90's Nickelodeon

Summary

Flightless Bird: "90’s Nickelodeon" (Feb 17, 2026)

Podcast: Flightless Bird
Host: David Farrier
Cohost: Rob
Episode Theme: A deep-dive into 1990s Nickelodeon—its shows, legacy, and unique place in American childhood, through the eyes of Americans and a baffled New Zealander.

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Episode Overview

David, a New Zealander living in America, admits a huge cultural gap: growing up in NZ, he didn't have Nickelodeon as it existed for Americans—no dedicated channel, only a few shows scattered across local TV. Rob, his American cohost, guides David on a nostalgic, joyous (if sometimes bizarre) journey through the phenomenon that was 1990s Nickelodeon. This episode is filled with show rundowns, specific weird memories, signature moments (slime, anyone?), and big feelings on how this era of kids' TV shaped a generation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Initial Impressions and Cultural Divide

• David’s Experience: Nickelodeon wasn’t a thing in NZ; only a few shows made it, shorn of the broader cultural context and the phenomenon.
  • “Nickelodeon was certainly not a big deal in New Zealand growing up like it was for many Americans.” (11:02)
• Rob’s Experience: Nick defined his '90s childhood—after-school rituals, a staple all his friends shared.
  • “90s was my childhood and there was like, Nickelodeon—that was prime Nickelodeon.” (16:23)

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2. The Cartoons that Shaped a Generation

Rob presents a slideshow, breaking down hit 90s Nick cartoons, peppered with his own weirdly specific childhood anecdotes.

• Rugrats (91–04)

  • Babies on wild, imaginative adventures while clueless adults hover in the background.
    • “It felt like a cartoon kind of for adults.” (18:22, David)
    • Parent perspective is from floor-level, capturing kids’ POV.
    • Memorable episode: “Reptar on Ice” — The babies try to return a lizard to a dinosaur on an ice show. (19:06)
  • “That was one of the first spin-offs I ever knew about as a kid because they did All Grown Up—where it was like them as teenagers.” (20:25, Rob)

• Hey Arnold! (96–04)

  • Football-headed Arnold and a cast of soulful urban kids.
    • “He had this amazing bedroom at the house that his grandparents lived. He had like the top floor that had the skylight that would overlook the city.” (21:42)
    • Real emotional moments: war stories, stoop kids, unlikely heroes.
    • “They did a Christmas episode where you find out he had been separated from his daughter during Vietnam war... super kid, emotionally intense.” (22:00)

• Doug (91–96)

  • Gentle oddball Doug, his blue best friend, dog Porkchop, and awkward school crush Patty Mayonnaise.
    • “Doug’s got plenty to be anxious about.” (24:23)
    • “Doug is the one that I have the most core memories from.” (25:47, Rob)
  • Both hosts bond over a shared love of Doug, even from opposite hemispheres.

• Rocco’s Modern Life (93–96) & Ren & Stimpy (91–96)

  • “Rocco as a wallaby has moved from his native Australia to the United States.” (30:15, Rob)
  • Ren & Stimpy remembered for being “totally disgusting... this isn’t doing any good for your brain.” (31:26)

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3. Nickelodeon’s Uniqueness: SLIME!

• Iconic for green “sliming”—hostile, joyous, anarchic.
  • “Nickelodeon, I know that they have all the slime stuff because we’ve done a slime episode... the Nickelodeon logo is slime.” (15:05, David)
• New Zealand’s version called “gunge”—a cross-cultural slime swap.

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4. Live-Action Series: A Cultural Window

• Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990–2000)
  • Children tell scary stories around a campfire; anthology format.
    • “It was a pool, it was like a closed pool... there was this creature that would emerge from the water and pull them under.” (34:04)
    • Childhood trauma origin stories: “Pools are scary. That’s a psychotic thing to gear up for kids.” (34:54, David)
• Clarissa Explains It All (91–94)
  • Melissa Joan Hart as Clarissa, a fourth-wall-breaking preteen.
• Salute Your Shorts (91–92)
  • Summer camp hijinks.
    • “Camp Anawana, we hold you in our hearts, and when we think about you, it makes us want to fart.” (37:28)
• The Adventures of Pete & Pete (92–96)
  • Surreal, indie-feeling sitcom about two brothers with the same name.
    • “Little Pete has a tattoo on his forearm of Petunia... and he could make a dance when he flexes his arm.” (38:48)
  • “This show had kind of Wonder Years vibes.” (40:51, Rob)
• The Secret World of Alex Mack (94–98)
  • Sci-fi young girl gains powers after a chemical spill, including turning into a puddle.
    • “That’s the worst ability of all time. That’s so weird, dude.” (42:55, David)

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5. Sketch Comedy and Emerging Stars

• All That (94–2020)
  • Kid version of SNL: sketch comedy, musical guests, original characters.
    • “It was very much SNL for kids.” (44:51, Rob)
    • Future stars: Kenan Thompson, Amanda Bynes, Kel Mitchell.
• Kenan & Kel
  • Direct spin-off from All That.
  • “Kel loved orange soda. That was a thing.” (47:11)
• The Amanda Show
  • More sketch comedy; lots of later stars emerged from the Nick pipeline.

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6. Nick's Obstacle Courses & Gameshows

• Legends of the Hidden Temple
  • Kids teams run wild, physical obstacle course with an Olmec-head narrator; coveted toy prizes.
    • “The sets look amazing. This was one of my favorite game shows as a kid.” (51:48, Rob)
• Wild & Crazy Kids, Double Dare, What Would You Do?, GUTS
  • All about messy, physical, anarchic fun—more slime, more goo, more “do you have the guts?” challenges.
  • “In New Zealand, I wasn’t served game shows like this.” (52:00, David)

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7. Late 90s Era & Enduring Hits

• CatDog
  • Two animals, one fused body; ultimate odd couple.
    • “They shared one body. Living in a fictional town of Nierburg... very funny idea.” (57:09)
• The Wild Thornberrys
  • Family of wildlife documentarians, girl talks to animals.
• The Angry Beavers
  • Bachelor beaver siblings hijinks.
• SpongeBob SquarePants
  • The lasting juggernaut—348 episodes and counting, adult cult following.
    • “It goes over kids' heads and which a lot of these shows did that.” (60:42, Rob)
• Rocket Power
  • Edgy extreme sport kids.

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8. Nick Culture: Family, Ritual, and Life Lessons

• Bell ringing for dinner: Rob’s mom had a bell to call the kids in from playing outside—like something straight out of a Nickelodeon show. (54:54)
• TV as a modern hearth: Nick was “deep in your bones”, defined not just entertainment, but time, family, and memory.
• “There was limited. There were two kids stations... Disney or Nickelodeon. Channel 46 and 54 that we would flip between.” (64:05, Rob)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

The Nostalgia Flood

• “I feel like you grew up in a world that it was just so all encompassing... all of this stuff was just, like, deep in your bones.” (63:17, David)
• “Honestly, I was making this, and I was like, they don’t make TV like this anymore.” (40:20, Rob)

Nick's Influence Lasts

• “If one of those shows could survive and all the others had to go, would it be Pete and Pete that stays or would you have like a Doug?” (69:03, David)

Bizarre Kids' TV Premises

• “She’s accidentally drenched with a top secret experimental chemical... and she would morph into a puddle of liquid. That’s the worst ability of all time. That’s so weird, dude.” (42:51, Rob & David)
• “That was like the big line—Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger. Can I take your order?” (45:05, Rob)

On "Slime" and Cross-cultural Confusion

• “Our slime was called ‘gunge’, so we were gunge people. I think that’s a real cultural difference.” (01:57, Hayden)
• “I believe Dora the Explorer is a Nickelodeon show, which I never watched, but I know of. I miss the whole phenomenon.” (15:44, David)

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Timeline of the Episode (Selected Timestamps)

• [15:00–25:00] - Nickelodeon cartoons deep-dive: Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, Doug.
• [30:00–35:00] - Absurdity of Rocco’s Modern Life/Ren & Stimpy.
• [32:28] - Transition to live action; Are You Afraid of the Dark spooks everyone forever.
• [38:09–42:24] - The Adventures of Pete & Pete—Rob’s weird, beloved stand-out pick.
• [44:14–47:56] - All That, Kenan & Kel, emergence of future stars.
• [51:00–56:30] - The glory/chaos of Nick’s physical game shows.
• [63:00–65:00] - Rob describes childhood family rituals—the dinner bell, sibling peacemaking, and grounding for skipping the bell.

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The Spirit & Legacy of 90s Nickelodeon

• Nick’s greatness lay in the weirdness, the heart, and the mess—a never-ending supply of goodhearted anarchy mixed with relatable coming-of-age adventures.
• “It just opened all these different worlds and showed you these different perspectives.” (68:58, Rob)
• Today’s fragmented kids’ content is a far cry from Nick’s collective rituals—fewer episodes, less cultural omnipresence, faster-moving fads. Nick provided a common language and (mostly) safe space for generations.
• “Watching things is like the best possible time to be amazed and involved in a story.” (68:45, David)

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Closing

For newbies and nostalgic millennial parents alike, the episode captures the essence of 90s Nickelodeon—a world of slime, weirdos, wild dreams, and unforgettable (sometimes traumatizing) TV. The episode closes with musings on which shows stand the test of time, and a firm recommendation: watch Adventures of Pete & Pete if you want to experience Nick’s magic.

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Want to Re-live a Moment?

• Slime/Gunge discussion: [01:49]–[02:16]
• Rugrats/Hey Arnold/Doug: [18:22]–[25:56]
• Are You Afraid of the Dark? horror: [32:54]–[35:37]
• Pete & Pete & the tattoo: [38:09]–[41:58], [66:14]–[67:40]
• The all-encompassing impact of Nick: [63:17]–[64:27]

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Contact & Feedback:
The hosts encourage listeners to share their own Nickelodeon memories: flightlessbirdchatmail.com

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“Nothing but fond memories of watching Nickelodeon.”
— Rob (68:40)

“If you have any feedback, as always, flightlessbirdchatgmail.com or your favorites, ones that I missed. I don’t get every Nickelodeon show. If you did, we’d be here for literal hours.”
— David (71:55)

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Tone: Playful, warm, irreverent, and spiked with the pure joy (and occasional trauma) of childhood TV wonder.

