Let me say this as someone who watched Nickelodeon since I was 6. This channel does have problems, it always had. Nick has relied on one hit show, or a hit showrunner or company, and pretty much run it to the ground, whether it be Spongebob, Rugrats, Butch Hartman, or Klasky-Csupo. And a lot of their shows don't really hold up well. I can't get into Rocket Power or Wild Thornberries anymore, while Dexter's Lab or Kim Possible I can still enjoy. But I feel like there was a huge gaping hole that was in Nick for a while in their animation department. A lot of their cartoons lacked originality. Either they were copying that Spongebob magic, a Dreamworks show, or a spinoff/remake of some kind.
But despite that, I do believe there's some good in the channel overall. I do like Spongebob, I love TMNT 2012, I enjoy Legend of Korra, and even the shows that are on I don't hate, just find them to be just there. Sanjay and Craig is fine when it doesn't rely on crude humor, I enjoyed the Breadwinners pilot (though mainly for its animation than anything else.), the Dreamworks shows were good as well, and even their tweencoms aren't awful. Granted I only watch them when I'm babysitting, but they aren't the trainwrecks everyone keeps claiming they are. So while I do see where people are coming from, I don't really think Nickelodeon is that bad.
And also, the thing about people hating on Nick, it's always going to happen, whether it be from animation enthusiasts who want something special, or annoying college kids who want their childhood back, there will be criticisms. In 8 years, people will complain about the shows currently airing, and complain about how Sanjay and Craig or The Haunted Hathaways were the greatest things ever. We all know this to be true.
The short answer is: haters gonna hate, especially when it comes to nostalgia.
Several adults on the internet are naturally going to hate the newer shows on any network, simply because what's on there now isn't what they grew up watching. What these folks fail to realize (and what nostalgia blinds people to) is that the so-called "good ol' days" of Nick weren't perfect either (for every Rugrats or Pete & Pete, there was a Super Duper Sumos and My Brother and Me) and that they're not Nick's target audience anymore: kids are. I'm personally not into the likes of Sanjay and Craig, Breadwinners, Rabbids Invasion, FOP or the live-action tweencoms, but those shows aren't tailored for me. On the other hand, TMNT and the Dreamworks shows are pretty good (though I like Monsters VS Aliens a tad more than KFP: Legends of Awesomeness), and Legend of Korra has its' loyal fans, though it's not my cup of tea personally, but that's just my tastes.
Do I think Nick is perfect? No, but what network is? Do I think there's room for improvement? Sure, but that doesn't mean that everything on Nick right now is garbage, it just means that what's on there now isn't for everybody. I'd like to see more diverse shows that appeal to wider and broader range of viewers, but I could say the same thing about Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and to a lesser extent the Hub. That's an issue regarding how segmented and segregated today's kids' networks have become (due largely to the advertisers who run their spots on said networks), not solely an issue with Nick.
Well, I wouldn't say Nick isn't bad right now, but it isn't perfect either. I personally find the shows currently on the network pretty decent and fairly written: TMNT, The Legend of Korra, Sanjay & Craig (aside from the toilet humor), T.U.F.F. Puppy, The Haunted Hathaways, Sam & Cat and recently Breadwinners beg to differ. The former two already have cult followings and the last latter is already a hit.
The reason why Nick is hated among fans now is because they "want our old Nick back!" yet they refused to take a look at some of the current shows and just slam it as "not as good as 90s Nick". To the nostalgia fans out there, Nick doesn't aim at you, it aims at children aged 2 to 17. Nick isn't going to switch off a new episode of Sanjay & Craig for a 20-year-old rerun of Rocko's Modern Life. That just wouldn't be business. Nick always find a new generation year after year. Circle of life.
Every era of Nick isn't perfect. Just because Nick was golden during the old times, doesn't mean you don't have all the shows. I never got into Rocket Power and Doug as a little kid, but that's just me. Every era had a good AND bad slate of shows. But I gotta admit, Nick was in its danger years from 2008 to late 2011, where it would cancel every show that won't pull in ratings and replaced it with SpongeBob. Look at Nick now. If this was 2010, it would cancel Rabbids Invasion and Monsters vs. Aliens awhile ago after a mere 6 episodes and not showing the rest of the episodes, yet it kept them on the air despite low ratings, allowing them to grow from viewers.
