Oct 5, 2015

Nickelodeon's 90s nostalgia block "The Splat" starts tonight

Nickelodeon will launch "The Splat" block tonight.

Nickelodeon's nostalgic programming block, billed as a nightly "multi-screen content destination," is aimed at a generation connected not only to television, but also to the Internet and social media, and includes "The Ren & Stimpy Show," "Rugrats," Hey Arnold!" and other classic animated series will be revived. Nickelodeon's Time Slips airs original promos, interstitials, and show stunts, and recreates the schedule as it aired in the 1990s.

The splat, which is shown nightly on TeenNick for eight hours from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., also has a dedicated website and social media outreach with new and old fandom in mind. When these shows last aired, memes, emojis, GIFs, and social media marketing were barely a dream in the entertainment industry's brain. Today, for Nickelodeon, there is no legitimate economic or technological reason to refuse to offer what its longtime fans really want. Especially if it can use its vibrant base to generate a whole new generation of followers who were not yet alive when the program first aired.

"We have listened to the first generation of Nick kids who crave the great characters and shows they grew up watching on Nickelodeon in the 90s," said Saima Zarghami, President of Viacom's Kids & Family Group, in a press release. We designed 'Splat' with our fans and their desires in mind. That means connecting these beloved series with a high level of digital engagement."

According to Nickelodeon, Spratt features:

Indeed, Nickelodeon's past glory-seeking is widespread in this social mediascape, and as a result, the floundering network is targeting only teens and tweens on its spinoff channels, forcing the birth of this new block. Frankly, Nickelodeon, now 36, is aging fast. With Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra coming to an end, Nickelodeon is struggling to create memorable and unique original shows like Rugrats, Ren & Stimpy, and The Wild Thornberrys.

Let's hope that Spratt will inspire the station's executives and artists to return to the future and take risks to create something equally timeless.