How could you forget that kid with the football-shaped head or those little girls crafted from various cooking ingredients or two lab mice destined for world domination? If you have no idea what I’m talking about, the 90’s might have been before (or after?) your time. I’d suggest that whatever the case might be, you check out that Nicktoons channel and Netflix for these gems:
1. Dexter’s Laboratory
The series follows Dexter, a boy-genius with a secret laboratory, which he fills with his marvelous inventions. Dexter constantly battles against his sister Dee Dee, who always manages to gain access to his lab, despite his best efforts to keep her out.
2. The Angry Beavers
After their mom had a new litter, two brothers found themselves leaving home to start their new life, while also learning how to do that and get along with each other at the same time.
3. Rugrats
The show focuses on a group of toddlers, most prominently Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil and Angelica, and their day-to-day lives, usually involving common life experiences that become adventures in the babies’ imaginations.
4. Ed, Edd and Eddy
The series revolves around three adolescent boys: Ed, Edd “Double Dee”, and Eddy, collectively known as “the Eds”, who live in a suburban cul-de-sac in the fictional town of Peach Creek.
5. Rocko’s Modern Life
The series centers on the surreal life of an anthropomorphic Australian-immigrant wallaby named Rocko as well as his friends: the gluttonous steer Heffer, the neurotic turtle Filburt, and Rocko’s faithful dog Spunky. It is set in the fictional town of O-Town, and is laden with adult humor, including double entendre, innuendo, and satirical social commentary.
6. Courage the Cowardly Dog
It follows Courage, a cowardly anthropomorphic dog who lives with two elderly farmers in the Middle of Nowhere. The three are frequently thrown into bizarre misadventures, often involving the paranormal/supernatural. The series is known for its dark, surreal humor and atmosphere.
7. Doug
The show focuses on the early adolescent life of its title character, Douglas “Doug” Funnie, who experiences common predicaments while attending school in his new hometown of Bluffington. Doug narrates each story in his journal, and the show incorporates many imagination sequences.
8. South Park
Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language and dark, surreal humor that satirizes a wide range of topics. The ongoing narrative revolves around four boys—Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick—and their bizarre adventures in and around the titular Colorado town.
9. Hey Arnold!
The show centers on a fourth grader named Arnold, who lives with his grandparents in a boarding house. Episodes center on his experiences navigating big city life while dealing with the problems he and his friends encounter.
10. The Powerpuff Girls
The show centers on Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, three girls with superpowers, as well as their father, the brainy scientist Professor Utonium, who all live in the fictional city of Townsville, USA. The girls are frequently called upon by the town’s childlike and naive mayor to help fight nearby criminals.
11. Johnny Bravo
The series stars a muscular beefcake man named Johnny Bravo, who ends up in bizarre situations and adventures and is always trying to score a woman. The series was originally part of a series of shorts on Cartoon Network’s animation showcase series World Premiere Toons.
12. Animaniacs
Animaniacs is a variety show, with short skits featuring a large cast of characters. While the show had no set format, the majority of episodes were composed of three short mini-episodes, each starring a different set of characters, and bridging segments. Hallmarks of the series included its music, character catchphrases, and humor directed at an adult audience.
13. CatDog
The series depicts the life of conjoined brothers, with one half being a cat and the other a dog.
14. Recess
The series focuses on six elementary school students and their interaction with other classmates and teachers. The title refers to the period of time during the school day in which children are not in lessons and are outside in the schoolyard, in North American society.
15. Pokémon
It is based on the Pokémon video game series and is a part of the franchise. The Pokémon anime is split up into five chronologically sequential series in Japan, split up by the version of the video game series the anime takes inspiration from.
16. SpongeBob SquarePants
The series chronicles the adventures and endeavors of the title character and his various friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. The series’ popularity has made it a media franchise, as well as the highest rated series to ever air on Nickelodeon, and the most distributed property of MTV Networks.
17. Daria
The series focuses on Daria Morgendorffer, a smart, acerbic, and somewhat misanthropic teenage girl who observes the world around her. The show is set in the fictional suburban American town of Lawndale and is a satire of high school life, and full of allusions to and criticisms of popular culture and social classes.
18. Cow and Chicken
It follows the surreal adventures of two funny animal siblings, Cow and Chicken. They are often antagonized by the “Red Guy”, who poses as various characters to scam them.
There’s plenty more great 90’s cartoons that we didn’t get to here. Name some of your favorites in the comments below!