PopArena Explains It All (About Nickelodeon)
March 7, 2024 2:50 PM Subscribe
Nick Knacks is a retrospective series on the history of children's entertainment network Nickelodeon, looking at the network's growth and philosophy by taking a look at every show it aired in (mostly) chronological order. The series - now covering 1991, one of (if not the) most important years for the network - has hit a milestone with the primary series hitting episode #100, which covers the network's first "traditional" multi-camera soundstage sitcom, Clarissa Explains It All.
As explained in the overview video above, the genesis of the series was when the creator saw arguments of how Nickelodeon had "gone downhill" from millennials remembering the channel of the 2000s, which had him thinking about his own shift away from the channel when those viewers were the target demographic for their shows. As such, the goal of the series is to look at the shows that aired (and how long the shows remained on air) to figure out what the guiding philosophy was for the network in how it chose what to air, and how it moved with changes in the target demographic. Currently, the series covers from the launch of Nickelodeon in 1979 to the key year of 1991.
While it's worth looking at all the episodes, as each are done well and show a good amount of research into the episode's subject, 100 episodes is a lot to digest - so for those wanting to see the highlights of the series, here are some recommendations:
* #001 QUBE: An episode detailing the interactive cable service that was the launch point for Nickelodeon.
* #002 Pinwheel: Covering the channel's very first show, in both its QUBE and Nickelodeon incarnations, and how it set the channel's framing during the "green vegetable" era dominated by primarily "edutainment" shows.
* #023 You Can't Do That on Television: A retrospective of the Canadian (with British roots) sketch comedy show that was the channel's first hit, and the origin of one of the oldest hallmarks of the channel - green slime.
* #024 Alpha Repertory Television Service: Covering one of the initial unsuccessful attempts by the channel to fill late night hours, and how it became A&E.
* #030 Going Great: Not going to lie, this one's here because of an adorkably young Keanu Reeves.
* #036 Lassie: Covering the classic kids' adventure show and it's impact on the network, leading to Nick At Nite (see below.)
* #039 Danger Mouse: One of the channel's first forays into animation, this British animated spy spoof was an iconic part of 80s and early 90s Nick.
* #047 Nick At Nite: Nickelodeon finally has success with their late night programming by leaning into curation and nostalgia.
* #054 The Monkees: A look into the show and band, as well as how the Nickelodeon/Nick At Nite airings helped clear the way for the band's revival in the 90s.
* #056 Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea: Listed here because of its removal by YouTube over a copyright strike, this French animated series was one of the channel's weirdest acquisitions.
* #057 Double Dare: The second big hit for the channel and the one that moved Nickelodeon from a loss leader into a money maker for Viacom, this episode goes over the history of the game show's several incarnations.
* #061 Adventures of the Little Koala: One of two koala themed anime shows to air on the network (#068 Noozles being the other), this was a product of Japanese animation studio Topplan, staffed with ex-Toei animators. Several Topplan animators would leave and form their own animation studio, a small company named Studio Ghibli. Perhaps you've heard of them.
* #069 The World of David the Gnome: A Spanish production based on a Dutch illustrated book on gnomes, this series is famous for its beautiful animation, well done storytelling...and an ending that traumatized a generation of Nick watchers.
* #073 Looney Tunes on Nickelodeon: This one gets into the business side of how the Looney Tunes were carved up for TV broadcast, how they got brought back together through mergers, and why Nick didn't air them until well after the network was bought from Warner Brothers by Viacom.
* #076/76.5 Kids' Choice Awards: A retrospective in a retrospective, going over the history of Nick's award show.
* #082 Eureeka's Castle: Created by CTW alumni, this show was Nick's next dive into original entertainment for the pre-school set, and would wind up influencing modern preschool entertainment.
* #083 Hey Dude: Another move by Nick to get into original content, this "aspirational" sitcom style show would help influence this type of series to the present day.
* #087 Camp Runamuck: This episode is here less for the show, and more for the coverage of ther corporate skullduggery/screwjob behind the creation of Comedy Central.
* #094 Nickelodeon Studios: A retrospective on the channel's attempt at creating a production facility/entertainment attraction in Florida - and why it ultimately failed.
