Classic Nickelodeon Shows

In 1977, a new TV channel launched in Columbus, Ohio on the then QUBE Cable System. The channel was called Pinwheel and the first shows it aired included Video Comic Books-cartoons from around the world, Nickel Flicks, America Goes Bananaz, By The Way, and Pinwheel, which was essentially a puppet show.

On April Fools Day, 1979, Pinwheel expanded to Buffalo, NY on the QUBE Network before going nationwide as Nickelodeon in 1981.

In 1982, when Nickelodeon acquired the Canadian sketch comedy show You Can't Do That On Television, a revolution was born. It was here that Slime became the most well-loved and sought after element of many Nick shows, giving Nickelodeon an identity among children that was unparalleled in television history. In keeping with this theme, Nickelodeon adopted the famous "orange splat" logo in 1984.

For most of the 80's, along with Pinwheel, Mr. Wizard's World, and You Can't Do That on Television, Nickelodeon aired mainly cartoons produced in foreign countries. The more popular included The Adventures of Little Koala (Japan), Noozles (Japan), Grimm's Fairytale Classics (Japan), DangerMouse (United Kingdom), Bananaman (United Kingdom), Count Duckula (United Kingdom), and The World of David the Gnome (Spain).

In 1986, a new game show titled Double Dare would take slime and messiness to the extreme. 4 days after Double Dare's premiere on Nickelodeon, ratings had quadrupled, and within the month, Double Dare had become the highest rated series ever on cable television.

In 1987, staying true to the original nature of the network, Nickelodeon created the Kid's Choice Awards, giving kids their very own forum in which to vote for their favorite stars from sports, television, movies, and music.

By the start of 1989, in an effort to give the preschool audience their own block of programming, Nickelodeon introduced the first incarnation of its Nick Jr. brand. The distinctive feature of this block was a logo of the larger orange "Nick" and the smaller blue "Jr." with the orange "Nick" portraying a parental figure to the blue "Jr." This was conveyed through different species or objects such as rabbits, trees, or human figures. The Nick Jr. block typically aired between 9am and 3pm showing the usual foreign cartoons and Pinwheel (replaced by Eureka's Castle in 1989) as the main feature.

By 1989, Nick's 10th Anniversary, Nickelodeon was available in approximately 44 million homes nationwide.

1989-1990 can be seen as the beginnings of Nickelodeon's in-house production era. Game shows such as Finder's Keepers (first aired in 1987), Think Fast (1989), Make The Grade (1989), and Wild and Crazy Kids (1990) were all produced by Nickelodeon Studios at this time. Other shows included the now cult classic Hey Dude (1989), and the short-lived SK8-TV (1990 as the only airing) which was hosted by Matthew Lillard.

In 1990, Nickelodeon Studios was officially opened in Orlando, Florida, complete with theme park attractions, production facilities for sitcoms and live tapings, and a slime geyser to top it all off.

During the 90's, Nickelodeon would continue to air many of the foreign cartoons from the 80's with the addition of Maya the Bee (Japan, 1990), Rupert (United States, 1990), and The Littl' Bits (Japan, 1991).

1991 marked one of Nickelodeon's greatest achievements with the introduction of Nicktoons. On Sunday, August 11, 1991 at 10am EST, Doug would be the first in-house produced Nicktoon revealed to the world. The two other "original" Nicktoons, Rugrats and The Ren & Stimpy Show, would air later that same day.

It was at this time that Nickelodeon began to take full advantage of their newly built production facilities. In addition to Nicktoons, Nickelodeon began production on Salute Your Shorts (1991), Clarrisa Explains It All (1991), Welcome Freshmen (1991) and Fifteen (1991), Nickelodeon's first and only teenage drama. 1991 also saw the creation of two new game shows: What Would You Do and Get The Picture, as well as two new concept shows: the still running Nick News and the educational space travel show Nickelodeon Launch Box.

Nickelodeon also began to show airings of the short-lived Hi Honey, I'm Home and the now cult classic Land of the Lost, both of which originally aired on ABC.

