The Nicktoon Thread

[Drtooth]

Figured that we have separate threads for some of their current shows and one for Old Nickelodeon, some of the more modern but not necessarily current cartoons (and a few old ones as well) are left out. So here's a nice little place to converse about those cartoons that don't fit the mold of the other threads, or to generally talk about those which have them.

First off, I'm a really big FOP fan and all. I mentioned this in another thread, but as one of the few that actually like Sparky and Foop (which I swear is a nod to Butch's former CN co-worker, Seth MacFarline because Foop is essentially first 3 season Stewie), I really don't like where they're going with Chloe. I understand why they'd add a female character to the series that isn't a nag (Wanda) a goof (Timmy's Mom) or love interests like Tootie and Trixie. But my issue is that FOP has a wealth of characters they never use anymore, and I'd rather see more of them. Especially the competent fairy hunter that had Timmy on the ropes that one time. You know, the one that detects if a kid has fairies because they wish her to be the permanent replacement. Seems that's wasted potential for Crocker to have competition. And also you don't see much of A.J., Sanjay, or Chester lately.

Secondly, I'm going to give a shout out to a show I overlooked. I just couldn't get into My Life is a Teenage Robot when I first watched a couple episodes. I didn't dislike it, but I really wasn't impressed by it much. Nicktoons has been running it weekdays and I caught a few more of them, and I'm enjoying it a lot more than I did. It's no Angry Beavers (I don't know why, but I absolutely love that one), and I wouldn't kick Hey Arnold out of bed for it, but I'm appreciating it getting to see more. It does feel like it's underrated because it's a Nicktoons comedy action show with a female lead, and those seem to be hit or miss when it comes to getting a kid audience.

 

[mr3urious]

Pelswick is another underrated cartoon of theirs. The main character is a pre-teen who just happens to be paraplegic, and he deals with the same problems other able-bodied kids his age deal with, with the help of his David Arquette-voiced guardian angel. I especially love the episode which brutally slaughtered reality TV (specifically The Real World) just as it was starting to get popular, or the one where Pelswick's dad dates a woman obsessed with being politically correct.

And I can't say I'm the biggest fan of The Mighty B, but I do love the main character: a quirky and adorable ersatz Girl Scout obsessed with earning merit badges because she thinks it would turn her into a superhero. Plus, Bessie Higgenbottom was between that age where she wasn't boy-crazy yet not a bee-yotch to other girls (no pun intended) according to creator Amy Poehler, who also voices Bessie.

 

[Mo Frackle]

The early '00s Nicktoons were part of my childhood, and yet I still find myself gravitating more towards the '90s series. Random thoughts (Note: these are all based on childhood memories, and don't necessarily represent my current thoughts).

SpongeBob - Like most people, I loved seasons 1-3. Can't really comment on the post-movie stuff. I stopped watching around season 5, largely because the series was no longer holding my interest. I did see the premieres of much of the season 4 episodes, and always remember they felt 'off.'

Rocket Power - A product of its time. Would only watch if there wasn't anything else on. Found the characters to be kind of unlikable - except for Tito, anyway ("as the ancient Hawaiians used to say...").

Pelswick -Barely remember it.

As Told By Ginger - Only watched it because my sister did. Unsurprisingly, it didn't do much for me - you know, being a 6-8-year-old boy and all.

The Fairly Odd Parents - Loved it during its heyday. I remember finding it to be rather annoying after awhile, beginning around the time of the Jimmy Neutron crossovers, I believe. The characters became less likable, particularly Timmy. Stopped watching after its initial run. Favorite episodes were from post-Oh Yeah! season 1.

Invader Zim - Wasn't allowed to watch it.

Jimmy Neutron - One of my favorites from the '00s, although I honestly feel its 3-season run was long enough.

All Grown Up - No, it wasn't as charming as Rugrats. But in fairness, Rugrats wasn't that charming anymore. I thought it was a nice lazy Sunday afternoon sort of show.

Chalkzone - Not necessarily a favorite, though I loved the overall concept.

My Life As a Teenage Robot - Another show I would mostly watch if there was nothing else on. But it was far from awful. Just not one I remember particularly well.

Danny Phantom - Didn't really get into it until much later on into its run.

Avatar: The Last Airbender - Never got into it. Might like it more now.

Catscratch - Weird show.

The X's - I remember it as a serious spy-parody featuring Patrick Warburton and Wendie Malick. That's about it.

Mr. Meaty - Weird show.

I liked that many of the Nicktoons from this era focused on kids living in fantastic situations - one has fairy godparents, one's a boy genius, one can go to a chalk world whenever he wants to, etc. These series certainly made a kid envy their lives.

