Growing up as a kid to my early teenage years I watched a lot of kid/pre-teen shows from shows on PBS like Arthur and Between the Lions to shows on WB Kids like Yugioh and Jackie Chan Adventures. Back in my generation the shows that were on T.V from ages 3 – 13 was the glory days of kid/pre-teen shows. Cartoon Network had Ed, Edd and Eddy, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and Courage the Cowardly Dog while Disney Channel had Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Kim Possible and Hannah Montana. But there was one channel that I always had on and my sister and I would constantly watch while we were in our grandparent’s house, Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon from back in my day as a kid/pre-teen had so much to offer from Nick Jr. shows, regular cartoon Nickelodeon shows, TeenNick shows and of course Nick at Nite, although that one shouldn’t really count since it aired re-runs of Full House, My Wife and Kids, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, George Lopez, The Cosby Show and this was before it was bombarded with 6 straight hours of FRIENDS! Still Nickelodeon had and still has it all. While I don’t watch it today because of how much it has changed I have to give the channel credit for still being relevant today. So this now brings us to this week’s Top 10 list as I have thought about this for about a month and a half and I finally was like Steve it’s time, you have to make this list. This list was asked for by my dear friend Gerson. I am going to be counting down the Top 10 Nickelodeon shows of all time. Now I only will be including straight Nickelodeon shows that aired after the Nick Jr. spots and before Nick at Nite, so sorry Blue Clues and Dora the Explorer fans but that list can be a list on its own. Comment below your favorite Nickelodeon show of all time and let’s gather around the living room, get your slime ready and let’s countdown the Top 10 Nickelodeon Shows of All Time.
Top 10 Nickelodeon Shows of All Time
10. All That (1994 – 2000, 2002 – 2005, 2019- ) – Before kids and pre-teens began to watch comedy sketch shows like Saturday Night Live and MadTv, there was All That. The show helped launch many careers not only on the Nickelodeon programming but in general as names like Kenan Thompson, Nick Cannon, Amanda Bynes, Kel Mitchell, Gabriel Iglesias and Jamie Lynn Spears all had their careers started because of the show. All That consisted of some of the most funniest sketches on television, at least for kids, including Repair Man, The Loud Librarian, Ask Ashley, Vital Information and of course the one that gained the most popularity and later a movie, Good Burger. As a kid growing up this was the go to show to watch during the TeenNick block as it had your ridiculous kid comedy, some great musical performances from some big names back in the day and I hate to say it but it had mother fucking Danny Tamberelli and if you don’t know who that is then bro Google it I can’t help you. As for the musical acts the show consistently brought in some of the hottest musical acts to either perform or be a part of the show. I’m talking about TLC, Usher, Aaliyah, Coolio, Busta Rhymes, Backstreet Boys, Salt N Pepa, LL Cool J, Boyz II Men, Destiny’s Child, Ice Cube, Shaq and that’s just the 90’s alone. The show was on hiatus after 2000 but after popular demand it returned in 2002 and did pretty well. At that point it would have both a musical guest and host for each show and again they got some big names at the time like Aaron Carter, Frankie Muniz, Tony Hawk, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Avril Lavigne, Ashton Kutcher, etc. The show ended its run in 2005 but made a surprising return in 2019 that included a few former cast members as supporting roles or producers and I have to say it’s not that bad. For a kid comedy sketch show to hold a legacy this high it’s pretty shocking how big it is and how it continues to be so impactful with the legacy of Nickelodeon. Hell I have to admit it, the fact that kids today are watching a show that pretty much started for kids during my generation and like it is pretty amazing. All That is defiantly one of Nickelodeon’s most successful shows and is one of the greatest shows to ever be on the program. Plus it has a killer sweet theme song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSDg2oSazNc
