The Sane Psycho
Banned
While it may be going through a down period at the moment, Nickelodeon is a legendary channel that completely changed the game when it comes to animation, and has a history of providing us with some of the best animated shows of all time. Shit, some of those shows are amongst the greatest in TV history period, regardless of format. I'm going to celebrate that history by giving my ten favorite Nicktoons ever. Just keep in mind that I'm not trying to make a definitive ranking. This is just my personal favorites.
10.
The Fairly OddParents
Sure, this show has a premise that it repeats in every episode to the point of becoming formulaic (boy has fairies that grant wishes, he wishes for something that backfires, and fixes it in the end), but it's good fun. Timmy Turner is a very relatable kid to many. He's not one of the cool kids. He's one of the losers that just kind of ekes through a world that seems to be against him. How can you not love that?
9.
ChalkZone
You know, this show is really unique. The art style is one of the best I've ever seen. And I just think the way these characters create an entire world, and solutions to their problems, with magic chalk is just so damn wonderful.
8.
KaBlam!/Oh Yeah! Cartoons/Random! Cartoons
Yeah, I cheated by puting three shows in one spot, but they all share the same basic idea (and all of them have an exclamation point). You see, they're TV shows which feature a compilation of animated shorts from different animators. Sure, not everything was a winner, but it was great to see TV shows that gave hungry young talents a platform to showcase their works. It was really cool to see the future stars of animation, and I wish there were more shows throughout history to give up and coming animators a chance to shine.
7.
Rocko's Modern Life
Despite being on Nickelodeon, I believe this show had a pretty big influence on future adult cartoons with its plethora of sexual innuendos. But although that's what most remember about it, it was also genuinely funny. And it had one of Tom Kenny's earliest roles, a man who would go on to be one of the greatest voice actors of all time.
6.
Rugrats
A show about babies that isn't targeted at the toddler crowd? You must be talking about Rugrats. First off, let me just say I love the unique art style. And the offbeat premise. And the baby adventures. Sorry, baby 'ventures.
5.
The Ren & Stimpy Show
Just like Rocko, this is a show I'm positive was a big influence on adult animation. Yes, it had sexual innuendo, but it was also violent and completely fucked up. Who could forget Don't Whiz On The Electric Fence or Egg Yolkeo? This was the kind of cartoon that other cartoons were afraid of.
4.
Invader Zim
Like Ren & Stimpy, this show was completely fucked up. But it upped the ante by being much darker. You see, there was something wrong with this world. Everything was just... off, but Dib was the only one who noticed or cared. And it was wrapped in a cool science fiction shell.
3.
SpongeBob SquarePants
Love it or hate it, you can't deny the impact of this show. The seismic crater it left. It's witty. It's lame. It's dorky. And it's so damn quotable. "The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma (milk carton spills)." But most importantly, it's one of the funniest TV shows of all time.
2.
Hey Arnold!
What I really love about this show was how it tackled complex, mature issues. Like living in the projects. And a girl with neglectful parents who favor her older sister. And addiction. And escaping a war torn country. And workers strikes. And holy shit, Hey Arnold was more adult than the majority of actual adult cartoons. Ironically, this cartoon was very real.
1.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
This might be my favorite TV show ever. Beautiful animation, first off. I also love the respect it shows for Asian culture. I love the spirituality present. I love the fully realized world it immerses you in. And I love the writing. It will make you laugh (Sokka in general). It will make you cry (Iroh mourning his dead son on his birthday, Zuko apologizing to Iroh). And the character development is on another level. The heroes aren't perfect goody two-shoes. They make mistakes and hurt the ones they love just like anyone else. And the villains show a humanity that serves to show us they're not just one dimensional psychopaths. And I love the maturation of the characters. Aang goes from an immature young boy unsure if he can handle the responsibilities of being the Avatar to being a strong young man ready to take on the world's challenges. And Zuko's redemption sees him going from a driven teenager obsessed with capturing Aang to restore his honor with his father to realizing he needs to make his own destiny and turning over a new leaf to join our heroes. Some people binge watch Breaking Bad or Orange Is The New Black. I binge watch Avatar (not the James Cameron movie). And that is why it is my favorite Nicktoon, and television show, of all time.
