Nickelodeon in the Nineties Trivia Quiz

Answer: Arnold ('Hey Arnold!')

The melancholic animation 'Hey Arnold!' - set in the fictional town of Hillwood - is said to have been pitched by its creator, Craig Bartlett, as being "Charlie Brown for the '90s". Quiet, subdued and an honest reflection of urban life, 'Hey Arnold!' was an antidote to the fantastical nature of many other shows for kids; rather than superheroes or superhuman characters saving the day and righting all wrongs, Arnold instead found that despite his best efforts, he couldn't put everything right and that in some matters where he could intervene, he could only improve things in part.

The show had a depth to it and it wasn't afraid to use silence to great effect. This was most obvious when Arnold would return to his bedroom - the attic of a boarding house run by his grandparents - flop on to his sofa and quietly contemplate the events of the day and life more generally. This peace and quiet was achieved only when the unibrowed Helga Pataki was nowhere to be seen; Helga would often shout at Arnold, calling him names such as "football head", but it hid the fact that she adored Arnold and desperately wanted him in her life.

Answer: Eliza ('The Wild Thornberrys')

The first episode of 'The Wild Thornberrys' was broadcast in September 1998 and it introduced the quirky Thornberrys, a family that were anything but ordinary (despite the opening monologue initially attempting to make viewers believe that they were a normal bunch).

The family business was to travel around the world making nature documentaries with Nigel (father) presenting the shows, Marianne (mother) filming the content and the Thornberry children (Eliza, Debbie and Donny) trying to live their lives in amongst it all. One of the intriguing aspects of the cartoon is that Eliza is able to talk to animals, including to her chimpanzee friend, Darwin. She needed to keep this a secret as letting others know about this magical skill would have led to her losing her abilities.

'The Wild Thornberrys' was one of a number of Nickelodeon shows that ended in 2004. A few years into the new millennium, Nickelodeon seemed keen to move on from its 1990s output in favour of newer cartoons such as 'SpongeBob SquarePants' (first aired in 1999 but considered a 2000s show) and new live action content such as 'Drake & Josh'.

Answer: Kel ('Kenan & Kel')

'Kenan & Kel', a Nickelodeon production that was initially broadcast from 1996 until 2001, welcomed audiences into the bizarre world of Kenan Rockmore (played by Kenan Thompson) and Kel Kimble (played by Kel Mitchell). The show combined sitcom and stand-up with some scenes taking place on a stage in front of an audience (a red curtain draped behind them) and others on-set. Perhaps the most memorable location from the set was the grocery store, Rigby's, a purveyor of orange soda amongst many other items.

Of the two characters, it was Kel Kimble who liked orange soda the most. It would be fair to say he was addicted! His love of the drink was frequently captured either in a Kimble monologue or through dialogue involving Kenan. Whilst the exact wording would vary slightly from episode to episode, the core lines were "Who loves orange soda?", "Kel loves orange soda", "Is it true?" and "I do, I do, I do-ooo". Oh, how certain things stick in the memory...

Answer: Tommy ('Rugrats')

Despite being one of the youngest in his gang, Tommy Pickles was the group's fearless leader. Tommy and his crew - including nervous Chuckie Finster, mischievous Angelica Pickles and twins Phil and Lil DeVille - would often come up with ambitious plans that would typically see them needing to escape from their playpen. Tommy kept a toy screwdriver hidden in a pouch of his diaper (nappy) and would use it to unlock the gate and set the group of babies and toddlers free.

'Rugrats' was one of those shows that got stronger over time. It wasn't an immediate hit when it was first released by Nickelodeon in 1991 but it slowly developed a loyal following until a break in production took place in 1994 (notwithstanding a small number of specials). During the hiatus, Nickelodeon broadcast 'Rugrats' on repeat and it was at this time that the programme became very popular.

New episodes were broadcast in 1996 and, in the following period, the show had become so successful that the franchise was able to justify releasing films such as 'The Rugrats Movie' (1998) and 'Rugrats in Paris: The Movie' (2000). From 2003 to 2008 a television sequel to 'Rugrats' called 'All Grown Up!' was broadcast. All said and done, 'Rugrats' is now looked back on as one of the greatest successes for Nickelodeon in the 1990s, if not in its entire history.

Answer: Clarissa ('Clarissa Explains It All')

American actress Melissa Joan Hart was a familiar face for kids growing up in the 1990s as she was the star of not only 'Clarissa Explains It All' (1991-1994) but also 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' (1996-2003). Of the two, only 'Clarissa Explains It All' featured across Nickelodeon platforms, with 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' being broadcast to American audiences on ABC and The WB.

