target audience was, obviously, teenagers. The series focused on a father and son from the city, trying to adjust to life in the country. With its cool title and handsome actors, Hey Dude was the show to watch!
6. Now, here is the moment you all have been waiting for. The basis and foundation of Nickelodeon… CARTOONS! We’ll start with probably the most common cartoon on the face of America: SpongeBob Squarepants. Although it first aired in 1998, it is still on TV, producing new episodes, 16 years later. The series consists of 6 main characters, some we know and love, and some we just hate. SpongeBob, the main character, is a yellow sponge who lives in the ocean (as do all of them), in a pineapple house. The whole show revolves around SpongeBob and his best buddy Patrick Star, and the wacky adventures they encounter. With thousands of merchandise relating to the show, SpongeBob is a series that has continued to make children laugh for over 16 years. (Want to sing along with the rest of the world? Listen to the corny SpongeBob theme song here!)
7. Even though most people who watch SpongeBob are elementary and middle school students, this next show is a little more inappropriate, despite it being aired on regular Nickelodeon day time showing. Ren and Stimpy was a cartoon filled with mild swears, dirty graphics, and lots and lots of innuendo. It aired from 1991-1996, and it definitely was a less-preferred cartoon to watch as a kid. More adults, and some dirty-minded teenagers loved it, however, making it a highly rated cartoon on Nick. Ren Hoek, a middle-aged wise cracking chihuahua, lives with his dimwitted friend, Stimpson J. Cat. Despite their hatred for each other, Ren and Stimpy love to spend time with each other and encounter on any fun and crazy adventure that comes their way.
8. Hey Arnold was another children-based cartoon, that not only got people laughing, but more so allowed people to think and contemplate the meaning of life. Arnold is in fourth grade and lives with his grandparents. From 1996-2004, the show focused mainly on Arnold trying to survive in the city, and at the same time, trying to solve or prevent problems with his friends and relationships. The problems Arnold faced helped children understand everyday problems, and how to solve them. You could say it was educational, or maybe even therapeutic.
9. Similar to Ren and Stimpy, CatDog was another animated series based on a cat and a dog facing life together, but in this case, the cat and dog are basically conjoined twins. Just like most twins, Cat and Dog are polar opposites. In the show, the main focus is the life of Cat and Dog in their town, Nearbug, and how their personalities continue to clash. The show aired from 1998-2005 and was portrayed to be oddly funny. (Check out this hilarious clip to see just how silly the lives of Cat and Dog are!)
10. Now here we saved one of the best 90’s Nick cartoons for last. A cartoon that consisted of a bunch of babies and their adult-like adventures. Yes, I am talking about a show none other than… RUGRATS. Airing from 1991-2004, Rugrats, in its time, was one the longest running cartoons on Nickelodeon (and now that spot belongs to Spongebob). The show mainly revolves around the five toddlers and what happens in their lives everyday. Although most of it is a figment of their imagination, the adults in the series have no idea what’s going on. As the years went on, Rugrats became very famous and the creators even made two movies, and a spin off show “All Grown Up”. If you were a kid that grew up with this Nicktoon, it was probably one of your favorite shows of all time. (Listen to the adorable Rugrats theme song here!)