9. The Fairly OddParents (2001 – 2017) – 2001 – 2007 was probably the highest peak of Nickelodeon’s history as every show was constantly being talked about and it was hard to say which show was the best. The Fairly OddParents had to be one of the most popular cartoons during that time as it had some of the best comedy, animators and voice actors under one cartoon, created by what once was one of the best animators on the program’s history, aka Butch Hartman. Without Butch Hartman and the forgotten Oh Year Cartoons, Fairly OddParents would have been nonexistent. The show is about a ten year old boy named Timmy Turner and how he has Fairy Godparents named Wanda and Cosmo. During the show Timmy deals with problems in school either from his teacher Mr. Crocker or his bully Francis or his problems at home with his 16 year old babysitter Vicky. The show is pretty much about his adventurers with Fairy Godparents and the insane conflicts they deal with after Timmy makes a wish. The cartoon has some great laughs and even some great moments from Cosmo being an idiot, to Crocker doing his FAIRY GOD PARENTS freak out to Timmy meeting some lit people like Chip Skylark, CatMan and his favorite comic book character, The Crimson Chin. The show had a very unique style and interesting characters to say the least but the best part about the show was its comedy and boy did it have some great comedy. The jokes in this show for a kids show is pretty hilarious considering the show’s main demographics are 7-12 year olds but still it has sometimes very teenish/young adult comedy, for a kids shows. Now many people believe that the show began to decline once the new character Poof came into the show. Poof is Cosmo and Wanda’s child and while I don’t totally agree with that statement I do think the show was beginning to decline soon after as its popularity began to decrease. I think its biggest decline was when they added in the Fairy Dog named Sparky. The show was adding in too many things that it didn’t need and it also didn’t help that a live action movie starring Drake Bell was also being shown and performed badly on Nickelodeon. But when the show first debuted and up until Poof’s arrival it was one of the most popular cartoons. It was able to have one of the biggest cross over events ever with Jimmy Neutron and it was the one cartoon to go toe to toe with the heavyweights of the Nickelodeon program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8OaT6o2VZE
8. The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius (2002 – 2006) – There is no way I can bring up the crossover event and not have these two shows together on a list. In 2001 an animated movie called Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius became one of the most popular films of the year. It was so popular and big that it was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Fun fact it was the first film to be nominated in that category with Shrek and Monster’s Inc, what a great way to start off a show right. The computer animated show became a hit with the Nickelodeon fans and it was at the time the most expensive Nickelodeon show to make. This was technically the first computer animated show for Nickelodeon and the show to this day is a favorite for many people from the time it was on television. The show is about an eleven year old boy named Jimmy Neutron and his adventures he has with his inventions in the city of Retroville. The show had some very interesting characters from the loveable Carl, voiced amazingly by Rob Paulsen, to the laugh out loud Hugh Neutron, father of Jimmy Neutron. Now while the show only lasted 4 years and only had 3 seasons and a television film, the show still was able to have great ratings and amazing reception from critics. The show was one of Nickelodeon’s most popular shows but it unfortunately got cancelled. The problem was it was very expensive to make the show and the people in charge of Nickelodeon didn’t think it was a profitable show. Well I beg to differ as the show had great comedy, very amazing storytelling, very good animation for its time and let’s not forget it was created because the Academy nominated film was popular and a huge success. Whether it was profitable or not Jimmy Neutron will always be an icon in the Nickelodeon world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhsXUPDBX90
7. Zoey 101 (2005 – 2008) – I mentioned how All That had a killer sweet theme song, well I was wrong this one has a killer sweet theme song. Zoey 101 was a Nickelodeon show that had amazingly ratings and was popular with its targeted demographic. The show follows Zoey Brooks as she enrolls into a previously boys only school called PCA (Pacific Coast Academy). The series follows her and her friends and how they grow closer together and go through some wacky adventures in the boarding school. The show was a hit with kids, pre-teens and even teenagers as it was at the time one of the most popular live action teen shows. The cast of this show is probably one of the best on screen casts in Nickelodeon’s history as each actor/actress fits their role perfectly. I also want to mention that while it’s purely a comedy it does have its dramatic moments and they really can reach the heart strings so get ready for those moments. I also need to mention that it has some really random dialogue in it as they talk about some of the weirdest things ever in this show like I would say what they are but even from me it’s weird and I have a knack of saying some