So what exactly was Clarissa explaining? Well, in the show the titular character spoke to viewers directly, breaking the fourth wall to discuss teenage topics as varied as friendship group dynamics, crushes, teenage skin complaints, learning to drive, school and navigating family life.

Answer: Norbert ('The Angry Beavers')

The original run of 'The Angry Beavers' was made up of four seasons broadcast between 1997 and 2006. Whilst the first three seasons featured in the Nickelodeon schedules in an orderly fashion, the last season was fragmented, taking six years to screen just 28 episodes.

This long broadcast window reflects the uneasy relationship between the creators of 'The Angry Beavers' and Nickelodeon bosses; it is documented that channel executives didn't like the show, felt that it was not age-appropriate for their young audience and - with money in mind - deemed emerging shows such as 'SpongeBob SquarePants' as being more worthy of inclusion in the schedule.

The show itself is about two beavers - Norbert ("Norb") and Daggett ("Dag") - who leave home to embark on a carefree bachelor lifestyle in Oregon, USA. Episodes often explored aspects of stereotypical single life, be it staying up late or watching movies all day; the show also relied heavily on slapstick with Norb and Dag frequently pranking each other. Given the style and content of the show, it has been commented that the 'The Angry Beavers' might have found a better home at Cartoon Network.

Answer: Doug ('Doug')

'Doug', a charming show that ran for seven seasons between 1991 and 1999, looked at the world through the eyes of a shy young lad with strong morals named, unsurprisingly enough, Doug. He kept a journal where he would jot down the details of his day-to-day life but he would also let his imagination run riot, creating doodles and sketches. When Doug needed inspiration or had to summon up courage, he would often imagine himself to be a superhero called Quailman.

Other characters from this delightful animation include Porkchop (Doug's dog), Skeeter (his best friend) and the wonderfully-named Patti Mayonnaise (his friend and love interest). The first four seasons of the show were broadcast by Nickelodeon between 1991 and 1994 and the final three seasons were shown on ABC from 1996 to 1999.

Answer: Ren ('The Ren & Stimpy Show')

'The Ren & Stimpy Show', frequently referred to as just 'Ren & Stimpy', was one of the original tranche of Nickelodeon's Nicktoons to be released in the 1990s along with 'Rugrats' and 'Doug'. The show was initially successful but the exploits of Ren (a psychotic chihuahua) and Stimpy (an intellectually challenged Manx cat) were considered by Nickelodeon big-wigs to be too dark and too controversial for a young audience.

The show was plagued by all sorts of corporate and creative shenanigans involving Nickelodeon executives and the show's production team (including heavy editing of content) which ultimately led to the show's creator being controversially fired. All that being said, the early seasons of 'The Ren & Stimpy Show' were considered a success by many, including creator of 'The Simpsons', Matt Groening.

Answer: Gary ('Are You Afraid of the Dark?')

'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' was a live action production that was originally aired by Nickelodeon between 1992 and 1996, though a pilot episode was broadcast in late 1991. In a nutshell, the show centred on a group of youngsters - the Midnight Society - who regularly met under the cover of darkness to tell each other stories.

Different members of the society would tend to focus on different themes. Gary, the founder of the Midnight Society for his generation (his grandfather was the original founder), was particularly interested in all things magical whereas another member called Betty Ann would often spin a tale related to aliens. Other themes included fairy tales, supernatural forces and ghost stories.

Answer: Rocko ('Rocko's Modern Life')

'Rocko's Modern Life' (1993 - 1996) was an early success for the Nicktoons division of Nickelodeon in the nineties. It followed the "modern life" of a wallaby called Rocko who had left Australia for O-Town, a settlement in the Great Lakes region of the USA. A plot device used regularly by the writers of the show was the transformation of hum-drum, everyday situations into something surreal. The pilot episode, for example, took the mundane activity of taking out the rubbish (trash) and injected madness by introducing a dog - who had gone wild after consuming weed killer - making the whole process a real hassle!

The nauseated turtle, often seen hanging about with Rocko, was called Filburt Shellbach; he was a rather depressed figure, a personality that was amplified by his face being coloured blue.

The logo is one of the most memorable aspects of 'Rocko's Modern Life'; its jagged-edged letters and pastel shades simply screams 1990s!