1979-1988: Ancient Nick
1989-1994: Classic Nick
1995-1998: Waning Nick
1999+: Spongebob Era

1979-1988: Ancient Nick
1989-1994: Classic Nick
1995-1998: Waning Nick
1999+: Spongebob Era



Nick's been around since 1979??!!!!!  :o :o

When did shows like Rugrats, Hey Arnold start? I think Rugrats began around 1990, Hey Arnold about 94 or so. I remember many of the game shows they showed on Nick were probably at least 8-10 years old.

Nick's been around since 1979??!!!!!  :o :o

When did shows like Rugrats, Hey Arnold start? I think Rugrats began around 1990, Hey Arnold about 94 or so. I remember many of the game shows they showed on Nick were probably at least 8-10 years old.




I think it was called pinwheel or something like that back then.

Nick's been around since 1979??!!!!!  :o :o

When did shows like Rugrats, Hey Arnold start? I think Rugrats began around 1990, Hey Arnold about 94 or so. I remember many of the game shows they showed on Nick were probably at least 8-10 years old.




Rugrats began in 1991. Hey Arnold ran from 1996 to 2004, but since I watched it around 1997 religiously I've always considered it classic Nick.

Does anyone remember Figure It Out? Nick is one of the few things I'm truly nostalgic about.

Nick's been around since 1979??!!!!!  :o :o

When did shows like Rugrats, Hey Arnold start? I think Rugrats began around 1990, Hey Arnold about 94 or so. I remember many of the game shows they showed on Nick were probably at least 8-10 years old.




Hey Arnold started in 1996, Rugrats in 91, Doug in 91, Rocko in 93.

Doug, Rugrats, and Rocko's Modern Life were my favorites back then.

Doug, Rugrats, and Rocko's Modern Life were my favorites back then.


Do you remember Kablam? For some reason I used to love that show.

Do you remember Kablam? For some reason I used to love that show.


Yeah I remember that.

What Nick shows do you remember aired before 1998? I'd imagine there were few that I'd missed...

What Nick shows do you remember aired before 1998? I'd imagine there were few that I'd missed...


Are You Afraid of the Dark? I used to love that show, wouldn't mind seeing it again.

Are You Afraid of the Dark? I used to love that show, wouldn't mind seeing it again.


I think I saw that one, but not too sure. Can you briefly describe it?

What Nick shows do you remember aired before 1998? I'd imagine there were few that I'd missed...


Well a lot of the shows you named originally aired before 1998. They would repeat a lot of the old shows and mix in the new stuff, and eventually Nick evolved into the crap it is today.

Are You Afraid of the Dark? I used to love that show, wouldn't mind seeing it again.


yeah another cool show.

I think I saw that one, but not too sure. Can you briefly describe it?


It was these kids who sat around a campfire telling ghost stories. The show acted out these stories. It was really cheesy, but I was only 6 or 7 at the time, so I didn't notice.

Well a lot of the shows you named originally aired before 1998. They would repeat a lot of the old shows and mix in the new stuff, and eventually Nick evolved into the crap it is today.


I think the first half of 1999 was the last time Nick was truly worth watching.

It was these kids who sat around a campfire telling ghost stories. The show acted out these stories. It was really cheesy, but I was only 6 or 7 at the time, so I didn't notice.


Oh yes, I definitely saw that one!!! I also remember the Goosebumps TV adaptation - loved the books and the series.

I think the first half of 1999 was the last time Nick was truly worth watching.


Yeah around 1999. My niece has nick on when I'm over they're house, and it's like a totally foreign world to me now. All these cheesy preteen-ish shows on there now, what happened to the good old nicktoons.

Oh yes, I definitely saw that one!!! I also remember the Goosebumps TV adaptation - loved the books and the series.


I remember watching an adaptation of a Goosebumps book back in 1997, right around the time Princess Di died.

Yeah around 1999. My niece has nick on when I'm over they're house, and it's like a totally foreign world to me now. All these cheesy preteen-ish shows on there now, what happened to the good old nicktoons.


There's like a million shows on there too, even though Spongebob is the only one anyone cares about.

Yeah around 1999. My niece has nick on when I'm over they're house, and it's like a totally foreign world to me now. All these cheesy preteen-ish shows on there now, what happened to the good old nicktoons.


Ugh...it's telling of the general decline of cartoons  :(

Ugh...it's telling of the general decline of cartoons  :(


There's this one show Ned's Declassified something, it's really cheesy, lol.  :D And there's the Jamie Lynn Spears show too, lol.

Ugh...it's telling of the general decline of cartoons  :(


The '90s redefined cartoons. Even the Saturday morning cartoons of the '90s were good. I miss the Animaniacs.

There's this one show Ned's Declassified something, it's really cheesy, lol.  :D And there's the Jamie Lynn Spears show too, lol.


Are all those corny but fun gameshows still on?

The '90s redefined cartoons. Even the Saturday morning cartoons of the '90s were good. I miss the Animaniacs.


I loved that show too.

Are all those corny but fun gameshows still on?


I don't think so. There might be some new game shows I'm not sure.

Are all those corny but fun gameshows still on?


I miss Figure It Out!  :\'(

I miss Figure It Out!  :\'(


I liked that show where they slimed contestants...they put them in this slime dumper thing and covered them with green goo. I was so young but I thought it was awesome!

I used to watch GUTS too. Where they climb that big aggro crag or whatever it's called at the end.

I liked that show where they slimed contestants...they put them in this slime dumper thing and covered them with green goo. I was so young but I thought it was awesome!


Do you think that had anything to do with the '90s obsession of grossness?

I liked that show where they slimed contestants...they put them in this slime dumper thing and covered them with green goo. I was so young but I thought it was awesome!


Slime was almost the theme of '90s nick, lol.

Do you think that had anything to do with the '90s obsession of grossness?


I think Nickeloden was part responsible for the 90s obsession with grossness!

I think Nickeloden was part responsible for the 90s obsession with grossness!


;D

I think Nickeloden was part responsible for the 90s obsession with grossness!


Probably.  ;D

By 1998, to answer Trimac's question, it was continuing reruns of the classics like Doug and Rocko's Modern Life mixed in with newer stuff I never really liked, though they were avoidable. Around the last half of 1999, Spongebob Squarepants-mania took over and it stopped being worth watching.

By 1998, to answer Trimac's question, it was continuing reruns of the classics like Doug and Rocko's Modern Life mixed in with newer stuff I never really liked, though they were avoidable. Around the last half of 1999, Spongebob Squarepants-mania took over and it stopped being worth watching.


Yeah, even today they play the same old re-runs of shows like Doug, Hey Arnold...when I was staying a hotel which had cable I managed to snatch an hour or so of Nick. I don't remember much of Spongebob - think it became big around 2001.

I liked that show where they slimed contestants...they put them in this slime dumper thing and covered them with green goo. I was so young but I thought it was awesome!


They also had slime on You Can't Do That On Television, whenever anyone said "I don't know", they would get slimed!  ;D

Are You Afraid of the Dark? I used to love that show, wouldn't mind seeing it again.


