An epic 40-year journey into the history of Nickelodeon, the first cable channel for kids!
68 Episodes
To know the history of Nickelodeon, we must first know the history of cable television, and of QUBE, Warner Communication's massive experiment in interactive television.
July 12, 2017
This is where it all started. Pinwheel, QUBE's popular puppet show that became Nickelodeon first flagship program. Join Jake, Ebeneezer T. Squint, Plus and Minus and the rest of the gang as they sing some songs, sing some songs, sing some more songs... for a while there it was just songs.
July 13, 2017
We kick off the Nickelodeon 1979 starting lineup with a tribute to film serials. Flash Gordon, Rin Tin Tinn and Gene Autry entertain, and a host whom kids of the 80s might recognize walking us through it.
August 11, 2017
There isn't a whole lot to say about this show, so instead we spend most of the time talking about Nickelodeon's weird pre-World War I aesthetic. Also, more mimes!
August 12, 2017
Sometimes things are forgotten. Sometimes forgotten things are found again. This is the story of Brad Williams, Pinwheel performer, Hocus Focus star, and one of the hardest working puppeteers of the 1980s.
December 6, 2017
Today we look at a cheap filler show where a guy reads comic books to kids, and along the way, we explore the history of the motion comic and discover Nickelodeon's mob roots. No, seriously.
October 13, 2017
Today we look at Nickelodeon's first variety show, it's origins with QUBE, and what it meant for the future of the channel!
November 28, 2017
Being a channel for children, Nickelodeon didn't have a reason to be on after bedtime. But what should we air in those early AM hours? Before Nick at Nite, there was Star Channel.
December 6, 2017
It's Nickelodeon 1980! Warner Communications get bought by American Express, a guy in advertising becomes the new head of the station, and someone decided that what a bunch of six year olds really want to watch is a bunch of BBC costume dramas from the 70s.
January 26, 2018
Nickelodeon taps into the library of the Children's Film Foundation, or CFF, an attempt in British cinema to bring wholesome, charming films to children across the country. It actually had a lot in common with the cable station would ultimately end up on.
January 27, 2018
Nickelodeon continues down its path of "PBS you pay for" by acquiring this Canadian technology program, What Will They Think of Next! It was originally called Scientific International, but I guess clunkier, grammatically-incorrect titles with in fashion at the time.
February 22, 2018
This is the story of PopClips, a half hour music video show that might have been the origin of MTV. Or it might not have been. It's also the story of network executives, exploitation film directors, and ex-Monkees.
February 23, 2018
In order to flesh out their lineup, Nickelodeon picked up one of the sweetest, most charming and wholesome children's show from the 1970s. Join Dusty and his puppet friends, Maxine the Crow, Scooter the Squirrel and Stanley the Spider as they learn about the world and themselves. Of course, someone had to come around and corrupt it.
April 20, 2018
America Goes Bananaz is out, Livewire is in. Just how did this children's talk show differ from its predecessor? What did host Fred Newman bring to the table? And oh my god, baby R.E.M.!
April 21, 2018
Today we look at Nickelodeon's junk drawer, Special Delivery, a programming block that aired whatever the hell Nick felt like airing. You might get a fairy tale, a rock concert, an after school special, a sports documentary, a really neat Canadian show about First Nations people, or maybe just garbage.
May 23, 2018
Nickelodeon had a serious lack of narrative television in its first two years, but 1981 is here to correct that. First up, Adventures in Rainbow Country, a wilderness adventure show from Canada! It's got rivers! It's got fish! It's got evil clowns!... wait, what?
June 16, 2018
We look at Matt and Jenny, the sister show of The Adventures in Rainbow Country, both shows about two kids having adventures in the Canadian wilderness. I suppose Nickelodeon could get them cheaper as a package.
June 17, 2018
Nickelodeon embraces its early "PBS You Pay For" idea by just airing old PBS shows. Studio See is a show for kids, about kids, and by kids, which isn't always as good of an idea as it sounds.
July 6, 2018
Nickelodeon gets its first celebrity endorsement with Mr. October himself, Reggie Jackson. Kids are playing all kinds of sports these days, and Reggie's here to help you find the sport that's right for you! It's probably a great show, but did reruns hurt its image?
July 7, 2018
In 1975, a mere seven years after the Civil Rights Movement, PBS released a show about race, culture, and prejudice. It's amazing how little we learned from it.
August 7, 2018
Once upon a time, children would write stories and poems to Nickelodeon, and five acrobatic grown-ups would perform them on TV! How legit was it? Who was behind it? Let's find out!
