Old Nick Appreciation Thread

[minor muppetz]

My thoughts on some of the old Nickelodeon shows, starting with the Nicktoons:

Doug
I feel like the first episode I saw was the first episode, "Doug Bags a Nematoad". This seems like the "normal" one of the original three Nicktoons, but it was still a good show. I like Skeeter and Porkchop and Mr. Dink. Some of my favorite episodes include the one where Doug tries to learn how to dance, the one where Doug gets accused of copying Chalky's answers on a test, and the episode where Doug works as a mascot for The Honker Burger.

Rugrats
I've always enjoyed this better than Doug. The early episodes are a lot better than the revival episodes. I tolerated it after Dil was born, but started watching it considerably less when Kimmi was introduced. Some of my favorite episodes include "Real or Robot", "At the Movies", "Toy Store", "Cuffed", "Pickles vs. Pickles", "Beach Blanket Babies", and "Reptar on Ice". I like the first two movies but thought the third was mediocre. I even willingly watched the "All Grown Up" series on occasion.

Ren and Stimpy
This seems to have been the big hit out of the three original Nicktoons (until Rugrats soared in popularity and was revived). Unlike the other Nicktoons, which were all two-segment shows, this was a two-segment show AND featured short segments as well (like the "Log" commercials). I really like the ending scenes with Ren and Stimpy in front of a curtain (there weren't enough of those). My favorite episodes include "Stimpy's Invention", "Ren's Toothache", "Camping Out", "Space Madness", "Have Yourself a Stinky Little Christmas", "Cousin Sven", and "Man's Best Friend" (though after years of knowing about it and then finally seeing it I feel George Liquor acted a lot friendlier than I had expected him to). Oh, and that Muddy Mudskipper episode was great, too (forget the title but for some reason both both halfs had different titles)! I don't remember very many of the post-John K episodes too well (though I really like the episode where Ren's evil and dopey sides become seperate beings, especially the girl scout cookie scene). I had a talking Ren doll (which scared my brother) and a farting Stimpy doll, as well as both Ren and Stimpy audio cassettes.

Rocko's Modern Life
I first saw Rocko on some contest Nickelodeon did. Can't remember what it was called, but there was something where, I believe, viewers could call in, and a character from a different Nick show would appear and ask the viewers to have some spinning thing stop at a certain point to find another character from that show (for example, Mr. Lippman from Welcome Freshmen appeared and told a viewer to find Walter). One of whom was Rocko, and I can't remember which character from his show was supposed to be found. This was before it began airings, and before I saw promos for the show. Anyway, I like the Bigheads, they're funny. Some of my favorite episodes include the two Ralph Bighead episodes (especially "Wacky Deli"), "Tickled Pinkey", and "Zanzibahr" (I often break into one of the episodes songs at random - "R-E-C-Y-C-L-E Recycle!").

Aaaaaahhh! Real Monsters
I liked this show a lot better when it was current, but now I don't have much interest in revisiting it (though I recently downloaded one episode, "Spontaneous Combustavle", on iTunes). I liked all three monsters, though. I also had the Sega Genesis game, which was fun.

Kablaam
I don't know if this actually counts as a Nicktoon (I don't think it was ever promoted as such), but I liked the variety format. My favorite segments from this show include Action League Now (which originated in a handful of All That episodes), Life with Loopy (I like the episode where Loopy tries to get the mailman to stop delivering bills, as well as her father's response to the bills), and The Offbeats. I've read on TV Tropes that this hasn't been released commercially because of the many different artists who contributed. Too bad they didn't negotiate at the time it was produced to have video releases of the show.

The Angry Beavers
Daggot was a really funny character. I like the episode where Norbert promises to be Daggot's slave for an entire day (relying on him to forget, which he actually doesn't), and the episode where Norbert forgets to chew and grows his teeth out. Not to mention the box tops episode ("Mommy! I've got beavers in my cereal!"). It's interesting how both Ren and Stimpy and Angry Beavers had episodes involving "Beaver fever" (though it's different in both cases).

Hey Arnold
This is one of my favorite Nicktoons (I have the first season DVD set). I have many favorite characters and episodes. I watched the show less in the later seasons, but I think I saw some of the later episodes. Too bad the Hey Arnold "jungle movie" (where Arnold would have found his long-lost parents) never got made. Helga and her family were among the best characters, as were Sid, Stinkey, and Brainy.

