35 Years Ago Today, an Iconic Nickelodeon Series Premiered (But the First Episode Was Totally Different)

February 9, 2026, 5:42pm

Nickelodeon is known for shows that walked the line between strange and relatable, especially back in the heyday of the 90s. And this this series, which ran for 3 years, was certainly one that fit that bill. Originally set as a series of minute-long shorts that aired between programs, it had a totally different first episode than what most people remember. Technically, the show didn’t start with a pilot episode, but instead with what Nickelodeon referred to as a “special,” which was produced before the first season ever aired.

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The summary for The Adventures of Pete and Pete as a whole is as surreal feeling as the show itself: The Adventures of Pete and Pete features two brothers, both named Pete but referred to as Big Pete and Little Pete, who take a skewed point of view of the often surreal events going on in their hometown of Wellsville. Big Pete serves as the voice of reason for the odd people around him. Younger brother Little Pete, who has a tattoo of a woman in a red dress on his forearm, often struggles against authority figures and other adults. He typically responds to problems by making irrational decisions. Through it all, aside from the usual sibling rivalry, the two Petes are best friends.

The first special, which aired in 1991, kicked off a series of 5 more specials, all equally as weird and whimsical as the first, and all of which were filmed before the series officially debuted. Eventually, the show morphed from the original one-minute shorts into regular-length episodes, scoring its own slot on the Nickelodeon lineup.

What Made The Adventures of Pete and Pete So Special?

The first special that would air for The Adventures of Pete and Pete perfectly demonstrated the absurdist style that the show was leaning into, centering around Big Pete and an employee of the school, Mr. Beverly, whose pet squid, Edna (who was also the school’s mascot), Pete has just accidentally killed. The duo is both vying for the attention of the school’s math teacher; however, Big Pete’s arch-enemy, Openface, attempts to thwart him in an attempt to find the “missing” squid and takes Mr. Beverly’s side in the quest for Ms. Fingerwood’s love, and later reveals the secret of what really happened to Edna.

Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi, the creators of the series, have stated that their goal with the show was to create something that was “funny, sad, strange, and beautiful.” And it seems that they were successful in that, with myriad posts on Reddit and elsewhere on the internet popping up to this day to discuss the series and the impact that it had on viewers. One said, “I’d die on this hill: It’s probably one of the greatest Nick shows, if not the greatest. In terms of everything from the theme song to the emotional storytelling and writing of some episodes, to all the big-name special guests. It was damn near a perfect show.”

Especially in this day and age, The Adventures of Pete and Pete packs a strong nostalgic punch for elder millennials facing what feels like a pretty bleak present. “The stories about dropping off rolls of film to the drive-thru photo kiosks. Such an odd, archaic thing to do, and something that no one will ever get to experience. It transports me right to the comfort and safety of late Saturday afternoons, smack in the middle of the summer of 1994. It’s what I would pick if I was asked to describe the 90s as a child,” said one fan, waxing about the vibes inherent to the series,” said one fan about the truly unique vision that the show managed to bring to life.

Does It Hold Up?

The Adventures of Pete and Pete, while an absolute fever dream of a show, is one of those rare series that not only holds up under the microscope of having aged into adulthood, but might actually be better now that it’s being viewed through that adult lens. It’s not nostalgia for the sake of nostalgia, nor is it fanservice in an attempt to keep eyes on the screen. It just so perfectly did what it set out to do at the time: show an absurdist yet relatable cross-section of American suburbia in the 90s.

And while it only aired a total of two seasons, in addition to the specials that preceded it, The Adventures of Pete and Pete still do, and always will, hold an incredibly special place in the hearts of aging millennials thanks to the way it simply disregarded reality without neglecting the unique feeling that was inherent to growing up in the 90s (also the sheer amount of superstar cameos that can really only be appreciated now that we’re adults who know who said superstars are).

The first two seasons of The Adventures of Pete and Pete can be purchased on DVD, and rumor has it that both seasons have been uploaded to YouTube.

Do you have a favorite moment from The Adventures of Pete and Pete? Let us know in the comments! And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.