Transcript

[A]

Oh, hey, man.

[B]

Hi, Hayden. How are you doing?

[A]

Yeah, pretty good. Hey, I've got a bit of a bone to pick with you. I don't know, it's been a while since we spoke, and it's been kind of festering for me. A little while ago, you were angry at Stephen Miller, and look, no issues from me there. Like, I'm not defending Stephen Miller or anything like this, but you called him something like an evil big forehead or something. And I just think, are you in really any position to be criticizing other people about their forehead size?

[B]

I'm wondering. Hayden, look, I hear you and I see you.

[A]

I'm not. I'm not defending Stephen Miller. I'm just saying, like. And I'm not in a position myself. Like, I have a big forehead, but I feel.

[B]

I can't help but think this is a bit of an attack on me. And I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that Rosabell got a standalone episode of this podcast and you didn't.

[A]

So you was trying to say that I'm acting out in some way? No, I'm just. I'm just concerned. I'm just expressing a genuine concern. I'm not upset at all that Roosevelt got her own episode.

[B]

Got a whole hour to speak onto today's episode. We are looking at Nickelodeon, the American TV network that has birthed many different shows that are very big here in the United States. Some of those shows travel to New Zealand. But Nickelodeon was certainly not a big deal in New Zealand growing up like it was for many Americans. I'm wondering, when I say Nickelodeon, Hayden, what feelings. Emotions. Thoughts are stirred up within you cartoony kidsies?

[A]

Is it like Selena Gomez and all them came out of that, or is that like the Mickey Mouse Club or something? I think there's, like, cartoons, of course.

[B]

The other thing, as I speak to you now, I think sliming people was a big part of Nickelodeon, like, dumping slime on kids. I feel like that was a Nickelodeon.

[A]

Oh, the slime. So we had a big adaption of slime here with what now? And our slime was called Gunge, so we were Gunge people. I think that's a real cultural difference. And we used to put them in a tube and gunge them. You should be gunged, you big forehead motherfucker.

[B]

I'm David Farrier, a New Zealander accidentally marooned in America, and I want to figure out what makes this country ticket. Now, occasionally on this podcast, we come across topics that are so deeply American and so vast that my tiny New Zealand Brain doesn't know where to begin. We last encountered this in the first emo episode where Rob delivered me a slideshow presentation so vast and so specific it went on to become one of the most listened to Flightless Bird episodes of all time. Quite annoying for me. He likes to think he's the star of the show. Today we have reached another such juncture. Nickelodeon, the American TV channel launched on April 1, 1979 when I was just three years old, was no April Fool's joke. Do you get that? Because it was launched April 1st. Yeah, got it. Nickelodeon gave us Spongebob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer and Rugrats. And frankly, a bunch of shows that I know absolutely nothing about. Shows according to Wikipedia, Big Time Rush, icarly, Kenan and Cal, Drake and Josh and the Amanda show. All mysteries to me. I suppose my point is, when I grew up in New Zealand, some shows made it to New Zealand, but not the channel, the brand and the phenomenon. Phenomenon of Nickelodeon. So prepare for some big doses of nostalgia and for me finally, hopefully, to wrap my head around what the hell Nickelodeon means to the sanctity and unity of the United States of America. Because this, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, is the Nickelodeon episode.

[C]

Flightless Bird Touchdown in America. I'm a flightless bird Touchdown in America.

[B]

I'm trying to get more theatrical with my intros. Also, it's later at night and I feel like when we're recording later, I feel looser.

[C]

You're a little more delirious.

[B]

My Crocs are off. I'm feeling a bit more out there, you know, so be careful.

[C]

This is going to be a wild one.

[B]

How's it going?

[C]

It's going good.

[A]

It is.

[B]

As we record Wednesday, February 11th. We are both post super bowl, post half time.

[C]

We survived that super bowl show even though it wasn't in English. I don't know how we did it.

[B]

So confusing. I don't know how we did orientating. Like I'm still. I mean, oh my God, it's like I can't believe it. I've really enjoyed all the commentary out of that. Mainly the beautiful people dress as trees. Yes, it's grass. Loved it. We. The only thing I want to say on that I on my phone had the alternative halftime show going.

[C]

You were contributing to the streamers.

[B]

I had a vpn, but I think like, probably ultimately it was a contribution of one viewer.

[C]

That was the only reason. Well, not the only reason.

[B]

No, I know what you mean.

[C]

I was curious enough to see how terrible it was going to be. That I. I would have maybe put it on my phone. But then I was like, I don't want this to be seen as another.

[B]

Viewer, I think supporting the right decision. It was a fascinating watch just in how, I mean, I imagine everyone listening to this will kind of know it's been discussed endlessly. But it was just the juxtaposition between the two. Like the joy of the halftime show. Yeah. I'm not like, I'm. I'm one of these people that, like, I'm learning about it all. I'm not a Bad Bunny fan. I watched this thing. Holy shit. Huge. Amazing. Joyous.

[C]

Me too. I. I didn't know any of the songs.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But like, that was a great halftime show.

[B]

It was a really good one of.

[C]

The better ones that I've seen.

[B]

And on my phone I had the alternative going. And it was.

[C]

It was the pre recorded alternative too.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

It turns out that was like.

[B]

I didn't even know that until now.

[C]

Yep. And this has been going around already, but the. The fact that like the biggest complaint about the Bad Bunny was that it wasn't in English at all. But then, like Kid Rock's singing ball with the bar. But that's not. That's gibberish.

[B]

Absolute gibberish.

[C]

And he's not even singing it. He's like. Yeah.

[B]

Also, of course, lyrics emerged from his earlier work about wanting to get with underage women. That being a. I mean, it's all. I guess my main point is watching that on my phone while the main show is going on. It was such a comical juxtaposition. It was like, very hard to know that this was the reality that we're in.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

If it wasn't not funny, it would be very funny.

[C]

And like, the outrage from it was just so absurd. Did you see, though, they also. There was footage from Trump's super bowl party.

[B]

No.

[C]

And they had. They had Bad Bunny playing like they weren't even. This show.

[B]

It's really incredible. You were happy with the game that took place?

[C]

Yeah, it was fine.

[B]

It was a game. We have some big news. We have some live shows coming up. We've been making. Doing the show live is one of my favorite things. The difficulty is getting Rob and I to both have free time at the same time. But we've sorted out three live shows. They're gonna be Sunday, March 29, in Salt Lake City at the Depot. Thursday, April 2, in Austin at Emo's.

[C]

Iconic venue in Austin. And pretty fitting for the show.

[B]

Kind of incredible. We'll be doing an Emo Part three episode there.

[C]

We won't. We won't, we won't.

[B]

And Saturday, April 4, in Dallas at the Texas Theater. So we're doing a pre sale for patrons right now. When you're listening to this episode, Tuesday, February 17th, tomorrow, Wednesday, February 18th, will be everybody else.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So if you're a Patreon, jump on that pre sale. Get the tickets, get in there.

[C]

Yeah. And tickets go on sale at 10:00am Central Time, I believe, for all of these.

[B]

Very excited to do this. I always sort of been excited about this for a while, so I already have a few things locked in. But if you're in any of those cities and you are like, oh, my God, you must cover this as always. Flightlessbreadchatmail.com Rob and I come into each city a couple of days before and we want to kind of feel the city out. So even if you have any recommendations. Yeah.

[C]

Insider knowledge, touristy things to do, it's.

[B]

Almost like just like insider things. Not what we get in like Lonely Planet, but the things that you find special about your city.

[C]

Yeah. If it's emblematic of the city, that's what we want.

[B]

If you're in Utah, just a personal request. If you are in charge of the factory that makes the magic underpants for Mormons, I want to Visit that factory. Flightthespreadchatmail.com so again, March 29, Salt Lake City. April 2, Austin. April 4, Dallas.

[C]

Yeah. Come on out and hang out with us.

[B]

Deeply excited about this. Another thing I wanted to mention before we get into Nickelodeon. James Van Der Beek passed away, which I find I'm curious, like, how you resonated. I'm 43. Dawson's Creek was. I watched every episode. I was big into that show. When it was out for me, the character of Dawson was like, just, I think because he was like this aspiring film director, I was like, I want to be that. Like, he had a Jurassic park poster on the wall.

[C]

That was his character. What his character was into.

[B]

Yeah, deeply into. Like, he wanted to be a director. Got it. And from what little I know about his later life, he seemed to have like a very. I think he was a Christian. He was very, like, very sane. And as he got his cancer diagnosis, I believe it was colon cancer, he just had a really amazing outlook on life that he kind of demonstrated on his social media that I just admired. There was also kind of the double tragic thing of the fact that I believe Friends ran some gofundmes for him as he was diagnosed. And now since he's passed away. His family is running some GoFundMes to cover certain things about the whole past. Medical bills, future wellness for them. And I just think it speaks. I mean, I don't want. I feel like I'm preaching when I say this, but it's like. It just. It's like this being hit over the head with how you can be a. You know, I'm in New Zealand watching this giant show. Yeah, you can be incredibly successful, and yet you're still not necessarily looked after with the healthcare system here, which I just think is such a. I mean, this has been said before, but I just. I find that really insane. But for me, honestly, I was watching some of his Instagrams today, just talking about his faith and the way he viewed things. And I know I rag on Christianity a lot, but listening to him talk about his faith was like, holy shit, this is a Christian. Like, this is how you can view things. Wasn't trying to convert me. In one of his posts, he was even like, if me saying God is annoying, you just, like, substitute it for something else. But, like, this is my thing. I just think he's a. He was a fucking lovely human. Died way too young. And I'm just sad because I love that show. Like, I grew up with that guy.

[C]

Yeah. And I think even after the show, he had, like, a fun. He played. He. He didn't take himself too seriously. Beyond that.

