For many, Nickelodeon was our favorite go-to channel for shows about adventures of all calibers. Some were epic, some comedic, and some just downright silly. From classics like Hey Arnold! and Danny Phantom to timeless favorites like SpongeBob SquarePants and Fairly OddParents, each show had a unique story to tell, and each episode a new lesson to teach. Another generation might remember game shows like Figure It Out or classics like Rocko’s Modern Life.

However, there is a dark side of Nickelodeon, one that we get a glimpse of behind the camera, on the set, and even between the scenes. These are things that the network heads would prefer stay quiet, but through recent interviews, fan research, and a bit of digging, these secrets are slowly being revealed. It turns out Nickelodeon had several dark chapters in its long history, both in terms of its actors and its various ’experiments.'

But despite anything you read here, just remember all the great experiences Nickelodeon shows had to offer, and the positive impact it had on your childhood, and even your life. So, with that in mind, let’s start out with a relatively tame one.

20 Child Protective Services Had To Be Called

Nickelodeon once had a sketch comedy show called All That which featured a talented child cast. One of them, Angelique Bates, was a regular on the show. But in a 2016 interview, she revealed the abuse that plagued her throughout her tenure on the series.

She claims she was abused physically and mentally while on set, not by the producers or cast, but by a family member. In 1996, Child Protective Services was called to the set in response to such abuse. However, producers convinced her not to say anything, and the incident was resolved without any help to Bates. The people working on the show stayed quiet about her treatment, not wanting any negative attention, and Bates herself stayed quiet about it most her life. It was only recently that she’s begun to open up about it.

19 Celebrity Status Vs. A Lawsuit

You all know Dora the Explorer, but few of us know Fatima Ptacek, the teenage voice actor behind the character. Unlike many of her fellow child actors, she led a fairly normal life up until high school, where she got into a bit of trouble. She was accused of peer pressuring another student into vaping with her at school. When they were caught, she got a three-day suspension and the other student was expelled.

The parents of the latter filed a lawsuit against the school, claiming that Fatima got a lesser sentence because she was a celebrity, despite the fact that she was the one who initiated the illicit activity and that both girls were technically guilty of the same crime.

18 When SpongeBob Was Almost Cancelled

Since 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has graced our screens with probably the most universal and witty comedy ever written for a children’s show. The shenanigans of the lovable characters appeal to children and adults alike. After 11 seasons and two feature films, it’s safe to say the franchise has been one of Nickelodeon’s most successful.

But it almost met a dark end back in 2014. Reports began to appear on gossip sites containing allegations that involved Tom Kenny (the voice of SpongeBob) and relations with minors. This resulted in a widespread rumor that the show would be cancelled.

But in the end, that’s all it was: rumors. The story was false and the show continued to run to this day. There was another hoax in 2016, but that one was debunked by a tweet from Nickelodeon.

17 When Zoey 101 Was Actually Cancelled

While Zoey 101 was one of Nickelodeon’s lesser-known shows, it was still appreciated more by the ‘older’ generation at the time. They’re the ones who probably took it the hardest when the show was cancelled in 2008 because the lead actress, Jamie Lynn Spears, got pregnant at 16. When the news went public, Nickelodeon decided to end the show after just four years.

Then, if that wasn’t enough, her co-star Logan Reese was arrested for possession in 2012, then again for violating his probation. But luckily by then he didn’t have any ties to the network.

16 They Really Missed Out

Even if you were a die hard Nickelodeon fan, surely you’ve heard of a little show called Adventure Time which actually featured on Cartoon Network. The plot lines and characters with quirky to say the least, with visuals and dialogue that would make any child laugh and any adult wonder if they had a little too much to drink. It has a quality that would make it perfect for the Nickelodeon universe.

For this reason, the massive success of the show is a real bummer for Nickelodeon because they had the chance to run the show when it was first created. However, they turned it down because it was, get this, “too weird.”

15 Anti-Semititism In Rugrats

One of the many reasons Rugrats was so popular was its ability to capture the dynamic between young children and their parents, and the communication barrier that comes with such a relationship. It also featured a Jewish family and was lauded for its religious diversity.

However, a particular scene caused a bit of controversy; it featured Grandpa Boris who, while also Jewish, was portrayed as a kind of Jewish caricature, almost like a joke. People pointed out that it was very similar to how Jews were depicted during the Nazi era, and completely unacceptable for a children’s show. Nickelodeon responded to the outrage by simply removing the character.