So, did you like this list, or do you think it's a shitty garbage list that deserves to die a painful, humiliating death? And what are your favorite Nickelodeon cartoons?
10.
The Fairly OddParents
Sure, this show has a premise that it repeats in every episode to the point of becoming formulaic (boy has fairies that grant wishes, he wishes for something that backfires, and fixes it in the end), but it's good fun. Timmy Turner is a very relatable kid to many. He's not one of the cool kids. He's one of the losers that just kind of ekes through a world that seems to be against him. How can you not love that?
9.
ChalkZone
You know, this show is really unique. The art style is one of the best I've ever seen. And I just think the way these characters create an entire world, and solutions to their problems, with magic chalk is just so damn wonderful.
8.
KaBlam!/Oh Yeah! Cartoons/Random! Cartoons
Yeah, I cheated by puting three shows in one spot, but they all share the same basic idea (and all of them have an exclamation point). You see, they're TV shows which feature a compilation of animated shorts from different animators. Sure, not everything was a winner, but it was great to see TV shows that gave hungry young talents a platform to showcase their works. It was really cool to see the future stars of animation, and I wish there were more shows throughout history to give up and coming animators a chance to shine.
7.
Rocko's Modern Life
Despite being on Nickelodeon, I believe this show had a pretty big influence on future adult cartoons with its plethora of sexual innuendos. But although that's what most remember about it, it was also genuinely funny. And it had one of Tom Kenny's earliest roles, a man who would go on to be one of the greatest voice actors of all time.
6.
Rugrats
A show about babies that isn't targeted at the toddler crowd? You must be talking about Rugrats. First off, let me just say I love the unique art style. And the offbeat premise. And the baby adventures. Sorry, baby 'ventures.
5.
The Ren & Stimpy Show
Just like Rocko, this is a show I'm positive was a big influence on adult animation. Yes, it had sexual innuendo, but it was also violent and completely fucked up. Who could forget Don't Whiz On The Electric Fence or Egg Yolkeo? This was the kind of cartoon that other cartoons were afraid of.
4.
Invader Zim
Like Ren & Stimpy, this show was completely fucked up. But it upped the ante by being much darker. You see, there was something wrong with this world. Everything was just... off, but Dib was the only one who noticed or cared. And it was wrapped in a cool science fiction shell.
3.
SpongeBob SquarePants
Love it or hate it, you can't deny the impact of this show. The seismic crater it left. It's witty. It's lame. It's dorky. And it's so damn quotable. "The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma (milk carton spills)." But most importantly, it's one of the funniest TV shows of all time.
2.
Hey Arnold!
What I really love about this show was how it tackled complex, mature issues. Like living in the projects. And a girl with neglectful parents who favor her older sister. And addiction. And escaping a war torn country. And workers strikes. And holy shit, Hey Arnold was more adult than the majority of actual adult cartoons. Ironically, this cartoon was very real.
1.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
This might be my favorite TV show ever. Beautiful animation, first off. I also love the respect it shows for Asian culture. I love the spirituality present. I love the fully realized world it immerses you in. And I love the writing. It will make you laugh (Sokka in general). It will make you cry (Iroh mourning his dead son on his birthday, Zuko apologizing to Iroh). And the character development is on another level. The heroes aren't perfect goody two-shoes. They make mistakes and hurt the ones they love just like anyone else. And the villains show a humanity that serves to show us they're not just one dimensional psychopaths. And I love the maturation of the characters. Aang goes from an immature young boy unsure if he can handle the responsibilities of being the Avatar to being a strong young man ready to take on the world's challenges. And Zuko's redemption sees him going from a driven teenager obsessed with capturing Aang to restore his honor with his father to realizing he needs to make his own destiny and turning over a new leaf to join our heroes. Some people binge watch Breaking Bad or Orange Is The New Black. I binge watch Avatar (not the James Cameron movie). And that is why it is my favorite Nicktoon, and television show, of all time.
So, did you like this list, or do you think it's a shitty garbage list that deserves to die a painful, humiliating death? And what are your favorite Nickelodeon cartoons?
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