However, 1991, marked the end of one of Nickelodeon's most well-loved shows, Hey Dude. Nickelodeon, in an effort to cut costs by moving all production to their Orlando studios, canceled Hey Dude due to the demands and costs created by taping the entire show in the Arizona desert.

1992 introduced two new game shows: Nickelodeon Guts, which was a physically competitive game show in which three kids maneuver through obstacles in an effort to win a piece of the giant mountain known as the Aggro Crag, and Nick Arcade, which was a revolutionary game show where kids solve puzzles for a chance to actually become part of a video game and play for a grand prize. A re-imagining of a 70's science-fiction show called The Tomorrow People was also produced by Nickelodeon in 1992.

1992 also introduced SNICK (Saturday Night Nickelodeon), a two-hour television programming block that aired on Saturday nights. SNICK debuted with two Nick favorites, Clarissa Explains it All, and The Ren & Stimpy Show and the premieres of Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Roundhouse.

In 1993, Nickelodeon aired a new Nicktoon named Rocko's Modern Life as well as a new variety show titled Weirnerville. This year also saw the airing of the first full season of The Adventures of Pete and Pete, which originally aired as mainly 1-minute shorts and 5 half-hour specials from 1989-1992. Also, at this time Legends of the Hidden Temple crossed moats and dodged temple guards to make it to our television sets.

1993 also introduced Nick Magazine, which today has just over 1 million subscribers.

In 1994, Nick Jr. was officially formalized. This year saw the introduction of "Face" who was an animated host of sorts that introduced shows and segments. Shows at this time included Allegra's Window, Little Bear, Gullah Gullah Island, and The Busy World of Richard Scarry.

1994 also introduced a new Nicktoon, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters as well as two new sitcoms: The Secret World of Alex Mack and the short-lived My Brother and Me. Also, at this time, All-That made its debut, Nickelodeon Guts became Global Guts and reruns of Flipper could be found.

1996 brought the debut of two new Nicktoons: Kablam, and Hey Arnold. Kenan and Kel, the All-That spinoff, also made its debut in 1996.

1996 also marked Nickelodeon's movie debut with the release of Harriet the Spy.

It was around this time, and through 1998, that many classic Nick shows began to be taken off the air completely. Shows such as Salute Your Shorts, The Adventures of Pete and Pete, Clarissa Explains It All, Hey Dude, The Secret World of Alex Mac, and many of the classic game shows could no longer be found. And shows such as The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo and The Journey of Alex Strange just didn't have the lasting appeal of their classic predecessors.

Nicktoons also suffered from diminished quality as The Angry Beavers, Oh Yeah! Cartoons, The Wild Thortenberrys, CatDog, and Rocket Power all debuted in the subsequent years. It is often said though, that Spongebob Squarepants was the Nicktoon to end all Nicktoons and the sign that the Classic Nickelodeon era had officially ended.

Despite fan letters and pleas, in 2005, Nickelodeon officially closed down Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando, Florida after moving all production to their animation studios in Burbank, California and One Astor Plaza in New York City. All live action shows were moved to Nick's production facilities in Los Angeles, California.

The Slime Geyser was removed in May 2005, followed by the trademark Nickelodeon sign in 2006.

The 1992 time capsule, in which kids from that year voted on items important to them at the time, was removed and reburied at Nickelodeon Family Suites in Orlando, Florida. It is still scheduled to be opened at its originally scheduled date in 2042.

Hey Dude was an American comedy produced for Nickelodeon with a total of 65 episodes over 5 seasons from 1989-1991. Hey Dude would continue airing in reruns until 1999.

The Show is set at the Bar None Dude Ranch in the Arizona Desert just outside of Tucson. It tells the story of Mr. Ernst, a good-natured, yet clumsy man who buys the ranch seeking refuge from his high pressured life as a New York City Accountant. Mr. Ernst's son Buddy, with his dog Cassie, is along for the ride, and is often displeased because he can't skateboard in the desert.

The Staff consisted of 2 boys, 2 girls, and one other adult ranch hand named Lucy.