Most of the '90s Nicktoons were making fewer and fewer appearances on Nick as the 2000's rolled on. Although Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, and The Wild Thornberrys still remained pretty active. As mentioned above, Rugrats lost its charm around this point. I'd lost interest by the time Taffy the babysitter showed up. Hey Arnold! remained great up until its premature end. I didn't watch Thornberrys that much.

 

[mr3urious]

ChalkZone was an interesting case. It certainly felt more juvenile with its concept and tone compared to the others, as if it were something that kids who just graduated from Nick Jr. would watch. The musical numbers sounded like they came straight out of a Nick Jr. show, too.

 

[Drtooth]

And I can't say I'm the biggest fan of The Mighty B, but I do love the main character: a quirky and adorable ersatz Girl Scout obsessed with earning merit badges because she thinks it would turn her into a superhero. Plus, Bessie Higgenbottom was between that age where she wasn't boy-crazy yet not a bee-yotch to other girls (no pun intended) according to creator Amy Poehler, who also voices Bessie.

Took me years to finally see that one, and it was the only Nicktoon I've never seen up until that point. They aired some of them weekends before Christmas, and I have to say, it's not the greatest cartoon Nick ever did, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. It's a lot more Ren and Stimpy influenced than I expected. Kinda bummed that not even Amy Pohler's big name kept that show running, and it just completely disappeared from public conscious.

Catscratch - Weird show.

Considering it was created by the same guy who gave us Earthworm Jim, no surprise there. Of course the show was toned down the the extreme from its actual concept, a pretty violent and dark comic book Douglas TenNapel did. While it never got much respect, at least it had a kid's meal from McDonalds. Managed to get a couple of Blick and Waffle, but none of the Gordons. And ya gotta love a series with Pleakly, Neuman, and Rob Paulsen as main voice actors.

I also feel that El Tigre is pretty underrated. I'm a big fan of the visual style used here. Like some sort of mix between thick outline cartoons and Ren and Stimpy. I absolutely love the concept of a super powered kid that can't decide to be a hero or a villain (not helping is the fact that his hero father is kinda a trainwreck). I'm really becoming a fan of this guy's work, as I also feel that Book of Life is an underrated movie. And that also got a Kid's meal promo, but I only ever got Signor Senior (or whatever his name is)...didn't even see the show 2 years ago when Book of Life came out and they reran it on Nicktoons.

ChalkZone was an interesting case. It certainly felt more juvenile with its concept and tone compared to the others, as if it were something that kids who just graduated from Nick Jr. would watch. The musical numbers sounded like they came straight out of a Nick Jr. show, too.

While I don't hate Chalkzone, I never really got into it. It was one of the only non-TV/EI type shows they actually aired on the shortlived CBS Nickelodeon block. I saw a few episodes, and I didn't like how Candi milo did an obnoxious Rosie O'Donnell impersonation for the main character's main drawing. But I'd stifle to say it's low quality. It's okay, and can be entertaining sometimes, just not as funny as some of the other ones. Also saw Pelswick on that one, and yeah... it's the red headed stepchild of Nickelodeon. Thing is, it doesn't really feel like a Nicktoon. Seems like something Fox Kids would have aired. I think Nelvana produced it. If not, you can see where I'm coming from with it.

 

[Mo Frackle]

While I don't hate Chalkzone, I never really got into it. It was one of the only non-TV/EI type shows they actually aired on the shortlived CBS Nickelodeon block.

Ah, I remember that CBS thing. Nick for the small handful of people without cable, I guess. As I recall, the block would only air the (lesser) Nicktoons of the '00s, and more recent episodes of the classics that were still in production (Rugrats, Arnold, Thornberrys). Hour-long specials ("The Journal," "Sir Nigel") were shown in 30 minute chunks, a week apart from each other. Strangely, that live-action "Brothers Garcia" show was tossed into the mix at one point.

 

[mr3urious]

Considering it was created by the same guy who gave us Earthworm Jim, no surprise there. Of course the show was toned down the the extreme from its actual concept, a pretty violent and dark comic book Douglas TenNapel did. While it never got much respect, at least it had a kid's meal from McDonalds. Managed to get a couple of Blick and Waffle, but none of the Gordons. And ya gotta love a series with Pleakly, Neuman, and Rob Paulsen as main voice actors.

What do you think about the romance between Gordon and Kimberly (or "Hyooman Kimbearleh" as Gordon calls her), an adult cat and a 9-year-old girl? Granted, I don't think it's as disgusting as it sounds, but either way I'm surprised the moral guardians didn't complain about that.

