Summary
For many people,Nickelodeonhas long been seen as the home of some of the best cartoons ever made, but while not all of these shows end up stretching past a single season, there are still some that have gone on to become long-running juggernauts. Despite Nickelodeon being immensely popular and well-known, just because a show appears on the network doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to have a long and healthy run on TV. After all, these cartoons still need to grab the viewers' attention in order to pull in numbers and ratings, which is ultimately what determines whether these shows stand the test of time or fade into obscurity.
That being said, Nickelodeon has still produced several iconic shows which have been running for many years due to their popularity and high quality, and while some will no doubt be very familiar, others may come as a surprise. Without further ado, it’s time to stack up the longest-runningNickelodeon cartoonsto understand exactly how they managed to maintain such longevity.
Hey Arnold!
Nobody who grew up in the 90s will ever be able to forget aboutHey Arnold!, considering it felt pretty much inescapable for a good few years. Rounding out at a total of 100 episodes,Hey Arnold!managed to run from 1996 all the way up until 2004, and while the quirky art style was one reason that it won over so many fans, it also comes down to thememorable cast of characters.
Arnold, Helga, Gerald – all of these characters feel very distinct and unique in their personalities, meaning that the dialogue and banter they share is always very upbeat and comical. As a result, they’re able to carry the show for a full five seasons without the story ever feeling like it was drying up or getting a little bland or predictable. Anyone who has fond memories ofHey Arnold!definitely ought to give it a rewatch, considering there are plenty of fun episodes to get through.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
It seems that no matter what year it is, theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtleswill always be immensely popular, as has been demonstrated by their highly successful cartoon on Nickelodeon, which first aired in 2012. With over 120 episodes being aired in only a handful of years, the turtles in half shells all get a chance to shine in this fun and vibrant TV show, allowing viewers to get a good idea of what makes them all so different in their personalities and fighting styles.
Speaking of fighting, the TMNT cartoon contains some of Nickelodeon’s best action, especially any time the turtles are forced to duke it out with the Foot Soldiers, and of course, the big bad known as Shredder. To put it simply, this is a show which is well worth watching, not only forTMNTfans, but also anyone who just wants to enjoy an action-packed and hilarious cartoon which looks amazing to boot.
Blaze and the Monster Machines
Blaze and the Monster Machinesis a fairly new series that only premiered in 2014, though it’s gone on to take Nickelodeon by storm, running over five seasons and accumulating over 100 episodes at the time of writing. The main draw of the show, outside of its very colorful animation, is that it is primarily tailored towards a younger audience. As a result, the show tries to balance being fun, but also being educational, teaching some valuable lessons about navigating the world and making friends, but in a way that is engaging and exciting.
Video game fans might be surprised to hear that the main character, Blaze, is actually voiced by none other thanNolan North, the popular voice behind iconic characters like Nathan Drake and Deadpool. This long-running show is a great one to watch with kids, especially those who are interested in cars and monster trucks, as there is certainly no shortage of them in this cartoon.
The Fairly OddParents
Dan Butcher, one of the most prominent animators to come out of Nickelodeon, truly struck gold withTheFairly OddParents. On the surface, this show can seem pretty simple, following a young boy who is granted as many wishes as he wants by two mysterious magic fairies, but because this opened up an endless amount of possibilities for each episode, it resulted in the show becoming one of the longest running in Nickelodeon’s history.
Just whenFairly OddParentsfelt like it was starting to slow down a little, the show then introduced Poof, the child of Baby and Wanda, who helped to mix up the dynamic of the main trio for the last batch of seasons.Fairly Odd Parentswould become so successful that it would even earn its ownlive-action movies featuring Drake Bell, along with a pretty significant following, and it’s a show that many Nick kids have very fond memories of watching.
Rugrats
It’s remarkable that, despite being one of the very first cartoons to ever air on Nickelodeon,Rugratswould also end up becoming one of the longest on the network. Many people considerRugratsto bea relic of the 90s, and while the retro visual style of the show is definitely reminiscent of that period,Rugratshas also managed to appeal to both kids and adults. This does make a lot of sense considering that, while many of the episodes focused on the children getting up to all kinds of random antics, it would also take time to highlight the parents and their own personal adventures too.
There was also something so captivating about watching babies partaking in crazy and outlandish adventures, makingRugratsan extremely fun show to watch for younger viewers. It’s also important to remember that Nickelodeon was at its peak during the 90s, so whileRugratshad already gotten off to a good start with high ratings, it would only grow more popular as the decade went on until finally ending in 2004.
Dora the Explorer
It can be easy to forget just how massiveDora the Exploreras a show really was back in its heyday. First airing in the year 2000, the show centers around young girl Dora and her friend Boots as they navigate their way through jungles, deserts, and all kinds of unique environments. The show features a lot of questions and sudden pauses as a way to make viewers feel engaged, but it’s primarily to allow kids to have some time to think about the answers so that they aren’t overwhelmed.
The fun and easygoing nature of the show makes it very easy to throw on in the background, but it’s also become one of the most highly acclaimed educational programs because of how well it succeeds in conveying its themes and lessons. TheDorafranchise has spawned a plethora of spinoffs and additional content, but the original Nickelodeon run is by far the longest of the Bunch at 177 episodes overall.
The Loud House
As the name of the show implies,The Loud Houserevolves around a family of 11 children and two parents who all try to co-exist under one roof. Just like most Nickelodeon cartoons, each episode of TheLoud Housecomes with a very prominent message for viewers to learn from, but at the core of many of the episodes isthe importance of family. While siblings and parents can sometimes seem annoying or irritating,The Loud House reminds uswe should always be appreciative of those who look out for us, and these central ideas are a big reason why it has managed to last so long.
What has also bolsteredThe Loud House’spopularity is how the family slowly changes and matures over time. For example, while many of the kids start the series in elementary school, they eventually move up to high school over the next few seasons, which is very satisfying to watch for those who have stuck with the cartoon from the very beginning. Though the quality of the show does start to dip a little in the latter few seasons, it still manages to enjoy a pretty lengthy lifespan despite being such a recent addition to Nickelodeon’s roster.
SpongeBob SquarePants
This should be no surprise to anyone who has watched Nickelodeon in the past two decades, butSpongeBob SquarePantscontinues to be the longest-running show on the network, and also the most popular. Starting all the way back in 1999,SpongeBob’s lovable characters and perfect blend between child and adult humor allowed it to become a massive smash hit almost instantly, to the point where it was even briefly watched by more people thanPokemon.
Originally, creator Stephen Hillenburg intended forSpongeBobto end after the movie, but considering the show was pulling in so many viewers on a daily basis, Nickelodeon ensured that it wouldn’t stop there. To this day,SpongeBobhas been running for over 15 seasons, and it doesn’t look like it will be slowing down anytime soon. While many fans consider the first three seasons to be the golden age ofSpongeBob, packed full of creative humor and some of the most iconic episodes in all of kids' animation, it still manages to be a global phenomenon that stands at the very top of Nickelodeon’s pecking order.