* #100 Clarissa Explains It All: As mentioned above, this was Nick's first attempt at a "traditional" sitcom, but in a very Nickelodeon fashion, helped with the show having a murderer's row of creative talent (including Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins as a writer.)
As explained in the overview video above, the genesis of the series was when the creator saw arguments of how Nickelodeon had "gone downhill" from millennials remembering the channel of the 2000s, which had him thinking about his own shift away from the channel when those viewers were the target demographic for their shows. As such, the goal of the series is to look at the shows that aired (and how long the shows remained on air) to figure out what the guiding philosophy was for the network in how it chose what to air, and how it moved with changes in the target demographic. Currently, the series covers from the launch of Nickelodeon in 1979 to the key year of 1991.
While it's worth looking at all the episodes, as each are done well and show a good amount of research into the episode's subject, 100 episodes is a lot to digest - so for those wanting to see the highlights of the series, here are some recommendations:
* #001 QUBE: An episode detailing the interactive cable service that was the launch point for Nickelodeon.
* #002 Pinwheel: Covering the channel's very first show, in both its QUBE and Nickelodeon incarnations, and how it set the channel's framing during the "green vegetable" era dominated by primarily "edutainment" shows.
* #023 You Can't Do That on Television: A retrospective of the Canadian (with British roots) sketch comedy show that was the channel's first hit, and the origin of one of the oldest hallmarks of the channel - green slime.
* #024 Alpha Repertory Television Service: Covering one of the initial unsuccessful attempts by the channel to fill late night hours, and how it became A&E.
* #030 Going Great: Not going to lie, this one's here because of an adorkably young Keanu Reeves.
* #036 Lassie: Covering the classic kids' adventure show and it's impact on the network, leading to Nick At Nite (see below.)
* #039 Danger Mouse: One of the channel's first forays into animation, this British animated spy spoof was an iconic part of 80s and early 90s Nick.
* #047 Nick At Nite: Nickelodeon finally has success with their late night programming by leaning into curation and nostalgia.
* #054 The Monkees: A look into the show and band, as well as how the Nickelodeon/Nick At Nite airings helped clear the way for the band's revival in the 90s.
* #056 Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea: Listed here because of its removal by YouTube over a copyright strike, this French animated series was one of the channel's weirdest acquisitions.
* #057 Double Dare: The second big hit for the channel and the one that moved Nickelodeon from a loss leader into a money maker for Viacom, this episode goes over the history of the game show's several incarnations.
* #061 Adventures of the Little Koala: One of two koala themed anime shows to air on the network (#068 Noozles being the other), this was a product of Japanese animation studio Topplan, staffed with ex-Toei animators. Several Topplan animators would leave and form their own animation studio, a small company named Studio Ghibli. Perhaps you've heard of them.
* #069 The World of David the Gnome: A Spanish production based on a Dutch illustrated book on gnomes, this series is famous for its beautiful animation, well done storytelling...and an ending that traumatized a generation of Nick watchers.
* #073 Looney Tunes on Nickelodeon: This one gets into the business side of how the Looney Tunes were carved up for TV broadcast, how they got brought back together through mergers, and why Nick didn't air them until well after the network was bought from Warner Brothers by Viacom.
* #076/76.5 Kids' Choice Awards: A retrospective in a retrospective, going over the history of Nick's award show.
* #082 Eureeka's Castle: Created by CTW alumni, this show was Nick's next dive into original entertainment for the pre-school set, and would wind up influencing modern preschool entertainment.
* #083 Hey Dude: Another move by Nick to get into original content, this "aspirational" sitcom style show would help influence this type of series to the present day.
* #087 Camp Runamuck: This episode is here less for the show, and more for the coverage of ther corporate skullduggery/screwjob behind the creation of Comedy Central.
* #094 Nickelodeon Studios: A retrospective on the channel's attempt at creating a production facility/entertainment attraction in Florida - and why it ultimately failed.
* #100 Clarissa Explains It All: As mentioned above, this was Nick's first attempt at a "traditional" sitcom, but in a very Nickelodeon fashion, helped with the show having a murderer's row of creative talent (including Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins as a writer.)