The Wild Thornberry's
The first Nicktoon where every episode was a full half-hour (instead of two half-episodes). Around this time I was starting to become less interested in new Nickelodeon shows, and while I believe I did watch the early seasons often, I hardly remember any of the episodes. I never saw the movie, but did see The Rugrats Go Wild.

CatDog
I enjoyed this episode. I can identify with Cat more than Dog, and I really like the side characters Rancid Rabbit and Mr. Sunshine. Winslow was such a jerk. Some of my favorite episodes include the one where a preferred brand of dog treats get outlawed in CatDog's town so Cat opens a nightclub where he secretly sells those treats at high prices (spoofing the prohibition), the episode where Winslow blackmails Cat after reading Dog's diary, and the episode where Dog gets electrical powers. One episode I don't really like is the one where Dog refuses to leave his fire hydrant until he learns who was using it. I know it's supposed to be funny, but I find it too cruel to Cat. Such a downer episode!

And those are the ones I watched regularly. I started watching SpongeBob when it began but got bored a little fast (I enjoyed it when it was a sneak peek after the Kids Choice Awards and was awaiting its regular schedule, and it ended up not being worth the wait).

I'll write about the live-action shows later.

 

[Drtooth]

Like I always say, the ONLY Nicktoon I ever truly hated was Rocket Power. That was just a cynical cash in on the "ExTREEEEEEEEEEEME" craze. I have to admit, while I didn't find As Told By Ginger that interesting, I did like the episode where the mother dates the guy with a bunch of rowdy sons that obsess over Meatball subs.

I don't remember very many of the post-John K episodes too well (though I really like the episode where Ren's evil and dopey sides become seperate beings, especially the girl scout cookie scene).

I grew to hate the non-John K ones. Some are pretty good, like Stimpy's Cartoon Show, and certain ones with Wilbur Cobb. But I really disliked Aloha Hoek... you know the one... that episode where they live in a whale carcass and at the end turn into Russia Spy versions of the Flintstones? Only saving grace was Dom Deluise. There are some others I just stopped liking the older I got. For one thing, they tried TOO hard to copy what John did, and they translated it as "gross joke, Ren goes crazy, non-sequitor ending." All without the subtlety of great episodes like Space Madness and Stimpy's Invention. I even like the overly adult Adult cartoon Party episodes over most of those games ones.

 

[minor muppetz]

My thoughts on some of the live-action shows.

Salute Your Shorts
This is one of my favorite Nick shows. I like it so much I started a thread about it at Muppet Central (I posted the link in a previous post in this thread). My favorite characters include Sponge and Michael, and after watching the show again recently I've got to say I enjoy Pinsky more than I did as a kid. As a kid I didn't really understand that the camp was supposed to be a bad camp. There are parts of the theme song where characters sound awkward, but I can't tell if they're bad singers or if they don't really believe in their lyrics. Some of my favorite episodes include "Michael Goes to Camp", "Sponge's Night Out", "The Radio Contest", "Brownies for Thud Macky", and "Cinderella Play". As a kid I thought Budnick was a bad guy (as opposed to just a bully) and thought there should have been a SYS video game with Budnick as the main boss.

Welcome Freshmen
Another of my favorite live-action shows, and yet I don't remember too many episodes well. I really liked Walter. I remember the "Holidays" episode (which I think I only saw once), and the episode where Alex acts in a play where she has to kiss Kevin but Grant is jealous and Kevin wanted to kiss a different actress, and I sorta remember an episode where Manny wants to hook up with a girl (don't remember much of that... I recall a scene where he tries to get his ear pierced but then backs down).

The Adventures of Pete and Pete
I remember seeing the original shorts, and then seeing the special "New Years Pete". It's a shame the third season isn't on DVD (I'm surprised Shout! hasn't released it, since Shout! has been releasing other classic Nick shows). After watching the DVDs I hadn't realised how absured the show is! Some of my favorite episodes include the one where Big Pete takes shop class, the episode where Big Pete is a lifeguard, "When Pete's Collide", "38 Hours", and "Saturday".