[B]

I had a T shirt that I wore for a while, which was. It was like a gif of him, like, crying, but it was, like, printed on the shirt. It's like a very iconic shot of him in Dawson's Creek having a meltdown. And, like, he had a sense of humor about all that stuff. Just seemed like a really. A quality human. And that kind of hit me weirdly hard. It's that thing where a celebrity life isn't worth any more than anyone else's life. But, like, occasionally someone will pass away and you're just like, oh, God, horrific.

[C]

And then you think you don't want to wait for your lives to be over.

[B]

There's that. I see what you're doing. It took a while. Great soundtrack. The score for Dawson's Creek. So good. I have a segue into Nickelodeon.

[C]

You do?

[B]

Which is very. A very podcast thing to do. It ends up being centered very on me. But look, I was alerted to this a little while ago. Goosebumps.

[C]

Oh, yes.

[B]

I'm a huge R.L. styn fan. I grew up with R.L. stine, American Horror author for Kids. I'VE read all of his shit and.

[C]

As a fact, don't call his stuff shit.

[B]

Good shit. So as far as Nickelodeon goes, he was the head writer for a show called Eureka's Castle which was on Nickelodeon. It premiered as part of the Nick Jr. Programming in 89 a while back now. And he also was the first ever editor of Nickelodeon magazine. But why am I talking about it 10 years ago? It's the 10 year anniversary of Tickled, my documentary this year that I made with my friend Dylan Reeve. And there's a new Goosebumps book called they Call Me the Night Howler. And in it.

[C]

When did this come out?

[B]

Last year. Last year. Okay, I just learned about it. In it there is a short sequence that I would argue references tickled. It might be something else. I think it's tickled. George laughed. He dove at Mickey, grabbed him from behind, reached around and started tickling his belly with both hands. Die, mutant, die. He screamed. Laughing, Mickey squirmed free. Did you know there are these guys who tickle each other? It's like a sport. There are tickling teams and they see who can take it the longest. That's stupid. I said. No, it's a thing. Mickey insisted. I saw it on Netflix. Look, there might be other Tickling documentaries or films on Netflix. I'm pretty confident it's Tickled. And for me, if you could tell me when I was 10 that a future Goosebumps book would reference that shit legitimately blows my mind. And I feel grateful and insane and I just am very excited about that.

[C]

You'll have to find a way to find out if that's, if he has seen Tickled, if that's the exact thought process.

[B]

Now I'm like, I need to get in touch with him. We're in America, so I'm, I'm gonna work on that.

[C]

He's like, he's a very prolific writer too. Like, he turns like the fact that he's still writing Goosebump books.

[B]

My favorite thing about him is I read an interview with him a while back and people were like, like, what are you trying to like, do? Like, what are you trying to say with your books? He's just like, I'm trying to say nothing. Like, these are the most pure entertainment for kids ever. There's no message, there's nothing. I just want kids to be entertained and get into reading. And I thought that was great. He's not trying to pretend that there's like a meaning under this. Just like, no, I just want to make books that kids will Read. And in New Zealand, like my nieces. My youngest niece, Sophie is reading all of this now. It's so cool. Anyway, he was involved in editing the Nickelodeon magazine and he made a show for nickelodeon in 89. And so that segues us perfectly into 90s nickelodeon. Into 90s nickelodeon.

[C]

What do you know about Nickelodeon?

[B]

Honestly, I literally, when we were setting up the graphics for the show today, I saw the logo and I was like, oh, fuck me, it's slime. Like, the Nickelodeon logo is slime. So about Nickelodeon, I know that they have all the slime stuff because we've done a slime episode of this podcast and we talked about Nickelodeon and the cultural context of slime in America. I know that they've made massive shows.

[C]

Did you watch any of the shows? Do you know any of the shows?

[B]

Rugrats.

[C]

Rugrats. You watched, which was a weird.

[B]

Like, Rugrats was a. My memory of that is so weird because it felt like a cartoon kind of for adults.

[C]

Yeah, we'll get in. We'll get into it.

[B]

Okay. So I know Rugrats.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I believe Dora the Explorer is a Nickelodeon show, which I never watch, but I know of. I miss the whole phenomenon of what this represented.

[C]

Well, you didn't have the station in New Zealand, right?

[B]

So in New Zealand, growing up, we had three TV stations, right?

[C]

Well, there wasn't streamers. Like, you weren't. You didn't. Your antenna wasn't picking up the Nickelodeon channel.

[B]

And I guess my first question to you before you kind of take over is, growing up, like, when would you watch this? Because in New Zealand we'd get home from school and we'd want to turn on the TV immediately at 3:30 and like, watch kids programming. Is that kind of what this was for you growing up?

[C]

Absolutely. Like maybe the morning a little bit and weekends, but it was like after school, right? You throw on the TV, strap in, this is it. But like, 90s was my childhood and there was like, Nickelodeon that was prime Nickelodeon.

[B]

What were your alternatives? Was it like a Disney thing?

[C]

Disney, yes. Disney Channel.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

ABC had like, TGIF on Fridays. I remember being a big thing where it was like Boy Meets World.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[C]

Which I think eventually went to Disney.

[B]

I have weird. Like when you said Boy Meets World, I got weird. Like puberty. Feel like that was like, puberty. Boy Meets World.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah. I loved Boy Meets World. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Sean.

[B]

Yeah. No, it's all coming back.

[C]

Oh, yeah. Well, that'll be a whole separate thing. All right. So much like the emo Episode put together a presentation for you.

[B]

I love nothing more than your presentations and I'm ready.

[C]

So I thought the best way to introduce you to Nickelodeon was to go through 90s shows a bit. And I broke them into a couple categories.

[B]

Is this. So this is kind of reflective of your childhood experience.

[C]

These are. These are all shows that I watched as a kid. Okay, so first category, we're going to go into cartoons.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

All right. So like you mentioned, Rugrats from 91 to 2,374 episodes of it. My God, they made some movies too.

[B]

Had no idea.

[C]

So Rugrats follows the imaginative adventures of a group of babies. Tommy, Chucky, Angelica, Susie and twins Phil and Lil. They explore the world from their pint sized point of view using their wild imaginations. Ordinary experiences become grand quests and discoveries while adults remained mostly unaware of the epic adventures that they're having.

[B]

So I did watch a bit of this. I didn't watch it obsessively, but looking back at it, I feel like it was like quite a weird. Like even the animation style feels sort of targeted a bit at older people as well. Like it's very neat. It's like a very like hipster cartoon.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, now it is, but I think that's just nostalgia. Like it was like the babies could talk to each other, but they couldn't talk to adults. Except Angelica. They could talk to Angelica and she could talk to the adults. Like she was the bridge. But she was also the mean cousin.

[B]

Right.

[C]

And so like for some of these, I picked out some like memorable episodes that I remember.

[B]

You're a psychopath.

[C]

That's just my.

[B]

Just my cause this is an insight into your brain, which I love. The understanding Nickelodeon, I think is partly understanding you.

[C]

Yeah, well, and the parents were like wacky and weird, like his dad. So Tommy was the main character and his dad, Stu Pickles was Tommy Pickles. It's Stu Pickle. He was just like a fun dad. It was like kind of bluey vibes where it was modeling a good family. Yes.

[B]

Situation thing I remember at Rugrats is like the way it was animated. The parents are so big. Like you were down on the floor with the kids. And so when adults came in, it was like a giant was entering the room.

[C]

Exactly.

[B]

And I thought that was something that was like is the child experience.

[C]

Yes. And then there was a character Reptar, which was like the big dinosaur that they loved. I do not remember the episode Reptar on Ice where they found this little lizard in the backyard.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And Their parents take them to go see reptar on ice. They bring the lizard because they think it's reptar's kid.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And they're trying to give the lizard back to reptar. They end up like backstage giving it to him. And the lizard gets in the like, suit.

[B]

And this is a cool memory.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Reptar.

[C]

Yeah. It was one of the like, first spin offs I think I ever knew about as a kid because they did all grown up where it was like them as teenagers, which was cool.

[B]

That was a standalone episode or.

[C]

No, I think they did a whole series.

[B]

I don't like that. I don't like the idea of seeing those little kids as adults. That's weird.

[C]

Not. Not adults. They were like teenagers.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And it was just like, here's them a little older. That's so I think it only lasted like a season or two.

[B]

No one wants that. You watch Rugrats for these, like little kids. Not the teen version. Very funny concept.

[C]

All right, so then do you know about hey, Arnold.

[B]

I know it, but I know nothing. Like, I recognize the character. Never watched it. So.

[C]

96 to 2004, they did 100 episodes of it. And I believe they've also done movies. He has a football shaped head. Yeah, that was his thing.

[B]

Not a big forehead. Small forehead.

[C]

Hey. Arnold follows a football headed fourth grader, Arnold, who lives with his offbeat grandparents in a boarding house full of eclectic neighbors in the big city of Hillwood. His best friend Gerald at his side. He navigates school playground bullies, crushes, family dynamics, everyday urban life. I remember he had this amazing bedroom at the house that his grandparents lived. He had like the top floor that had the skylight that would overlook the city.

[B]

Oh, so it's like the dream kid bedroom. It's like what every kid dreams of.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Big space.

[C]

Key episodes of this. They did a really amazing job. There was a Christmas episode. The grandparents have all these people that live with them that they're like tenants at.

[B]

What?

[C]

No, they're like tenants that live in.

[B]

The dual living situation.

[C]

Yes. And there's this like grumpy Vietnamese guy that lives there. And they did a Christmas episode where you find out he had been separated from his daughter during Vietnam war.

[B]

Oh.

[C]

And has not seen her. So Arnold goes on this journey to reunite him with his daughter. So like, that's super kid.

[B]

Emotionally intense.

[C]

Yeah. It. It had like, the show had a lot of heart.

[B]

Yeah. So what is. Are they kind of running? Is grandparents kind of like slum lords? Are they running or. It's like they're great.

[C]

They're good people. They're helping people.

