16 Best Old Nickelodeon Shows In The 2000s That Defined Your Childhood, Ranked

Love the adventure of Alex and his friends in the Madagascar franchise? Then you will love this spin-off about the infamous penguin squad from the Movies. The four penguins -  Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private, now must embark on a new mission to protect their habitat in the Central Park Zoo. 

The spin-off show successfully retains the quirky personalities of the characters from the movies, and adds some new blood to the scene.

Who doesn't love Catscratch? The witty animated show introduces us to the eccentric cat brothers: Mr. Blik, Gordon, and Waffle, who suddenly inherit a vast fortune. Their wealth leads to even more whimsical adventures and bizarre misadventures as they engage in oddball activities and encounter peculiar characters.

Easily one of the whackiest shows on the channel, Lazy Town is a colorful and musical series centered around the superhero Sportacus, and his friend Stephanie, trying to motivate the procrastinating residents of Lazy Town together. 

Meanwhile, they also have to fend off the evil schemes of Robbie Rotten, the antagonist, to keep the town’s inactivity. Lazy Town is full of entertaining adventures and catchy songs, including We Are Number One, one of the most iconic meme songs ever on the internet.

There has been at least one time in the past, when we have gone furious due to Dora’s inability to find direction. But however frustrating it may be, Dora the Explorer is still a crucial part of our childhood. 

Following Dora and her trusty monkey companion, Boots, the audience goes on an exciting adventure to explore various landscapes, solve puzzles, overcome obstacles, and interact with a diverse cast of friends. The show’s interactive nature is the most unique feature that sets it apart from the others.

The bizarre series follows the adventures of Jenny Wakeman, a teenage robot designed to protect Earth from various threats. However, despite her incredible powers, Jenny just wants to experience the life of a normal teenager. 

Teenage girls can find themselves in Jenny, as she navigates the challenges of high school, friendships, and fitting in while also battling villains and robots that threaten her town.

One of the best shows, with one of the best openings. Hey Arnold! explores the lives of Arnold Shortman and his diverse group of friends, including Helga, who secretly has a crush on him. Each episode delves into childhood experiences, from school adventures to neighborhood mysteries that we can all relate to as kids.

One of the unique things in Hey Arnold! is that all the minor characters in the series have their own arcs and episodes, a brilliant idea to keep the viewers hooked to the series.

As the name suggests, the series introduces us to the unique and literally inseparable CatDog, a conjoined twin of a cat and a dog. Together, they embark on hilarious escapades in the quirky town of Nearburg. The show explores the two’s contrasting personalities and the challenges of sharing a single body.

The live-action sitcom follows the footsteps of Zoey Brooks and her brother Dustin, as they enroll in the previously all-boys Pacific Coast Academy. Along with her new friends, Zoey navigates the challenges of boarding school life, forging friendships, facing academic hurdles, and experiencing teenage romance.

The animated world isn’t short on genius kids with a knack for science, and Jimmy Neutron is one of them. Of course, while Jimmy is a genius, he still often messes up his experiments and inventions just like anyone else in his age, making him an endearing p in our hearts.

Danny Phantom centers on Danny Fenton, a teenage boy who gains ghostly superpowers after crossing a portal into the netherworld. Alongside his friends, Danny works as a superhero by saving his hometown from paranormal attacks with his newfound power. 

The series develops an interesting concept, with a normal boy transforming into a half-human half-ghost hybrid. Danny is quite relatable to all of us, as he also has to balance between his high school life, friendships just like anyone else, and his ghostly duties.

There’s a reason why Rugrats is considered one of the best animated series on Nickelodeon. The legendary series focuses on a group of toddlers: Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster, and twins Phil and Lil DeVille. 

Through Rugrats, we got to see the vibrant world through the eyes of these curious infants as they embark on various escapades, often fueled by their vivid imaginations. Angelica, the only main adult in the show, is also an aspect that made Rugrats much more interesting and diverse.

The series introduces us to the young miserable boy Timmy Turner, whose life takes a fantastical turn when he is granted two fairy godparents, Cosmo and Wanda, who can grant his every wish. While Timmy's wishes often lead to hilariously unintended consequences, the show explores the importance of responsibility and the enduring bond between friends.

Easily one of the best teen sitcoms there is. iCarly follows the story of Carly Shay, who, along with her friends Sam and Freddie, starts her own web show, "iCarly." The trio produces and hosts a web series that quickly gains popularity, leading to hilarious misadventures and memorable moments.

And, like many others, Carly has to find the tranquility between her celebrity work and her normal daily life. It’s a show with a lot of hilarity and struggle of the adolescent age that we can all relate to, which is why the young audience falls in love with it so much. A rebooted series was aired recently, but obviously cannot match the success of its predecessor.

A combination of both stunning animation and gripping story from start to end, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a masterpiece of its own category. Following Aang, Katara, and Sokka on their adventure to stop the Fire Nation invasion, the animated series treats us to groundbreaking bending battles (literally), diverse Asian culture, bittersweet romances, and a deep and rich story that is way darker than what we anticipated.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is so good, the series has a cult following of its own, and is deemed one of the best animated series ever. Its sequel, The Legend of Korra is also in a league of its own, but still can’t hold a candle to the original one.

Without a doubt, Spongebob is the most iconic show on Nickelodeon, and one of the best in history. The series itself is a bizarre whack-fest that is full of absurd and eccentric characters who live in Bikini Bottom: a sponge, a talking starfish, a squirrel wearing a diving suit, and a grumpy octopus who hates his neighbors. 

In each episode, SpongeBob SquarePants treats us to a brand-new whacky adventure that never fails to catch us off guard. It is the absurd hilarity and unorthodox characters that make the show into a pop culture phenomenon. Therefore, in our opinion, Spongebob Squarepants totally deserves the top spot on this list.

Old Nickelodeon shows, especially in the 2000s era, have been an integral part of our childhood. And even now, when we watch them again as an adult, the sensation and feeling when seeing our favorite characters still stay the same. 

We certainly hope that this list of ours will help you revisit some of your best childhood memories with these films. Don’t forget to follow us for even more intriguing Nickelodeon articles.