That was a Canadian show, and also a launching pad for Rachel Blanchard (Clueless: The TV Series), Elisha Cuthbert (24) and Joanna Garcia (Reba)

My earliest memory of Nickelodeon dates back to I think 1993. We had had it on our cable since 1986, but that's the first time I remember seeing it. I remember turning the TV on and watching Rugrats. I immediately fell in love with that show. I then discovered Family Double Dare, GUTS, Nick Arcade, Doug, Rocko's Modern Life, etc.

Nick started to go down hill sometime around 1998. Although my favorite Nick memories are from 1993-1996, it was still tolerable until 1998 or 1999.

Today, I hardly watch Nick anymore. The only show that I watch is probably Drake & Josh.

1979-1988: Ancient Nick
1989-1994: Classic Nick
1995-1998: Waning Nick
1999+: Spongebob Era




Yeah, that sounds about right. But the "classic nick" era could extend to about 1996 since most of the early nicktoons were still actually making new episodes until about then. And the "waning nick" era could continue until about 2000 because they still regularly showed re-runs of older shows up till then.

Yeah, that sounds about right. But the "classic nick" era could extend to about 1996 since most of the early nicktoons were still actually making new episodes until about then. And the "waning nick" era could continue until about 2000 because they still regularly showed re-runs of older shows up till then.


Yeah Classic Nick might go up to 1996, or even 1997. 1998-2000 is more the wane era.

Yeah Classic Nick might go up to 1996, or even 1997. 1998-2000 is more the wane era.

Right. Here's my classification of Nickelodeon eras in a Roadgeek manner. A lot of this for me personally though.

1979-1989: Merging onto road. Nice, but the scenery is sort of primitave circa 1937.
1990-1996: Road becomes awesome freeway. Hits a city full of sights, cool signs, cool interchanges, and beautiful scenery. Wonderful stretch of road.
1997-1999: Reaching city limits. Scenery begins to turn on you and notice the electronic traffic board is on reporting a wreck ahead.
1999-Present: Involved in multiple by multiple car accident. Will take years to recover.

As you can tell, the city is my favorite era of Nick.

This is my little division chart....

1979-1984: Pinball Era - yup, there was a time when Nickelodeon had a cheesy 1980s logo with thick, bubbly rainbow lettering.
1984-1989: Rising Popularity Pre-Original Shows
1989-1994: Original Programming begins, Rugrats cancelled-  reran during weeknights, execs began to notice ratings of Rugrat reruns.
1994-1996: More Nicktoons added to schedule, Rugrats merchandizing, last year before Herb Scannel took office as Nick's president
1996-1999: Competition with other kids channels begins, major sponcerships/partnerships begin (Noggle-vision, etc)
1999-2003: 1999-all classics shows (gameshow and liveaction) GONE from weekend lineup, execs notice Nicktoons bring in ratings, SPONGEBOB, Snick HOUSE, Nick wanting to be "MTV Jr." with airing music vids, etc, TEEnick on Sundays begins 2002-2003 - Revamp of SNICK, NICKTOONS take up ALL of weekday block, ratings drivien Nicktoon specials/movies begin production
2003-2004: Music vids taken away, SNICK canned for good, calm era...., Nick wonders what to do next, best live-action show in years (according to many opinions of classic Nick fans) debuts, Nick begins to focas on live-action programming again after 5 years of letting Nicktoons take over, Nick lets people know that live action=TeeNick - rest being Nicktoons.
2004-Present: Improvment in on-air design, TEENICK takes over un-named Saturday night block, 6 live action programs on schedule - including to on weekday strip

Yeah Classic Nick might go up to 1996, or even 1997. 1998-2000 is more the wane era.



I think the wane era may have started in September 1998 when they changed SNICK into the SNICK house hosted by Nick Cannon. After that there was a noticible change in the quality of the channel.

I think the wane era may have started in September 1998 when they changed SNICK into the SNICK house hosted by Nick Cannon. After that there was a noticible change in the quality of the channel.


When Cousin Skeeter came on, I had enough  ;D

Yeah, when I was in 3rd grade I remember feeling like I was starting to outgrow the network. They stopped showing most of the reruns like Are You Afraid of the Dark?, the older game shows, and some older Nicktoons like Rocko's Modern Life as much. Also, they had alot of live action shows like The Secret World of Alex Mack that stopped airing as much starting in fall 1998. There was definitely a downturn in quality starting then, but the turnaround wasn't totally complete until the middle of 2000.

Yeah, when I was in 3rd grade I remember feeling like I was starting to outgrow the network. They stopped showing most of the reruns like Are You Afraid of the Dark?, the older game shows, and some older Nicktoons like Rocko's Modern Life as much. Also, they had alot of live action shows like The Secret World of Alex Mack that stopped airing as much starting in fall 1998. There was definitely a downturn in quality starting then, but the turnaround wasn't totally complete until the middle of 2000.


I think The Angry Beavers was the last classic Nicktoon. I wasn't a big fan of CatDog; that was one of the first "'00s" Nicktoons.

When they tried to revive Double Dare in 2000, they turned a once great game show into trash.

I think The Angry Beavers was the last classic Nicktoon. I wasn't a big fan of CatDog; that was one of the first "'00s" Nicktoons.


Yeah Angry Beavers was good, Cat Dog was ok I remember watching that sometimes.

I remember watching an adaptation of a Goosebumps book back in 1997, right around the time Princess Di died.


I think I saw the same one. I taped it, even, and I was 15 years old! I liked those books while in grade school, and the movie looked decent. The guy who wrote the books, R.L. Stein, was kinda creepy. I think he would come on in between commercials and say stuff like "How do you think Todd and Jane got through the forest? Stay tuned"

I didn't watch a lot of Nick kid stuff after 1995 or so, but in the early '90s I watched a lot of Clarissa Explains it All, Hey Dude, Salute your Shorts, Welcome Freshman, etc.

I think The Angry Beavers was the last classic Nicktoon. I wasn't a big fan of CatDog; that was one of the first "'00s" Nicktoons.


I never took much to CatDog for some reason...

Here is a good link covering the golden age of Nickelodeon (The "Ancient Nick" and "Classic Nick" eras as Donnie Darko described in the first post):
http://www.johnnorrisbrown.com/classic-nick/

In the nearly three years since the last post, I can't believe that Nick has gotten EVEN WORSE. Even Nick GAS, which once showed classic game shows like Double Dare, GUTS, Figure It Out, and Legends Of The Hidden Temple, was removed in 2007. The 2000s show (we're still in this decade!) George Lopez is part of and leads off the so-called Nostalgic "Nick at Nite" schedule! Home Improvement, The Fresh Prince, and Family Matters (except for the first half of season 1) are all '90s shows, with maybe the occassional Full House, Roseanne, or Cosby Show. What a shame!

Gues what show is on for the 4 out of the 7 hours every afternoon and evening between Nick Jr. and Nick at Nite? It's that dreaded yellow sponge!  8-P C'mon, 2 episodes a day is fine, but EIGHT FREGGIN' SHOWS FOR JUST ONE CHARACTER? Enough is enough! I hate to say it, but in a way, Viacom is "Dead".

Probably the only thing that is sustainable is Nick Jr.


