Nickelodeon’s dedication to child-friendly programming has made it a leader in creative and original scripted and animated shows. People who grew up in the 1990s have especially fond memories of the cable channel, which had several game shows for kids, a news program, and some classic original cartoons.
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Nickelodeon’s programming also launched the career of at least one well-known star, as Melissa Joan Hart got her start on Clarissa Explains It All, and over the years, there have been several other scripted programs on Nickelodeon that are well worth a second look. For this reason, there are many shows that fans wish Nickelodeon would immediately reboot.
5) Finders Keepers
Finders Keepers was a live-action scavenger hunt game. This unique game show featured two teams of children competing against each other to decipher clues and find objects hidden in the rooms of a house.
In the first round, one team would be shown a picture of an object and given a clue as to where it was hidden, and would have a certain amount of time to find it. If the team failed, the other team got a crack at it. The bonus round for the winning team consisted of a bona fide scavenger hunt through the rooms of the house to retrieve as many objects as possible.
This game was unique and fun, and kids won real cash prizes. Although technology has advanced since Finders Keepers debuted in 1987, Nickelodeon wouldn’t have to make many changes to reboot this show because of the simplicity of gameplay. The show would entertain today’s children and give them a live-action alternative to playing hidden object games on their phones.
4) Aah! Real Monsters
Nickelodeon’s Aaaah! Real Monsters was one of the network’s most creative early cartoons. This animated series told the stories of three monsters who attended a boarding school to learn how to scare people and often got in trouble for interacting positively with humans. The worst thing a monster in this show could do was be caught on camera because monsters would lose their ability to scare kids if adults knew they really existed.
Considering the popularity of movies like Monsters Inc., 2025 would be the perfect time to reboot Aah! Real Monsters. Nickelodeon could consider using claymation instead of animated drawings and modern special effects to make a compelling upgrade to the original.
3) The Secret World of Alex Mack
The Secret World of Alex Mack was Nickelodeon’s first foray into superhero stories. Alex Mack was a middle schooler who developed powers such as telekinesis, the ability to turn herself into a puddle, and the ability to throw bolts of lightning from her fingers after exposure to toxic chemicals.
Throughout the series, Alex struggled to keep her powers secret so she could be like the other kids at school while also working with her older sister to track down the company responsible for the toxic waste that had changed her and find out what caused the spill in the first place.
Kids are hungry for superhero and fantasy stories, especially ones starring teen girls, so an updated version of The Secret World Of Alex Mack with the special effects and technology available today would be an instant hit. The plot of teenager vs. soulless company would also be popular, especially if it were updated to include AI and other controversial new tech.
2) Clarissa Explains It All
Clarissa Explains It All was one of the first bona fide sitcoms to come out of Nickelodeon. When it debuted, Clarissa was a spunky 12-year-old girl who narrated her life while dealing with problems with her family or at school that many kids could relate to. The show succeeded because Clarissa was like a trusted friend to many 1990s pre-teen and teenage girls, and it also made Melissa Joan Hart a household name long before Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Melissa Joan Hart was reportedly in favor of a proposed reboot in 2018, but unfortunately, that never came to pass. However, Clarissa Explains It All is long overdue for a reboot. Teenage girls in the 2020s deal with some different problems than they did in the 1990s, such as cyberbullying, but also still want to make friends, date, and deal with pressure at school and at home. Today’s teen girls might enjoy having a guide like Clarissa to help them navigate life while also making them laugh.
1) Legends of the Hidden Temple
Legends of the Hidden Temple was one of Nickelodeon’s most innovative game shows. During this unique competition, teams consisting of one girl and one boy each did a combination of physical and trivia challenges to attempt to gain entry to a hidden temple and ultimately recover a historical artifact.
This game show was both educational and entertaining, with three rounds and a bonus round that was similar to what might have been found in video games of the day. Competitors learned about historical artifacts in the course of trying to gain entry to the temple and recover the artifact, and the game itself was somewhat based on the Indiana Jones movies.
In 2019, a revival with adult competitors was attempted, but this series needs a real reboot, especially if it employs people from various Indigenous tribes to create the games, including the artifacts. This practice would allow the reboot to educate children about various Indigenous tribes and practices while offering an entertaining game.
What Nickelodeon show would you want rebooted? Leave a comment and join the conversation at the ComicBook Forum.
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