 

[Drtooth]

Ah, I remember that CBS thing. Nick for the small handful of people without cable, I guess. As I recall, the block would only air the (lesser) Nicktoons of the '00s, and more recent episodes of the classics that were still in production (Rugrats, Arnold, Thornberrys). Hour-long specials ("The Journal," "Sir Nigel") were shown in 30 minute chunks, a week apart from each other. Strangely, that live-action "Brothers Garcia" show was tossed into the mix at one point.

They picked shows that could fit into the TV/EI rating system, and they basically just threw the slice of life/moral quandaries type shows in there (and thank Glob it included Arnold). I remember specifically because I was really hoping they'd put Spongebob on there, since this was at the rise of the character's popularity in 2001-ish, but then they reverted back to the preschool stuff that season. Retrospectively, I shouldn't have been happy that a major network was just taking shows from a cable channel the same company that owned CBS owned. That really should have spelled the beginning of the end for Saturday mornings, and I should have paid better attention.

What do you think about the romance between Gordon and Kimberly (or "Hyooman Kimbearleh" as Gordon calls her), an adult cat and a 9-year-old girl? Granted, I don't think it's as disgusting as it sounds, but either way I'm surprised the moral guardians didn't complain about that.

While I have seen a few episodes about that, I can't remember if it was just a one sided crush or not. I wouldn't worry much about the moral guardians so much as the fact that, well, TenNapel is, let's just say, religious. In the CD rom ending of Earthworm Jim on easy mode (I'm sure you've probably seen the humiliating text they have at some point, if not it's a scientific entry on worms) he kinda breaks from reading the script to mock how they had the word "evolution" in it. So I'm sure there there was no trouble there.

You know, if there's one Nicktoon I think is really special, it's Angry Beavers. I mean, on the surface it looks like a standard wacky cartoon and all, but there's just something that sets it apart. And that's the fact that a lot of improv from Richard Horovitz and Nick Backay that was allowed. There's just something about the chemistry of the characters that you really feel that they're brothers and those ad-libbed lines pretty much helped shape that. And both actors had a real ball with this show and it shows.

Plus, I like how the show parodied something as obscure as the 1970's Cat in the Hat cartoon special.

 

[Mo Frackle]

They picked shows that could fit into the TV/EI rating system, and they basically just threw the slice of life/moral quandaries type shows in there (and thank Glob it included Arnold). I remember specifically because I was really hoping they'd put Spongebob on there, since this was at the rise of the character's popularity in 2001-ish, but then they reverted back to the preschool stuff that season. Retrospectively, I shouldn't have been happy that a major network was just taking shows from a cable channel the same company that owned CBS owned. That really should have spelled the beginning of the end for Saturday mornings, and I should have paid better attention.

According to the Nick on CBS Wikipedia (not my favorite source) article, CBS occasionally aired one-off 'special presentations' of some of Nick's er... more popular shows. I know that a few SpongeBob and Rugrats TV specials made their way onto CBS, but I don't think the other listed programs ever did. And I'm 99.99% sure Kenan and Kel was never part of the block.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickelodeon_on_CBS

Anyway...

I agree, the improv between Richard and Nick really differentiate the Beavers from the other wacky Nicktoons, in my opinion.

Random SpongeBob memory - maybe it was because I watched the network frequently, but I seem to recall Nick giving SB a lot of promotion early on. A preview clip of the clam wrestling scene from "Tea at the Treedome" was regularly shown during commercial breaks prior the show's premiere. My parents got a big kick out of the line "hold on there, little square dude!"

I missed the preview of the pilot that was shown after the 1999 Kids Choice Awards, but did catch the official Saturday morning premiere ("Bubblestand/"Ripped Pants"). Nick aired Rugrats at 8:30, with SB set to air at 9:00. As my family anxiously waited for this great new show, out cable went out at about 8:40. Thankfully, my grandparents taped the episode for us. Our cable came back on around the end of "Bubblestand," I remember being really confused. Who's this green guy with the big nose, and why is he trapped inside of a giant bubble?

 

[mr3urious]

You know, if there's one Nicktoon I think is really special, it's Angry Beavers. I mean, on the surface it looks like a standard wacky cartoon and all, but there's just something that sets it apart. And that's the fact that a lot of improv from Richard Horovitz and Nick Backay that was allowed. There's just something about the chemistry of the characters that you really feel that they're brothers and those ad-libbed lines pretty much helped shape that. And both actors had a real ball with this show and it shows.

I especially loved the constant mispronunciations of words like "spee-ack" (speak), "moy" (moi), and "wiener" (winner).