My biggest memory of Nickelodeon will definately be the visit to Nickelodeon Studios Orlando, Florida in 1994 (The studio closed in 2006!) You see it at the end of so many '90s Nickelodeon shows with the Gak Geyser (It was fun getting slimed every 10 minutes) and the original Universal Studios globe. I also saw Sonic 3 being played for the first time there, and when I took the tour, I could see the set for Legends of The Hidden Temple, and stood just a few feet from Olmec! Another part of the tour described Ren & Stimpy and the video games!

"Back at the Barnyard", "Mighty B!", and the "Penguins of Madesgascar" aren't bad

Though agree that it has gone downhill. Too much reruns of recent shows, mostly cartoons & tween sitcoms. Not much variety.

Here is a PRIME example of Waning Nick (Summer 1998). Cousin Skeeter coming soon!  :\'(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiMXyVRutF4&feature=PlayList&p=28BA8B990BB8C082&index=0&playnext=1

Here is a good link covering the golden age of Nickelodeon (The "Ancient Nick" and "Classic Nick" eras as Donnie Darko described in the first post):
http://www.johnnorrisbrown.com/classic-nick/

In the nearly three years since the last post, I can't believe that Nick has gotten EVEN WORSE. Even Nick GAS, which once showed classic game shows like Double Dare, GUTS, Figure It Out, and Legends Of The Hidden Temple, was removed in 2007. The 2000s show (we're still in this decade!) George Lopez is part of and leads off the so-called Nostalgic "Nick at Nite" schedule! Home Improvement, The Fresh Prince, and Family Matters (except for the first half of season 1) are all '90s shows, with maybe the occassional Full House, Roseanne, or Cosby Show. What a shame!

Gues what show is on for the 4 out of the 7 hours every afternoon and evening between Nick Jr. and Nick at Nite? It's that dreaded yellow sponge!  8-P C'mon, 2 episodes a day is fine, but EIGHT FREGGIN' SHOWS FOR JUST ONE CHARACTER? Enough is enough! I hate to say it, but in a way, Viacom is "Dead".

Probably the only thing that is sustainable is Nick Jr.


My biggest memory of Nickelodeon will definately be the visit to Nickelodeon Studios Orlando, Florida in 1994 (The studio closed in 2006!) You see it at the end of so many '90s Nickelodeon shows with the Gak Geyser (It was fun getting slimed every 10 minutes) and the original Universal Studios globe. I also saw Sonic 3 being played for the first time there, and when I took the tour, I could see the set for Legends of The Hidden Temple, and stood just a few feet from Olmec! Another part of the tour described Ren & Stimpy and the video games!



I know what you mean about "Nick At Nite". When they first started moving up into shows that started in the '90s, it didn't bother me too much because I liked most of the sitcoms that came out then, but I do wish they had stuck with the '80s a bit longer, especially because they really had just started scratching the surface. There's alot more great sitcoms from the '80s other than just "The Cosby Show" and "Cheers". Even though I actually do like The George Lopez Show, I agree that it is a bit of a stretch for a network that is supposed to show "classic" sitcoms to add a show that ended less than two years ago.

As far as the actual Nickelodeon goes, it's only gotten even worse since 2006. To make matters worse, Nickelodeon, unlike other networks that have been around for a long time and have a large backlog of older shows, still not only refuse to show any of them on TV, they also refuse to even release many of them on DVD. I haven't watched Nick regularly since around 1997, and I haven't watched it at all during the day since around 1999.

I went to Nickelodeon Studios around the same time (the mid '90s, but I don't remember which year exactly) and it was really an awesome place. It was cool getting to see the sets of shows that I actually watched on TV everyday.

Hey does anyone remember a show from the 90's about these kids who were from different planets and they went to school on a spaceship? I have been trying to remember for so long.

Hey does anyone remember a show from the 90's about these kids who were from different planets and they went to school on a spaceship? I have been trying to remember for so long.

Yea i think i was called space cases or something along those lines.

i like stick sticky era

Slime was almost the theme of '90s nick, lol.


I used to love slime! It was just a ridiculous concept but everyone loved it:

http://childrenofthenineties.blogspot.com/2009/03/nickelodeon-slime.html

THIS IS FOR EXPERTS AND NICKAHOLICS!  :D


I found a Nickelodeon usenet board with posts back to February 1994 (definately Classic Nick!) For some stats on the number of posts per year, there are 344 topics from 1994, 209 from 1995, over 1500 from 1996, over 1400 from 1997, and over 1250 from 1998 (Let's not talk about 1999+, I will always resist that Spongebob era).  It's also intriguing to eventually note the progress of the decline during the "Waning Nick" era, and maybe discover some things that you missed! (Though even as early as the end of '94, some people were already longing for the good old days (for the '80s Nick people at least, mentioning You Can't Do That On Television).


Here is the link for the old posts (and reading old usenet boards is part of the '90s nostalgia in me!)

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.nickelodeon/topics?hl=en&start=9960&sa=N

1979-1988: Ancient Nick
1989-1994: Classic Nick
1995-1998: Waning Nick
1999+: Spongebob Era



You forgot about the Wannabe Disney Channel Nick, like Neds Declassifield and Zoey 101, iCarly, etc.

They also had slime on You Can't Do That On Television, whenever anyone said "I don't know", they would get slimed!  ;D


That show made Nickelodeon!

Nickelodeon was a mixed-bag when I was watching it. Not only they showed Nicktoons, but they showed Japanimation with the "Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics", classic shows such as "Yogi Bear" and "Looney Tunes" (even showing the cartoons from the early and mid 30's before the Bugs Bunny Years), and some Live-Action shows like "Clarissa Explains it All".

Even "Nick at Nite" has its own eras....

1985-1995 Classic Era
1995-2002 Transitional Era
2002-2005 Not-so Classic Era
2005-2010 Crap Era

I wish that Nickelodeon would have a NickRewind Station soon...instead of selling out! >:(

I agree with you Cleveland.  I honestly think it is the merger of corporations that ruined both Nickelodeon and Disney.  I was still watching Disney in the early 00's and to me it still excite me.  Now, I really can't follow any cartoons on both stations, along with Cartoon Network.  I think the last cartoon I ever watched, besides Adult Swim and Fox Sunday's, was Kids Next Door.

It's weird how there's 2000s show on Nick at Nite now like "George Lopez" and "Malcolm in the Middle", when I was little it was like all 50s and 60s shows.

Right. Here's my classification of Nickelodeon eras in a Roadgeek manner. A lot of this for me personally though.

1979-1989: Merging onto road. Nice, but the scenery is sort of primitave circa 1937.


A good way to describe Pinwheel feel. An early Pinwheel watcher called that show sort of "dark and creepy, but felt perhaps it was just the lighting. And a good point about being on sort of a "Back Road", as the Pinwheel Playhouse was located on the "back roads of your memory in the magical corner of the Imagine Nation", in a Victorian-styled house. Also, the Nickel Flicks show was a salute to the old 30's and 40's suspense serials, and is the possible reason why the network is called Nickelodeon!