weird shit. Now the sad part of this show is how it abruptly ended. The show was never cancelled but ultimately never shot a 5th season because during the 4th season it was announced that Jamie Lynn Spears was pregnant at the age of 16. However this angered fans of the show because it never got to have a real send off and series finale as the show completely just ended. In 2015 a video clip came on the internet of Chase on a date with a girl and his best friend Michael storms in and shows Chase the DVD that Zoey left in the Time Capsule. It showed Zoey talking about Chase having a crush on her and that he is her soul mate and the clip ends with Chase storming out of the date to look for Zoey, thus ending on a cliffhanger. Many thought this was the beginning of the revival of the show but nothing came of it. A revival is still in the air at this point as many members of the cast are down to make it happen including the main star Jamie Lynn Spears. Fans will be ready for when and if this does happen but this just proves how popular the show was and how to this day it continues to be one of Nickelodeon’s most successful shows of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX6YeYT3ed8
6. Hey Arnold! (1996 – 2004) – Before there was a football headed Stewie Griffin there was a more lovable football head on Nickelodeon named Arnold and his show Hey Arnold was the talk of the town. The show centers on the 4th grader Arnold Shortman, a boy who lives with his grandparents and deals with life in an urban city while also dealing with problems with his friends. The show is one of the most talked about shows on the program as it still to this day is viewed by fans, new and old, as the show is on every night on the TeenNick channel. During its run the show dealt with many topics that kids will deal with including bullying, crushes, friendships, losing a family member, etc. Hey Arnold wasn’t your ordinary cartoon that you see today as it was real and had some great storytelling. Only a handful of cartoons today do that and for me to mention Hey Arnold on that topic says how incredible this show was. The show was so popular that it spawned a feature length film in 2002 called Hey Arnold: The Movie and while it didn’t do well in the box office and critically, fans of the show enjoyed it and it was a way a send off for the show. That was until 2017. Throughout the series run the topic of Arnold’s parents would be brought up from time to time as we they were never in the show because they disappeared while they went on an adventure for their job. In 2017 Nickelodeon gave us Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie and the film answered the question of where Arnold’s parents were and if they were alive or not and well I won’t spoil the film I will say this was the perfect way to send off the series. That was until more news came out about the show. There have been rumors of a potential reboot in the air as the series creator Craig Bartlett said if the Rugrats reboot is a success then he is willing to reboot the series. Regardless the show Hey Arnold is a fan favorite for many and it is to this day one of the most successful Nickelodeon shows of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPOhMQwGzlc
5. iCarly (2007 – 2012) – iCarly is the one Nickelodeon show that literally became popular real quickly and became a fan favorite to many kids and teens from 2007 to even today as many people continue to watch the show that brought us so many laughs. iCarly stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly Shay as her and her two friends Sam Puckett and Freddie Benson created a web show called iCarly. From the moment the first episode aired to its series finale, iCarly became a Nickelodeon legendary icon. What other show can say they had a crossover event with Victorious while having a guest appearance with Kenan Thompson fighting a Panda bear, have guest appearances from YouTube sensation Fred, One Direction, Jack Black, Jimmy Fallon and former 1st Lady Michelle Obama while also being nominated for an Emmy award, yeah only iCarly can. The show was so popular and successful that it constantly has its reruns on TeenNick, Nicktoons and Nickelodeon. Did I also fail to mention that it had the 2nd most telecasted episode in Nickelodeon’s history with the episode iSaved Your Life reaching 11.2 million viewers? Yes this show was on top of the Nickelodeon chain when it first aired and for many this was the show you can binge all day without getting bored. I mean it has very weird moments like Spaghetti Tacos or well the character Gibby and it has its very comedic moments like Spencer lighting almost everything on fire to the character Gibby. When I was a pre-teen to my young adult/teenage years this show was a must watch for me, my sister and friends as this show constantly was on my television screen. I remember watching the series finale in my room and just being sad that it was over. While the show ended in 2012 it still to this day finds new fans and it left a huge legacy in Nickelodeon and for that it defiantly belongs on this list. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D5BpulOSgQ
4. Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005 – 2008) – I’m not going to lie about this but a lot of people are going to be on my case for this but I really wasn’t a fan of Avatar. Yeah I know that sounds crazy but even though I didn’t care for the show I know how successful it was critically and how popular the show was during and after its 3 year run. Avatar: The Last Airbender is about the four elements (Earth, Fire, Water and Wind) and the show centers on Aang, the current Avatar and the only survivor of his nation. The show has this anime style and the animation by the way is pretty insane, even for a cartoon for television. Like the animation in this show feels like it came from a film, that’s how amazing this animation is. It also had some great storytelling and had an incredible voice cast. The show also won many awards including an Annie Award, Kid’s Choice Awards, and an Emmy Award, plus the show also became a pop culture phenomenon as it was featured in books, videogames, a novel series and even a live action feature film that bombed critically and commercially and even tarnished the legacy of the show. Okay so take out the worst movie of all time and the Nickelodeon series was a huge hit. While the show ended only after 3 seasons, it spawned a sequel series called The Legend of Korra and it has found its way onto Netflix with a re-imagined live action series and possible revival of the show is possibly in the works. The show is quite frankly not my cup of tea but I at least know how amazing the show really is and how much success it brought Nickelodeon. It has become a cult classic that to this day fans will praise heavily because it was such an incredible masterpiece. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4PKfrQ2J5Q
3. Drake and Josh (2004 – 2007) – I take it back, Drake and Josh has the most killer sweet/greatest Nickelodeon theme song of all time. If you watched The Amanda Show then you would know that Drake Bell and Josh Peck had perfect chemistry and well they did it again on Drake and Josh. The show Drake and Josh revolves around two stepbrothers, Drake Parker and Josh Nichols, as they deal with some crazy adventures together and with some comedic challenges. Imagine Drake and Josh as The Office except just with Dwight and Jim and they are step brothers who deal with problems and challenges that they need to overcome, yeah that is Drake and Josh in a nutshell. The show founds its way into every teens heart with its use of comedy, amazing chemistry from its actors and let’s not forget about the fact that this show brings back nostalgia to every millennial in the world. This show has a legacy that will never be outdone, at least for shows about two teens/young adults who overcome some crazy things, but it is in my opinion one of the greatest comedy shows of all time. The Nickelodeon series had 4 seasons and two television movies, Drake and Josh Go Hollywood and Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh. It also would win many Kids Choice Awards all over the world, talk about having a huge fan base that it’s all over the world. In 2019 Drake Bell announced that he and Josh Peck were working on a Drake and Josh revival and since then the idea is in the air but man would it be lit to hear Hug Me Brotha again. I watch Drake and Josh whenever I can as I normally don’t watch it on a daily basis but if I see it on you can bet money it’s on my television screen. It’s probably my favorite live action Nickelodeon series of all time and without a doubt this quotable show is by far one of the greatest Nickelodeon shows of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89siD28vSN4
2. SpongeBob SquarePants (1999 - ) – The longest running animated series on Nickelodeon and 5th longest running American animated series has become a pop culture phenomenon that has taken over the world. Okay that might be a stretch but yeah the sponge is literally iconic. SpongeBob SquarePants is by far Nickelodeon’s most successful and profitable show as it has brought Nickelodeon over $15 billion on merchandising and revenue alone, just think about that for a second a show about a sponge who lives under the seas is worth billions of dollars, yeah even Trump and Gates can’t make that profit off of anything and they have billions themselves. SpongeBob has been around since the new millennium and at this rate it doesn’t look like he is going anywhere anytime soon. Since it first aired it has spawned three feature films, has three spinoff series that are in development and scheduled to come out by 2021 and it has won many awards including 6 Annie Awards, 8 Golden Reel Awards, 4 Emmys, 2 BAFTA’s and 17 Kids Choice Awards and