10 Classic Nickelodeon Shows That Should Be Resurrected

Who likes orange soda? A question that’s been left dangling in the air ever since Kenan and Kel ended in 2000. Thankfully, with the pair’s reunion on the Jimmy Fallon show last year bringing them back onto our TV sets (at least temporarily), we could finally get some answers again. Kel likes orange soda! We knew it all along! Here are 10 other classic Nickelodeon programmes that are overdue a reboot.

1
Rugrats

Rugrats

Rugrats:
You remember these guys. While you might not think that the animated adventures of a group of tots would be that exciting, the heartwarming tales of Tommy, BFF Chuckie, twins Phil and Lil and mean kid Angelica were taken to a nation’s hearts. The program ran for 13 years and even spawned a trilogy of films – surely we need some of that innocence back in these modern times?

2
Rocko’s Modern Life

Rocko’s Modern Life:
The series about a wonky-eyed, lovably unstable wallaby and his equally neurotic friends only ran for four seasons in the mid-‘90s but developed a cult following that could easily be reignited – partially thanks to its covertly adult jokes. Quick game of ‘spank the monkey’ anyone? Ahem.

3
Hey Arnold!

Hey Arnold!:
Friendship dynamics, eccentric families and bullying your crush because you secretly fancy them – Hey Arnold! had it all. Running from 1996 to 2004 on the channel, it detailed the everyday exploits of “football head” Arnold (‘cos his head was shaped like an American football, obvs) and his pals. Instantly relatable, there was a bit of Arnold in all of us.

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4
The Ren & Stimpy Show

The Ren & Stimpy Show

The Ren & Stimpy Show:
If you like your cartoons more obviously crass, however, then Ren & Stimpy are the ones for you. Featuring a messed-up cat and dog duo, the early ’90s show ran for four years before its blue humour faced the wrath of the channel’s bigwigs and got the axe. In a world where Hannah Montana nakedly strides a wrecking ball, however, they’d probably be fine.

5
Catdog

Catdog

Catdog:
Another leftfield cat and dog pairing here – if you can technically call its central interspecies mix-up a pairing. Showing the day-to-day turmoils of two animated conjoined twins – one cat, one dog – it casts the former as a high-cultured feline and the latter as a stereotypical dippy canine and lets the comedy write itself. It did that for four seasons: not nearly enough.

6
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius:
How to get through your childhood when your IQ is through the roof and you have to make your own brain-challenging fun: a subject that we can all surely relate to. The unusually able Jimmy Neutron, despite being exactly the kind of kid that would get bullied in real life, turned out to be a prime TV hero. A role model we should welcome back.

7
Invader Zim

Invader Zim

Invader Zim:
Zim and Gir from the planet Irk might not be the most terrifying-sounding villains, but in 2001 they began a cartoon mission to conquer the world and enslave the entire human race. Zim’s evil plot stretched over two seasons, but was finally cancelled in 2006. The world can sleep easy now, but wouldn’t you rather have Zim back instead?

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8
The Wild Thornberrys

The Wild Thornberrys

The Wild Thornberrys:
If there was a kid alive that didn’t slightly want to be part of the Thornberry family then we’re yet to meet them. Roaming the jungles and plains filming a wildlife show, the clan befriended all manner of beasts while daughter Eliza could even talk to the animals and owned a pet chimp. Jealous.

9
Clarissa Explains It All

Clarissa Explains It All

Clarissa Explains It All:
Teen TV legend Melissa Joan-Hart began her career on Clarissa Explains It All: the story of a savvy pre-adolescent gal going through all the growing pains that pre-adolescents do. With its straight-to-camera dialogue, it was a teen diary put on the screen; they don’t make ’em like this anymore, but they should.

10
The Secret World Of Alex Mack

The Secret World Of Alex Mack:
Her role as high school sweetheart Bianca Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You may have made Larisa Oleynik a household face, but former character Alex Mack was the one that kids actually wanted to be. Blessed with secret powers, Alex lived a double life of infinite excitement and her secret world ran from 1994-98. Time for a revisit?

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