Here is an ad from 1979 (the first for Nickelodeon?):

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mBlSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jjUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3168,3135608&dq=pinwheel+children&hl=en

It does a good job describing the "first five" of Nick. Notice at the time only in Ohio and Indiana you could watch Nickelodeon!

I'd say though in your rural/city thing, we hit the outer suburbs in 1983 with You Can't Do That On Television and the inner suburbs in 1986 with Double Dare. By 1986, Nickelodeon wasn't a small network anymore (National Geographic ran full-page ads of Nick schedules in the later part of 1985!)

The adventures of Pete and Pete was one of the best shows growing up because it appealed to kids and preteens and some of the guest stars they got (Iggy Pop, Michael Stipe of REM, Adam West, etc.). The show had a very 90's indie rock feel to it.

As for cartoons I loved Rocko, Doug and Ren and Stimpy.

I remember Nick at Nite playing some stuff like All in The Family and WKRP in the late 90's.

I know what you mean about "Nick At Nite". When they first started moving up into shows that started in the '90s, it didn't bother me too much because I liked most of the sitcoms that came out then, but I do wish they had stuck with the '80s a bit longer, especially because they really had just started scratching the surface. There's alot more great sitcoms from the '80s other than just "The Cosby Show" and "Cheers". Even though I actually do like The George Lopez Show, I agree that it is a bit of a stretch for a network that is supposed to show "classic" sitcoms to add a show that ended less than two years ago.

If i'm not mistaken, The George Lopez Show came on nick@nite the fall after it ended. They did the same thing with Everybody Hates Chris. I love nick@nite's new line up, but i do agree. I wish they had lingered in the 80s and 90s just a tad-bit longer. There were some really good sitcoms from that time period that should have been on nick@nite. The only show from the 90s that they do show (aside from family matters and/or home improvement and full house in the wee hours of the morning) is The Nanny.

It's weird how there's 2000s show on Nick at Nite now like "George Lopez" and "Malcolm in the Middle", when I was little it was like all 50s and 60s shows.


Yeah! I remember watching Gilligan's Island on Nick at night back in 2000

Nickelodeon in the 90's was fantastic and fun to watch, it made the 90's what it was ....and that was the last good era.

I don't see how 1999 through today is bad. I say Nick started to get bad 2004/2005

I would disagree:

1979-1991-Classic Nick
1991-1995-Waning Nick
1995-present-Current Nick.

I think the debut of the Nicktoons (Rugrats, Doug, and Ren and Stimpy) was the defining line.

I watched up until about 2002. When they really started to get bad. And, I started to get a little too 'old' for Nick.


After they canceled U-Pick Live (Which, was basically kinda like Stick Stickly's show was back in the 90s...Only with live hosts.) I was through. I had a major crush on one of the hosts anyways. Teehee!

I loved 90s Nick more though. Hey Dude, Welcome Freshman, Salute Your Shorts, Legends of The Hidden Temple. Wild and Crazy Kids (Don Jeffcoat was eye candy. Then, he went on to be on One Life To Live.) All that stuff was freaking amazing.

I still watched episodes of Legends Of The Hidden Temple and GUTS until 2008 when they then got rid of the Nickelodeon GAS channel. What a pity.

And, I agree about Nick@Nite as well. I remember when I watched 70s and 80s sitcoms on there. Mork and Mindy, Perfect Strangers, Mary Tyler Moore, WKRP in Cincinnati, Family Ties, Murphy Brown, etc. Up until about 2005. Then, they started playing stuff that was on TV when I was a teenager. 2000's sitcoms really? Classic my butt.  8-P

I also remember years before like in 1991-1995 when it was even older stuff like Mr. Ed and Get Smart.

Nick started to suck in 2000. There was a clean divide between 90s nick and 00s Nick. Even the remaining 90s shows started to go way downhill then.  

Also when spongebob first premiered it was actually a pretty tame, conventional cartoon. It didn't start getting really bizarre until around the time the movie came out (2004).

Poeple saying Nick started to suck in 2000 are WAY wrong. That's when Double Dare 2000 was big, and late 90's shows like Catdog, Rugrats, Rocko's Modern Life, All That, Keenen and Kel, Spongebob(before the movie), Hey Arnold!, and others were still huge. Not to mention that INVADER ZIM debuted in 2002 and was a great show. When did Nick start to suck? When they switched to CGI and cartoons based on crappy movies. When Live Action "sitcoms" became their #1 shows. So around 2006/2007.

OH MY GOD i might be a late 90s and early 00s kid but i remember those games shows!! i dont remember much of the prize or anything but i remember there were kids suppose to carry flags around and play these challenges through maze or something and i remember the gooey green stuff too...and how it was poured to the kids :D

nahh i think if your talking about original nickelodeon essence... its still worth watching until around 2006....  ;)

why are people saying it sucked in 2000? Nickelodeon in 2000 was still boss.  It started to suck in 02, that's when i stopped watching it, then i turned to MTV. I no longer watch MTV now lol.

why are people saying it sucked in 2000? Nickelodeon in 2000 was still boss.  It started to suck in 02, that's when i stopped watching it, then i turned to MTV. I no longer watch MTV now lol.


You are now aware that one's definition of when Nickelodeon and kids shows went downhill is entirely dependent on one's age.  This goes for pretty much everything too.  This is on an unrelated topic, but I have a bunch of old video game magazines I collect for nostalgia and nerd value (I'm a total closet nerd).  It makes me laugh when I read letters to the editor in 1994 saying "today's video games suck, things were better in the 80s" and then read another letter in 2004 saying "today's video games suck, things were better in the 90s."

Personally, I think Nickelodeon was going downhill even before Spongebob debuted.  Late 90s shows like The Wild Thornberries and Cat Dog weren't up to par with the early/mid 90s stuff.  I say that as someone who was like 10 when those shows debuted.  Of course, those who are younger will disagree with me.  That said, Invader Zim (2001) and Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005, not that god awful movie) were pretty damn good shows.

EDIT: Spell check

You are now aware that one's definition of when Nickelodeon and kids shows went downhill is entirely dependent on one's age.  This goes for pretty much everything too.  This is on an unrelated topic, but I have a bunch of old video game magazines I collect for nostalgia and nerd value (I'm a total closet nerd).  It makes me laugh when I read letters to the editor in 1994 saying "today's video games suck, things were better in the 80s" and then read another letter in 2004 saying "today's video games suck, things were better in the 90s."

Personally, I think Nickelodeon was going downhill even before Spongebob debuted.  Late 90s shows like The Wild Thornberries and Cat Dog weren't up to par with the early/mid 90s stuff.  I say that was someone who was like 10 when those shows debuted.  Of course, those who are younger will disagree with me.  That said, Invader Zim (2001) and Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005, not that god awful movie) were pretty damn good shows.
Catdog was awesome  :o

nickelodeon is at its golden years in the 90s and first half of 00s... it suxx now... same with cartoon network...

i love spongebob! avatar is nice... i like cat dog... the beavers... wild thonberry and rugrats were cool too!!

though the grown up rugrats was dry  :-\\

nickelodeon is at its golden years in the 90s and first half of 00s... it suxx now... same with cartoon network...

i love spongebob! avatar is nice... i like cat dog... the beavers... wild thonberry and rugrats were cool too!!

though the grown up rugrats was dry  :-\\


Adventure time, Regular Show, and Sym Bionic Titan are the only newish cartoons I watch on cartoon network.

what happened to courage dog and ed ed eddie?

what happened to courage dog and ed ed eddie?

those were cartoon Network and there was also Dexter's Lab, Cow and Chicken, classic Looney Tunes, etc.

those were cartoon Network and there was also Dexter's Lab, Cow and Chicken, classic Looney Tunes, etc.


