Thinking back on our most cherished childhood TV shows, our minds tend to go to things like "Fairly Odd Parents" and "Spongebob," or maybe "All That" and "Drake and Josh." However, in its hay day (aka the 90s and early 00s), Nickelodeon was home to some of the best and most underrated kids' shows on the air. Here are just 10 of the best hidden gems we loved as a generation that you probably forgot about.
1. Rocket Power (1999)
How could we forget about our favorite friendly neighborhood skate board gang? And I mean, admit it, we all had a little bit of a crush on Otto Rocket.
2. My Life As a Teenage Robot (2003)
What better way to learn about the woes of teen angst than from a robot and her lovable pals? I'm pretty sure this show had all of us shipping Brad and Jenny before we even knew what shipping meant.
3. ChalkZone (2002)
"Rudy's got the chalk!" Despite being one of the most unique shows ever on Nick, everyone still manages to forget that it even existed. The adventures of Rudy Tabootie, Penny, and their mischievous chalk pal Snap were exciting enough to keep us entertained for six whole years, though, and its killer theme song was definitely stuck in all of our heads on more than one occasion.
4. All Grown Up! (2003)
Following 12 whole years of "Rugrats" success, one of the smartest things Nickelodeon could have done is bring everyone's favorite "dumb babies" back.... but this time as angsty pre-teens. It may have never been as great as the original series, but hey, at least we knew even the babies had to deal with awkward middle school scenarios at some point, too.
5. Danny Phantom (2004)
With those glowing green eyes and perfectly styled silver hair, don't try and say you never had a crush on Nick's hottest animated heartthrob.
6. Doug (1991)
Even though the rights for this show ended up being bought by Disney, "Doug" will always be one of the best classic Nick cartoons. Should we have been alarmed that most of the citizens of Bluffington were green, blue, or purple? Probably, but hey, Doug didn't seem too worried about them.
7. CatDog (1998)
From a fun-loving dog to a cat who was constantly done with everyone, this show had a little something for all of us. And as a bonus, more than a decade later, it gifted us this beloved meme:
8. Rocko's Modern Life (1993)
Even though it was eventually canceled for its wildly inappropriate "hidden" content, as kids we were none the wiser and still loved Rocko despite his flaws. (Confession: I always thought he was a kangaroo, but turns out Rocko was definitely a wallaby.)
9. Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (2004)
Honestly, where would we be as a society without Ned Bigby to guide us through the horrors of middle school?
10. As Told By Ginger (2000)
Probably one of the best, and yet most forgotten, shows to ever air on Nick. Even though this show was relatively short-lived compared to other classic nicktoons, Ginger and the gang still taught us all a lot of valuable lessons about life.
When you think classic Nickelodeon, you probably think about "Hey Arnold" or "The Wild Thornberrys," and with so many beloved shows, it's easy for some of the best to fall by the wayside. These shows were just some of the most underrated creations that Nickelodeon blessed our generation with, and as 90s kids, we were lucky to experience the best of all the Nicktoons eras. Kids these days just don't know what they're missing.