Photo courtesy of Nickelodeon, Wikipedia
A generation of '90s kids will now be able to indulge in the nostalgia of their childhood, as a revamped block of programming dedicated to shows of the decade will be available on Nickelodeon. What was once a buzzworthy rumor that has been circulating for years has finally come to fruition with the network, appealing to a loyal fan base.
In the past, sister channel TeenNick attempted a similar concept with a segment called “The ‘90s Are All That,” to great success. The new block will be called “The Splat” and will appear on TeenNick beginning on Oct. 5. It will subsequently air every night from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The excitement surrounding the nostalgic decision is what pushed the network to revisit a time that could be considered the peak of their programming. According to Variety, cartoons that can be expected to return will be “The Wild Thornberrys,” “Rugrats,” “Hey Arnold!,” “The Ren & Stimpy Show,” “The Angry Beavers,” “CatDog” and “Rocko’s Modern Life.” Non-cartoons from the era will also be re-broadcasted, including shows like “Legends of the Hidden Temple,” “Kenan & Kel,” “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and “All That.”
Combining old school programming with modern advances that the audience grew up with will see “The Splat” with a heavy online presence. A website dedicated to "The Splat" will likely be accessed through cable subscriptions like that of “HBO GO” or “Spike TV,” Variety reports. An anticipated feature of the site, according to The A.V. Club, will be an emoji keyboard filled with characters and other representative icons of the shows.
Allowing viewers to delve even deeper into childhood immersion, the channel will air commercials from the 90s, so as to not break the spell.
Senior vice president and general manager of a variety of the Nickelodeon channels Keith Dawkins stated in an interview with The A.V. Club that “the multiple screen experience allows us to listen to the audience in ways we never could years ago; it’ll be based on what the audience tells us they want.”
This approach leaves the viewer to decide the fate of the upcoming programming through an online forum. The network exemplifies the move of appealing to demand by giving the power of selection to the most vocal fans.
The move coincides with the recent emergence of shows like “Adventure Time” and “Regular Show,” which show influence from the animated programs of the past that were largely not sanitized and championed highbrow, adult humor. The long wait is finally over for fans who have seen their favorite shows shut down for nearly 20 years.
brocha@ramapo.edu
