Few would likely disagree with the assertion that ‘90s Nickelodeon shows were top tier. It was during the decade that the network provided viewers with a humorous look at toddlers through Rugrats and painted a nuanced picture of urban life via Hey Arnold!. Those beloved shows and more remain in the public consciousness today, thanks in great part to streaming services. Up to this point, one would need a paid membership of some kind to access them. However, those two animated series and more Nick classics are available to stream in one place for free! It’s a fun turn of events that makes my ‘90s TV-loving heart so full.
Fans of the shows have Pluto TV to thank for this blast of nostalgia. The streamer revealed via a press release that it just established its 90s Kids channel, which specifically provides vintage, small-screen offerings. In addition to the shows mentioned above, Doug, Rocko’s Modern Life and Kenan & Kel will also be available to watch. This newly established channel is set to serve as a companion to the platform’s Totally Teen channel, which features Nick offerings from the 2000s and beyond like iCarly and Victorious. The 90s block will air four episodes of a single show six times a day. You can check out the schedule (which takes Eastern Standard Time into account) below:
Monday
6:00 a.m. – 10 a.m. Rugrats
Tuesday
6:00 a.m. – 10 a.m. Hey Arnold!
Wednesday
6:00 a.m. – 10 a.m. Doug
Thursday
6:00 a.m. – 10 a.m. Kenan & Kel
Friday
6:00 a.m. – 10 a.m. Rocko’s Modern Life
Saturday
6:00 a.m. – 10 a.m. Rugrats
Sunday
6:00 a.m. – 10 a.m. Hey Arnold!
Looking at this lineup, I can’t help but think back to a time when these shows were actually airing on TV. I’ll admit that I’m not actually a ‘90s kid, as I was born in the early part of that decade. However, I surely enjoyed Nickelodeon’s shows (along with others like The Wild Thornberrys and CatDog) from the end of the decade through the early 2000s. So this is absolutely my bread and butter, and I’m too happy that these shows can still be enjoyed – and free of charge at that.
This is far from the first time Nick has tried to highlight its classic shows using a streaming entity or a cable block. Over a decade ago, fans were introduced to The ‘90s Are All That, which aired nightly on The N. That chunk of programming would eventually receive a few other names, and it finished its run as Nick Rewind. While it was known as NickSplat, a VRV streaming service was announced.
If there’s any single downside to this latest endeavor, it’s that the viewing options are limited at that moment. That could always change, though. Maybe a show like Double Dare, which was revived a few years ago, could join the schedule. The same could be said for the Angry Beavers and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters. We’ll have to wait and see if that happens but, at present, the five shows that have been picked are perfect.
It never ceases to amaze me just how much longevity Nick’s shows continue to have. Not only do the reruns still air, but there have also been reboots and revivals. 2017 saw the release of Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, which addressed long standing-questions about the football-headed protagonists’ parents. And as we speak, a Rugrats reboot is currently airing (and is streamable with a Paramount+ subscription). While fresh additions like those are nice, I have a soft spot for the classics and love that they can be watched for free in single place.