The boys were Ted, the proud troublemaker, and Danny, a calm and laid back Hopi Indian. The girls were Melody, the sweet lifeguard and Brad, the spoiled, rich horse instructor.

Later in the show, Ted would leave in order to attend summer school. He was replaced by Mr. Ernst's nephew, Jake, who is essentially a lazy drummer. Soon after, Kyle, a not so bright cowboy joins the cast. When Ted later returns to the show for good, he and Kyle become rivals for Brad's affection.

Hey Dude was canceled shortly after Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando, Florida was completed in 1990. Due to cost cutting, all show productions were moved to Nickelodeon's new production facilities, leaving Hey Dude, which was filmed entirely in Arizona, and fans alike to thirst for more.

The Main Cast

David Brisbin - Mr. Benjamin Ernst
Kelly Brown - Bradley "Brad" Taylor
Debra Kalman - Lucy
David Lascher - Ted McGriff
Christine Taylor - Melody Hanson
Joe Torres - Danny Lightfoot
Geoffrey Coy - Kyle Chandler
Jonathan Galkin - Jake Decker
Josh Tygiel - Benjamin 'Buddy' Ernst, Jr.

Season 1: Spring 1989

1. "Day One at the Bar None"
2. "Battle of the Sexes"
3. "Goldilocks"
4. "Ted's Saddle"
5. "The Competition"
6. "Rehearsal for Romance"
7. "Perfect Father"
8. "The Good The Bad & The Obnoxious"
9. "Rainmen"
10. "Ted & Brad Get Handcuffed"
11. "Suspicion"
12. "Employee of the Week"
13. "Pain in the Neck"

Season 2: Fall 1989

1. "Loose Lips"
2. "Battle of a Hundred Bucks"
3. "Our Little Champion"
4. "Bunkmate Battles"
5. "Crash Landing"
6. "Ghost Stories"
7. "Teacher's Pest"
8. "Treasure Teens"
9. "Dan the Man"
10." Superstar"
11. "Bar None Babysitter"
12. "Cowboy Ernst"
13. "Take Me to Your Leader"

Season 3: Early 1990

1. "Inmates Run the Asylum"
2. "Hey Cinderella"
3. "Datenite"
4. "New Kid on the Block"
5. "Sewn at the Hip"
6. "Superstition"
7. "Dueling Ranches"
8. "Ex-Static"
9. "No More Mr. Nice Guy"
10. "Killer Ernst"
11. "Melody's Brother"
12. "The Bad Seed"
13. "Stick Around"

Season 4: Spring 1990

1. "They're Back"
2. "Ride, She Said"
3. "Magnum Ernst"
4. "Dudesbury"
5. "Fear"
6. "Secret Admirer"
7. "Lost in the Desert"
8. "Return of Ted"
9. "Do the Right Thing"
10. "Doghouse Blues"
11. "Some Like it Hot"
12. "Mr. Moneybags"
13. "Murder, He Wrote"

Season 5: Fall 1990

1. "Miss Tucson"
2. "The Legend of Jed"
3. "Incredible Shrinking Ted"
4. "Rest in Pieces"
5. "Baby"
6. "Jealous Guy"
7. "Amnesia"
8. "Presumed Stupid"
9. "Crush"
10. "Low Budget Brad"
11. "Jake's Fight"
12. "Double Date"
13. "War"

Salute your Shorts was a comedy that aired on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1998. Although, the show was only produced for two seasons (1991-1992), its legacy, in reruns, would remain as one of the greatest Nickelodeon shows ever created.

For those of you whose memories may be a little awful waffled, Salute Your Shorts followed a group of kids at a summer camp called Camp Anawanna. The Camp was run by the mysterious Dr. Kahn, who is never seen but is always heard making announcements. It is the kids continual goal to harass and humiliate one of the camp counselors, Kevin "Ug" Lee.

The series, created by Steve Slavkin, was based off of Slavkin's 1986 book, Salute Your Shorts: Life at a Summer Camp.