Yeah Cartoon Network was awesome. Actually, of all the kids networks, I think Cartoon Network took the longest to go into decline.  It, including Adult Swim (which is technically counted as a separate network like Nick at Nite) was great all the way up to 2003 and still remained a decent network all the way up to about 2006, when Adult Swim's golden era came to an end.  I miss early/mid 00s Adult Swim - I could tune in at the start and watch it for three or four hours straight.  No other channel in the mid-00s could do that.

I think the golden years of Nick were around 1991 to 1996. I miss shows like Clarissa Explains it All, Adventures of Pete and Pete, Salute your Shorts, Double Dare, Legends of the Hidden Temple.......

Personally, I think Nickelodeon was going downhill even before Spongebob debuted.  Late 90s shows like The Wild Thornberries and Cat Dog weren't up to par with the early/mid 90s stuff.  I say that as someone who was like 10 when those shows debuted.  Of course, those who are younger will disagree with me.  That said, Invader Zim (2001) and Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005, not that god awful movie) were pretty damn good shows.

EDIT: Spell check


I agree the wild Thornberries and Cat Dog weren't up to par.  Spongebob was a good comeback and was awesome for a while. 

It all goes in cycles, really. I think that the biggest issue came from Dan Schneider switching from producting sketch-comedy to focusing ONLY on tweeny drama/sitcoms. That's brought it to where it is now.

It all goes in cycles, really. I think that the biggest issue came from Dan Schneider switching from producting sketch-comedy to focusing ONLY on tweeny drama/sitcoms. That's brought it to where it is now.
Which is why Nickelodean today is total crap. CGI "Animation" on past cartoon movies, crappy and unrealistic tween sitcoms....it all sucks

To be honest, Nickelodeon wasn't that bad until 2009. It seems like a living hell producing these poorly made sitcoms and cartoons, because nobody really likes them. Although, to add to what these people said about Nickelodeon's eras in 2006...

1979-1991: Humble Beginnings
1991-1999: Golden Age
1999-2004: Silver Age
2004-2008: Bronze Age
2009-present: Terrible Modern Age

It's more like this NYE....

1979-1991 Early Days
1991-mid 1998 Golden Age
Late 1998-2004 Silver Age
Late 2004-2008 Bronze Age
2009-present AWFUL Age

I watched Nickelodeon until 1995, then I stopped. I loved Clarissa Explains it All and Are you Afraid of the Dark.

I never really watched Nickelodeon much except for part of 2nd grade, but Eric's chart seems right on the money.

It's more like this NYE....

1979-1991 Early Days
1991-mid 1998 Golden Age
Late 1998-2004 Silver Age
Late 2004-2008 Bronze Age
2009-present AWFUL Age


Kinda presentable chart. I'll actually make another chart to know what I'm talking about.

1979-1991: Humble Beginnings
1991-early 1999: Golden Age
Mid 1999-mid 2004: Silver Age (Golden/Silver age transition from November 1998 to May 1999)
Late 2004-late 2008: Bronze Age (Silver/Bronze age transition from July 2004 to September 2004)
Early 2009-present: Terrible Modern Age (Bronze/Modern age transition from July 2008 to September 2009)

Kinda presentable chart. I'll actually make another chart to know what I'm talking about.

1979-1991: Humble Beginnings
1991-early 1999: Golden Age
Mid 1999-mid 2004: Silver Age (Golden/Silver age transition from November 1998 to May 1999)
Late 2004-late 2008: Bronze Age (Silver/Bronze age transition from July 2004 to September 2004)
Early 2009-present: Terrible Modern Age (Bronze/Modern age transition from July 2008 to September 2009)

Spot ON! :)
Accept, I think the golden/silver age transition was Late 1997 to spring 1998.

Spot ON! :)
Accept, I think the golden/silver age transition was Late 1997 to spring 1998.


Okay. It's similar to what I put on the golden/silver age transition. So, I'll might accept it.

I'd like to subdivide "Humble Beginnings" into 1979-1984 (aka the "Video Spinach" era) and 1985-1990, the later of which I'd like to call the Platinum Age. In December 1984, Nickelodeon's familiar orange logo with the balloon font debuted along with the timeless jingles and bumpers that remain a focus of nostalgia for the channel, and in July 1985 Nick at Nite made the channel 24/7. In addition to popular imports and early originals like YCDTOTV, Pinwheel, and Nick Rocks, this period brought us the debuts of Double Dare, Finder's Keepers, Don't Just Sit There (a lost classic), Wild & Crazy Kids, Think Fast, Make The Grade, Kid's Court, Hey Dude, and early Nick Jr. shows like Eureka's Castle. There were also many interesting shorts presented in between shows that wouldn't be seen once Nicktoons had arrived. 1991 was just the year that Nick basically became big business IMO.

As far as the OP's Spongebob Era, we're safe to say that even that has its distinct phases (Silver/Bronze/Modern). Nick at Nite ('50s/'60s based in the Platinum Age and '60s-'70s with a few '50s during the Golden Age) became an '80s based channel during the Silver Age, '90s based in Bronze, and is a mix of '90s and '00s today.

As far as the OP's Spongebob Era, we're safe to say that even that has its distinct phases (Silver/Bronze/Modern). Nick at Nite ('50s/'60s based in the Platinum Age and '60s-'70s with a few '50s during the Golden Age) became an '80s based channel during the Silver Age, '90s based in Bronze, and is a mix of '90s and '00s today.


To me, the best era of Nick at Nite was the mid '90s by far. I Love Lucy, Bewitched, I Dream of Jennie, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Munsters, Lassie, Flipper, I loved all those shows growing up. In fact, Nick at Nite was basically what introduced me to classic television as a kid.

I also liked the fact that Nick at Nite was really made to feel like a separate entity from Nickelodeon due to the types of bumpers and promos they would air, which stood in stark contrast from the more kid-oriented ones you'd see during the day. After 8 PM back then, it really felt like you were watching a different channel, whereas now you hardly even notice the transition at all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl7_3yjK040

As far as the OP's Spongebob Era, we're safe to say that even that has its distinct phases (Silver/Bronze/Modern). Nick at Nite ('50s/'60s based in the Platinum Age and '60s-'70s with a few '50s during the Golden Age) became an '80s based channel during the Silver Age, '90s based in Bronze, and is a mix of '90s and '00s today.