August 15, 2018
What do you get when you mix a children's comedy writer, a computer scientist, and David Bowie lyrics? Well, whatever it is, it was on Nickelodeon in the early 80s, as odd as that seems.
September 10, 2018
Well, it's the big one, You Can't Do That On Television. A show that's already loved by millions of 80s kids, a show that saved Nickelodeon from self-destruction. But you knew that already. With a show this celebrated, is there anything more to say? Yes, but it's not all pretty...
October 19, 2018
With Star Channel gone, Nickelodeon needed something to fill their evening hours. Before Nick at Nite, though, they were approached by ABC and Hearst with ARTS (Alpha Repertory Television Service), a programming block offering fine arts programming. How well do ballet and opera fit with Nickelodeon? Let's find out.
November 2, 2018
We kick off Nickelodeon 1982 with Spread Your Wings, a 26 episode Canadian production profiling kids from around the world as they try to create and perform. Stay tuned for the full interview with the show's creator, Paul Saltzman!
December 6, 2018
Based on the classic book (sort of), these are the adventures of Black Beauty, Vicky and the rest of the Gordon family. Does it hold up to the book's messages of justice and kindness and fighting against animal abuse? Or is it just a bunch of pony fluff? Let's find out!
January 22, 2019
And now we reach Against the Odds, the history show created by Cy Schneider himself. Is it really as boring and dreadful as its reputation? Why was Bill Bixby looking for the easy paycheck? And what's the show's connection to Donny and Marie Osmond?
February 4, 2019
Join Leonard Nimoy as we learn about the making of the coolest new movies, like Return of the Jedi or the Secret of NIMH. We explore Nickelodeon's relationship with Starlog magazine, and meet the guy who did those singing dinosaur commercials!
February 14, 2019
It's after hours at the department store, and you know what that means? It's time for Jodie the display manager, Sam the security guard and Muffy the Mouse to bring Jeff, the store mannequin, to life! We explore the origins of Today's Special, how it was born from a once-in-a-lifetime deal between TVOntario and Roger's Cable, and just what made it tick.
March 21, 2019
Nickelodeon picks up a Canadian show about young prodigies in the fields of music, sports and teddy bear collecting, starring Chris Makepeace and Keanu Reeves. But more than that, we explore 1983, where a LOT of things happened to Nickelodeon in-directly. How did Ronald Reagan, Mickey Mouse and Atari effect the channel? Let's find out!
March 26, 2019
Nickelodeon makes it's oldest pull ever by bringing back Don Herbert, aka Mr. Wizard, television's first "science guy." We explore the original 1951 show and see how times changed when Mr. Wizard came back in the 80s.
April 8, 2019
It seems Nickelodeon had some spooky foreign serials laying around, so why not put them together and make yourself a show? There's the Haunting of Cassie Palmer, about a girl who summons a ghost; Under the Mountain, where two psychic children face off against alien invaders; Children of the Stones, where a small English village is not what it seems; Into the Labyrinth, where two sorcerers battle across space and time; and The Witches and the Grinnygog, a mystery involving magic, gargoyles and spirits.
April 24, 2019
We've reached Nickelodeon 1984! Cy Schneider is out, Gerry Laybourne is in, and we see the introduction of the Nick Splat, commercial breaks and animation to the channel. We also discuss Powerhouse, a PBS show about a bunch of kids who hang out at a community center and solve crimes. It's surprisingly intense!
May 6, 2019
Borrowed from ESPN and sponsored by Honeycomb cereal, Vic's Vacant Lot was Nickelodeon's next attempted at bringing sports and organized play to the channel. Was tennis instructor Vic Braden a good fit for a kid's show?
May 9, 2019
Hey, who doesn't love music videos? With Nickelodeon now part of the MTV Networks, it might as well start looking a bit more like MTV, which includes playing the newest videos that kids want to see, AND a new look and attitude from Fred Seibert and Alan Goodman, the creators of "I Want My MTV"! We explore the birth of the orange splat, AND the Nick Jr. version of the show, brought to us by none other than Shelley Duvall.
May 17, 2019
In 1984, Nickelodeon started airing reruns of Lassie, the story of a boy and his faithful collie dog. Lassie is arguably the most famous fictional dog of all time, but how did she get there? We take a deep dive into the history of Lassie, from Victorian England to the golden age of Hollywood to soup-sponsored television.