let’s not forget it had a successful Broadway show. While the show itself is most defiantly the biggest show in Nickelodeon’s history it unfortunately has lost some value over the years in quality. The last few seasons of SpongeBob haven’t been the greatest but its popularity is why the show continues to lives on. Think of SpongeBob as The Simpsons for kids as both are extremely profitable and popular but have also been around for a long time and last few seasons have been not so great. Regardless SpongeBob SquarePants is going to be around in our lives and every kid’s lives for a long time as the show has enough episodes and content to be in syndication and have reruns forever and ever and the show seems like it will never be in obsolete. Stephen Hillenburg is smiling from the heavens as his show became one of if not the most successful animated kids cartoon and show of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfiCTnoqKag&t=2s
1. Rugrats (1991 – 2004) – Just hearing the theme song alone will bring you back into your childhood and watching Nickelodeon back in its glory days. While SpongeBob might be the most popular and successful Nickelodeon show, it wasn’t the show to bring success to Nickelodeon as that award goes to Rugrats. This was the 90’s kid’s show that everyone was watching. This was the most profitable Nickelodeon series at the time as they were on lunch boxes, band-aids, watches, popsicles, book bags, clothing, the list goes on and on. Rugrats is the Magnum Opus of Nickelodeon as kids in the 90’s even into the early 2000’s grew up on Rugrats. We watched a baby named Tommy, his friends Chuckie, Phil, Lil and his cousin Angelica and eventually little brother Dil and Chuckie’s future stepsister Kimi go on wacky adventurers in Tommy’s home, the park, stores, and so much more. It’s the only kids show during my time of watching kid’s cartoons that had Hanukkah and Passover episodes, like you don’t see that enough today and Rugrats was the only show to center two big episodes on two Jewish holidays. As a fellow Jew I am proud of this show to do that but that’s not why it’s number one. Its number one because it has left an impact in television that without Rugrats shows like SpongeBob and Fairly OddParents wouldn’t have been so popular and successful as they were and Rugrats laid the ground for many future Nickelodeon shows to become successful and loveable. But for the show to this day not feel dated and still talked highly and praised so much proves how much the show impacted not only television but the people that watched the show. The successful kids show was able to obtain 3 successful feature films, gained a spinoff show called All Grown Up, won many awards and the series itself has its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was also announced that there will be a revival for the show that is supposed to be set to air in 2021. Without Rugrats Nickelodeon would have gone under and there would be no SpongeBob, Avatar, Timmy Turner, Jimmy Neutron, Drake and Josh, etc. Rugrats is without a question the greatest Nickelodeon show of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMEj9kQg3F8
Honorable Mentions:
Kenan and Kel (1996 – 2000) – Before there was Drake and Josh, there was Kenan and Kel. The duo worked together in All That and because of their great chemistry they gained their own successful show. It’s still to this day one of the most popular shows in the programs history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXT-pvmyxXY
Invader Zim (2001 – 2002, 2006, 2019) – Invader Zim is one of the most popular and most underrated Nickelodeon shows of all time. The show was cancelled after one season and the 2nd season wouldn’t even come out until a couple of years later when it went straight to DVD. The show returned to Netflix for a feature length film. The cult classic series is a favorite to many that were able to see the show and it still lives on in Hot Topic merchandise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkgii3XUkPU
The Ren and Stimpy Show (1991 – 1995) – In what was one of the first Nickelodeon animated shows, Ren and Stimpy was a very interesting show. It was also very controversial due to the massive use of adult humor in the kids show but it somehow found its popularity and success. It’s another cult classic animated show that has gained many fans years after it was off its original air. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjApcW4xaPI
Rocko’s Modern Life (1993 – 1996, 2019) – One of the most bizarre animated shows to ever come out of Nickelodeon, Rocko’s Modern Life was never geared towards kids as it had a lot of adult humor and innuendos and it was like I said before a very bizarre show. It somehow found a huge fan base and it also somehow found a special episode on Netflix in 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFxJDFodce4
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