Best original live-action Nickelodeon shows

By Jessica Wedemeyer 8:24am PDT, Jul 11, 2019

If you were a kid during the late '80s or early '90s, chances are you remember "Hey Dude," a Nickelodeon sitcom centered around the teen staff at the fictional Bar None Dude Ranch in Arizona. (Christine Taylor made her acting debut playing Melody on the Western-inspired show, which ran for five seasons through the summer of 1991.) In honor of the series' 30th anniversary on July 14, 2019, Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at more of the best original live-action Nickelodeon shows from over the years. Keep reading to see if your favorite made the list…

Melissa Joan Hart shot into the spotlight with "Clarissa Explains It All," a teen sitcom about a stylish but overall average teen girl's attempts to navigate suburban adolescence. The year it concluded, the series — which ran from 1991 to 1994 — earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding children's program.

Jamie Lynn Spears finally scored the opportunity to step out of big sis Britney Spears' shadow when "Zoey 101" debuted in 2005. She starred as the titular teen — who's part of the first class of girls admitted to a prestigious, previously all-male boarding school — on the drama, which came to an abrupt end in 2008 after four seasons when Jamie Lynn got pregnant with daughter Maddie. The series earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding children's program in 2005.

The sketch comedy series "All That" was universally beloved among '90s kids. Kenan Thompson — who's now the longest running cast member on "Saturday Night Live" — got his start on the show, which debuted in 1994. Since then, "All That" has gotten the reboot treatment twice — the latest revival kicked off in June 2019.

Nickelodeon was doing "hipster" before hipsters were doing "hipster" thanks to "The Adventures of Pete & Pete," a surrealist suburban-set comedy centered around two redheaded brothers named (you guessed it!) Pete. Michelle Trachtenberg got her start on the show, which debuted in 1993 and starred a pre-"All That" Danny Tamberelli as Little Pete. Michael C. Marrona, meanwhile, portrayed Big Pete.

In 1996, "All That" stars Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell (pictured at the 1998 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards) scored their very own show: "Kenan & Kel." The sitcom, which ran for four season through 2000, chronicled the titular high school buddies' various misadventures and get-rich-quick schemes — typically devised by Kenan and promptly thwarted by the dimwitted but adorable Kel.

Drake Bell and Josh Peck starred as the titular stepbrothers — a popular musician and an awkward geek — on "Drake & Josh" for four seasons between 2004 and 2007. The sitcom was such a huge hit, it spawned two made-for-TV movies and a book series.

After winning countless young fans with her work as Megan Parker on "Drake & Josh," Miranda Cosgrove scored a show of her own: "iCarly," which aired from 2007 to 2012. The sitcom, which centered around a teen girl and the immensely popular web series she creates with her two best friends, was such a huge hit, it spawned two video games and a made-for-TV movie, as well as a "Victorious" crossover made-for-TV movie and a joint spin-off, "Sam & Cat." Over the course of its six-season run, "iCarly" racked up countless award nominations, including seven Emmy nods.

Victoria Justice starred as an aspiring singer at a performing arts high school on "Victorious," which aired from 2010 to 2013 and earned four Emmy nominations over the years. The sitcom performed so well, it spawned a joint "iCarly" made-for-TV movie and spin-off.

The worlds of "iCarly" and "Victorious" came together for a beloved but short-lived spin-off, "Sam & Cat," which debuted in 2013. It lasted just one season before reaching an untimely end due to a number of behind-the-scenes issues, including an alleged feud between stars Ariana Grande, who originated the role of Cat Valentine on "Victorious," and Jennette McCurdy, who first portrayed Sam Puckett on "iCarly." The series, which centered around the duo's babysitting business, earned one Emmy nomination during its brief time on the air.

Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos PenaVega and Logan Henderson starred as Minnesota hockey players who form a boy band on "Big Time Rush," which spawned a ridiculously popular made-for-TV movie and a real band of the same name. While the series aired for four seasons between 2009 and 2013, the foursome released three studio albums and hit the road on several tours.

After making a huge impact on "All That," Amanda Bynes (pictured at the 2001 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards) scored her very own spin-off: "The Amanda Show." The sketch-comedy series aired for three seasons between 1999 and 2002 and helped make the young actress a household name.

Keke Palmer starred as the titular teenage fashion exec on "True Jackson, VP," which ran for three seasons between 2008 and 2011. The sitcom, which spawned a Walmart clothing line, racked up countless awards over the years, including four NAACP Image Awards for its young star.

"The Naked Brothers Band," a mockumentary series about the young stars of a fictional rock band, debuted in 2007. Real-life brothers Nat Wolff and Alex Wolff portrayed versions of themselves on the show, which their mom, Polly Draper, originally conceived as a 2005 indie film. The duo released several soundtrack albums as well as the 2011 album "Black Sheep" — a major musical departure from the types of songs they performed on the show, which ended after three seasons in 2009.

Larisa Oleynik got her start on "The Secret World of Alex Mack," which ran for four season between 1994 and 1998. She starred on the sci-fi series as the titular junior high school teen, who acquires a range of powers after she's hit by a truck transporting a top-secret chemical.

"Salute Your Shorts," which aired from just 1991 to 1992, centered around the campers at the fictional Camp Anawanna and their uptight counselor Ug (Kirk Baily). The series was widely popular in spite of its incredibly brief run.

Emma Roberts made her television debut when "Unfabulous" premiered in 2004. She starred as junior high school pre-teen Addie Singer, who writes songs about her life and love for a classmate. The teen sitcom came to an end after three seasons in 2007.

Two years after he released his self-titled debut album, Lil' Romeo teamed up with his father (and record producer), Master P (pictured together at the 2002 Teen Choice Awards), for the sitcom "Romeo!" The young rapper portrayed the star of a sibling rap group while Master P portrayed the father of his real son's on-screen alter ego on the semi-autobiographical series, which aired for three seasons between 2003 and 2006.

Nickelodeon terrified millions of kids between 1990 and 1996 with "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" The horror anthology series, which has been revived several times over the years, featured stars like Elisha Cuthbert, JoAnna Garcia Swisher and Jay Baruchel before they made it big. According to a June 2019 Deadline report, the Midnight Society will be back in an upcoming limited series.

If you liked Nancy Drew, you probably loved "The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo." Irene Ng starred as the titular teen detective for four seasons between 1996 and 1998. The mystery series earned two WGA Award nominations during that time.

The beloved family sitcom "Cousin Skeeter" centered around good boy Bobby Walker and his misadventures with his trouble-prone cousin, the titular Skeeter — a puppet voiced by comedian Bill Bellamy. The series ran for three seasons between 1998 and 2001.

Nickelodeon adapted the extremely popular book series "Animorphs" for a short-lived TV show starring a pre-"X-Men" Shawn Ashmore as Jake, the leader of a group of normal high school kids who gain the ability to shape-shift into animals — which they use to stop a species of body-snatching aliens from successfully invading Earth. The sci-fi series aired for just two seasons between 1998 and 1999.

"Animorphs" wasn't Nickelodeon's first foray into sci-fi. From 1996 to 1997, "Space Cases" aired on the youth-skewing network. Jewel Staite — who became a part of sci-fi history with "Firefly" just a few years later — starred as one of several misfit students stranded aboard an alien vessel in deep space.