Nickelodeon

[LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE]

Nickelodeon (generally referred to by its shortened name, Nick, a practice dating back to the early days of the channel, and previously named Pinwheel from 1977 to 1979) is an American cable television channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. Since 2006, Nickelodeon has been run by MTVN Kids & Family Group president Cyma Zarghami. The channel is aimed mostly at children ages 6–12, with the exception of their prime time block that is aimed at teenagers ages 13–17, and the weekday morning programming that is aimed at children ages 2-5.

Nickelodeon's broadcast day runs on Monday through Thursdays from 7:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., Fridays from 7:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m., Saturdays from 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. and Sundays from 6:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. (Eastern and Pacific Time). It shares space with Nick at Nite, a nighttime channel/programming block airing mainly sitcom reruns, created in 1985, that airs during the interim hours and is treated as a separate channel from Nickelodeon by A.C. Nielsen Co.. for ratings purposes

Early history

Nickelodeon's pre-history began on December 1, 1977 when QUBE, the first two-way interactive cable TV system was launched in Columbus, Ohio by Warner Cable (owned by Warner Communications, and an ancestor of Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment (WASEC)). One of the specialized channels available to subscribers of the QUBE system was Pinwheel^[3], a cable channel offering children's programming, which ran for ran for only about six hours each day.

The original Nickelodeon logo from April 1, 1979 to 1984.

Relaunch as Nickelodeon (1979–1990)

Pinwheel was re-launched as Nickelodeon on April 1, 1979, and despite its prior history on the QUBE system under the Pinwheel name, Nickelodeon has declared that 1979 is the network's official launch year. It began airing on various Warner Cable systems, beginning in Buffalo, New York and quickly expanded its audience reach.^{[4] [5]} Shows airing during its broadcast day included Video Comic Book, Pop Clips and the long-running Pinwheel (now formatted as a daily hour-long series that ran in a 3-5 hour block format, and was a precursor to the Nick Jr. block) along with other shows such as America Goes Bananaz, Nickel Flicks and By the Way. In 1980, new shows were added to the lineup, including Dusty's Treehouse, First Row Features, Special Delivery, What Will They Think Of Next?, Livewire, and Hocus Focus. Also in the same year, Video Comic Book was renamed to Video Comics.

The network's original logo was a silver pinball with the "Nickelodeon" title in multicolor. Nickelodeon's first popular series was You Can't Do That On Television, a Canadian sketch comedy that made its American debut on Nickelodeon in late 1981. On April 12, 1981, the channel extended its hours from 8 a.m. (EST) to 9 p.m. (EST) by turning its channel over to the Alpha Repertory Television Service (ARTS) and, later until 1985, A&E Network after ARTS merged with NBC's struggling cable service The Entertainment Channel. In 1983, Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment began divesting its assets and spun off Nickelodeon and two other channels, MTV and the now-defunct Radio Television Station (RTS) into the newly-formed subsidiatry MTV Networks. After a while the network became known for its iconic green slime, originally featured in You Can't Do That on Television. The green slime was then adopted by the channel as a primary feature of many of its shows. In the early years, other shows such as Livewire, Standby: Lights, Camera, Action, The Third Eye and Mr. Wizard's World were part of the regular Nickelodeon time slots.

The channel struggled at first, having lost $40 million by 1984, and finishing dead last among the cable channels. After firing the previous staff, MTV Networks president Bob Pittman turned to Fred Seibert and Alan Goodman, who created MTV's iconic IDs a few years earlier, to reverse Nickelodeon's fortunes. Seibert and Goodman's company, Fred/Alan, teamed up with Tom Corey and Scott Nash of the advertising firm Corey McPherson Nash to replace the "Pinball" logo with the "orange splat" logo with the name Nickelodeon written in Balloon font, that would be used in hundreds of different variations for the next quarter century. Fred/Alan also enlisted the help of animators, writers, producers and doo-wop group The Jive Five to create new idents for the channel. Within six months of the rebranding, Nickelodeon went from worst to first and has stayed there for more than 25 years even with increasing competition in recent years from other family-oriented cable channels such as Disney Channel and Cartoon Network.^[6]

In January 1985, after A&E dropped its partnership with Nickelodeon and became its own 24-hour channel, Nickelodeon simply went to a test screen after sign-off. That July, Nick added a new nighttime block called Nick at Nite, and became a 24-hour a day service. That same year, American Express sold their stake in Warner-Amex to Warner Communications and was renamed Warner Cable; by 1987, Warner Cable turned MTV Networks into a private company, and sold MTV, RTS and Nickelodeon to Viacom for $685 million. In 1988, Nick aired the first annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (previously known as The Big Ballot) and introduced Nick Jr., an educational block for younger children around preschool age.