There were 13 episodes in each of the show's two seasons:

The Main Cast

Kirk Baily - Kevin "Ug" Lee
Megan Berwick - Z.Z. Ziff
Michael Bower - Eddie "Donkeylips" C. Gelfen
Christine Cavanaugh - Mona Tibbs
Danny Cooksey - Robert "Bobby" Budnick
Venus DeMilo - Telly Radford
Tim Eyster - Sponge Harris
Heidi Lucas - Dina Alexander
Erik MacArthur - Michael Stein (1991)
Blake Sennett - Ronald "Ronnie" Foster Pinsky (1992)
Steve Slavkin - Dr. Kahn
Gretchen Hill - Nurse Maggi

Season 1: 1991

1. "Michael Comes to Camp"
2. "Zeke, the Plumber"
3. "The Treasure of Sarah Madre"
4. "Brownies for Thud Mackie"
5. "Bunk Chief Elections"
6. "Toilet Seat Basketball"
7. "The Radio Call-In Contest"
8. "Donkeylips and Sponge Weigh In"
9. "Budnick and Michael Fake Being Sick"
10. "Cinderella Play"
11. "Donkeylips' Crush on Dina"
12. "Mail Carrier Mona"
13. "The Environmental Party"

Season 2: 1992

1. "Telly and the Tennis Match"
2. "Goodbye Michael, Hello
3. "Counselor Budnick"
4. "Dina and the Rock Star"
5. "The Cursed Skull"
6. "Budnick Loves Dina - Part 1"
7. "Budnick Loves Dina - Part 2"
8. "Sponge's Night Out"
9. "The Pinsky-Sponge Gazette"
10. "Capture the Flag"
11. "Park Ranger Mona"
12. "The Wrath of Kahn, Jr."
13. "Anawanna Incorporated"

"You are roasted, toasted, and burned to a crisp!"
-Bobby and Donkeylips

Clarissa Explains It All was a revolutionary comedy show produced by Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1994. During that time a total of 65 episodes were produced over the course of 5 seasons.

The show stars a then unknown Melissa Joan Hart as Clarissa and follows her trials and tribulations as a teenage girl dealing with common issues such as crushes, younger brothers, driving, and drinking.


Other Main Characters

Ferguson Darling played by Jason Zimbler - Clarissa's very annoying, younger brother. Also known as "Ferg-Face."

Sam Anders played by Sean O'Neal - Clarissa's most loyal and best friend. Famous for always entering through Clarissa's bedroom window by a ladder.

Janet Darling played by Elizabeth Hess - Clarissa's Mom who works with little kids at a museum and is a former hippie.

Marshall Darling played by Joe O'Connor - Clarissa's architect dad and also former hippie.

Elvis - Clarissa's security alligator, who apparently looked a lot bigger in the catalog.


Notable Facts

• Clarissa Explains It All was the first Nickelodeon show to feature a female lead


• Although it was classified as a "kids" TV show, Clarissa Explains It All generated some of the highest ratings for a cable production


• The show broke "the fourth wall" as Clarissa and Sam would speak directly to the audience through the camera


• During it's final two seasons, Clarissa Explains It All was a headlining show for Nickelodeon's new programming block, SNICK


• Both Michelle Trachtenberg and James Van Der Beek made guest appearances on the show


• In 1994, Clarissa Explains It All was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program


• Melissa Joan Hart, Sean O'Neal, and Jason Zimbler all recieved multiple Young Artist Award nominations with Melissa winning 3 for her role as Clarissa

Season 1: 1991

1. "Clarissa's Revenge"
2. "No T.V."
3. "Clarissa News Network"
4. "Haunted House"
5. "New Addition"
6. "School Picture"
7. "Urge to Drive"
8. "Bully"
9. "Brain Drain"
10. "Clarissa Makes A Cake"
11. "Sick Days"
12. "Cool Dad"
13. "Parents Who Say No"

Season 2: 1992

1. "Crush"
2. "She Drives Me Crazy"
3. "Sam Darling"
4. "President Ferguson"
5. "ME 101"
6. "Misguidance Counselor"
7. "Sam In Love"
8. "A New Look"
9. "Total TV"
10. "The Understudy"
11. "Can't Buy Love"
12. "The Great Debate"
13. "The Return of Mafalda"

