Nicktoon Christmas specials airing on local channels.

[agent817]

I seriously can't be the only one who remembers this and I sure as hell don't think that I imagined this, either. Here's what I mean: Back in the early-to-mid-1990's, a local channel aired the Doug and Rugrats Christmas episodes. I mean these shows came on regular local channels during the holiday season, mainly to air the Christmas episodes of those shows. I remember it happened in 1994 and 1995. I don't know about the following years. I remember being confused that a local channel would even air Nickelodeon shows. I think it was a first-run syndication thing. I mean sure, they aired on my local UPN affiliate, and Paramount was owned by Viacom, which also owns Nickelodeon. But in 1994, UPN hadn't launched yet, but then again I don't know. I remember it happened the following year, too.

Does anybody else remember this? This was years before the Nick on CBS block, by the way.

[Paul]

I think you're probably just misremembering having seen them on Nickelodeon.

[agent817]

Dec 19, 2018 18:01:54 GMT -5 Paul said:

I think you're probably just misremembering having seen them on Nickelodeon.

Not even close to the case. Maybe I just have a good memory, but I'm not imagining this. I don't know if it was only in certain areas that this happened, but I sure as hell remember that they were shown on local networks. My guess is that Nickelodeon probably allowed certain networks to air them. It didn't last long, though.

[Tenshigure]

Dec 19, 2018 16:22:20 GMT -5 agent817 said:

I seriously can't be the only one who remembers this and I sure as hell don't think that I imagined this, either. Here's what I mean: Back in the early-to-mid-1990's, a local channel aired the Doug and Rugrats Christmas episodes. I mean these shows came on regular local channels during the holiday season, mainly to air the Christmas episodes of those shows. I remember it happened in 1994 and 1995. I don't know about the following years. I remember being confused that a local channel would even air Nickelodeon shows. I think it was a first-run syndication thing. I mean sure, they aired on my local UPN affiliate, and Paramount was owned by Viacom, which also owns Nickelodeon. But in 1994, UPN hadn't launched yet, but then again I don't know. I remember it happened the following year, too.

Does anybody else remember this? This was years before the Nick on CBS block, by the way.

Nope, you weren't just dreaming, they did actually sell a few packages of their holiday specials as syndicated packages back in the early 90s:

Boston Herald - Boston, Mass.

Author: Frances Katz

Date: Sep 18, 1994


If you've been limiting your 'toon viewing to MTV, Nickelodeon and the occasional Fox show, grab the clicker and flip back to old standbys ABC and CBS. The big broadcasters have finally realized animation doesn't have to be cheap rip-offs of Japaneese action-series or badly drawn commercials for video games or toys. Fall's new toons, feature the most innovative and fun animated images since, well, "Beavis and Butt-head."

"Fox brought a lot of interesting stuff to their lineup and MTV introduced shows like `Ren and Stimpy.' And there's `Doug' and `Rugrats' on Nickelodeon," he says. "In terms of what kind of cartoons are out there, the cable stations really push the envelope and now the networks are getting back in the race. It's a general rebirth of animation."

While Disney catches up with the times, MTV is adding the bizarrely hip "Brothers Grunt" to its line-up. In the extreme drawing style of "Ren and Stimpy," "Grunt" follows the exploits of five brothers who escape from a monastery and set off to discover the real world.

In October and December 1994, Nickelodeon sold a syndication package of Halloween and Christmas-themed episodes of its Nicktoons to television stations across the United States, in conjunction with then-new corporate relative, Paramount Domestic Television.

[Welfare Willis]

OP is right. I can remember a local channel airing Nicktoon Christmas specials back in the day as well. I seem to recall Rocko's modern life being one.


I really hope this isn't a Mandela moment.

[wildojinx]

I remember seeing them on local channels as well. Maybe it was some deal to get the shows wider reception.

[Malcolm]

Count me in as one of those who saw the Nicktoon Christmas specials on local TV. It was how I first watched the Doug and Rocko specials.

[Drillbit Taylor]

Pretty sure there was a brief period where CBS showed a lot of Nick stuff on Saturday in the mid late 90s to early 200s.

[Lance Uppercut]

I remember the Doug Christmas special on local channel 5 which would become the Wb

[agent817]

Dec 20, 2018 23:11:47 GMT -5 Drillbit Taylor said:

Pretty sure there was a brief period where CBS showed a lot of Nick stuff on Saturday in the mid late 90s to early 200s.

CBS did have a Saturday morning block that had Nick shows on it, just like ABC showed Disney Channel programming on Saturday mornings. However, what I was talking about happened earlier.