[B]

They're helping people have this room.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You need somewhere to stay?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Okay, just checking.

[C]

Yeah, they're like kind of like hippie grandparents.

[B]

Okay. We like them.

[C]

We're like all these Nickelodeon shows. They're modeling, like, they're modeling family values and.

[B]

Yeah, I like this.

[C]

And then there was another episode about stoop kid, okay. Where there was this kid that would not get off the stoop.

[B]

As you say, stoop kid. Other people listening to this being like, oh, my God, stoop kid.

[C]

Yeah, they know about stoop kid. And then Arnold helps stoop kid get off the stoop.

[B]

We got a room. My grandparents got this massive house. Come and live here.

[C]

Well, he was this, like, grumpy kid that would, like, harass people from his stoop.

[B]

Right.

[C]

But he wouldn't leave his stoop.

[B]

Wait, is a stoop the stairs? The front stairs? Yeah, I'm just checking. I know what a stoop is for a second.

[C]

Stoop kid wouldn't leave a stoop.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Arnold helps him get over his fear of leaving the stoop.

[B]

I feel like the more you say stoop, the more crazy that word seems. Okay.

[C]

And then spoiler. He helps him get off the stoop, and it just allows him to harass people beyond a stoop.

[B]

So he still stays. His core personality traits stay.

[C]

Yeah, there's like, a bully guy that goes to mess with him, and then he acts like he doesn't leave the stoop, and then he just, like, high tails it after him. Okay, so that was. Hey, Arnold.

[B]

Okay. Doug. Doug. I know Doug. Doug and Patty.

[C]

Doug and Patty. Patty Mayonnaise.

[B]

Patty Mayonnaise.

[C]

Doug. Funny.

[B]

See, this is what's funny to me about this, is I'm realizing New Zealand got these shows, but they were just like. Some of these were just, like, splattered on different.

[C]

Yeah, that makes sense. 91 to 96.

[B]

Was that the guy?

[C]

Skeeter.

[B]

Skeeter.

[C]

Okay, so Doug is an imaginative, thoughtful kid just trying to find his way in his hometown of Bluffington between enduring bad haircuts, avoiding bully Roger Klotz, and desperately hoping to impress his crush, Patty Mayonnaise. Yeah, Doug's got plenty to be anxious about. No matter how it turns out, Doug can always turn to his best friend, Skeeter. Skeeter, his dog, Porkchop. Pork Chop, and of course, his fantasy life and journal. So he would always be writing and drawing in his journal and it would, like, come to life.

[B]

Okay. And that would take him off on different Adventures. Yes.

[C]

And he had, like, Quailman was his, like, superhero Persona. Aha. Which I think was just like a belt on his head.

[B]

Right, right, right, right.

[C]

I do remember there was this band, the Beats that they loved.

[B]

I remember this, which was kind of.

[C]

Like the Beatles meets. I Don't even know. But there's an episode where he, like, lies and tries to go to the concert and, like, they're trying to win tickets on the radio, I think, too. And chaos ensues.

[B]

I have. Of all the things you've done so far, I have, like, good feelings towards Doug. And yet I don't remember core elements. Like, I don't remember having, like, a fantasy land in his journal that he'd go off and do.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

But I definitely remember his overall vibe.

[C]

Yeah. I love Doug as well.

[B]

So far, like, what has jumped? Like, what's your favorite one so far that you most resonate with?

[C]

Doug is the one that I have the most, like, core memories from.

[B]

Same. That's a trip. I grew up in New Zealand. We both have, like, a love of Doug.

[C]

Yeah, Doug, funny.

[B]

That's a fucking trip. Stay tuned for more Flightless Bird. We'll be right back after a word from our sponsors. Support for Flightless Bird comes from Grow Therapy. Was this month supposed to be your big fresh start to the year? Sometimes the pressure to fix everything at once, it can just leave you feeling entirely stuck. And with growth Therapy, it makes it easier to reset at your own pace. With therapy that's covered by insurance and built around your specific life, people assume.

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[C]

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[B]

Plan support for Flightless Bird comes from Bombus. People keep quizzing us about our 2026 resolutions. It's just kind of something people do. I think. Rob and I both have the usual goals. We want to get cut for summer. We want to be fit. We want to be fancy. But also there's a new one at the top of our list, and that is get comfy. And that's where Bombas comes in. They're bringing serious comfort to all our everyday go tos.

[C]

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[B]

Right, I didn't know that. What's that big trophy sitting there? Is that for softball?

[C]

It is. Is that when you won? It is when we won.

[B]

Good job.

[C]

And I was wearing my Bombas All Sport socks when that happened.

[B]

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[D]

This episode is brought to you by Peloton Break through the busiest time of year with the brand new Peloton Cross Training Tread plus. Powered by Peloton iq. With real time guidance and endless ways to move, you can personalize your workouts and train with confidence, helping you reach your goals in less time. Let yourself run, lift, sculpt, push and go explore the new peloton cross training tread [e-mail].

[C]

All right. Rocco's Modern Life do you know about Rocco?

[B]

Never heard of this in my life.

[C]

Okay. This is more what I was hoping for to be, like, very foreign, weird, because. Yeah, some of these, I think, are pretty niche.

[B]

Yeah. No, I don't know anything. It's a. It's a. A weird dog. And dog.

[C]

He's a wallaby.

[B]

He's a wallaby.

[C]

93. 96. 52 episodes of Rocco's Modern Life. Rocco, as a wallaby, has moved from his native Australia to the United States.

[B]

Okay, incredible. Okay, incredible.

[C]

But modern life isn't as easy as he expected. Living in the fictional city of O Town, he navigates everyday challenges, odd jobs, neighborhood annoyances, and quirky mishaps while trying to make the most of his life in his new home. Along the way, Rocco is joined by his loyal dog, Spunky, his friendly but dim, wooded pale heifer, and his neurotic buddy, Philbert. Who's that turtle guy on the right?

[B]

Little turtle.

[C]

As they encountered all kinds of bizarre situations and strange characters.

[B]

Did Rocker have an Australian accent?

[C]

I think he was just American voice. I mean, I think he had a cartoon character voice.

[B]

And the animation style from these screenshots, it looks like very, like, comical and quite funny and absurd.

[C]

Yeah, this, not that. The other dance and the next one. Ren and Stimpy, I think, have kind of similar vibes. Or it was, like, a little gross.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Rocco's was, like, a slightly tamer version of Ren and Stimpy. I feel like, where there's, like, maggots and bugs and stuff that are part of it. But Ren and Stimpy, I do remember being, like, totally disgusting. Like, I don't think my mom liked me watching Ren and Stimpy.

[B]

Yeah, we had Ren and Stimpy, and my mom was exactly the same. Yeah. It's like, this isn't doing any good for your brain.

[C]

No, there are.

[B]

What the fuck were they? What are Ren and Stimpy?

[C]

So Ren and Stimpy follows bizarre off the wall misadventures of two unlikely roommates. Ren, an emotionally unstable Chihuahua, and Stimpy, a cheerful but dimwitted cat, as they navigate strange scenarios, surreal humor, and slapstick chaos in a wildly exaggerated cartoon world.

[B]

I didn't know he was a cat. I wouldn't look at him and think cat.

[C]

Yeah, I don't. Chihuahua and cat.

[B]

That's. I see the Chihuahua. Like, Chihuahuas are, like, the most shriveled, hairless thing.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I do not see pointy ears.

[C]

I guess he looks more like a dog to me than a cat.

[B]

I agree wholeheartedly.

[C]

But, yeah, this was, like, grosser. Weird cartoons.

[B]

And I just remember their faces being incredibly warped and lots of crazy expressions.

[C]

Yeah. And kind of like acid drippy.

[B]

Yeah, very acidy y.

[C]

All right, so we're gonna exit cartoons.

[B]

Okay. I think live action. This is where it's gonna get weird for me.

[C]

I think so too.

[B]

And thinking about this, I think it's cause like cartoons transl other countries because like kids like colorful illustrations.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Whereas like relating to American kids is a little bit different as like a kiwi.

[C]

Yeah. These are more like cultural slice of life type shows.

[B]

Deeply curious about this.

[C]

So are you afraid of the dark? Do you know about this?

[B]

No.

[C]

This was from 1990 to 2000. They did 90 episodes of this.

[B]

This feels scary.

[C]

This was scary. Are youe for the Dark is a spine tingling anthology series that invites young viewers into the eerie world of the midnight society. So every episode would start with them gathering behind the fire to tell a scary story.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

So it was this like storytelling and then it would end with them being like freaked out around the fire and.

[B]

Okay, so that was like the unifying thing was them gathering to like.

[C]

Yes. They would like throw this powder into the fire and like this is the tale. Great format of the Doll Maker.

[B]

Yeah. Okay.

[C]

And like that was one of the episodes. I remember there was like a friend that went missing and she like ended up in an attic that had all these creepy vintage dolls.

[B]

Horrific.

[C]

And her friend was trapped in one of the doll bodies.

[B]

It's like. As a kid, was this one of the like first kind of horror esque?

[C]

Yeah, absolutely.

[B]

Bits of media.

[C]

So there's an episode, the Tale of the Dead Man's Float, which I still think about.

[B]

Yeah, okay.

[C]

It was a pool. It was like a closed pool at school, I believe.

[B]

Already scary.

[C]

A student had drowned at one point in the pool.

[B]

Awful.

[C]

Which it's also kind of crazy that this was like kids shows completely 90s. I was 2 to 12. So like pretty formative. Yeah. But I just remember they would like, they snuck into the pool and there was this creature, that creature, that skull. I hate creature that would emerge from the water and like pull them under.

[B]

Rob. Fuck that.

[C]

Yeah, so like the deep end. That's why I like. Oh, I don't love a pool where. Yeah, yeah, there's a gas deep end. Because I think of this episode of this show still.