He's done several Sample Platters (single episode/special event episodes funded by specific donations) on The Angry Beavers:
* Born to be Beavers/Up All Night
* The Day The World Got Really Screwed Up!
posted by NoxAeternum at 3:40 PM on March 7 [2 favorites]
* Born to be Beavers/Up All Night
* The Day The World Got Really Screwed Up!
posted by NoxAeternum at 3:40 PM on March 7 [2 favorites]
I think it was the airing of The Monkees on MTV in the Eighties that was most important for their revival? I mean, yay for Nick picking them up, but I'm not sure they could have ever landed there if MTV hadn't done them first. They were appointment watching for some of my friends.
posted by hippybear at 4:04 PM on March 7 [4 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 4:04 PM on March 7 [4 favorites]
Ohhhh, I loved You Can't Do That on Television as well as Clarissa (like that room! that wardrobe! ahhh!).
Does anyone else remember that They Might Be Giants did some sort of write-in show or something, wore enormous cowboy hats?
Also: "Nick or Treat!"
posted by Kitteh at 4:05 PM on March 7
Does anyone else remember that They Might Be Giants did some sort of write-in show or something, wore enormous cowboy hats?
Also: "Nick or Treat!"
posted by Kitteh at 4:05 PM on March 7
Gee, I wonder if the new Netflix series will impact the legacy?
posted by Ideefixe at 4:12 PM on March 7 [1 favorite]
posted by Ideefixe at 4:12 PM on March 7 [1 favorite]
I think it was the airing of The Monkees on MTV in the Eighties that was most important for their revival?
Remember, Nick and MTV are sibling networks, and at that time shared creative talent/leadership like Fred Seibert. So the push on The Monkees was a Viacom group effort.
posted by NoxAeternum at 4:18 PM on March 7 [3 favorites]
Remember, Nick and MTV are sibling networks, and at that time shared creative talent/leadership like Fred Seibert. So the push on The Monkees was a Viacom group effort.
posted by NoxAeternum at 4:18 PM on March 7 [3 favorites]
Yes, true, but the MTV airings were in the mid-80s and inspired them to release an album and do a tour, even if Nesmith wasn't involved... Like that was a MAJOR thing for The Monkees! I lived through it, and we were having people getting together to watch them when they were on on the regular. Granted, I was young and they were running their scant few programs over and over, but we were having one hell of a time with it. Weed and alcohol were involved and my friend group wasn't the only one doing this.
I don't think The Monkees end up on Nick At Nite if they hadn't been a giant hit on MTV.
posted by hippybear at 4:21 PM on March 7
I don't think The Monkees end up on Nick At Nite if they hadn't been a giant hit on MTV.
posted by hippybear at 4:21 PM on March 7
That made me like Dangermouse less than I remembered. You really cant go home.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:58 PM on March 7
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:58 PM on March 7
I'm with hippybear; I definitely remember watching The Monkees on MTV as a kid.
posted by Kitteh at 5:07 PM on March 7 [1 favorite]
posted by Kitteh at 5:07 PM on March 7 [1 favorite]
I loved Hey Dude so much. Dare I go back and see how it holds up?
posted by jeoc at 6:02 PM on March 7
posted by jeoc at 6:02 PM on March 7
That made me like Dangermouse less than I remembered. You really cant go home.
I'd recommend trying the reboot from a few years back - it kept a lot of the good parts while addressing the issues with the original show.
I loved Hey Dude so much. Dare I go back and see how it holds up?
Decently well, actually! As the episode points out, it's the beginning of a lineage that extends to modern Nickelodeon sitcoms.
posted by NoxAeternum at 6:16 PM on March 7
I'd recommend trying the reboot from a few years back - it kept a lot of the good parts while addressing the issues with the original show.
I loved Hey Dude so much. Dare I go back and see how it holds up?
Decently well, actually! As the episode points out, it's the beginning of a lineage that extends to modern Nickelodeon sitcoms.
posted by NoxAeternum at 6:16 PM on March 7
As I remember it, the '80s Monkees revival began with a day-long marathon of all the TV episodes on MTV, and was part of MTV's schedule before it moved to Nick.