Yeah Nick at nite's eras of showing old tv shows was interesting!
During the golden age it was mostly a 60s/70s based.(Bob Newhart show,Dick van Dyke,The Odd Couple,Mary Tyler Moore, Happy Days,I Dream of Jeanie,)
During the silver age/Kalsey cuspo era, it became 70s and 80s based(Family Ties,Three's Company,Laverne and Shirley, Newhart,Cheers,Different strokes etc.)
During the bronze age/Teen Nick era, it became 80s/90s(Cosby show, Fresh Prince, Murphy Brown, Who's the Boss,Wings,Mad About You, NewsRadio,Full House)
and of course when the network just completely fell apart, it became 90s and early 00s, that trend started when they were showing The Nanny and Malcolm in the Middle reruns.

To me, the best era of Nick at Nite was the mid '90s by far. I Love Lucy, Bewitched, I Dream of Jennie, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Munsters, Lassie, Flipper, I loved all those shows growing up. In fact, Nick at Nite was basically what introduced me to classic television as a kid.

I also liked the fact that Nick at Nite was really made to feel like a separate entity from Nickelodeon due to the types of bumpers and promos they would air, which stood in stark contrast from the more kid-oriented ones you'd see during the day. After 8 PM back then, it really felt like you were watching a different channel, whereas now you hardly even notice the transition at all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl7_3yjK040


I never watched Nickelodeon since 2014, and even Nick @ Nite seems to be horrendous. I really wish they could stick with classic programming, instead of making their audience as dumb as their kids.

My favorite show that aired on Nick@Nite will always be Family Matters. I didn't realize how amazing that series was until it started rerunning on Nick@Nite in 2008, and it lasted from 1989-1998 which was a long time. So many amazing episodes of that series which was timeless and non-stop. I understand that Nick@Nite's purpose was originally for ancient shows from like the 50's-80's, but I honestly never cared for shows like I Love Lucy, The Cosby Show, or The Andy Griffith Show. I didn't even care much for cartoons like Fatherhood or Glenn Martin DDS either. A lot of the shows Nick@Nite has aired throughout the years were on TV Land as well.

It's more like this NYE....

1979-1991 Early Days
1991-mid 1998 Golden Age
Late 1998-2004 Silver Age
Late 2004-2008 Bronze Age
2009-present AWFUL Age


I watched this era cause I grew up with this era.

I'd like to subdivide "Humble Beginnings" into 1979-1984 (aka the "Video Spinach" era) and 1985-1990, the later of which I'd like to call the Platinum Age. In December 1984, Nickelodeon's familiar orange logo with the balloon font debuted along with the timeless jingles and bumpers that remain a focus of nostalgia for the channel, and in July 1985 Nick at Nite made the channel 24/7. In addition to popular imports and early originals like YCDTOTV, Pinwheel, and Nick Rocks, this period brought us the debuts of Double Dare, Finder's Keepers, Don't Just Sit There (a lost classic), Wild & Crazy Kids, Think Fast, Make The Grade, Kid's Court, Hey Dude, and early Nick Jr. shows like Eureka's Castle. There were also many interesting shorts presented in between shows that wouldn't be seen once Nicktoons had arrived. 1991 was just the year that Nick basically became big business IMO.

As far as the OP's Spongebob Era, we're safe to say that even that has its distinct phases (Silver/Bronze/Modern). Nick at Nite ('50s/'60s based in the Platinum Age and '60s-'70s with a few '50s during the Golden Age) became an '80s based channel during the Silver Age, '90s based in Bronze, and is a mix of '90s and '00s today.


Well, it's true to what you just said. But it's just that the Platinum Age just seems like Part 2 of the Humble Beginnings era, since it didn't have the classic cartoons that Nickelodeon had in the 90s yet.

why are people saying it sucked in 2000? Nickelodeon in 2000 was still boss.  It started to suck in 02, that's when i stopped watching it, then i turned to MTV. I no longer watch MTV now lol.

Nick began sucking in 2006. Badly.

Nick began sucking in 2006. Badly.

Yea I agree.

Nick began sucking in 2006. Badly.


I think it was better in the early 1990's when you had Double Dare and You Can't Do That On Television.

Double Dare and You Can't Do That On Television are what I watched.

Double Dare and You Can't Do That On Television are what I watched.


These posts were mostly from what we thought about the eras. But I guess nobody really cares now.

I just happened to see this Nickelodeon thread  and oh yeah, I use to watch these two shows all the time as a kid.

I'm not an Era or even a decade person myself. 

Double Dare and You Can't Do That On Television are what I watched.


I watched it too.

I don't even remember what am era is.  I know a decade has to do with time and usualy these days cant remeber a bunch of stuff to compare a bunch of stuff between the times.  I seem to only be able to go by subject these days.  Then I might be able to talk by era, but wouldn't know I was if I was.

looked up era now I may need to look up decade again.  No just forget it and yes I do just feel like I may be forgetting things  right now.  Think I'l go think about card tricks

looked up era now I may need to look up decade again.  No just forget it and yes I do just feel like I may be forgetting things  right now.  Think I'l go think about card tricks


I think I get it. I just didn't know would you be confused by it.  :-\\

I am confused am sometimes feels like I have to much to be confused about and don't find things funny that may be meant to be so.

In my opinion, May 2005 is when Nick died because Nick Studios closed down and SpongeBob came back post-movie. The channel around late 2004/2005 began to have more of a teenybopper feel (focusing more on shows like Zoey 101 and Unfabulous, rather than Nicktoons), unlike 2000-mid 2004 which still had that crazy classic Nick feel. This could be chalked up to Nick Studios closing.

Even though Cyma Zarghami took over in 2006, Nick was already going downhill under Herb Scannell's watch.

December 1977-March 1979: "Conception" stage, sort of like a baby in the womb.

April 1979 (Pinwheel becomes Nickelodeon, Nick launches in Buffalo, NY in Warner Cable Systems) - October 1986 (start of Double Dare): Platinum Age

October 1986 (start of Double Dare)- c. late 1998 (the release of The Rugrats Movie and the start of more "silver age" oriented shows such as The Wild Thornberrys, Cousin Skeeter, and CatDog): Golden Age

c. late 1998-April 2005 (the closing down of Nickelodeon studios): Silver Age

April 2005-September 2009 (when Nickelodeon changed their logo): Bronze Age

September 2009+: Unpleasant Age

December 1977-March 1979: "Conception" stage, sort of like a baby in the womb.

April 1979 (Pinwheel becomes Nickelodeon, Nick launches in Buffalo, NY in Warner Cable Systems) - October 1986 (start of Double Dare): Platinum Age

October 1986 (start of Double Dare)- c. late 1998 (the release of The Rugrats Movie and the start of more "silver age" oriented shows such as The Wild Thornberrys, Cousin Skeeter, and CatDog): Golden Age

c. late 1998-April 2005 (the closing down of Nickelodeon studios): Silver Age

April 2005-September 2009 (when Nickelodeon changed their logo): Bronze Age

September 2009+: Unpleasant Age


So Nickelodeon has been around for 40 years? :o

Nick at Nite is actually now airing for the first time a series that is STILL IN PRODUCTION! Yes, there was a sitcom called The Goldbergs back in the early 1950s, but its actually a show that is only reaching the 100 episode mark this week and only premiered in 2012! Yes, Nick at Nite showed The Wonder Years back in the 2000s.