14 When Cartoons Inspire Life

There’s always been a debate over whether violent video games can lead to violent behavior. It’s a theory that’s been mostly debunked, whether movies and TV shows also cause such behavior, but there’s a particular case that calls this into question.

In October of 2005, a man called Scott Edgar Dyleski was arrested and charge with the killing of his neighbor Pamela Vitale. The prosecution found that Dyleski had a particular fascination with body parts. Dyleski commented that this interest developed after he watched the Invader Zim episode “Dark Harvest” in which the main protagonist (antagonist?) collects human organs to appear more human. Most people say his comments weren’t meant to be taken seriously. Others say that he would’ve committed his crime regardless of the cartoon. No one can know for sure, but we do know that Dyleski is still in prison today.

13 Timmy’s Real Age

Fairly Oddparents has successfully been on air for several years now, which is fairly odd because no one on the show has actually aged in that time. Most people might just assume that, because it’s kid’s show, they don’t worry about the logistics of aging.

However, the dark truth behind this plot point is finally revealed in an hour long special released as part of season 8: Timmy’s Secret Wish! In the special, the Fairy World is celebrating Timmy’s millionth wish. However, what no one knows is that Timmy secretly wished that everyone on Earth would stop aging. If you remember Da Rules, a child can only have godparents for a limited time, once they reach a certain age, they lose them and have to ‘grow up.’ Timmy made it so that would never happen.

12 Bikini Bottom Is A Nuclear Wasteland

Ever wonder why the denizens of our favorite underwater community are all talking sea creatures? Why they have strangely humanoid characteristics? Most would say that it’s because SpongeBob SquarePants is a children’s show and that we shouldn’t read into it.

But the more creative thinkers of our time have devised another theory. All the residents of Bikini Bottom were once natural fish, but poisoned by radiation from nuclear missile tests. If you remember from history class, the place where the first tests were held was a place called Bikini Atoll in the mid 1900s. SpongeBob and friends live right below the atoll, and so their city is called Bikini Bottom.

Also each of the main characters represents each of the seven deadly sins, but that’s a theory for another time.

11 The Failed Experiment

If you don’t remember what Nick Studio 10 was, you should probably move on to the next entry and save yourself. If you do, then you’re among thousands who, to this day, question why it existed in the first place. The show usually ran after school and involved four hosts spending their time slot performing random sketches and weird joke skits, done live for East Coast viewers. The show was so terrible that segments were split up and inserted in between actual shows before eventually being cancelled altogether 4 months after its inception. The Twitter account for the page was even suspended for attacking people that had negative things to say about the show, something that contributed to its cancellation.

10 Some Shady Child Labor Laws

The legalities in the acting industry are shady enough as is, and become even more so when children are involved. And with a network like Nickelodeon or even Disney where pretty much every cast is made up predominantly of kids, it gets pretty dicey. Back when Nickelodeon first started out, there were very few legal provisions for child actors. In those days, they were paid only once for their appearance in a show, and that’s it. Unlike today, they got no residual fees each time their episode aired.

Luckily, the industry evolved to become more accommodating and fair to child actors. Still, a lot of our favorite actors from childhood didn’t turn out as ‘dignified’ as we would’ve hoped, so perhaps the system isn’t quite perfect.

9 Korra Gets No Respect

Here’s a statement: Avatar: The Last Airbender was one of Nickelodeon’s most successful shows, if not the most successful downright. Very few would contest this fact, especially Nickelodeon itself. So it’s strange that they didn’t do all they could to ensure its successor, The Legend of Korra earned just as much acclaim. However, they did just the opposite, airing it during less-than-optimal time slots and cutting its funding. It even took it off the air in 2014 and moved it to streaming-only format. They did all this despite the positive reviews from both fans and critics alike.

It’s unfair treatment that not a lot of people talk about, likely since the network wants to keep it quiet while still highlighting the shows well-earned success.

8 Let’s Talk About Fred

Think back to the golden age of YouTube, in the days of silly viral challenges, hilarious streamers, and quirky content creators. Depending on your experiences, you may have come across a strange character who calls himself Fred Figglehorn, played by Lucas Cruikshank. He made a name for himself with his chipmunk-voiced alter-ego, Fred, performing little skits and pranks on his YouTube channel. When his subscriber count reached a respectable level he was recruited by Nickelodeon for his own show and feature film.

However, both performed terribly and were subsequently cancelled. It became just another little-known blemish on network’s otherwise respectable track record.