June 11, 2019
Dave Coulier tries to get a band of misfits to make a television show with him, with very obnoxious results. The last show greenlit by Cy Schneider, Out of Control is a one-of-a-kind program, but is it any good?
June 16, 2019
Finally, it's time to talk about animation on Nickelodeon! A Japanese anime adaptation of a French actress's tv show she made for her son to star in, these are the exciting adventures of a boy and giant white dog as they cross the French mountains into Spain. It's surprisingly anti-cop!
July 21, 2019
He's the greatest! He's fantastic! He's the first animated show to air on Nickelodeon, and one that would prove popular and influential. We explore Danger Mouse's origins, and the surprisingly tight relationship the show had with the first cable network for kids!
July 21, 2019
We begin Nickelodeon 1985 with Bananaman, a silly superhero cartoon Nick picked up to fill a hole in certain episodes of Danger Mouse. We discover it's origins in British comic books, the tiny studio that made it, and the merchandise trends that fueled it. Also, the history of Viacom and their purchase of Nickelodeon!
August 21, 2019
Between April and May of 1985, Nickelodeon aired a Canadian sitcom that, at first glance, didn't seem to have any business being on a cable channel for children. At second glace, it still had no business. So just what was Hangin' In's deal? What did it represent for Canadian television? And why was it such a poor fit for Nick?
August 25, 2019
Just when you thought Nickelodeon might have been leaving the educational, green vegetable image behind, here comes a three-hour block of nature and geography documentaries! We take a brief tour through the history of National Geographic, you know, the guys who make those yellow magazines you see in every thrift store? They made TV, too.
September 18, 2019
After the success of Belle & Sebastian, Nickelodeon went looking for another Japanese anime adaptation of French literature about boy cross the European countryside. We explore The Adventures of the Little Prince, from it's origins as a book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, to its rough journey to animation, and finally its hack-and-slash English localization.
October 11, 2019
In 1973, Gene Roddenberry and Filmation teamed up to make an animated sequel to Star Trek. What followed was a story of writers strikes, cheap animation, hurt feelings and colorblind directors. And despite all of that, it somehow came together and laid the groundwork for serious all-ages animated programming.
October 23, 2019
In 1959, CBS looked to comic strips to come up with a competitor to Leave it to Beaver. There, they found Hank Ketcham's Dennis the Menace, a super popular gag comic about a well-meaning but destructive little boy named Dennis. Casting Jay North in the title role, the Dennis the Menace sitcom was a huge success. But was it good? And was it worth through what Jay North would have to go through?
November 16, 2019
Nickelodeon's biggest original show of 1985, Turkey Television saw original shorts from the cast and crew of You Can't Do That On Television, comedy from around the world, stand-up routines and weird music videos! That sounds neat, right? So why isn't it so well remembered?
November 19, 2019
Nickelodeon needed to find something to air during their late night/early morning hours, when the little ones were in bed. They decided on reruns. But not just any reruns, cool, nostalgic retro reruns of show from the 50s and 60s! It's Nick at Nite, a Baby Boomer's paradise!
December 9, 2019
Welcome to 1986! With Nickelodeon now a twenty-four hour channel, there were going to be time slots that just needed to be filled, it didn't matter what you put there. Like 6 a.m., nobody's watching TV that early! May as well dump a bunch of Curious George shorts there!
January 8, 2020
Straight from Australia, it's Zoo Family, a good-but-not-great show about the inner workings of the very real Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens. Doctor David Mitchell and his children, Susie and Nick, will save animals, outsmart capitalists, fend off annoying kids and play Dungeons and Dragons.
January 24, 2020
For episode FIFTY of Nick Knacks, we look at Rated K, a young person's film review show. Thirteen year old children give their opinions on films like Stand By Me, Soul Man, and That's Life. You know, that movie where Jack Lemmon feels really bad about being sixty? Kids love that stuff! Also, a look at the proto-Kids Choice Awards, The Big Ballot!
February 7, 2020
For eight weeks in the summer of 1986, Nick aired Nickelodeon Summer Camp, a ninety minute weekday block consisting of three of their biggest Nick at Nite shows, a little daytime preview of their evening offers. Today, we look at the first of these three, The Donna Reed Show, the quintessential 50s sitcom about the quintessential 50s housewife.
February 25, 2020
We continue our look into Nickelodeon Summer Camp, Nick's summer programming block to entice parents to get more interested in Nick at Nite. The second show for the block is My Three Sons, where Fred MacMurray played a widowed father raising his three sons, plus a fourth son, plus an adopted daughter, plus three grandkids... look, he just ends up raising a lot of kids.