I say good riddance to the "old-school" fans, because right now, Nick is in a better position (with better quality shows, decent scheduling, giving other shows whose not named SB plenty of chances, etc.) than it was the last few years ago.
I thoroughly appreciate these three posts because it's balanced - stating Nick has made some bad decisions in the past, are in the process of fixing them, and isn't as bad NOW as it was during it's worst years 2008-2011 as far as its programming and handles on the network.
I agree, nostalgic fanboys will always ridicule the new shows harshly and compare them to Nick's "golden era", yet fail to realize Nick could care less if 20 and 30 years olds like their programming. What they do care about it their network appealing to their target audiences and the downward spiral that began in 2008 (more so with animation than live action) basically drove the network to the ground. But from January 2013 to now, Nick IS back up their in the ratings and demos with their new programs. And majority of their shows have posted huge gains year-to-year in their time slots in overall ratings and demos. Nick has GREATLY improved it's scheduling, premieres, advertising, promotions, bumpers and brand as well. All of these things are FACTS. This is what Nick cares about and what they have and what they are DOING is drawing KIDS back to the network. So regardless of what opinions people have, the network is as healthy as it's been with WHO it's targeting in years and they've done that with their new batch of shows LoK/TMNT/SJC/RI/SaC/THH/TTM along with SBSP/FOP. Now, is Nick overdoing SBSP - yes. But has it lessened in 2014 - yes. And that's fact. Look at schedules from last year to this year.
Now, as far as the subjective opinions people have. I will say, haters WILL hate. And I find it funny that adults (again) will criticize Nick's animation for being moronic and idiotic, with too much gross out humor when Nick in the 90s was defined by SOME shows like Ahh! Real Monsters, Rocko's Modern Life and Ren and Stimpy - all of which relied on gross out humor - and the latter two were extremely inappropriate for kids with the violence, crude and gross out humor and on top of that, sexual innuendos and adult themes. TBH, the reason why I LOVE Sanjay and Craig is it reminds me of Rocko's Modern Life - my favorite 90s Nicktoon. Now, we don't have the wholesome, character driven gems like Doug, Rugrats and Hey Arnold - and Nick could really benefit from having at least one. But, Nick also has TMNT/LoK, which are the top two action cartoons on air right now - HANDS DOWN.
And on top of that, who's to say Nick won't build on what they've already improved on. This is really the first year Nick has had a full lineup of live action/animation since 2012. And there's a lot more upcoming. In the mean time, I'm thankful that the network has improved period. Let's look at this:
2011: Spongebob, Fairly Oddparents,
Back at the Barnyard, Mighty B, Planet Sheen, Fanboy and Chum Chum, TUFF Puppy, Kung Fu Panda, Penguins of Madagascar, iCarly, Victorious, Big Time Rush,
Fred: The Show, You Gotta See This, Supah Ninjas, House of Anubis Buckett and Skinner's Epic Adventures.
I didn't bold/underline shows I felt weren't horrible (although I suppose SBSP/FOP could be).
But are we really gonna say that Legend of Korra, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sanjay and Craig are NO improvement over Planet Sheen, Fanboy and Chum Chum and Back at the Barnyard, and The Haunted Hathaways and The Thundermans aren't better than Supah Ninjas, Fred The Show and Bucket and Skinner? Ok, I understand that's my opinion, but come on now. IF ANYTHING, Nick has at least improved slightly. And I would expect the network to continue to get better.
----
FYI - Disney is shipping off it's two best cartoons in Gravity Falls and Wonder over Yonder to Disney XD, basically leaving Phineas and Ferb/Fish Hooks to burn off in their final seasons on the main network, basically making Disney an all-tween girl network with live action comedies, most of which are just as "bad" as Nick's. CN, although on a nice upswing of cartoons, have been criticized probably just as bad as Nick for more important reasons IMO - like adding live action to the network, relying too much on acquisitions, etc. And even though they have some gems like RS/AT, they are getting hit for basically targeting boys AND all of their shows basically tweaks of one another. They have a lot of buddy comedies and "surrealism" and what not as well.
It looks bad in many ways for all three. Just depends how you look at it.
)