Success in the 1990s and the 2000s (1990–2009)

By October 1990, Nickelodeon was seen in 52 million homes across the United States. In 1990, Nickelodeon opened Nickelodeon Studios, a television studio/attraction, in Orlando, Florida at Universal Studios Florida which many of its sitcoms and game shows were filmed and entered into a multimillion-dollar joint marketing agreement with international restaurant chain Pizza Hut, which involved launching Nickelodeon Magazine, available for free at participating Pizza Hut restaurants.^[7] In 1991, for the first time, Nickelodeon developed its first animated series, Doug, The Ren and Stimpy Show, and Rugrats. These series, known as Nicktoons, premiered on August 11, 1991.^[8] The network had previously refused to produce weekly animated series due to high cost.^[8] The three Nicktoons found success in 1993, while in mid-1993, Nickelodeon developed its fourth Nicktoon, Rocko's Modern Life, which was also a success along with the three other Nicktoons. Later, Nickelodeon partnered with Sony Wonder and released top selling video cassettes of the show's programming.^[9] By 1994, Doug ended production, but Rocko's Modern Life, The Ren and Stimpy Show, and Rugrats were still in production and airing. In mid-1996, Nickelodeon developed two new Nicktoons, KaBlam!! and Hey Arnold!! which would take the place of Rocko's Modern Life and The Ren and Stimpy Show since they would both end production about that time, but still would air re-runs up until about 2001. Rugrats, on the other hand, was still airing. In 1998, The Rugrats Movie came out. The movie grossed more than $100 million in the United States and became the first non-Disney animated movie to ever sell that high.^[10]

In June 1993, Nickelodeon resumed its magazine brand, Nickelodeon Magazine.^[11] In 1994, Nickelodeon removed sketch comedy You Can't Do That on Television from its schedule after thirteen years on and by the same year the network had launched a new sketch comedy, All That. For many years, until its cancellation in 2005, All That would launch the careers of many actors and actresses including Kenan Thompson, Amanda Bynes, and Jamie Lynn Spears. The show's executive producer Dan Schneider would go on to create and produce several hit series for Nickelodeon including The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh and iCarly. In 1994, Nickelodeon also launched The Big Help, a public service initiative created to encourage kids to volunteer in local communities. It expanded in 2001 by encouraging kids to talk with their friends and loved ones. In October and December 1994, Nickelodeon sold Halloween and Christmas themed episodes of its Nicktoons through syndication to local markets across the United States, with then-new former corporate relative, Paramount Domestic Television (now CBS Television Distribution).^[12]

One of the many variants of the logo used from 1984 to September 28, 2009; this particular version was used from 2006 until the September 28, 2009 rebrand.In October 1995, Nickelodeon ventured in the World Wide Web and launched Nick.com.^[13] Initially the website was available only using America Online's internet service, but was later available to all internet service providers and became a strong promotional tool for Nickelodeon. The website's popularity grew and in March 1999, Nick.com became the highest rated website for children aged six to fourteen years old. Nickelodeon used the website in conjunction with television programs which increased traffic.^[14] In 2001, Nickelodeon partnered with Networks Inc. to provide broadband video games for rent from Nick.com. The move was a further step in the multimedia direction that the developers wanted to take the website. Skagerlind indicated that over 50% of Nick.com's audience are using a high speed connection which allows them to expand the gaming options on the website. To accompany the broadband content, TurboNick was created. Initially it was a popup panel which showcased broadband content on Nick.com.^[15]

Nickelodeon Studios closed down in 2005 and was converted into the Blue Man Group Sharp Aquos Theatre in 2007; Nickelodeon now tapes its live-action series at the Nickelodeon On Sunset studios (formerly the Earl Carroll Theatre) in Hollywood, California and other studio locations in Hollywood and other areas. In 2007, Nickelodeon began a four-year development deal with Sony Music to produce music-themed series for the channel, help fund and launch albums in conjunction with the label tied to Nickelodeon shows and produce original songs for the programs to be released as singles as result;^[16] the only series produced under the partnership that was greenlit as a series, Victorious debuted in 2010; though a similar music-themed sitcom Big Time Rush that debuted the same year features a similar partnership with Columbia Records, though with Columbia only being involved with the show's music.