Thinking back to my early memories of Nickelodeon, I'm surprised there hasn't been more recognition of You Can't Do That on Television.
posted by cheshyre at 6:29 PM on March 7
Thinking back to my early memories of Nickelodeon, I'm surprised there hasn't been more recognition of You Can't Do That on Television.
posted by cheshyre at 6:29 PM on March 7
I missed that Nerene Virgin died--she played Jodie on Today's Special (which I watched on Channel 9 out of Windsor, not Nickelodeon, but who's counting). I just saw the in memoriam title card on the Clarissa video. For complicated personal reasons this is the second time I've gotten weepy about Today's Special in one week.
Anyway, thanks for this, I hadn't heard of this youtube channel at all and early Nickelodeon is a huge blast from the past for me. I watched both of those koala cartoons and had completely forgotten what they were even called.
posted by Tesseractive at 9:04 PM on March 7 [3 favorites]
Anyway, thanks for this, I hadn't heard of this youtube channel at all and early Nickelodeon is a huge blast from the past for me. I watched both of those koala cartoons and had completely forgotten what they were even called.
posted by Tesseractive at 9:04 PM on March 7 [3 favorites]
I didn't know there had been a Danger Mouse reboot! Thanks, NoxAeternum!
posted by gentlyepigrams at 9:23 PM on March 7
posted by gentlyepigrams at 9:23 PM on March 7
Small addendum/errata - the studio for Adventures of the Little Koala is Topcraft, not Topplan. Not sure why I misremembered that.
posted by NoxAeternum at 10:04 PM on March 7
posted by NoxAeternum at 10:04 PM on March 7
Pinwheel was good.
posted by coolxcool=rad at 3:00 AM on March 8
posted by coolxcool=rad at 3:00 AM on March 8
Turns out that I can still whistle along to the Spartakus theme song, after 35 years. Funny what weird piece of childhood effluvium end up sticking.
posted by merriment at 5:25 AM on March 8
posted by merriment at 5:25 AM on March 8
Did anyone else watch The Tomorrow People? It wasn't very good in that particular low-budget British 1970s way, but I've still got a soft spot for it.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 6:41 AM on March 8 [5 favorites]
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 6:41 AM on March 8 [5 favorites]
Pinwheel was good.
It was, and it had a very different aesthetic for the puppets than the usual Hensonesque designs we see elsewhere (like with Eureeka's Castle.)
Also a bit more on the importance of 1991 for Nickelodeon - because honestly, it's the year that Nickelodeon as we know it came into being. A lot of the framework had been going on for a while - Nickelodeon was working on internal animation projects that would become the NickToons for a couple of years, Hey Dude proved the viability of producing live action shows in-house - but it's 1991 when all those things click together into a cohesive whole. One of the biggest things with that shift is Nick moved from buying show rights to preferring to producing their own properties (and it didn't hurt that they did a lot to build up their creative talent pool, which paid dividends when it came time to produce shows.) For example, when Cartoon Network starts seeing success with importing shonen anime series (and Dragon Ball Z in particular - RIP Akira Toriyama), Nickelodeon decides that instead of licensing a series from Japan, they're just going to make their own shonen style animated series - and that's how Avatar: The Last Airbender happens.
posted by NoxAeternum at 6:45 AM on March 8
It was, and it had a very different aesthetic for the puppets than the usual Hensonesque designs we see elsewhere (like with Eureeka's Castle.)
Also a bit more on the importance of 1991 for Nickelodeon - because honestly, it's the year that Nickelodeon as we know it came into being. A lot of the framework had been going on for a while - Nickelodeon was working on internal animation projects that would become the NickToons for a couple of years, Hey Dude proved the viability of producing live action shows in-house - but it's 1991 when all those things click together into a cohesive whole. One of the biggest things with that shift is Nick moved from buying show rights to preferring to producing their own properties (and it didn't hurt that they did a lot to build up their creative talent pool, which paid dividends when it came time to produce shows.) For example, when Cartoon Network starts seeing success with importing shonen anime series (and Dragon Ball Z in particular - RIP Akira Toriyama), Nickelodeon decides that instead of licensing a series from Japan, they're just going to make their own shonen style animated series - and that's how Avatar: The Last Airbender happens.
posted by NoxAeternum at 6:45 AM on March 8
I need a Nick Knacks episode about The Adventures of Pete & Pete, an early formative influence.
posted by Kitteh at 7:06 AM on March 8
posted by Kitteh at 7:06 AM on March 8
Kitteh: Guess what the subject of episode #101 will be!
