‘90s kids grew up with an exceptional programming lineup on the beloved cable channel Nickelodeon. The network was a pioneer in children’s television, taking the kind of kid-focused content previously only available on weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings and serving it up as their core programming slate. The channel launched in 1979 and gradually found its footing, arguably peaking in the ‘90s. The shows that ran on the network during that era imprinted upon Millennials and remain a nostalgic sweet spot for many to this day. Keep reading for a rundown of the 10 best Nickelodeon shows from the network’s hot streak in the ‘90s, along with details on how to watch each of these familiar favorites.
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Fair warning: even though it’s an iconic program that still exists as a cultural phenomenon, you won’t see SpongeBob SquarePants on the list that follows. The series debuted mere months before the dawn of the millennium and is more closely tied to the ‘00s than the ‘90s. Moreover, the unforgettable gameshow Double Dare began in 1986 and is arguably more associated with the station’s ‘80s output, so it didn’t make the cut either.
10) Rugrats
Although it may not hold up to adult eyes as well as some of the other programs from the network’s ‘90s lineup, Rugrats quickly became a cultural phenomenon, resonating with young viewers for the way it gives its pint-sized protagonists a surprising amount of autonomy. The program’s theme song by Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh remains one of the most recognizable series openings of the past 35 years.
The show follows the exploits of a core group of very young friends who repeatedly find themselves involved in unforgettable misadventures powered by their incredible imaginations.
If you are nostalgic for a return visit to this celebrated series, you can watch Rugrats on Paramount+.
9) Clarissa Explains It All
Clarissa Explains It All is a shining example of a show that understood its demographic; the series appealed to viewers at an awkward stage who might have felt too old for cartoons but may not have been quite ready for more adult fare.
Melissa Joan Hart shined as the titular character, who was constantly at battle with her younger brother and sworn enemy, Ferguson (Jason Zimbler). Viewers got to see Clarissa’s softer side in her frequent exchanges with her best friend, Sam (Sean O’Neal), who had an unorthodox habit of showing up outside her bedroom window with a ladder.
If you’re keen to return to Clarissa’s fourth-wall-breaking world, you can scope the show on Paramount+.
8) Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
The ‘90s were a transitional time, cultural norms were rapidly changing and creators were pushing boundaries like we hadn’t seen before. Aaahh!!! Real Monsters is part of a trend that saw animated offerings finally allowed to take risks and go for a bolder and edgier aesthetic that would not likely have been acceptable even a decade prior.
The show chronicles the antics of a trio of monsters studying at a special school that prepares them to be as scary and imposing to humans as possible.
All four seasons of this comically macabre effort are available to watch on Paramount+.
7) All That
There’s a certain genius to All That, the show takes the core setup of Saturday Night Live and targets the proceedings to a younger audience, complete with sketch comedy and musical guests. Not to mention, the show even ran on Saturday nights, several hours before the start of SNL, of course.
Just like the adult-focused series from which All That took many of its cues, the program launched the careers of quite a few noteworthy talents, Kenan Thompson, Amanda Bynes, and Lori Beth Denberg to name a few.
While there isn’t a great option for watching the entire series (which spanned 10 seasons) in one place, seasons four and five are available on Paramount+, while BET+ has seasons two through five available. Seasons one through three are available for purchase on Prime Video.
6) The Secret World of Alex Mack
The Secret World of Alex Mack effectively pits its lead character against shady adults with nefarious designs, capitalizing on the mistrust many young people feel toward their adult counterparts at an impressionable age.
The series catches up with Alex (Larisa Oleynik) as she is unexpectedly exposed to an experimental substance manufactured by the shady overlords at Paradise Valley Chemical. Following the mishap, Alex develops mysterious new abilities that are totally out of this world. She only shares her secret with a select few of her nearest and dearest for fear that the chemical company will want to use her as a guinea pig, or worse.
You can rent or purchase episodes through Apple and Amazon, the show is also available in its entirety as a DVD box set.
5) Legends of the Hidden Temple
Nickelodeon was the place for game shows that let kids take center stage. Beloved series Legend of the Hidden Temple follows a similar template to Double Dare, pitting teams of two against their peers until the last duo standing earns the right to tackle the final phase of the episode. For this unforgettable show, the final phase involves entering Olmec’s temple in an effort to librate a historic artifact.
The team that earns the right to enter the temple stands to earn a series of exciting parting gifts, with the prizes growing more enticing with each leg of the mission that teams successfully complete.
All three seasons of the series’s original run are available to stream on Paramount+.
4) The Ren & Stimpy Show
We previously mentioned that the ‘90s ushered in a new era of boundary-pushing cartoons, at the forefront of that trend was The Ren & Stimpy Show. The groundbreaking series follows the antics of a well-meaning Manx cat and a sadistic chihuahua. Their collective misadventures include plenty of gross-out gags and a surprising amount of cartoon violence.
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The show did well on Nickelodeon and resonated with viewers of different ages, so much so that fellow Viacom network MTV eventually began airing reruns of the program in the mid-‘90s. All five seasons of the series original incarnation are available on Paramount+.
3) Salute Your Shorts
This kid-centric sitcom Salute Your Shorts features crass jokes and bathroom humor aplenty, while simultaneously functioning as an irreverent picture of adolescence in the ‘90s. The show only ran for a total of two seasons but remains a fan favorite amongst many who grew up watching it either during its original run or subsequent status as a rerun staple on Nickelodeon.
The program struck a chord with young viewers, making the show a ratings success amongst its target demographic of children aged six to 11.
Both seasons of Salute Your Shorts are available to stream on Paramount+.
2) The Adventures of Pete & Pete
This beloved Nickelodeon series eschewed formulaic writing and overused tropes in favor of fresh and unexpected ideas. The series chronicles the pair’s misadventures and the surreal hijinks they get up to while growing up in a small, nondescript town somewhere in the U.S.
The Adventures of Pete & Pete originated in 1989 as a series of punchy interstitials running 30-60 seconds in length. The popularity of the shorts led the network to order a full season in 1993. The program ran until 1996, producing three seasons in total.
Seasons one and two of the series are available on DVD via the secondary market, however, the program sadly isn’t available to stream anywhere.
1) Are You Afraid of the Dark ?
This anthology series geared toward a young audience still sends shivers up the spines of many who grew up watching it. Are You Afraid of the Dark delivers chilling tales of the macabre as told by a core group of friends who’ve dubbed themselves the Midnight Society. The program appealed to its base by depicting legitimately frightful scenarios and rarely watering down its subject matter. The program appealed to youngsters in the same way the similarly themed Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books did, repurposing urban legends for a younger audience without shying away from the core themes that make such subject matter frightening to all ages.
The program ran for five seasons during its initial run, later coming back for two more in 1999. To date, there are 10 seasons in total, with the most recent incarnation running from 2019 to 2022.
The original five-season run is available to stream on Paramount+.
What is your favorite show from the network’s unforgettable pre-millennium lineup? Make sure to let us know in the comments section below.
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The main cast of The Wandering Earth (2019)
