The ’90s: Golden Age of kids’ TV programming

For anyone who grew up during the early ’90s, Nickelodeon shows were television staples, as… For anyone who grew up during the early ’90s, Nickelodeon shows were television staples, as were Saturday morning cartoons and the “TGIF” lineup on ABC. The days of “Salute Your Shorts” and “Family Matters,” however, are no more. Today, watching kids’ shows can often be mind numbing and physically painful.

It’s not just because we’re not so young anymore – it’s more likely that shows just aren’t what they used to be. The shows that appealed to kids in the early ’90s attempted to attract all ages and levels of intelligence. Most shows now not only repel adults but insult the intelligence of the younger generation, too.

There are lists and lists of old shows that are so often talked about among college students, shows that were such a big part of growing up.

One of the classic television shows that people reminisce about the most is the “TGIF” show “Boy Meets World.” Ben Savage starred as the dorky, but often endearing character Cory Matthews. Cory always had love interest Topanga, best friend Shawn and next-door neighbor Mr. Feeny as his sidekicks, making the show a combination of comedy, drama and wholesome entertainment.

The show had its fair share of moral dilemmas as well, like in the episode “The Uninvited,” where Cory goes to a party to which Shawn wasn’t invited, leaving Cory to wonder what’s more important: a party or a friend.

“Boy Meets World” has a respectability that earned it a strong place in reruns and gave younger viewers a chance to enjoy the show.

“Are You Afraid of the Dark?” was another essential, a show featured as part of Nickelodeon’s SNICK lineup. Every Saturday night would bring yet another scary story from a member of an aptly named group, “The Midnight Society.”

The stories were always just scary enough to keep the easily frightened kids awake at night, especially episodes such as “The Tale of Laughing in the Dark,” featuring the horrifying, cigar-smoking clown Zeebo, and “The Tale of the Phone Police,” an episode that would scare anyone from ever making a crank phone call again. “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” was truly “The Twilight Zone” for children. The episodes were so good, it never mattered that after the story was over the campfire went out before the water even hit it.

By far, “The Adventures of Pete ‘ Pete” was one of Nickelodeon’s smartest shows. It was a tale of two red-haired brothers whose creative parents gave them the same name. The show also featured a wide array of colorful characters like the boys’ mother, Joyce, who could pick up radio waves with the metal plate in her head, and father Don, who actually tried to hit animals when driving.

“Pete ‘ Pete” explored the small things about childhood that are so often overlooked, like the younger Pete’s defiance of sleep in “Nightcrawlers.” The show’s premise was so simplistic that it got to the heart of the real world, accentuating its quirks and highlighting the zany characters that surround us.

Nickelodeon does have a few good shows that could live up to last decade’s gems. “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide” is one of the best, giving viewers tips on how to make it through middle school alive. The character Ned has a comic technique that would make a viewer of any age laugh. His character is highly likeable, and his situation in middle school is something to which many can easily relate. It’s a show that no adult would forbid her kids to watch – in fact, she would probably get sucked into the show as well.

If it’s hard to get over the nostalgia of the ’90s, DVD sets of “The Adventures of Pete ‘ Pete,” “Boy Meets World” and the Melissa Joan Hart series “Clarissa Explains It All,” are all available to buy. These sets can help ease the pain, but they can’t bring back the past