[B]

I mean, I have. I don't know why, but I have problems with pools with the filters. Like, you know, like where the water. I do laps. I don't want to be on the outside lane Where I can see all the water slurping off to the side. Yeah. So pools are scary. That's a psychotic thing to gear up for kids. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like something that drags you down from the deep end. Yeah. Especially in a world where you're trying to teach kids to swim and to be safe in the water to freak them out. It's like showing kids Jaws.

[C]

There was a movie recently that had a similar premise to that episode. And I was like, I'm not gonna watch this.

[B]

I'm not going there.

[C]

Because I don't need to revisit the trauma of this episode.

[B]

You know, I hate this.

[C]

Get terrified of pools.

[B]

And also, wait, just when this was airing, was this after school stuff as well? Was this later at night on Nickelodeon?

[C]

I think it was still, like. Because Nickelodeon also had Nick at night.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Which they would play, like, Laverne and Shirley. Happy Days.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Do you know about these?

[B]

I know Happy Days. I don't know the other way. Lynn and Shirley.

[C]

Laverne and Shirley. It was all just like. And like, Bewitched and, like, cool old TV was like.

[B]

But my point being, like, this shit was marketed for kids.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, look at that clown. That's a hate out of my Twilight Zone.

[B]

Hate it a lot.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I don't like this at all.

[C]

All right, moving on. We've got Clarissa Explains it All.

[B]

Yeah. Okay. Never heard of it.

[C]

So this is Melissa Joan Hart.

[B]

You know.

[C]

Do you know?

[B]

I do Melissa.

[C]

That's. This was her show when she was so 91 to 94. 65 episodes. We're still so, like, 65 episodes.

[B]

So much of it.

[C]

Yes. Compared to what TV is now.

[B]

Completely.

[C]

They're making so many episodes.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So Clarissa Explains It All. It was a teen sitcom centered around Clarissa darling, smart, sarcastic, creative young teenager navigating the ups and downs of adolescent life. She would break the fourth wall and talk to the audience.

[B]

That's ahead of its time.

[C]

Which, yeah, was pretty innovative. And, yeah, this was more like my sisters would watch this show.

[B]

So for a female. More for, like, a female based audience, I think so. Identifying with that character.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Salute your shorts.

[B]

This is weird, man. This is getting really weird.

[C]

Looking at an image of, like, children at a camp.

[B]

Yeah. Like, running some, like, underwear up a flagpole. It's like a joke or something.

[C]

So. Yeah, this is 91. 92. 26 episodes. I still remember the song.

[B]

Only 26. Didn't go for long. That one.

[C]

Camp Anawana we hold you in our hearts and when we think about you It Makes us want to fart. So it was. It was a bunch of young campers at a fictional summer camp. Camp Onawana. Cabins, Campfires in the woods.

[B]

Great setting for, like, adventures.

[C]

Yeah, Campers, pranks, rivalries, crushes, misadventures with a bumbling camp counselor. This.

[B]

Did you like this?

[C]

Yeah, I like this one a lot. It was short, though, and it was so 91 to 92 was, like. That would have been three and four years old, so. Yeah, you were a kid when I found it. It was after it and rewrote away a bit. Yeah. The Adventures of Pete and Pete. Do you know about this?

[B]

No, no, this is great. I'm seeing a couple of, like, white ginger kids who are, like, hugging, like, what is this Vibe? Brothers?

[C]

Yes, they are brothers.

[B]

I've got. Just. Sorry, just tell me so.

[C]

92 to 96. 39 episodes. Adventures of Pete and Pete is a quirky, offbeat sitcom about surreal, humorous lives of two brothers who share the same name. Big Pete and Little Pete.

[B]

That's what they base this on.

[C]

Little Pete Wrigley. They grew up together in Wellsville. I got this on dvd, and Calvin and I have watched this, and it is still great.

[B]

Incredible.

[C]

Like, Little Pete has a tattoo on his forearm of. Of Petunia.

[B]

Does it explain why he has a tattoo?

[C]

Not really. It's just his thing. And he could make a dance when he flexes his arm.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

There's an episode called what we did on Summer Vacation where they become obsessed with befriending the local ice cream man. Mr. Tasty. Yeah. Which is.

[B]

Okay. It's a nice thing for a Katie.

[C]

It gave me such warm thinking about that episode and them. Yeah, like, he. He wears this big ice cream thing on his head. He's like a mascot for. For Mr. Tasty. And it's, like, trying to find him.

[B]

He's lonely. We need to be friends with him.

[C]

He's just the mysterious ice cream man that everyone. Yeah, everyone gets ice cream from over the summer. And then he goes away and.

[B]

Which is funny because I feel like ice cream men are now tropes of, like, abductors and, like, murderers. So I guess maybe that was before that was a thing and an idea. Like, ice cream men were, like, friendly and fun and we should, like, look after them as opposed to, like, keep away from the ice cream truck. They're going to abduct you. What a weird concept. It's so weird, man. Also, like, I guess when you've got, like, a network, pitching is easier, but, like, pitching these shows, like, It's a weird pitch. Like, we've got these two kids, they've got the same name. Yeah. Like, they go on adventures.

[C]

Honestly, I was making this and I was like, they don't make TV like this anymore.

[B]

No.

[C]

And, like, these are incredible shows. And I don't know if that's just because I grew up watching them and I have, like, a fondness for them.

[B]

Do your kids, like, do they appreciate this? Do they get it?

[C]

Yeah, they loved this.

[B]

So it translates.

[C]

Yeah. And he's watched hey Arnold before and was into that.

[B]

I mean, if this is so if this is made in like, 92 to 96 and it stood that much time with your kids, that says a lot.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It has, like, this show had, like, kind of Wonder Years vibes. Do you know about Wonder Years?

[B]

Okay, I. I'm nodding, but I don't really wonder. I know it's like, I don't know, and I do.

[C]

So there was another episode. So little Pete was just kind of this troublemaker. Defiant rascal. Yes.

[B]

He was annoying, like you.

[C]

An episode called the Nightcrawlers, where he becomes determined to defy the international adult conspiracy by staying up for 11 days straight.

[B]

Okay. Doesn't want to go to bed. Yes.

[C]

He believes adults are conspires, conspiring to cut childhood short.

[B]

That's fun. I like that. Because no kid wants to go to bed. No one wants that.

[C]

So. Yeah.

[B]

Deeply weird. But I. Look, I'm. Who's this guy in the middle? That adult on the phone? Do we know who that is?

[C]

I think that guy's in prison on that shot.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

What?

[B]

The kid's visiting someone in prison.

[C]

I think that's Arnie.

[B]

Who's Arnie?

[C]

Arnie is the world's strongest man. That is little Pete's, like, best friend.

[B]

Okay. And he at one point goes to prison.

[C]

I don't remember. Yeah. Artie. Sorry, Artie.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

That's Artie. Which Artie's played by Toby Huss, who is like. He was in Halt and Catch Fire in King of the Hill.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Artie was known as the strongest man in the world, and he's the mentor and protector for little Pete. So he would help him solve his issues. But I think a few screws were maybe loose. He would always flex and.

[B]

Okay. A bit of a nut. Yeah. Okay. Normal stuff.

[C]

The Secret World of Alex Mack, which I think you would probably love this show.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

From 94 to 98. 78 episodes. It's a live action sci fi teen drama about an ordinary girl who Changes in an extraordinary way. She. She's accidentally drenched with a top secret experimental chemical. He discovers she's got powers from this telekinesis. Sick shoot electricity from her fingertips and she would morph into a puddle of liquid.

[B]

So that's like the worst ability of all time. That's so weird, dude. Is this, like, tying back into, like, the whole slime, kind of, like, feeling of Nickelodeon? That's like the worst special ability ever. Well, I don't want that.

[C]

I do remember having the biggest crush on Alex Mack as a kid. Yeah.

[B]

She was, like, cool.

[C]

And she was the actress that was in later in 10 Things I Hate about yout.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

She plays Julia Stiles, sister in it that Joseph Gordon Levitt. I think his character was romantically involved with.

[B]

I think I know who you're talking about.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Great film. Was this marketed at any particular gender or was it like a. I think.

[C]

This is probably more female based. But the sci fi puddle angle, I.

[B]

Mean, how often would she go into a puddle?

[C]

That's mostly what I remember from the show. She would morph into a puddle and go through doors. Oh, so she could get through the crack. The puddle would move.

[B]

Yeah, she's not just stuck in a puddle.

[C]

Yeah. She would be a puddle and she'd be able to go move around and.

[B]

Sorry. It's really bizarre, man. Yeah, it's a really weird gimmick. Yeah. But good honor, I guess. Okay.

[C]

All that. Do you know about all that?

[B]

No.

[C]

Okay, so this was kind of.

[B]

These are older kids, maybe.

[C]

So this was like a kid's version of snl.

[B]

My God.

[C]

So Keenan Thompson, who's on snl.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Came from this. Kel. Amanda Bynes. So it's a sketch comedy, original, short, comedic sketches, reoccurring characters. They had musical guests, Kids, they say now, pretty much. So they had a sketch, Good Burger, which I think they eventually made that into a movie as well. Like, Nickelodeon would make movies just like Lauren Michaels does where, like, these would spin off. It was.

[B]

Well, yeah, people, like, give them a movie.

[C]

It was very much SNL for kids.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

California would play a guy that worked at Good Burger. And it was. Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger. Can I take your order?

[B]

That was like a big line.

[C]

He was just like a dumb.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah. And then super dude was Keenan. He played this superhero that would, like, crash into walls and sloppily try to save people and was bad at it.

[B]

So wait, just fast forward for a second, Keenan and California, what do they turn into? Because I know that they turn into.

[C]

Another show, Keenan Cowell. That came from all that.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And then Amanda Bynes also had a spin off, which it's later.

[B]

Okay, strap in.

[C]

Getting ahead. And then they had this lady, Lori Beth Denberg. She would do, like a Weekend Update type thing, too, where she would. Yeah. Have facts and jokes from a classroom.

[B]

And then kind of, like, cool for, like a talent mining. Kind of like bringing people into this and giving them an area to play and to figure out, like, who was good at this stuff.

[C]

Like, I mean, there's Sinbad on it.