Also, there are Sample Platters as well:
Space, Geeks, and Johnny Unitas
Day of the Dot
Hard Day's Pete
Yellow Fever
posted by NoxAeternum at 7:14 AM on March 8 [1 favorite]
Also, there are Sample Platters as well:
Space, Geeks, and Johnny Unitas
Day of the Dot
Hard Day's Pete
Yellow Fever
posted by NoxAeternum at 7:14 AM on March 8 [1 favorite]
YESSSSSSSSS
P&P is one of those odd magical shows where it always feels like late summer and autumn, no matter the plot.
posted by Kitteh at 7:18 AM on March 8 [2 favorites]
P&P is one of those odd magical shows where it always feels like late summer and autumn, no matter the plot.
posted by Kitteh at 7:18 AM on March 8 [2 favorites]
I was probably a bit too old for most of these Nick shows, they didn't really appeal to me. Even the show for older kids "Clarissa Explains it All" was a bit young and not great. The one exception was The Adventures of Pete and Pete, which was so odd and somewhat offputting while also being fun that nothing really like it has been created since. And the guest stars were amazing.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:17 AM on March 8
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:17 AM on March 8
Did anyone else watch The Tomorrow People?
The earliest Nickelodeon shows I recall were YKDTOTV, Danger Mouse, & The Tomorrow People.
They didn't seem to have all the episodes of Tomorrow People, which made the storyline difficult to follow, but I still remember seeing a pre-DrWho Peter Davison in a really bad blond afro.
Also, before they launched Nick at Night, the network went off the air at 8?pm every evening, because that's just something that stations did.
posted by cheshyre at 3:08 PM on March 8
The earliest Nickelodeon shows I recall were YKDTOTV, Danger Mouse, & The Tomorrow People.
They didn't seem to have all the episodes of Tomorrow People, which made the storyline difficult to follow, but I still remember seeing a pre-DrWho Peter Davison in a really bad blond afro.
Also, before they launched Nick at Night, the network went off the air at 8?pm every evening, because that's just something that stations did.
posted by cheshyre at 3:08 PM on March 8
a pre-DrWho Peter Davison
You mean Tristan from All Creatures Great And Small?
posted by hippybear at 3:38 PM on March 8 [1 favorite]
You mean Tristan from All Creatures Great And Small?
posted by hippybear at 3:38 PM on March 8 [1 favorite]
Also, before they launched Nick at Night, the network went off the air at 8?pm every evening, because that's just something that stations did.
This depended on the cable provider (and there were several attempts to pair Nick with a late night service) - and because Nick at Nite was technically a separate channel early on, it also continued on after for some carriers who didn't pick it up. "Call your cable provider" ads to support Nick at Nite were a Nick staple for several years after the launch.
Also, I've been posting various Sample Platter episodes in response to people bringing up series, but here are a few others worth your time:
Hey Arnold - Arnold's Christmas - "Let's use our holiday episode to contextualize the ramifications of American foreign policy and the Vietnam War in particular for our young viewer base!" This is not a joke, and produces an incredibly powerful episode.
Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Blind Bandit - Toph Beifong is one of the most beloved members of the Gaang, and the episode introducing her goes a long way in showing why.
Nick News - A Conversation With Magic - After Johnson's HIV status announcement, several networks wanted to interview him about it - and yet he chose to work with Nick specifically.
Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Tales of Ba Sing Se - A discussion of one of the most beloved episodes of the show, and what the idea of "filler" actually means in serialized media.
posted by NoxAeternum at 5:33 PM on March 8
This depended on the cable provider (and there were several attempts to pair Nick with a late night service) - and because Nick at Nite was technically a separate channel early on, it also continued on after for some carriers who didn't pick it up. "Call your cable provider" ads to support Nick at Nite were a Nick staple for several years after the launch.
