The mere mention of “the ‘90s” and “Nickelodeon” sends members of Generation Y into a nostalgic gushfest. And rightfully so. Who didn’t watch “Legends of the Hidden Temple” and dream of donning that blue helmet and completing challenges like the coolest nine-year-old in town? Who didn’t stay up late to listen to The Midnight Society, even though “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” creeped you out? So, in the immortal words of Kel: “Is it true? Is it truuue?”
Yes, it’s true. Starting in the fall, from midnight to 2 a.m. on Nickelodeon’s “Nick at Nite,” you can get your ‘90s fix for that Nickelodeon addiction you’ve had ever since they aired “Zoey 101.” An official list has not been released, but there’s a lot of buzz going around the Internet as people reminisce and hope for their favorite shows to be featured. Some classics at the top of the wish list include: “Rugrats,” “Kenan & Kel,” “All That,” “Aaahh!! Real Monsters,” and “Clarissa Explains It All.”
This decision from Nickelodeon came after people used social media to voice their love for childhood classics. For example, the Facebook page called “I want my ’90s Nickelodeon back!” It’s just one of many groups that sparked an interest in ’90s programming.
Although it will be airing late at night when only college students are up anyway, it may be a breath of fresh air at a time when much of children’s programming is clouded by mature themes. “In the ‘90s [children’s programming] was age appropriate,” second-year writing student Ben Allen said. “Cartoons allowed me to escape for a moment and imagine an entire world. Now they don’t even have cartoons. It’s all prissy little girls.” So the return to shows like “Doug” might be just what today’s youth need. And definitely what the children of the ‘90s want.