Rebranding and plans for the 2010s (2009–present)

Nickelodeon had announced in February 2009 that Noggin and The N were to be rebranded as Nick Jr. and TeenNick to bring both channels in line with the Nickelodeon brand identity. Nickelodeon later announced in May 2009 that Nick Magazine would be discontinued by the end of the year. In July 2009, Nickelodeon unveiled a new logo for the first time in 25 years on the packaging of Nickelodeon DVDs coming out beginning that month, the Australian service, and that year's Nickelodeon Animation Festival, intending to create a unified look that can better be conveyed across all of MTV Networks's children's channels.^[17]

As of September 28, 2009, the new logo is used across Nickelodeon, and Nick at Nite, along with the rebranded TeenNick, Nick Jr. and Nicktoons (The N, Noggin and Nicktoons Network, respectively) channels in varying iterations customized for brand unification and refreshment purposes;^[18] a new logo for Nickelodeon Productions also began being used in end credit tags on all Nickelodeon shows, even on episodes aired before the new logo took effect (end credit tags of programs airing on TeenNick, Nick Jr. and some shows on Nicktoons only use the current Nickelodeon Productions logo and variants for their respective channel's original programming on episodes of series made after the rebrand). The Nickelodeon rebrand was created by New York based creative studio Trollbäck + Company. A revised instrumental version of the Nickelodeon audio ident originally performed by The Jive Five was the only part of the "splat logo" era that was retained in the rebrand. Reaction to the rebrand has been largely mixed, though many fans of 1980s and 1990s Nickelodeon have expressed dislike over the rebranded logo. Though it is mainly a wordmark, during the days prior to the 2010 Kids' Choice Awards, the logo bug was given a blimp background to match the award given out at the show. The new logo was adopted in the UK on February 15, 2010, in Spain on February 19, 2010, in Asia on March 15, 2010^[19] and in Latin America on April 5, 2010.^[20] The "Nick on TV5" block on TV5 in the Philippines will adopt the rebranded logo around April or May 2010.

On November 2, 2009, a Canadian version of Nickelodeon was launched, in partnership between Viacom and Corus Entertainment (owners of YTV, which has aired Nick shows for several years, and will continue to do so); as a result, versions of Nickelodeon now exist in the majority of North America's countries.

[LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE]

Here are my TOP 3 picks

[Sweet Lu]

I remember seeing this station from the beginning with shows like "You Can't Do That On Television" (which got Nick staretd with the whole slime business) and Danger Mouse (my all time fave show for this network). Course that was over 20 years ago (damn I feel old, lol). It is amazing to see how much the station has grown since than.

[Sweet Lu]

ah, here it is:

and an epsiode of it:

[LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE]

COOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL lollllllllllll

HERE"S a great one

[Sweet Lu]

I miss the Rugrats. They ruled!

[ILUVAdrianaLima]

Holly molly, Rugrats, i remember that show like it was yesterday...lol Reptar ooo jeez the memory's that show brings back.

[LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE]

Holly molly, Rugrats, i remember that show like it was yesterday...lol Reptar ooo jeez the memory's that show brings back.

I KNOW RIGHT, FINALLY YOU POSTED TO OUR THREAD LOLLLLLLLL

[LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE]

HERE WE GO GUYS the ORIGINAL DOUBLE DARE

[Sweet Lu]

HERE WE GO GUYS the ORIGINAL DOUBLE DARE

OMG! i used to lvoe this show. it used to crack me up. lolll

[LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE]

GIFS

[LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE]

[LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE]

[Sweet Lu]

awesome stuff

[LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE]

Show was wicked cute, Zim reminds me of Jorge at work Lu lolllllllll :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

[Sweet Lu]

wow. lolllll, now THAT is too much. No wonder you are always almsot driven crazy by him

[LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE]

LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL just watch some clips from ZIM, and you'll see

[Sweet Lu]

i will. i got's to see that than. lollllll

[LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE]

BWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

[Vanessa_gxox]

I really liked that show called Unfabulous with Emma Roberts i used to get sooo excited when it was on ! hahaha