[B]

Holy shit.

[C]

Yeah, and, yeah, I think. I mean, Kenan's still on us now.

[B]

Just quickly. 218 episodes.

[C]

Yeah, they've. I think they've brought it back a few times.

[B]

Yeah, right.

[C]

But she also had the loud librarian where there was a sketch where she would be telling people to be quiet in the library, but she would do it very loudly.

[B]

That's funny. That's funny. I like that. Yeah. I like this gag. And you like this particular.

[C]

I did like this show a lot. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But. Okay, so then Keenan and Cal spun off of this Keenan Rockmoor, played by Kenan Thompson, and his best friend, Kel Kimball, played by Kel Mitchell. Soon they did. They just changed their last names. This took place in Chicago. Two mischievous high school buddies get into all kinds of wild hijinks, kooky schemes, and unforgettable adventures. They worked at, like, a convenience store together. That's a picture of them with their boss. Kel loved Orange Soda.

[B]

That was the guy that was this thing.

[C]

A thing. He just really loved orange soda.

[B]

Do you call that Fanta in America or is that in New Zealand?

[C]

No, it was his own. I mean, we have Fanta.

[B]

You have Fanta, too.

[C]

But Orange Soda was its own. I think they also just had a generic brand orange soda, because.

[B]

All right, just checking.

[C]

I remember an episode of this where Kel somehow gets locked in, like, a freezer and the handle comes off.

[B]

Terrifying.

[C]

Everyone comes looking for him, and they just also keep getting stuck in the freezer with him. Somehow the door keeps shutting.

[B]

Okay. Freezer gets more and more full of people.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

And comedy ensues. Exactly. Okay. I like this also. Like, I feel until now, a lot of these shows have been, like, quite white as well.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And here I've got, like, two black kids in a show.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I mean, it was a pretty diverse.

[C]

Just, like, rolling back. They do have all that. Has some diversity because they came from that.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[C]

Alex Mack has a black friend.

[B]

No, no, totally. No. So it's not just White Central.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, as most TV was. Are you afraid of the dark? I do feel like Nickelodeon does. Did an okay job of.

[B]

Yeah, had some.

[C]

They had some. Yes.

[B]

No. Cool. No. No. I was just curious. I hadn't really like clocked what was going on there. Stay tuned for more Flightless Bird. We'll be right back after a word from our sponsors. Support for Flightless Bird comes from Shopify Now. When we started this podcast, we had to figure out everything pretty much from scratch. What the show is going to be, what the logo is going to do, what our promos would be, what this entire thing would be about. It was very overwhelming. We got there, obviously. But our point is, with that list.

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That'S shopify.combird.

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This episode is brought to you by Nespresso introducing Vertuo up, the latest in a long line of innovation from Nespresso. It's innovation you can touch, sense and taste in every single cup. With a three second start, easy open lever and dedicated brew over ice button, it's even easier to enjoy your coffee your way. Sip for yourself. Shop Vertuo up [e-mail] it's tax season and at Lifelock.

[C]

We know you're tired of numbers, but here's a big one you need to hear.

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Billions.

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[B]

Okay.

[C]

The Legends of the Hidden Temple was a great one. I don't get too deep into these just because they're. They're game shows. This one action adventure show. Teams of kids compete.

[B]

I mean, this looks amazing.

[C]

Hosted by Kirk Fogg with the disembodied voice of Olmec Stonehead. So he was this narrating big stone that mouth would move.

[B]

This is incredible to me. Yeah, like, this is trippy as well.

[C]

Teams of two. Problem solving skills. They go through obstacle courses, temple rooms to retrieve hidden artifacts, to win prizes. And the prizes were always, like, what you would imagine if you went to, like, a Toys R Us and could buy whatever you want.

[B]

So as a kid, you're like, oh, my God. Yeah, I want this thing.

[C]

That is. Yeah, this.

[B]

Like, the sets look amazing.

[C]

This was one of my favorite game.

[B]

Shows as a kid in New Zealand. I wasn't served game shows like this.

[C]

When you would just fantasize about being able to go on these shows.

[B]

Of course, like a dream in New Zealand. We had. Hayden mentioned it at the start of the episode. We had a show called what Now? And I think from what I can tell of what you're doing here, what now absorbed what Nickelodeon was doing and tried to do its own thing. So they had, like, little game elements and they had, like, segments, but nothing.

[C]

Like this they had figured out. Looks like it came back. So 97 and 99. And then again in 2012, 227 episodes. So this show would have a panel of other Nickelodeon people. So there's like, Kenan, you would get slime. There was, like, tubes above each of the panels, and at some point, like, slime would happen. But the way this one would work is it was someone would come on with a hidden talent, and the panel would try to guess the words. Like it was a bunch of blanks. And you would uncover words. What does this person do?

[B]

What's their talent?

[C]

It was always, like, weird.

[B]

You're like, I'm a llama trainer or something.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah. Okay, okay.

[C]

And they would ask them questions, and if the words got uncovered and. Yeah, then we had wild and crazy kids.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

41 episodes. 1990. It started again. Just more physical challenges. Oversized playgrounds, outdoor obstacle courses. A lot of these were like, like slime and goo and gross things that.

[B]

More slime is coming into.

[C]

It got messy by the end of it. What would you do? Similar, Mark Summers hosted this, where studio audiences are shown unusual, funny situations involving kids and families that ask you to vote on what you would do before the outcome is revealed. Between these what would you do? Segments, special guests and audience members are selected to perform silly, messy or outrageous stunts, often involving whipped cream pies or other comedic challenges.

[B]

When you were watching this stuff after school, were your siblings with you? Like, what was the situation where you're watching this stuff?

[C]

Yeah, we're often all watching.

[B]

And were your mom and dad, like, coming, like, coming out with the housework or like, we're getting dinner and you're like, we want to watch more? Or was it. Was there any kind of like fighting over how much you could watch?

[C]

I don't remember there being that my mom was a stay at home mom until we were older. My dad was always off. He worked till like 6. He would come home at 6 from the city from working. So I think it was pretty much like, whatever will occupy these four kids.

[B]

Yeah, totally. Take the same.

[C]

We would do that. I mean, there was a point where we would. There was a lot more outdoor play and around the neighborhoods. And my mom had this bell.

[B]

See, this is what I was angling for. Some like, little weird family thing. She had a bell.

[C]

She had a bell.

[B]

Bell.

[C]

And when it was like dinner time, she would ring it. She'd ring it and we would. And you'd hear it and we would know from around the neighborhood, flood back in, be within bell ring.

[B]

I mean, that into itself is like a Nickelodeon show. Like, that doesn't seem real. Yeah, it's really good.

[C]

Guts. This was another one of my favorites. Okay, so 92 to 95, 160 episodes. So this was more action sports competitions.

[B]

Oh, so there's like, do you have the guts to do this?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Crazy thing.

[C]

Obstacle course. All of these have obstacle courses.

[B]

Well, they're fun. Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

But I remember, like, big pools and basketball games. And then at the end there was this like, towering mountain that they'd have to climb up and the winner would get a giant guts trophy at the.

[B]

End to get to the top. Did you ever have anyone in your class or anyone in your world that ever got onto one of these shows?

[C]

Yes, there was one kid that did, I think was Guts.

[B]

Someone from your school Someone from our school. Yeah. Yeah. And I was curious because it's like there's a lot of like millions of kids.

[C]

Yeah. And then double dare. I mean, all of these are kind of emerged in my brain too.

[B]

Yeah, completely.

[C]

This one, there was a lot of, like going up noses and there'd be like fake boogers and slime.

[B]

So more like gross out, kind of slime orientated.

[C]

But this was like teams, and it was normally families. I think they had like family double there probably too, where you would compete with your family and do these like gross obstacles.

[B]

But all much of a muchness. Slime being a common theme. Coming through.

[C]

All right, so then I'm going late 90s. These were.

[B]

How old were you at this kind of point?

[C]

Late 90s, this was when I'm like 12, 13. So I miss some of these shows, but these were still like pretty core Nickelodeon shows that I thought were worth telling you about. Catdog. Do you know about Catdog?

[B]

I feel like we had this. I never watched it.

[C]

Yeah. So catdog was in 98, 2005.

[B]

I see a dog and a cat that's kind of fused into the one body.

[C]

Yep. So they were conditioned, joined brothers. One clever but uptight cat and the other was a fun loving dumb dog.

[B]

Did they explain why they were fused or is just the state? Probably.

[C]

But yeah, they shared one body. Living in a fictional town of Nierburg.

[B]

It's a very funny idea.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Like to have like these two opposed creatures fused together. Yeah, it's funny.

[C]

The wild Thornberries.

[B]

Never heard of it.

[C]

This 98, 2004, I believe they also made a movie or two of this it's adventure series that follows the Thornberry family, a nomadic group of wildlife documentary filmmakers who travel the world and capture nature in its wild glory. So Eliza, the main character, can talk to animals.

[B]

Oh, I love this. Sort of a Dr. Doodle do little esque.

[C]

Yes. And she's got a pet chimp named Darwin that is like, very smart. And then her brother is like, maybe part monkey. He's like really wild and a bit.

[B]

Like sort of feral.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Like he's off with the creatures kind of thing. Yeah. Okay.

[C]

I can hear his voice just. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

So he's a little wild kid growing up.

[C]

Yeah. I think he was just meant to be a kid that didn't talk yet and was just like this little maniac.

[B]

I like this. I mean, what I like about this show is that it has like a really, like. It's a premise where I feel like you can really get a Lot out of it. Like a lot of these shows. And I guess it's the same with a lot of kids shows. It's literally one concept. Let's get a cat and a dog and they've got one body. Like that's kind of all you need. Whereas this, it's like a whole world. The documentary filmmakers is family. They're out and like out with animals all the time.

[C]

And I think this was very educational. You're learning about animals and. Yeah. In Africa and they're going different places.

[B]

I think I would like this show.

[C]

I think you would too. Maybe. Maybe check it out.

[B]

I need something new to watch.

