There once was a time, long ago, when there were good shows on Nickelodeon. Now those days are back.
“The ’90s Are All That” is an early morning series on Nickelodeon that Monday through Friday runs favorites of old Nickelodeon shows, such as “Kenan and Kel,” “Clarissa Explains it All” and “The Adventures of Pete and Pete.” The series began after high demand for ’90s shows on Nickelodeon’s Twitter and Facebook sites.
The series has become popular among BYU students, who enjoy reminiscing about simpler times.
Ryan Kerby, 27, a senior from Escondido, Calif., said shows from the ’90s were less complicated.
“The shows were better when we were growing up,” Kerby said. “There wasn’t all this drama. It was a chance for a kid to enjoy coming back from school, taking a break, and waiting for mom and dad to come home from work.”
Alison Moore, 20, a senior from Bakersfield, Calif., said shows from the ’90s had uncomplicated characters that were easier to identify with.
“‘Hey Arnold’ was good,” Moore said. “I think I liked it because I could relate to Helga with the whole keeping your crush a secret and being mean to him to try to cover it up. Classic. Kid shows were definitely better when I was young. But maybe that’s just because I’m not a kid now.”
It seems as though many of the current shows on Nick are seen as sub-par by many students on campus. Teen television shows have gone downhill these days, Kerby said.
“Now all you see are stupid teen shows that degrade our youth and corrupt their minds,” Kerby said. “The shows depict teen boys and girls being immoral, in broken homes, and with fake friendships. There is way too much drama.”
Ashley Wakefield, owner of the Awful Waffle south of campus, said her struggle for finding a name for her shop ended when a friend suggested a reference directly inspired from the ’90s Nick show “Salute Your Shorts.”
“One of our friends, Sarah, suggested the name The Awful Waffle,” Wakefield said. “At first it took a minute to know the reference, but then my childhood and all good things Nickelodeon came flooding back. Immediately upon realization, I loved the name. ‘Salute Your Shorts’ was a short-lived but an epic part of my summer that year it was on TV, and the classic reference of an awful waffle was perfect, witty and ironic, so we went for it.”
The ’90s revival shows will be a nice addition to the current TV lineup, Wakefield said.
“I feel like the revival of all the great ’90s shows is such a great idea,” Wakefield said. “I love that my younger siblings can enjoy some of my childhood favorite things. I feel like more modern cartoons, especially the ones Nickelodeon produce now, are a little more edgy and tacky than they were when I was a kid, so to provide old shows to a young audience is a fun idea.”
Bring back the shows from the ’90s, but let’s hope some things from the past stay in the past, Moore said.
“The ’90s are the love of my life, so anything they bring back from that decade is good with me,” Moore said. “Minus overalls and butterfly clips.”