Season 3: 1992-1993

1. "Janet's Boyfriend"
2. "Sam's Swan Song"
3. "Poetic Justice"
4. "The Darling Wars"
5. "Punch the Clock"
6. "The Silent Treatment"
7. "Involunteering"
8. "Take My Advice...Please"
9. "Marshall's Mid-Life Crisis"
10. "Football Fever"
11. "Life of Crime"
12. "Marshall's Parents Visit"
13. "Blind Date"

Season 4: 1993

1. "The Flu"
2. "ESP R Us"
3. "Commitment"
4. "Road Trip"
5. "The Bicycle Thief"
6. "Boy Thoughts"
7. "Hero Worship"
8. "The Zone"
9. "A Little Romance"
10. "Tale of Two Moms"
11. "Don't I Know You"
12. "Babysitting"
13. "Educating Janet"

Season 5: 1993-1994

1. "The Cycle"
2. "A New Mom"
3. "Editor-In-Chief"
4. "Piper Comes to Visit"
5. "Alter Ego"
6. "Sam's Dad"
7. "The Firm"
8. "Janet & Clarissa, Inc."
9. "Dear Clarissa"
10. "Ferguson Explains it All"
11. "UFO"
12. "Clarissa Gets Arrested"
13. "The Last Episode"

What happens when a Humidifier and dehumidifier are turned on at the same time?

That's when you know one of the greatest shows ever has just appeared on your television screen.

The Adventures of Pete and Pete was a comedy unlike any other. It follows the story of two red-headed brothers and their many adventures in the still uncharted town of Wellsville. The shows were often surreal, exaggerated narratives filled with dark humor and wit.

Pete and Pete began as 16 one-minute shorts starting in 1989. These shorts played in between other regularly scheduled shows and proved so popular, that Nickelodeon commissioned the production of 5 half-hour specials that aired from 1991 to 1993.

The Adventures of Pete and Pete deservingly became an official series beginning in 1993 and lasting until December 1995 with a total of 34 half-hour episodes airing during that time and lasting in reruns until 1999.

Two extra shorts, "The Artie Workout" and "StarMaster", were created for the home video releases of "Classic Petes" and "School Dazed" respectively.

Shorts: 1989

1. "What Would You Do For A Dollar?"
2. "Freeze Tag"
3. "The Launch"
4. "Mom's Plate"
5. "Pete-Less"
6. "Pete's Theory"
7. "X-Mas Eve"
8. "X-Ray Man"
9. "The Burping Room"
10. "Artie, The Strongest Man... in the World!"
11. "Revenge of the Petes"
12. "Halloween"
13. "The Punishment"
14. "Route 34"
15. "The Dot"
16. "The Big Race"

Specials: 1991-1993

1. "Valentine's Day Massacre"
2. "Space, Geeks, and Johnny Unitas"
3. "Apocalypse Pete"
4. "What We Did On Our Summer Vacation"
5. "New Year's Pete"

Season 1: 1993-1994

1. "King of the Road"
2. "Day of the Dot"
3. "The Nightcrawlers"
4. "Rangeboy"
5. "Tool and Die"
6. "Don't Tread on Pete"
7. "When Petes Collide"
8. "Hard Day's Pete"

Season 2: 1994

1. "Grounded for Life"
2. "Field of Pete"
3. "The Call"
4. "The Big Quiet"
5. "Time Tunnel"
6. "Halloweenie"
7. "Inspector 34"
8. "X=Why?"
9. "On Golden Pete"
10. "Farewell, My Little Viking (Part 1)"
11. "Farewell, My Little Viking (Part 2)"
12. "Yellow Fever"
13. "Sick Day"

Season 3: 1994-1995

1. "35 Hours"
2. "The Trouble with Teddy"
3. "The Good, The Bad and The Lucky"
4. "Splashdown"
5. "Dance Fever"
6. "Crisis in the Love Zone"
7. "Last Laugh"
8. "Allnighter"
9. "Road Warrior"
10. "Pinned!"
11. "O Christmas Pete"
12. "Das Bus"
13. "Saturday"