Clarissa Explains It All
I think it took me awhile to like this, probably because the lead was a girl (in fact I've read that this was one of the first shows starring a girl to become popular with both boys and girls), but eventually grew to like it. I like Sam and his ways of entering the house (with the ladder). While I watched it often I don't really remember too many episodes (I remember the one where Clarissa and Ferguson think somebody is trying to break into the house, and the one where Clarissa and Sam go on a date, and the one where the family plans a trip to the Grand canyon, and the one where Clarissa accidently steals lingerie, and the one where Ferguson finds a stray cat, and the "Ferguson Explains it All" episode... In fact who else remembers the commercial where Ferguson promotes "Ferguson Explains Everything"?).

You Can't Do That on Televison
I got cable in 1992, and this show left Nickelodeon in 1993. And at the time it was one of the few Nickelodeon shows I didn't really care for, but then several years later I learned about its place in Nickelodeon history and wanted to see the show and then watched two of the three episodes that aired during Nickelodeon's 20-year anniversary marathon and enjoyed it. Too bad its not on DVD.

The Secret World of Alex Mack
I'm not too interested in seeing this show again, except for certain episodes, mainly ones that seem to follow continuity or be important to the series, like the first and last episodes. I'd read on TV Tropes that Vince at one point took detective classes and found out that Alex was the kid his company was after, yet in the final episode it's implied/confirmed that he knew all along but chose not to tell anyone (and TV Tropes also claims he at first thought his company wanted to help her... Then why did he pretend he didn't know?).

Nick Arcade
I really liked this show. I actually thought watching it would help me learn how to beat games I was having trouble with. I always wondered how they did those final challenges (thinking they wouldn't want the contestants to actually know it wasn't real). I wonder if the use of video games is whats keeping this show from getting a video release (then again, I know that most of The Angry Video Game Nerd's video game reviews are on DVD, and I'm sure he doesn't get permission to include game footage).

Weinerville
I liked this show. When it began I thought the title was funny because I thought it was referring to a body part. I used to wonder how they did those challenges where the kids turn into half-puppets (yeah, I know they put their heads over headless puppets, but I figured the producers wouldn't want anyone outside the show to knoow how it was done). Interesting that this show was a little like the old local children's shows that included existing national cartoons, and that the cartoons changed every few years (I assume its not on DVD because of rights issues, but in that case, couldn't they release the show on DVD and replace the cartoons with Nicktoons?). Interestingly, Baby Jeffrey seemed to be all over the promos, but was rarely on the show itself outside of the opening.

Cousin Skeeter
I really liked this show, though I didn't watch it much after the second season (I recall watching only the first half of the made-for-TV movie). I like how Skeeter hates being called short.

All That
This was a great show. I can't remember how long I actually watched this on a regular basis. There was so much I liked. Earboy, Ishmae, Superdude, Vital Information... This show needs to come to DVD, either in full episodes or "best of" compilations.

Keenan & Kel
This show was great as well. Though I find it odd that the fat one was the one with the top billing (and that the skinny one was the funnier one... That's not how comedy duos work!). I like the Christmas episode (especially Kel's excitement over the Tuba Phone... "It's not just a tuba, it's a phone!") and the one where Keenan makes a medicine for Kel which succeeds in making him better.

My Brother and Me
Some of my favorite episodes include the episode where DeeDee gets a haircut that his parents told him not to get, the one where DeeDee stops being friends with his friends because they told everyone that a girl kissed him, and the one where the older brother (forget his name... Alfie?) teaches DeeDee how to dance for a party.

Hey Dude
I didn't really want to watch this at first, since I assumed the show heavily featured country music (due to the western setting). But I eventually watched it alot, but can't remember much about any episode (except for the one where two of the characters get handcuffed). For some reason I used to think Mr. Ernst was played by the same actor who played Artie on Pete & Pete (maybe somebody thought they looked similar and told me).

There are many other shows I watched but can't think of anything to say about, like Guts, Global Guts, Legend of the Hidden Temple, Double Dare, What Would You Do?, Alan Strange, Roundhouse, and Are You Afraid of the Dark.

One show that was on when I got the channel but don't remember at all is Fifteen. I remember about 12 years ago watching a tape of stuff I recorded on cable and seeing "Fifteen" mentioned as "coming up next". I wonder why I don't remember knowing about it from then. I've watched the opening and promos on YouTube and nothing rings a bell.