I'm currently looking at listings from September 2006, a few years after I had given up on Nick completely since I was in my senior year of college at the time. Marathonitis had already set in on both Nick at Nite and with Spongebob, and of course the channel was nothing like it was in the late '90s outside of Rugrats and Nick News early in the morning, an occasional airing of The Wild Thornberrys and Hey Arnold, and Blues Clues during Nick Jr. Spongebob, Farly Odd Parents, Jimmy Neutron, Danny Phantom, Drake & Josh, and Zoey 101 had dominated its schedule, though on weekends you had Avatar: The Last Airbender, Live with Mikey, Ginger, and Teenick including The Amanda Show. Even Nick GAS was on its last legs at the time and of course, game shows had been off the air for five years on Nick itself, and wouldn't have any until Brain Surge.

Nick at Nite was already a shadow of its former self, considering it has been airing Full House and Fresh Prince since  2006, a year which by then had completely jettisoned everything prior to the late '80s, though at least it had Roseanne on its lineup and with Murphy Brown, Mad About You, or on weekends NewsRadio in the very early morning and even the occasional Cosby Show or Different World airing. But TV Land (what Nick at Nite once was) was still airing classic shows like I Love Lucy, Leave It To Beaver, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Sanford & Son, Good Times, Andy Griffith, The Munsters, Three's Company, and only a couple '80s shows like The Cosby Show and The A-Team, and had rapidly decayed within a few years.

Kid culture in general is in a sorry state now that toy sales are in decline, with Toys "R" Us filing bankruptcy recently.

Here is a good link covering the golden age of Nickelodeon (The "Ancient Nick" and "Classic Nick" eras as Donnie Darko described in the first post):
http://www.johnnorrisbrown.com/classic-nick/

In the nearly three years since the last post, I can't believe that Nick has gotten EVEN WORSE. Even Nick GAS, which once showed classic game shows like Double Dare, GUTS, Figure It Out, and Legends Of The Hidden Temple, was removed in 2007. The 2000s show (we're still in this decade!) George Lopez is part of and leads off the so-called Nostalgic "Nick at Nite" schedule! Home Improvement, The Fresh Prince, and Family Matters (except for the first half of season 1) are all '90s shows, with maybe the occassional Full House, Roseanne, or Cosby Show. What a shame!

Gues what show is on for the 4 out of the 7 hours every afternoon and evening between Nick Jr. and Nick at Nite? It's that dreaded yellow sponge!  8-P C'mon, 2 episodes a day is fine, but EIGHT FREGGIN' SHOWS FOR JUST ONE CHARACTER? Enough is enough! I hate to say it, but in a way, Viacom is "Dead".

Probably the only thing that is sustainable is Nick Jr.


My biggest memory of Nickelodeon will definately be the visit to Nickelodeon Studios Orlando, Florida in 1994 (The studio closed in 2006!) You see it at the end of so many '90s Nickelodeon shows with the Gak Geyser (It was fun getting slimed every 10 minutes) and the original Universal Studios globe. I also saw Sonic 3 being played for the first time there, and when I took the tour, I could see the set for Legends of The Hidden Temple, and stood just a few feet from Olmec! Another part of the tour described Ren & Stimpy and the video games!

I went there on vacation in 1994. My family and my neighbors, the Langhornes, liked to go on vacations together so me and their daughter Elizabeth (my childhood hero) toured Nickelodeon Studios. Sonic 3 made me fangirl squeal. I said something real embarrassing after that. I'll just give you Elizabeth's reaction: "Shhh! Nobody wants to hear your interspecies attraction to A GODDAMN ECHIDNA!" I remember the Ren and Stimpy/video games thing. Veediots for SNES was my jam, although I felt nauseous during the stage set in Stimpy's DISGUSTING mouth and the final stage... the LotHT set was cool, I was freaking out in happiness because I was close to Olmec. He was my favorite.

The Nick shows I watched were... Ren and Stimpy, Rocko's Modern Life, Rugrats, Doug, Clarissa Explains it All, Are You Afraid of the Dark, Blue's Clues, The Littl' Bits, The Little Twins, Pete & Pete, All That, Aaah Real Monsters!, The Amanda Show, Hey Arnold!, Legends of the Hidden Temple, GUTS, Double Dare, You're On!, ReBoot, Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Special Delivery, The Wild Thornberries, SpongeBob SquarePants, As Told by Ginger, Invader Zim, Speed Racer X, CatDog, Muppet Babies, Nick Arcade, The Angry Beavers, and ChalkZone. I also remember Stick Stickly and Face. Where was the rest of Face? How did he use the bathroom? (Even more confusing than CatDog.)

Pretty much how I've always seen it:


1977-1979: Sapphire Age/Pinwheel Era

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1979-1984: Platinum Age/'Silver Ball' Era

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1984-1991: First Silver Age/Double Dare Era

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1991-1998: Golden Age/Old School Rugrats Era

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1998-2005: Second Silver Age/Old School Spongebob Era

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2005-2009: Bronze Age/Dan Schneider Era

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2009-2016: Dark Age/'Nothing Worthwhile' Era ;D

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2016-Present: Potentially Neo Bronze Age/The Loud House Era

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why the pizza record? who's going to know what a record is?

Pretty much how I've always seen it:


1977-1979: Sapphire Age/Pinwheel Era

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1979-1984: Platinum Age/'Silver Ball' Era

KaZhhT-VgUg




1984-1991: First Silver Age/Double Dare Era

5P4pgLWn7rs




1991-1998: Golden Age/Old School Rugrats Era

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1998-2005: Second Silver Age/Old School Spongebob Era

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2005-2009: Bronze Age/Dan Schneider Era

s_5mbDQ-i2M




2009-2016: Dark Age/'Nothing Worthwhile' Era ;D

ib5sx_jXOgo




2016-Present: Potentially Neo Bronze Age/The Loud House Era

HRmDmt95Afs


Why Sapphire? Why not Diamond?  ;D

Yeah; I would also extend the Silver Age to 2005 instead of 2004, mostly because Nickelodeon Studios was still around until April of that year. I also believe that CatDog and All That (though not so good in quality during its final seasons) were still around in that year. The last "classic" Spongebob episode, "Skill Crane", came out in 2005 as well.

Why Sapphire? Why not Diamond?  ;D

Yeah; I would also extend the Silver Age to 2005 instead of 2004, mostly because Nickelodeon Studios was still around until April of that year. I also believe that CatDog and All That (though not so good in quality during its final seasons) were still around in that year. The last "classic" Spongebob episode, "Skill Crane", came out in 2005 as well.

Season 3 was the last classic Spongebob, not season 4.

Season 3 was the last classic Spongebob, not season 4.


Yes, but I've heard many people consider the episode "Good Neighbors" to be the first bad episode.

Why Sapphire? Why not Diamond?  ;D

Yeah; I would also extend the Silver Age to 2005 instead of 2004, mostly because Nickelodeon Studios was still around until April of that year. I also believe that CatDog and All That (though not so good in quality during its final seasons) were still around in that year. The last "classic" Spongebob episode, "Skill Crane", came out in 2005 as well.