Also, I've been posting various Sample Platter episodes in response to people bringing up series, but here are a few others worth your time:
Hey Arnold - Arnold's Christmas - "Let's use our holiday episode to contextualize the ramifications of American foreign policy and the Vietnam War in particular for our young viewer base!" This is not a joke, and produces an incredibly powerful episode.
Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Blind Bandit - Toph Beifong is one of the most beloved members of the Gaang, and the episode introducing her goes a long way in showing why.
Nick News - A Conversation With Magic - After Johnson's HIV status announcement, several networks wanted to interview him about it - and yet he chose to work with Nick specifically.
Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Tales of Ba Sing Se - A discussion of one of the most beloved episodes of the show, and what the idea of "filler" actually means in serialized media.
posted by NoxAeternum at 5:33 PM on March 8
The amount of research and work done in this series is truly mind boggling especially when you compare it to other youtube channels that just riff on their memories of things or scratch the surface.
The fact that he’s been regularly producing episodes of such quality for so long and still hasn’t had any luck with the YT algorithm and getting more views is shocking to me.
The rest of 1991 is going to be gangbusters (pete and pete, are you afraid of the dark, rugrats, doug, ren & stimpy) so it’s a great time to start following. The episodes listed in the OP are a good selection too. Personally I found the first few years of Nick history incredibly fascinating.
posted by basehead at 10:46 AM on March 9 [1 favorite]
The fact that he’s been regularly producing episodes of such quality for so long and still hasn’t had any luck with the YT algorithm and getting more views is shocking to me.
The rest of 1991 is going to be gangbusters (pete and pete, are you afraid of the dark, rugrats, doug, ren & stimpy) so it’s a great time to start following. The episodes listed in the OP are a good selection too. Personally I found the first few years of Nick history incredibly fascinating.
posted by basehead at 10:46 AM on March 9 [1 favorite]
Being as great of a show it apparently was, my mother was able to play on piano the opening theme song to Pinwheel on the regular, and usually concluded piano sessions with it.
Thanks for posting, Nox
posted by JoeXIII007 at 11:09 AM on March 9
Thanks for posting, Nox
posted by JoeXIII007 at 11:09 AM on March 9
Gee, I wonder if the new Netflix series will impact the legacy?
PopArena put out a post about it on his YouTube channel - his stance is that the series, coming from "true crime" purveyor Investigation Discovery, uses a lot of the odious trappings of the genre, and as such comes across as inauthentic like a lot of "true crime media. But, as he points out, it also gave a number of these abused individuals a space to speak to their experiences in their own words, and it has value in that regard, especially because it lets them speak without editorializing.
I recommend going and reading what he has to say (and consider that this is something he's been thinking about, because it's not that many more episodes until he's going to be dealing with the same issues with the Ren & Stimpy episode.)
posted by NoxAeternum at 12:13 PM on March 20
PopArena put out a post about it on his YouTube channel - his stance is that the series, coming from "true crime" purveyor Investigation Discovery, uses a lot of the odious trappings of the genre, and as such comes across as inauthentic like a lot of "true crime media. But, as he points out, it also gave a number of these abused individuals a space to speak to their experiences in their own words, and it has value in that regard, especially because it lets them speak without editorializing.
I recommend going and reading what he has to say (and consider that this is something he's been thinking about, because it's not that many more episodes until he's going to be dealing with the same issues with the Ren & Stimpy episode.)
posted by NoxAeternum at 12:13 PM on March 20
That series was at least enough to elicit a response from Dan Schneider. Been seeing a lot of growing social media chatter about this show. Wonder if it's going to cause a MeToo type effect and cause a lot of former stars to come forward.
posted by Apocryphon at 10:11 PM on March 21
posted by Apocryphon at 10:11 PM on March 21
Also, I'd recommend watching the You Can't Do That On Television episode - because the problems seen with Schneider have been around since the early days at Nick - and aren't just from there.
posted by NoxAeternum at 5:58 AM on March 26
posted by NoxAeternum at 5:58 AM on March 26
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My son was the right age to be watching Nickelodeon back then, and I learned about it through him. Fun show, brilliant voice acting.
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:28 PM on March 7