[C]

The Angry Beavers. Never heard of 97 to 2001. This was Norbert and Daggett Beaver. Two North American Beaver brothers who move out of their parents home and become bachelors in the forest near way out of town, Oregon.

[B]

Very funny.

[C]

Daggett is excitable and hyperactive while Norbert is laid back and clever. So that was always, it seems like a trope in a lot of these where you had the like, yeah, serious smart one and then the like goofy wacky dumb one.

[B]

Because then literally every episode, no matter what's happening, you've got built in conflict. Yes. And hijinks and off you go.

[C]

Which. Yes, plenty of goofy conflicts.

[B]

Did you identify with one particular beaver?

[C]

I didn't watch this one a ton. I do remember this show quite a bit though.

[B]

64 episodes.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I had so much.

[C]

You'll know this. This is still on SpongeBob SquarePants, Nickelodeon.

[B]

I hear it's a big show.

[C]

1999.

[B]

I have watched, yeah, watched bits of it. Watched one of the movies. They had David Hasselhoff in it. Iconic.

[C]

He works at Krusty Krab.

[B]

Patrick, do your kids watch this?

[C]

No. They get into it a little bit. I think they saw the movie.

[B]

I feel like some of these shows, this being one of them, did cross over into adults who were watching it and liking it. Like spongebob, I feel is like beloved by adults as much as kids and not just because they grew up with it.

[C]

Well, I was gonna say, I think a lot of what spongebob is, is it just stayed on and people.

[B]

So it was literally people, people that.

[C]

Loved it as a kid are now introducing it.

[B]

Right. So it's just because it's been on.

[C]

For so long, I think. I mean I. I do think it does play with like some adult humor that kids. It goes over kids heads and which a lot of these shows did that.

[B]

I feel like when I think of spongebob. It's in the same category to me as, like, Ren and Stimpy, where some of it almost taps into, like, a slightly drugged out, heightened state that seems to kind of go hand in hand with those states of mind, maybe.

[C]

I do think it's pulled back a bit from Ren and Stimpy. Like, Ren and Stimpy was.

[B]

Ren and Stimpy was fucked up. Really gross. It was really weird.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

An extreme.

[C]

Like a. Like a total acid trip.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

Which, I mean, maybe though, like, that was my interpretation of it when I was a kid.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I wonder if I were to watch it now if it would have that same as elevated.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, this spongebob is pretty trippy. I mean, a little creature's like a sponge living under the ocean.

[C]

And his pet snail, Gary, like, just really goofy and silly.

[B]

348 episodes.

[C]

Rocket power.

[B]

Never heard of it.

[C]

It was 99. I did like this a lot. They look like the Rugrats people a bit.

[B]

Same kind of style.

[C]

Same style. This was Auto Rocket, his town boy sister, Reggie Rocket, and their pals Twister Rodriguez and Sam Squid, who live in Southern California. So this was like, they were like extreme sport kids.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

They're like skateboarding, surfing, sort of aspirational.

[B]

You're kind of like, these guys are cool.

[C]

Yeah, they were. They were like the super cool cartoon kids and then the Amanda show. So this.

[B]

Okay, what is this?

[C]

Amanda Bynes?

[B]

I don't like these promo images. Like, they look, like, deranged.

[C]

So Amanda came from all that.

[B]

I'm not knocking any of these kids.

[C]

Well, Amanda came from all that. This was just like another version of a sketch comedy show, which Josh and Drake, I believe, also spun off from this show. Like, there's lots of spin offs happening.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And I do think Amanda has had some mental health issues stemming from the.

[B]

Crazy world of, like, being in this as, like, a kid.

[C]

Yeah. And, yeah, because, of course, that's the other thing.

[B]

Like, all the kids in these shows were, like little mini celebs. Like, they were, like, living, like, quite a weird life, I imagine.

[C]

And that's it for my Nickelodeon.

[B]

I feel like you grew up in a world that it was just so all encompassing that I got little flashes of it. And like, when I recognize, like, football head guy.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Like, that existed in New Zealand, but it wasn't. Like, we weren't hit over the head with it. Whereas I feel all of this stuff was just, like, deep in your bones.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

All the time.

[C]

I mean, going through and making this for years. Was the fun exercise.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Just like how great tv. Like that era of tv.

[B]

No, because I'm curious, like, say like we fast forward like 30 years. Your kids doing a podcast. They're doing like, this is what I grew up with. I wonder if they would have the same level of like feeling and ownership of this stuff or if it's more like they're into a thing for a week or a month and then the stuff doesn't last and they move on.

[C]

I feel like that's more. That's my. Like they go through phases so much quicker.

[B]

That's the feeling I get. Whereas this stuff stuck around. Like, we're talking like 350 episodes.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You grow up with the stuff and you grow up with the characters.

[C]

And like there was limited. There was two kids stations that you were watching. You were watching Disney or Nickelodeon. It was channel 46 and 54 that we would flip between.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[C]

And he had like Cartoon Network was 47. Yeah. That you would sometimes jump up to.

[B]

Would you fight with your siblings about like what you're watching? Was it like wrestling for the remote and shit or was it pretty chill?

[C]

I don't remember a ton of that. I mean, I think. No, I doubt it was Harmony.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

We had two TVs.

[B]

Your mom would. If you got too crazy, she'd get.

[C]

The bell start ringing like a TV in the basement. I don't know. I. I don't remember there being a.

[B]

Ton of too much drama.

[C]

But I was also like outside playing with neighbors.

[B]

You go out until the bell rang.

[C]

Until the bell rang.

[B]

Sometimes when the bell rung, would some of you, like, be like. You wouldn't come back. You'd be like a bit naughty and like, stay out.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And what would happen then? What would your mum do?

[C]

You get grounded.

[B]

You get grounded. What was a typical grounding? Just like no Nickelodeon for a week or something.

[C]

You just were stuck at home.

[B]

Horrible.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

With your mum's cooking. I don't know why I was being mean to your mum. Just saying cooking's great. I just keep thinking of like you hassling her pie making ability. No, I love that. Thank you.

[C]

Looking at all these shows, which ones would you watch?

[B]

What I feel I really missed out on was that live action stuff.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Because I. When you mentioned. And I know a different network when you mentioned Boy Meets World. I just remember being a kid and seeing other kids on screen was such a big thing and I missed out on like all those massive live action things. I would have loved the game Shows as well. But I just think, like, kids being in outrageous situations, I would have been very into, like, Kenan and Cal again. We had that, but it wasn't, like, a big, big thing. And I feel like I would have loved to have had more of that in my life.

[C]

I think you should watch the Adventures of Pete and Pete.

[B]

Okay. I think your fave.

[C]

I think you've got it on dvd. I think it's zany enough that I think it would still check out.

[B]

Okay. All right. He's got a tattoo that sort of petunia.

[C]

I have a friend. I think he got a matching. I think he got that matching tattoo.

[B]

I want that. That's incredible.

[C]

He loved.

[B]

He loved that show. When I saw the poster, when that came up, I did not think this would be the show that stuck with you. Looked really weird. And again, it's that central premise of, like, the whole show is based around they got the same name. I know. And it's built on that. So you're calling the guy that's got the tattoo. I'm gonna.

[C]

I know. He loved it. I'll see if he answers.

[B]

Okay. Was he in LA Chicago later?

[C]

It's midnight there.

[B]

He's just like.

[C]

Let me just Google the tattoo, though. That was it.

[B]

Oh, it's quite like.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

What an unusual thing to be part of that show.

[C]

Yeah, it was like.

[B]

Like, it's really weird. And they never explained, like, how he had that. It was like a magical tattoo.

[C]

Yeah, it was part of the intro. This is my brother Pete, and. And this is his tattoo petunia.

[B]

I mean, that's a funny gag. Just a kid having a tattoo with, like. With no particular reason.

[C]

And I do remember the intro to that was a band playing this theme song live in the front yard of their house.

[B]

Sure. Sounds great.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Would they still be alive today? Do we know what Pete and Pete did?

[C]

They are. They are. I think little Pete was in, like, a band.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah, I'm sure. Big Pete. I'm not sure. Yeah, they're either, like, still acting or they completely got out of the game.

[B]

Completely out. Cashed out. Living a more mellow life.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Obviously a part of this world as well, which I feel we can touch on in a future episode, is some of the weirder side of it. Like, it did. There was diciness within the world of Nickelodeon.

[C]

I mean, there was that documentary. Entire documentary based on Nickelodeon. So that was also why I wanted to just stick to 90s nostalgia in talking about these shows.

[B]

Let's make this pure, beautiful, good Moments.

[C]

Like our Christian music thing where we can.

[B]

We'll do a part two where we delve into the icky side, beyond icky side of Nickelodeon. But as a kid, like, I love that you had, like a good time with this show.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, nothing but fond memories of watching Nickelodeon.

[B]

It's also the thing of, like, when you're a kid, there's no cynicism. You're not jaded and everything feels so big. So, like, watching things is like the best possible time to be amazed and involved in a story.

[C]

And it just like opened all these different worlds and showed you these different perspectives.

[B]

And if one of those shows could survive and all the others had to go, would it be Pete and Pete that stays or would you have like a Doug?

[C]

Doug, I think is up there. It's still gotta be the live action ones, I think.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, the cartoons feel very time capsuled in an era.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I don't know that I would have the same fondness for it coming back.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And like, I don't. I don't know that, like the. My boys would get the magic of it.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Which is like a bit like trying to watch the Wire now. I didn't watch the Wire when it came out. I know people love it.

[B]

Some of our similarities are quite weird because I'm the same. I haven't watched it.

[C]

I haven't watched it. I've tried. And when I tried, it was. It's been ripped off so much. I know that it was. It made it feel like parody.

[B]

Yeah. It's a little bit like when you watch the Matrix today.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

It's very hard to take seriously because, like, Bullet time has been done and parodied so much. Yeah. You forget that's the original thing. I know. I'm the same. I miss the Wire at the time. I love everything about it. I should love it.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I have the same problem. Lesson being when something is out, just watch it when it's out. Don't come back later.