 

[beatnikchick300]

I'm happy to see that I'm not the only person who remembers My Brother and Me!

 

[Drtooth]

I will say this... there is hope for Nickelodeon yet. At least for me.

Apparently they did greenlight a Monsters Vs. Aliens cartoon series, and it's supposedly coming out next year.

 

[jgidley]

Man, did I come to the right place. You guys don't know how much I miss the old Nick. When my little sister watches iCarly and Victorious nowadays, I want to throw up. The Nicktoons in the 90s were comic GOLD. Doug, Rugrats, Ren and Stimpy, Rocko's Modern Life, Hey Arnold, Angry Beavers, CatDog...and of course, my all time favorite(even though it wasn't really part of the 90s), Spongebob Squarepants, which I still love to watch these days. I didn't really like the live action shows besides Kenan and Kel and The Amanda Show. As for Nick Jr, I was probably the biggest fan of Blue's Clues ever. As for the other shows, I also enjoyed Allegra's Window, Richard Scarry, Franklin, Kipper, Gullah Gullah Island, Little Bear, and of course, don't forgot Nickelodeon's fantastic respect to the Muppets. Reruns of the Muppet Show, movies, TV specials, Muppet Babies, and Sesame Street on their sister channel, Noggin.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Hey Dude
For some reason I used to think Mr. Ernst was played by the same actor who played Artie on Pete & Pete (maybe somebody thought they looked similar and told me).

Funny you say that because I remember one time during the closing credits of Hey Dude the announcer pondered how much Mr. Ernst and Artie looked alike, lol. They weren't the same actor but after hearing that I started wondering, lol.

 

[minor muppetz]

Funny you say that because I remember one time during the closing credits of Hey Dude the announcer pondered how much Mr. Ernst and Artie looked alike, lol. They weren't the same actor but after hearing that I started wondering, lol.

Maybe that's why I thought they were the same.

I realised that I haven't posted my thoughts on Nick Jr. Now I'm not going to talk much about the Nick Jr. shows. I often did watch them (when I didn't have school), and not just to see Muppet Babies, The Muppet Show, and Muppet Time. Though most I don't remember much or have much to say about.

There are some Nick Jr. programs where my memory is really low. I don't even know how many were originally broadcast on Nick and how many were reruns (and if they were foreign shows that Nick merely has the american rights to... Well, I don't know that!). Shows like that Elephant Show, David the Gnome, Noozles, and The Little Bits. I know I tolerated Gulla Gulla Island, really liked Eureeka's Castle and Allegra's Window, and fairly liked The Busy World of Richard Scary, Brother Bear, and some other show which I think involved some old forrest creature (a bear? a groundhog? a fox?) who told stories to his grandkids. I also liked The Little Big Room insertials.

I often watched Blue's Clues with my brother, and liked to joke about how stupid Steve was. I could usually figure out the answer to Blue's Clue after the first or second clue, and thought it should have been obvious to Steve (then again, if it was then the show would be shorter). And when the clues were there and Steve foolishly didn't know where to look for them, needing help from off-screen kids... I'd like to see a parody where the kids voices constantly call Steve stupid for that. I don't think I ever saw any of the post-Steve episodes.

 

[Redsonga]

Clarissa Explains It All.
I wanted to be just like her, and thought she was so cool.
I also loved Doug

 

[Drtooth]

Hey Dude. UGH! I think I said this before... I had a Nickelodeon VHS called "Mushfest" that had a 11 minute Rugrats cartoon, an 11 minute Doug cartoon, and a big fat full half hour of Hey Dude in the middle. Guess what cartoon I bought it for? Yeah. The one at the end of the full half hour of Hey Dude. I didn't mind watching the Rugrats episode... it was pretty fun. The one where the cool kid Angelica falls in love with that becomes a big brother mentor for the babies... the one where Chuckie confesses he's afraid of the guy on the Oatmeal box.

Then a LOT of fast forwarding (which would usually take me half way through freaking Hey Dude) and the episode where Roger falls in love with Judy. Which was the ONLY episode of Doug I was able to get on VHS. I never got any of the compilation ones. So when I had a hankering to watch Doug, I had to fast forward through a boring live action show to watch the same episode.

Long story short, that's why I like DVD's over VHS.