March 11, 2020
And now we look at the third and final show for Nickelodeon Summer Camp, Mister Ed. A show about a talking horse has to be more interesting for the children of 1986, right? Well, that's debatable...
March 26, 2020
A band from the 60s finding a second wave of popularity in the 80s wasn't weird, the nostalgia market for baby boomer adults was huge. A band from the 60s finding success with KIDS in the 80s? That's a whole other story. A winding, complicated story of a TV band who became a real band, and how they returned to be the darling of MTV and Nickelodeon, at least for a while.
April 15, 2020
Nickelodeon continues its trend of introducing two animated shows to their lineup. 1986's theme? French Weirdness! It's 1532, and Spain has gold fever! Join Esteban, Zia and Tao as they get kidnapped, get taken to South America, and end up joining shady explorer Mendoza on a quest to find the fabled seven cities of gold!
April 23, 2020
From the "was that real, or did I just make it all up" part of your brain comes Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea. We've got secret underground civilizations, we've got cartoon anteaters, we've got punk pirates, and we've got the same two songs repeated over and over and over and over and over...
May 8, 2020
The year was 1986, and Gerry Laybourne had done a lot to clean up Nickelodeon's image, making it a fun place for kids. But Laybourne still lacked a career-defining hit show. So, she locked four people in an office and told them to make the best children's game show ever. This is the story of Double Dare, from it's humble beginnings filming in Philadelphia, to it's star role at Nickelodeon Studios, to its unloved revival, to it's second, much-more-well-loved revival. Over thirty years of questions, physical challenges, and obstacle courses where you pick a giant nose.
May 31, 2020
Can a movie about a foul-mouthed little league baseball team and their alcoholic coach work as a family sitcom? Only one way to find out.
June 11, 2020
Shari Lewis was one of the most versatile and creative people in children's entertainment in the 20th century. Today, we look at her life and works through the lens of The Shari Show, a twelve-episode puppet program from 1975 that might be a bit more personal than you thought.
June 20, 2020
The year was 1987, and Nickelodeon was in the mood for cute anime shows about anthropomorphic animal children. The first of these was Maple Town, a show about a little rabbit girl's adventures in a small Canadian Town. Also, it's a blatant ripoff of a successful toy line, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.
July 17, 2020
In the late 70s and early 80s, Japan went through a bit of a koala craze, which resulted in two koala-themed anime shows in 1984, and Nickelodeon would eventually air both of them. First is Adventures of the Little Koala, where a little blue koala boy plays sports, learns life lessons, and falls madly in love with a moon goddess.
August 15, 2020
It seems somebody got the rights to a few too many afterschool specials. Well, only thing to do is to give them their own dedicated hour every Sunday.
August 28, 2020
In the 80s, fitness tapes and television programs were all the rage, so it only made since that Nickelodeon would tap into that. But more than that, Kids in Motion is the tale of one dedicated woman bringing creative movement into the living rooms. And also Scott Baio is there.
September 20, 2020
Just a few months shy of the premiere of Nick Jr, Nickelodeon imported their best preschool program yet. Join Sharon, Lois and Bram as they sing non-stop and let the whims decide where the episode is going to go.
November 12, 2020
Nickelodeon used to be very careful about what animated shows they added to their schedule. It had to be cartoons you couldn't get anywhere else, and you could only add two every year. But then, in 1987, along came Inspector Gadget, and everything changed. We explore what the show meant for Nick, its origins as a last-minute replacement to a Lupin the Third spinoff, and how it put DIC on the map.
December 20, 2020
We close out 1987 with a look at Finders Keepers, Nickelodeon's attempt to make lightning strike twice with a children's game show. Why didn't it seem to work? Why did the host change between the cable version and syndicated version? And where did the show find the most success?
December 31, 2020
We kick of 1988 with a look at Nick Jr, what it meant for the channel, as well as explore one of its earliest programs. Doctor Snuggles is an eccentric inventor who is friends to everybody, and in a world where every single thing is alive and can talk, that's saying something.
January 28, 2021
What's better than one Japanese cartoon about the adventures of an anthropomorphic koala and his little sister to cash in on Japan's koala fever, which was then dubbed to English and broadcast on Nick Jr? TWO Japanese cartoons about the adventures of an anthropomorphic koala and his little sister to cash in on Japan's koala fever, which was then dubbed to English and broadcast on Nick Jr!
February 22, 2021