Good points. Also, arguably the last good Nickelodeon shows aired that year like Catscratch, Avatar, and Zoey 101. Most of the Nicktoons and Nickcoms aired after 2005 declined massively in quality.

2004-2005 was the last good season of Nickelodeon. 2005-06' was when the channel began slipping.



Season 3 was the last classic Spongebob, not season 4.


I agree. Season 3 as a whole was the last solid and classic Spongebob season, however season 4 was the last decent season. And I agree with Ty that "Good Neighbors" was the first noticeably bad Spongebob episode.

Good points. Also, arguably the last good Nickelodeon shows aired that year like Catscratch, Avatar, and Zoey 101. Most of the Nicktoons and Nickcoms aired after 2005 declined massively in quality.

2004-2005 was the last good season of Nickelodeon. 2005-06' was when the channel began slipping.


I agree. Season 3 as a whole was the last solid and classic Spongebob season, however season 4 was the last decent season. And I agree with Ty that "Good Neighbors" was the first noticeably bad Spongebob episode.


2005-2008 really seems to be that whole "grey" area. Arguably, this is also the channel's "Bronze Age". Definitely you can make good arguments that the 2005-06 season was when the channel began its decline, but Nick GAS was still around until December 31, 2007 (April 2009 for Dish users), the old Nickelodeon logo was still around, and even The Penguins of Madagascar, despite having its first episode in 2008, still seemed somewhat decent.

I actually watched Nick GAS a lot more than Nickelodeon as a kid.

2005-2008 really seems to be that whole "grey" area. Arguably, this is also the channel's "Bronze Age". Definitely you can make good arguments that the 2005-06 season was when the channel began its decline, but Nick GAS was still around until December 31, 2007 (April 2009 for Dish users), the old Nickelodeon logo was still around, and even The Penguins of Madagascar, despite having its first episode in 2008, still seemed somewhat decent.

I actually watched Nick GAS a lot more than Nickelodeon as a kid.


Good points. I do agree that its a bit subjective, based on my personal experiences with the channel. I mainly watched it from 1999-2006. I'd occasionally watch it for its TeeNick programming though, from 2006-2011/2012ish.

Good points. I do agree that its a bit subjective, based on my personal experiences with the channel. I mainly watched it from 1999-2006. I'd occasionally watch it for its TeeNick programming though, from 2006-2011/2012ish.


I would also watch some of its TeenIck (it's actually spelled like this according to the logo). I remembered watching a lot of Drake and Josh, Ned's Declassified, and I'll admit it, Mr. Meaty (I also liked to play the game Treasures of the Deep as a kid).

On Nick GAS, I would mostly watch Nickelodeon GUTS, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Finders Keepers, and Double Dare.

Most of the time on the actual Nickelodeon channel, I would just watch either Spongebob or Rugrats. I also believe that my earliest Nickelodeon memory involved me watching an episode of Rugrats.

I wouldn't call Zoey 101 good. Guilty pleasure maybe, but not necessarily "good", heh.


True. But it certainly is much more revered in the Nickelodeon community than The Naked Brothers Band or Icarly and those shows debuted only 2 years later. This is despite those shows airing around the same era, aka the Nickelodeon Bronze Age, Circa 2005-2009.

True. But it certainly is much more revered in the Nickelodeon community than The Naked Brothers Band or Icarly and those shows debuted only 2 years later. This is despite those shows airing around the same era, aka the Nickelodeon Bronze Age, Circa 2005-2009.


I never liked iCarly, let alone The Naked Brothers Band.

Nick's been around since 1979??!!!!!  :o :o

When did shows like Rugrats, Hey Arnold start? I think Rugrats began around 1990, Hey Arnold about 94 or so. I remember many of the game shows they showed on Nick were probably at least 8-10 years old.


Rugrats started in 1991, and Hey Arnold in 1996.

I remember realizing that I had grown past Nick when the Amanda Show came on. It was like realizing I officially wasn't a "kid" anymore.

1979-1988: Ancient Nick
1989-1994: Classic Nick
1995-1998: Waning Nick
1999+: Spongebob Era

1979 to 1988 w/o question...... Then it went downhill......

1979 to 1988 w/o question...... Then it went downhill......


You must have been born in the '70s then, since without question, the 1989-1994 period had indisputably the greatest collection of premieres in the channel's history. Many people didn't have cable in the 1980s, and even some who did didn't have Nickelodeon, or weren't too aware about it. If you're a fan of shows like Livewire, first-run episoes of YCDTOTV, Nick Rocks (basically MTV Jr.), or Pinwheel, then yes, you're removed from an era of classics, but to say that 1989 is worse than 1988 with Hey Dude, Think Fast, Make The Grade, and the launch of Nick Jr, led by Eureka's Castle coming on the air just doesn't seem agreeable for most. 1991 was perhaps the best year for the network in terms of debuts, with What Would You Do?, Get The Picture, Salute Your Shorts, Welcome Freshmen, Fifteen, and Clarissa Explains It All joining the lineup thanks to the recent opening of Nickelodeon Studios, and let's not forget those three Nicktoons, still the best out of them all. And the first season of Nick Arcade was filmed in late 1991 as well. It is to 1939 in Classic Hollywood to 1967 in Rock music. And 1994 rounded things out with Aaahhh! Real Monsters, the Secret Life of Alex Mack, the debut of Face on Nick Jr, and of course, All That. 

Nick Jr. showed anime adaptations of fairy tales as one of the last programs before regular Nick came back on. Anybody remember? It's like they played it because some older kids got out of school early and they knew those kids liked anime.

You must have been born in the '70s then, since without question, the 1989-1994 period had indisputably the greatest collection of premieres in the channel's history. Many people didn't have cable in the 1980s, and even some who did didn't have Nickelodeon, or weren't too aware about it. If you're a fan of shows like Livewire, first-run episoes of YCDTOTV, Nick Rocks (basically MTV Jr.), or Pinwheel, then yes, you're removed from an era of classics, but to say that 1989 is worse than 1988 with Hey Dude, Think Fast, Make The Grade, and the launch of Nick Jr, led by Eureka's Castle coming on the air just doesn't seem agreeable for most. 1991 was perhaps the best year for the network in terms of debuts, with What Would You Do?, Get The Picture, Salute Your Shorts, Welcome Freshmen, Fifteen, and Clarissa Explains It All joining the lineup thanks to the recent opening of Nickelodeon Studios, and let's not forget those three Nicktoons, still the best out of them all. And the first season of Nick Arcade was filmed in late 1991 as well. It is to 1939 in Classic Hollywood to 1967 in Rock music. And 1994 rounded things out with Aaahhh! Real Monsters, the Secret Life of Alex Mack, the debut of Face on Nick Jr, and of course, All That.


The launch of Nick Jr was 1988, not 1989.

I was born in 1989 (yesterday was my 29th birthday!) but I vaguely remember Think Fast. Weird. I remember bits and pieces of Pinwheel. I want to say there was a puppet worm on that show? And holy crap, Welcome Freshman. I haven't thought of that show in years. A favorite of my neighbor's was Fifteen, starring a young Ryan Reynolds! (If I remember correctly.)