“Remember, licking doorknobs is illegal on other planets!” —SpongeBob SquarePants
Classic television can seriously bring on a case of the feels. Here are some interesting tidbits on some of our favorite nostalgic shows from our childhoods.
Classic Television Facts
26. He's OK
When Paul Feig and Judd Apatow cast James Franco on Freaks and Geeks, they did so because he fit the role of an unattractive small-town "cool" guy who actually wasn't very cool. To their surprise, people swooned over him when he showed up to set, as they seriously did not think of him as a good looking guy. Well, they are straight men.
25. She Old
Sabrina the Teenage Witch actually dates back to a 1962 Archie Comic, and the show was kickstarted by its unofficial pilot, the 1996 Sabrina the Teenage Witch TV movie.
22. Obsessed with Sex
Nickelodeon was kind of the best when we were growing up, but some of the shows had very adult themes: One particularly glaring example is Rocko’s Modern Life, which is rife with sexual innuendos, including the restaurant “Chokey Chicken,” a game where the characters were “spanking the monkey,” and a scene where Rocko briefly works as sex hotline operator.
21. Chuckie Whips It
In Rugrats, the character Chuckie was inspired by the Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh, who composed the music for the show. Chuckie was voiced by Christine Cavanaugh, who also was the voice of Dexter in Dexter’s Lab.
20. Quail Man
Doug was one of the more clever cartoons of its time, and the show is full of interesting nuggets. The Dinks' (who are neighbors to the Funnies) get their name from “Dual Income, No Kids.” Then there are the Beets (obviously the Beatles), and Doug’s sister's name, Judy, is taken from a Virginia Woolf essay.
19. Never Forget Those Who Got Away
Patti Mayonnaise was inspired by two girls who the creator of the show, Jim Jinkins, had crushes on in high school. The voice behind Patti is a career character actress, and she also plays Yoga Jones in Orange is the New Black.
18. Boy With Square Pants
SpongeBob's name was originally intended to be “SpongeBoy,” however the name was already trademarked. Not sure any of us want to know why. Interestingly enough, SpongeBob goes by different names in different countries. In Korea he is “Square Square Sponge Song,” and in Germany “SpongeBob SpongeHead.” Uh, I guess it's somehow lost in translation.
Kids love him, no matter his name is!
17. Under the Nuclear Fallout Sea
The concept of SpongeBob, which is now the longest-running Nickelodeon series ever, comes from a comic creator Stephen Hillenburg wrote while studying marine biology, entitled “The Intertidal Zone.”
16. Man of Many Comedy Voices
Tom Kenny is the voice of SpongeBob. He is also the narrator in The Powerpuff Girls, Dog in CatDog, and appeared as a regular on the sketch comedy juggernaut Mr. Show.
15. A Loving Couple
Ren and Stimpy were a couple. The lived together, slept in the same bed, loved each other, and even had simulated intercourse in one episode. There are numerous allusions to their relationship, including an episode where Ren is pitching to Stimpy as a catcher. They also live in Hollywood (Well, Hollywood, Yugoslavia).
14. Wild Bass Player
The Wild Thornberrys were famous for employing a star-studded voice cast, but none is more surprising than Red Hot Chili Pepper bassist Flea, who played wild child Donnie Thornberry. Now that’s some smart casting.
13. Steve the Rockstar
Steve, the companion of Blue from Blue’s Clue, was a struggling musician when he took the role in the show. After appearing on set with his shaggy hair and earring (he claims he thought it was only voice work), the producers reportedly asked him “Could you not look like you tomorrow morning?” Ouch. Still, it worked! Side note: Blue was a female dog. Is your mind blown?
12. Fairytale Beginnings
The Powerpuff Girls were based on the fairy godmothers in Disney's Sleeping Beauty, which is evident when you look at their colors and personalities. And yes, they can all kick your butt.
11. Hand Knitted
All of the sweaters Mr. Rogers wore on his incredible show were hand-knitted by his mother. Now that’s how you make a mother proud.
10. Chains on Chains on Chains
How do you make sure you get a workout even when you’re busy at work? Well, Mr. T found the answer. His gold chains weigh between 30 and 40 pounds, which is probably how he keeps his magnificent shape.
9. Cats Don’t Wear Clothes
In the first episode of Thundercats, all of the characters were completely nude. Why they changed this beats me—cats don’t wear clothes.
8. Hooked Not On Phonics
Slightly older than the rest of the shows on the list, but H.R. Pufnstuf is in a league of its own. As you followed around the friendly dragon, you were treated to bright colors and trippy images (not an accident). While the show's creators deny any drug-related subtext, there is an episode where the characters inhale “laughing gas,” and fall into a fit of laughter before falling asleep. How come we never noticed these kinds of things as kids? I mean, his name is Pufnstuf.
7. Toughest Character Ever
The character of Red Foreman in That '70s Show was written to be played by Chuck Norris. Good thing it didn't happen; I’m not sure if anyone would have survived the '70s otherwise.
6. A Good Memory
When Will Smith began as an actor on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, he was so nervous that as a fail proof he simply memorized the entire script, including other characters' lines. You can actually see him mumbling along with the rest of the actors' lines through the first few episodes of the series.
5. Bad Bet
During the shooting of Friends, Matthew Perry lost a high-stakes bet to Courteney Cox and actually had to act as Cox’s "man servant" for 6 months. Man, he must have been pretty confident in that bet. Let that be a lesson to all of you out there.
4. Man of Many Ads
Advertisements are just a part of television, and through the years, Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas implanted himself in all of our brains: he has appeared in over 800 commercials, which is more than anyone else in television history.
3. How Long Can You Go
As we likely all know or could guess, The Simpsons is the longest-running animated show on television. But what's second? Arthur! Even with DW tearing things up, Arthur still perseveres.
2. What About The Prize
Nickelodeon's GaS must have been pretty kick-ass to take part in, and winning it was a dream come true for many kids. BUT—winners weren’t actually allowed to take home that awesome “glowing piece of radical rock” prize. How very dare they.
1. To Each Their Own Orange Soda
Kenan and Kel. Ah, what a show. Fortunately for us, Kenan is still a part of our lives, as he has been a cast member of SNL since 2003, making him the longest-running cast member in the storied show’s history.