[C]

Yeah. I think Adventures of Pete and Pete.

[B]

You got it on dvd.

[C]

Got it on dvd.

[B]

Where'd you get it from?

[C]

From just, I think ebay.

[B]

So funny.

[C]

The problem was we also didn't have a DVD player. So when I got him it for Christmas one year, I got it for Christmas one year. And he was so confused. It was just like, what is this?

[B]

What is this thing?

[C]

And then I had to find a DVD player and we'd watch in the garage and he got, like, really excited about going to watch it.

[B]

Pretty cute. Yeah, that's the thing. Like you have like a PlayStation 5 or something now. Doesn't play DVDs. It's like an issue.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I grew up with physical media, so it's really odd when you run into those kind of problems. And must be so weird having a kid who's just obviously normal but weird being like, what is this thing?

[C]

Well, he did not. He could not grasp, like, why can't we watch this? And I was like, well, it's on this disc and we don't have anything that can play. And he's like, well, but you bought it. Why can't you get this on the tv?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And he was a little younger when this happened. This was a few years ago. And yeah, could, could. He could not grasp the. We had to wait a couple days.

[B]

No, cuz it is weird, isn't it?

[C]

Yeah, no, no, it's right here. Let's go put this on the tv.

[B]

Yeah, no, don't we. Daddy doesn't have the thing that can read.

[C]

We have the machine that does this.

[B]

Oh, man. Thank you, Rob. How many slides was that?

[C]

I think 56 slides.

[B]

Really good one. Thank you, Rob. You got it. I appreciate learning from you. If you have any feedback, as always. FlighttheSpreadchatgmail.com or your favorites, ones that I.

[C]

Missed, I don't get.

[B]

Yeah, definitely curious.

[C]

I didn't get every Nickelodeon show.

[B]

I mean, if you did, we'd be here for literal hours and no one needs that flight. The spreadshadowmail.com. we'd love to know your recollections of Nickelodeon and if you have any particular relationship to it beyond just watching. Maybe you were in one of the shows. Maybe you voiced Hattie Mayonnaise right in. It's weird, isn't it, when you're a kid and like there's romance on screen and stuff. Like all that early stuff when you don't even really know what that is. But it's exciting and interesting.

[C]

I had a crush on Patti Mayonnaise and she was a cartoon.

[B]

Same. Yeah. That's weird.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay, Feedback.

[C]

Which way?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

The voice of Patti Mayonnaise, I think is.

[B]

Who was she?

[C]

The actress in Orange is the New.

[B]

Black, one of Netflix's first big prestige shows, along with House of Cards. Early stages of bingeable quality series.

[C]

Yeah. Constance Shulman.

[B]

Get out. Patti Mayonnaise.

[C]

Patti Mayonnaise. And she still has that voice. I remember when Orange is the New Black came on. I could tell the voice.

[B]

Like, I know that voice. I mean, it's Patty, mayonnaise. Really, really good. If you're listening, email us. Like the spreadchatmail.com feedback. Would you like to hear some, Rob?

[C]

Yes, let's hear some feedback.

[B]

A lot of feedback to Hooters. I think you texted me this, Rob. One of my favorite comment that I think sums up the whole vibe perfectly. Elise. This episode is two of the most respectful and feminist men faced with their biggest fear, which is being at risk of disrespecting. That was just chef's kiss in every conceivable way. Perfectly, perfectly, perfectly stated. Thank you, Elise. Over on our Patreon, some feedback. Hooters reached here in Australia, and it was great. Had my 30th birthday at Hooters. Both my wife and I went there often, and when we were in Las Vegas, my wife got a tattoo at the Hooters casino. I was unaware there was a Hooters casino. Me too, but that should be unsurprising. Probably. Also, someone else on our Patreon mentioned the outfit checks is more widespread than you'd think. It's not just Hooters. As a teen, I worked at Abercrombie, and we had to wear the clothes. Had to wear their clothes. Fair enough. So before the store opened, we tried on jeans, and the managers decided on fit. I was wearing a pair that fits perfectly, and she was like, go down a size. My pelvic bones literally hurt by the end of the day because of how tight these jeans were. So your outfit checks, I guess, obviously, beyond Hooters.

[C]

Do you know about Abercrombie and Finch?

[B]

I know it's like a fancy kind of. Is it for, like.

[C]

It's like, preppy. Preppy, but so the.

[B]

It feels like Lacoste. Same world as that little alligator logo.

[C]

But the lore I remember most about Abercrombie, aside from the LFO song, which was like a.

[B]

Which, I don't know.

[C]

Boy band. Okay. They would pump their cologne and their scent out of the air ducts of the store. So you'd be at the mall, you could smell. When you're walking by, you could smell everything. It was, like, very strong smell.

[B]

And when you were, like, walking by, the idea is, like, the smell would entice you.

[C]

I remember, like, in high school, that was the cologne I wanted. It was always too expensive of a store for us.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But it was, like, aspirational. You're like, this is.

[C]

And the cologne just, like, pumped out of the van.

[B]

Horrific.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

There was a cookie store in New Zealand, and they would spray out Cookie smell onto the streets. Chris could not stop laughing during the Hooters episode. Growing up, my dad would take me to Hooters often. He wasn't the best dad in the world and in hindsight he was just using the guise of taking me out for dinner to go to Hooters and not for the food. It wasn't every week, but it was often enough that some of the workers knew me and would sit with me in colour while I ate. And I don't mean to laugh, kind of sad. And my dad sat at the bar and did who knows what. So I had a laugh at the family friendly mention. Chris, you've got great perspective on your childhood. It sounded not necessarily fun.

[C]

I do. I will say.

[B]

At least you got to color in.

[C]

My memories of going to Hooters when I was younger.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Was much more like dark bar.

[B]

I'm more like carpet.

[C]

Not dive bar but like 90s restaurant. Like not brand sports bar. Not like the one we went to is pretty much Buffalo Wild Wings.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But it was much more like. Yeah, old, old 90s restaurant. Like.

[B]

Yeah. I didn't even think of like the decor changing over time.

[C]

Yeah. Quite a that.

[B]

Skyler said. I moved to Northern Kentucky last year and started working near the floating Hooters, which I googled. There's a Hooters on a river. There you go. Natasha said, my ex husband used to frequent Hooters on an almost daily basis. I find that scene, I feel like I'm in a very like driving mode. It's just very funny scenes. My ex husband used to frequent Hooters on an almost daily basis. Just a very funny scene sentence. He knew all the service and one of his friends married the manager at the time. I would tag along sometimes specifically for game days. I live in Calgary, Alberta and every home game for the Calgary Flames Hooters had special tickets that included a meal and a bus ride on the Hooters scooter to the game. The bus was painted bright purple and had an amazing sound system. Loud music was played to and from the game and it was a great time.

[C]

Do you know who the Calgary Flames are?

[B]

They're a sports team.

[C]

Do you know what sport?

[B]

Okay, let me think about this.

[C]

Calgary Flames.

[B]

Calgary Flames feels like basketball because when you jump and dunk you think about like NBA Jam coming out. NBA Jam.

[C]

Calgary is in Canada though.

[B]

Hockey.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

Okay. I didn't. I didn't even know what Calgary was. Jessica. I'm an American immigrant in Switzerland here. Zurich used to have a Hooters. It Tried to have hooters. I'd been raised with hooters near airports. But in Zurich, it's at the heart of the red light district. Wings were scantily clad women. Didn't flourish because mere meters were brothels. And it closed after three years. Basically hooters there brushed up too closely.

[C]

It was too tame.

[B]

It was too tame. I thought that was very funny. She signed off with Oof. Wittilooge. Don't know what that is. Hope I haven't seen anything terrible. Okay, Barbara wrote in in regards to our white chocolate Hershey's episode, Barbara said the Milky bar is not real white chocolate. The Milky bar being a Nestle product which we sold in New Zealand. Milky Bar kid fronted it. Okay, so Barbara says the milky bar is milk powder with oil. It's vegetable fat and must taste like wax. Real white chocolate is made with cocoa butter which is white and probably real cream. Milky bar is an essay product which is just as fake as Hershey's.

[C]

Probably real cream.

[B]

Really good. Really liked that slam down at the end. As always, thank you for all your feedback. Flight the spreadchatmail.com Please let us know your own Nickelodeon memories. Or maybe like current shows they're doing that blow your mind. Maybe they're doing new shit that you want us to know about.

[C]

And don't forget tickets are going on sale this week. Sunday March 29th in Salt Lake City, Thursday April 2nd in Austin and Saturday April 4th in Dallas.

[B]

If you are on our Patreon, we have the pre sale code up there for you. Now head over there and yeah, we'll see you next week. As always, FlightTheSpreadchatmail.com with any feedback. Thank you for educating me, Rob.

[C]

Thank you for. Thank you for being open and coming along for the Nickelodeon ride.

[B]

Anytime you do a slideshow presentation, I'm fucking here for it and I'm not joking. See you next week.

[C]

See you next week. And before we go, here's a preview of of our latest bonus episode on Patreon. You can sign [e-mail] fightless bird Hoot.

[B]

Hoot. Thanks for being here. We're going to do a Q A. You're welcome. As a way to drop any questions for future ones of these in the Q and A chat over on Patreon, we thought we'd. We'd sort of read each of these out in an American accent. Yeah. Sort of assuming where the person is from.

[C]

What's yalls biggest.

[B]

Go?

[C]

What's yalls biggest fear? Only Southern accent because he said y'. All. It's really good your accent. You're up.

[B]

David as a documentarian is the shorter form approach of the podcast is creatively satisfying as your longer form stuff.

[C]

Rob, what is becoming a co host and being more front facing taught you as a producer?

[B]

Also, Braven and Rob, what are the worst injuries each of you has ever sustained? I shit myself in an art gallery once. I apologize if you've said and I missed it, but you mentioned a band you toured and lived with. Which band? Thanks buddy.

[C]

These are just all southern accents. Only accent we can do.

[B]

It's just awful.