If you were born around the year 2000 and had cable, you almost definitely grew up watching these Nickelodeon television shows. Nickelodeon was known for their overachieving conquest of creating the best entertainment for their audience. From the years 1995 and 2005, this pursuit became realistic when Nickelodeon became the number one ranked cable networks in total day ratings in households.
From these types of ratings, there was no doubt that Nickelodeon created some of the best shows of our childhood. I lay out some of my favorites, and probably some of yours too!
1. DANNY PHANTOM
Danny Phantom was the kind of show you would watch when you come home from school and need a break before starting your homework. You would sit down and hear the infamous theme song that laid out Danny's origin story. Danny Phantom was your average high school kid who accidentally blew up his parent's laboratory and became Danny Phantom—a superhero who is a half ghost and half human. With the help of his best friends, Samantha and Tucker, he fights ghosts and continuously saves his friends and family.
2. THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS
"3...2...1...Gotta Blast!" From the title of the show, one can assume Jimmy Neutron wasn't your average student. He was actually a fifth-grade genius! He would spend most of his time creating new gadgets and technology that would solve the episode's dilemma. He had a robotic dog, Goddard and his best friends, Carl and Sheen, that would always help him out in times of need.
3. THE AMANDA SHOW
I always thought of The Amanda Show as a kid version of Saturday Night Live. It would encompass comedy skits and cast stars that we were familiar with in other shows like Drake Bell, Josh Peck, Ashley Tisdale, Kenan Thompson, and many more.
4. NED'S DECLASSIFIED SCHOOL SURVIVAL GUIDE
Who didn't use at least one of Ned Bigby's notorious tips for surviving school? Ned Bigby and his best friends Moze and Cookie try to do their best in their academics while also trying to keep up with social elements in school too. Because of this, Ned shares his tips and tricks in order to help out his friends and himself to basically "survive" school.
5. ZOEY 101
Zoey Brooks enrolls in her new boarding school, Pacific Coast Academy (PCA), that was formally a male-only school. Zoey and her new friends encounter many average teen problems and try to find a solution. This was probably the first show to teach me what shipping two people meant (a.k.a. Chase and Zoey in the final episode).
6. UNFABULOUS
There wasn't any other show that was more self-deprecating than this one. Addie Singer is a student who always finds herself in very embarrassing situations. Her best friends, Geena and Zack, were always there to get her through these circumstances. However, Addie wasn't always sure on what to do, so she would turn to songwriting to help get her through the times she didn't totally feel okay.
7. AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER
Avatar: The Last Airbender is definitely my favorite out of this list. Many would say it's "timeless" for the kinds of plots and characters it possessed. It was set in a world that divided itself into four nations—the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. Each tribe consisted of benders that would have the ability to control that specific element. The show focused on the avatar, who is essentially the master of all four elements. Aang is discovered as the long lost avatar and it becomes two waterbenders', Katara and Sokka, jobs to safeguard him to master all four elements in order to restore peace in the nation.
8. THE NAKED BROTHERS BAND
The show's name would always be the factor to tick people off, but once watched, one can tell that it's nothing more than a group of teens trying to start their careers. The show particularly follows two brothers, Nat, and Alex Wolff. More than often, it seems like a scripted reality show.
9. MY LIFE AS A TEENAGE ROBOT
Jenny Wakeman is a robot that was created for the very purpose of being Earth's protector, but she's often seen pursuing other goals. Jenny just wants to be a normal teenager but is often deterred from this goal because she has to rush to save the day.5.
10. DRAKE & JOSH
Starting their careers on The Amanda Show, Drake Bell and Josh Peck were an easy pick for Nickelodeon to cast in their new show. Drake & Josh centered around two teens that were very easily contrasted by their personalities, and they end up becoming stepbrothers. The plot lines of each episode highlight their comedic adventures while the two brothers get accustomed to living with each other and being family.
