Trigger Nostalgia With These Classic Old Nickelodeon Shows

Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel - these are just some of the names that were guaranteed to be staples on your after-school regime or those sick days staying at home. If you’re looking for a blast from the past that will knock you right back into childhood, you’ve come to the right place. We’re about to give you a stark reminder of some of the classic cartoons aired on Nickelodeon in the 90s and 00s that will bring about the realization: they just don’t make them like they used to. Without further ado, here is the best of old Nickelodeon shows.

If you're kind of a person who love the old things, then you want to check out The Best Old Cartoon Network Shows of All Times

Nickelodeon ‘90s & ‘00s shows

Truly the golden era of cartoons that will never be topped in originality and sometimes dark humor that went unnoticed as a child.

The Wild Thornberrys

Remember Eliza Thornberry? If so, you’ll remember she lives a far from average life. Traveling the world in a campervan with her family, her ability to talk to animals brings about some whacky and wild adventures. These escapades take place with her parents, her sister, adopted brother Donnie who they supposedly found and her pet monkey Darwin. Eliza’s Father Nigel, interestingly enough, exists in the same universe as the Rugrats in which he is idolized by Tommy Pickles. 

The adventures force the family to come to many moral realizations as they interact with animals and assist them through hard times. With comedy and whacky elements, The Wild Thornberry’s ultimately displays appreciation for wildlife that kids can learn from. We’re here for the nostalgia, however.

Angry Beavers

Who could forget this set of bachelor beavers on a mission to be independent by moving away from their parents? As brothers Daggett and Norbert Beaver set out for a life of their own, they fall into some strange scenarios and have a myriad of weird encounters from wacky government scientists to a swamp witch and evil, mind-controlling pond scum. I mean, when your best friend is a tree stump named Stump, nothing can surprise you. The dynamics of the relationship between the brothers has always been comical, with one appearing to be riddled with ADHD and the other being a well-spoken, intelligent beaver.

Doug

Looking back on this old Nickelodeon show, I think we can safely say our boy Doug suffered from borderline depression. Regardless, his superhero fantasies and diary entries were certainly entertaining, allowing us as children to remain oblivious to his mental condition. The series did, however, touch on many key issues like bullying, and rumor spreading. Doug’s crush, Patti Mayonaisse, was an integral part of the storyline as he made many attempts to impress her (we’ve all been there).

Rugrats

Seeing the world from a babies point of view was surprisingly refreshing and entertaining as a child. But even more hilarious was their ability to talk (unbeknownst to their parents) and the adventures they embarked on when the parents were away. Facing things the babies don’t understand, Tommy Pickles, Dil Pickles, Chuckie, Kimi, Susie and snotty older cousin Angelica portrays seemingly ordinary ordeals in a bizarre new light from an infants perspective.

Arguably the most interesting character in the series is Tommy’s father Stu Pickles, who is an absent-minded toy inventor whose creations seems to result in calamity. He was once found making pudding at 4 am which prompted the question from his wife: “Why on earth are you making chocolate pudding?” to which Stu responded: “because I’ve lost control of my life”. It seems like the older we get, the more we can relate to this.

Hey Arnold

Move it football head! If you don’t recognize these famous four words, I worry that your childhood wasn’t as enjoyable as it could have been. Arnold, whose head is in fact shaped like an American football lives with his grandparents in the city of Hillwood. Along with his best friends, Arnold tackles predicaments that arise and of course, comedy ensues. Helga, with the finest unibrow to ever grace kids television, is Arnold's bully, but she secretly has a crush on him and can often be seen staring longingly at his photograph when he’s not around.

Ren and Stimpy

Ren is a psychotic Chihuahua. Stimpy is a dimwitted cat. Together they have unusual adventures. The show at the time had incredible ratings but, was labeled controversial for its dark humor, sexual innuendos, adult jokes, and violence - probably what made it so great. In fact, it generated such a cult following that a spin-off adult version of the show was released in 2003 only to be taken off after three episodes. The original show was a major influence on the future production of cartoons.

The Fairly OddParents

What would you do if you had fairy godparents? Turns out Timmy Turner did, after summoning them because he had enough of his sadistic babysitter. His fairly odd godparents grant him any wish he desires, but these ultimately lead to dire and whacky consequences. Even his most mundane of wishes seem to spiral out of control, often getting him involved in fairy world politics and affairs he didn’t sign up for. The cartoon was wildly popular in its time but was never made into a movie despite this, although it was planned.

Conclusion

There’s nothing like taking some time to escape, regress back into childhood and indulge in nostalgia with these classic Nickelodeon shows. The pressures of being an adult can be overwhelming, and although we’re not hunting for dinner in the Amazon rainforest, we do feel the expectations of society pressing down on us like a metric tonne. So take time out with these blasts from the past and don’t worry about a thing for just a brief moment. These shows were so well produced, we would argue that your kids should be watching such shows as the originality presented in cartoons of the 90s and 00s was of a far higher caliber than today. Most of the above-listed classics can be found on YouTube but, you can always stream Nickelodeon here instead.