7 You Can’t Do That On Television

There are a lot of places you could air a show that’s literally called You Can’t Do That On Television. A children’s TV network is not one of them. The show was initially quite successful as a teenager’s version of Saturday Night Live with sketch-style comedy and child actors. It began in Canada but was also aired in the U.S., that is, until a particularly dark episode caused an outrage. In the sketch, an adoptive father sends his son back to the orphanage. It might’ve been funny in context (though it’s doubtful) but deemed too dark by American censors. The episode was never aired again in the U.S., but apparently Canadians can take a joke better than Americans, as it still airs in Canada.

6 Too Dark To Air Or Too Boring To Watch

We’ve heard a lot about shows that were too dark to show on Nickelodeon and some that were just bad. Both met the same unfortunate end with their cancellation.

However, there’s a particular show that breaks that pattern: Aaahh!!! Real Monsters. The title might’ve needed some work, but the premise was interesting. It was about three monster friends who go to monster school and learn about how to scare humans (not unlike Monsters Inc.). Besides the visual design of the monsters, more and more dark themes were introduced in the show which had to be toned down.

Interestingly enough, kids preferred the show when it was dark, but after the producers shifted it to just another basic children’s show, it lost popularity and was eventually cancelled. To Nickelodeon, a child’s innocence is more important than making money, which most would see as a good thing.

5 Taking His Job Too Seriously

For many years, Ricardo Medina Jr. made a name for himself playing the famous Red Wild Force Ranger in Power Rangers Wild Force in 2002. When Nickelodeon created their own spin-off, Power Rangers: Samurai, he was cast again as a character named Dekker.

However, he let down scores of fans, in more ways than one, when he stabbed his roommate to death in 2015. At first, he won the case after claiming self-defense, and was released in 2016. However, just this past year, he pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the same case after being arrested again. He was sentenced to six years in prison, as opposed to the life sentence he faced earlier, in March of 2017.

4 Where Gak Came From

Many old-school Nickelodeon fans will remember that squishy ball of goop that pretty much everyone had when they were younger. Sold by Nickelodeon, this toy was essentially just a ball of slime you could throw around, and was featured on the show Double Dare.

For years, it became a best-selling product, much to the dismay of parents across the country. It was only recently that the host of Double Dare, where the product was first showcased, revealed where the name ‘Gak’ came from: it was also the name of a certain substance that starts with ‘h’. While we as kids had no idea, the people working on the show knew exactly what they were doing. Still, it was a compelling social experiment with interesting implications.

3 They Lied To Us

Of all the game shows on Nickelodeon, one of the best had to be Figure It Out. Our devotion to the show made Nickelodeon’s betrayal all the more painful. How did they betray us? Well, it turns out the show was pre-taped.

This wouldn’t be a big deal, except one of the staples of the show was that it reminded us at the start of every episode that it was filmed in front of a live studio audience. They never told us it was pre-taped, so weren’t actually watching it live. One of the former hosts, Summer Sanders, was the one who revealed this unfortunate secret about the show early last year.

Ironic that the biggest bummer of all was when we finally ‘figured it out.’

2 The Mother Of Nickelodeon

Until now, Nickelodeon has probably just been a faceless corporation, a mysterious network blessing you with some quality shows. But I think it’s time to put a face to the brand. This isn’t a dark secret about any particular show, but the network itself.

In 1980, a woman called Geraldine B. Laybourne took on an executive position as Nickelodeon, which at the time was a failing company. Over the next 15 years, she built the network into the one we know and love today (or at least did as children). But in December of 1995, she left Nickelodeon to work at ABC in preparation for its merger with Disney.

Nickelodeon, while grateful for her work, is definitely still sore about that little chapter in their history, and would prefer to keep that fact quiet.

1 Censors Always Have Limits

You may remember one of the more mature shows on Nickelodeon was Rocko’s Modern Life. It was notorious for its dark stories and low-key adult content that still somehow made it past the censors. Still, for all the jokes that slipped by the editors, there was one that had to be deleted before the episode aired. In “Road Rash”, Rocko and Heffer stay at the No Tell Motel and there’s a scene where they have to explain that they want a room for a whole night rather than the conventional 20 minutes. The implication is fairly vague, even for older audiences, but the scene was nevertheless cut from the episode.

When the show eventually ended, much of the cast and crew went on to work on another successful series, which you may know as SpongeBob SquarePants.