This has been rolling around in my mind for a few days and I’m wondering if anybody else remembers. From what I recall Special Delivery would show hour long, if not movie length, cartoons that really didn’t fit in with the rest of Nick’s programming.
Does anybody remember the strange, futuristic cartoons that had what seemed like a lot of implied sex and violence? There was even a Rikki Tikki Tavi cartoon that was pretty intense for a kid’s show.
Yes, I remember that. I watched hoping they’d show Grimm’s Fairy Tales, which were animated in a Japanese style and had a theme song that still gets stuck in my head. I was always disappointed when they showed something else like Rikki Tikki Tavi. The only other cartoon I remember was Ivanhoe.
Why, for some reason, did I have Special Delivery as anything that didn’t fit in with Classic Nick programing?
All I recall from Special Delivery is an episode with some live action movie of a kid who shoplifts… I think she took a kit kat once.
…
But then again, I would also wager that the OP is older than I am. Im not yet 25.
Do I still miss how Nick used to be? Hell yes.
I would take gameshows over cartoons anyday. (Ok, Don’t get rid of Spongebob, but the rest can go.)
Gameshows, and the live action.
Ironically, now that I am older. I would love to see Salute your Shorts, Are you Afraid of the Dark, Hey Dude, Roundhouse, and yes, I would even give Fifteen a Shot now.
I believe that the Dope has lamented Nick time and time again.
Because I feel this is a good place to put this:
Website for You Can’t Do That On Television
Ah, early '80s weekend Nickelodeon programming. An interesting mish-mash…
I seem to recall a live-action Special Delivery about the forbidden love between an Amish teen and a not Amish teen (can’t remember if the girl or the boy was Amish). I also another live-action one centered around a giant tree. That’s all I remember, that a giant tree was involved.
I loved when Rikki Tikki Tavi was on Nick. I think they showed it like every other week and I watched it every time. Good times.
And bring back Wild and Crazy Kids!
I don’t know if I’m thinking of something completely separate or not, but this has bothered me for YEARS.
I remember some cartoon where all of the adults were gone and a child had to survive in a world where it was run by these (and this is probably going to be the worst description possible) stone beings with squared off heads and bodies. It was definitely a strange futuristic cartoon (I can’t remember any implied sex or violence) but it definitely wouldn’t have fit in with the regular Nick programming. It may or may not have been anime style, but I seem to remember that it was.
This thread has brought back so many memories. As someone else who is not yet 25, I remember Roundhouse being risque and I would change the channel when my parents would come in the room. How bad could it have been?.. It was Nickeodeon!
I watched a LOT of Nickelodeon as a kid and I barely remember anything having to do with Special Delivery.
Danger Mouse, though, I remember quite fondly. In the excellent company of Bananaman, Spartikus and Cities of Gold, it was a great cartoon.
I thought “Special Delivery” was the show about a department store manequin that came alive after hours. There was also a ‘muppet’ security guard named Crenshaw as i remember.
Rikki tikki tavi was great. As was Pete & Pete.
You’re thinking of Today’s Special, which I believe ran right after Pinwheel, orientated towards the toddler set. Hocus-Pocus-ala-ma-Gocus!
Shout it loud and clear!
This is the place where dreams come true…
Yes, I remember that one, too! It was awesome. I didn’t know it was part of Special Delivery. I actually remember it having its own show, like on Nick Junior. Or was it just Special Delivery?
It had some good stories. Nice animation, loved the Japanese style. Not too many others seem to remember that one.
UGH!.
I had a post here, and the hamsters ate it.
Nick tried to bring back “WACK” it only lasted 7 episodes. It ran in 2002.
http://www.tv.com/wild-and-crazy-kids/show/9994/summary.html
ALSO:
Since we are still kicking this around I wanted to add:
A group member of mine for one of my college projects was a Blue Barracuda. I know Legends of The Hidden Temple perhaps is an Outlier for “classic nick” but, it was real interesting to know that. Unfortuneately, I found out durring the last week of class, when he wore his team shirt to class. – I told him, half joking, that since he had been on the show, he can’t make fun of me for still watching spongebob.
And, a website I found trying to find WACK 2002 info, that has commentary on Nick programming, past and present:
I DO remember that cartoon…no idea what it was called but it was japanamation style and as I recall it was really scary. There was a cartoon very similar to that called Twinstars that I sister and I used to watch. And seriously, NO ONE I talk to remembers Roundhouse, they think I’m making it up! It was so good! As was Weinerville!! And I just got the first season DVD of Pete & Pete for my birthday…now what I really want is Clarissa Explains It All!
That’s what I thought this thread was going to be about too, but I remembered it was actually called “Today’s Special.” I don’t remember anything called Special Delivery, but I did watch Rikki Tikki Tavi several times, so I guess I occasionally watched it. Were all the lame fairytales part of Special Delivery?
I’m waiting for them to put Marc Summers Mystery Magical Special on DVD, Rocko’s Modern Life and Fifteen too.
Oh thank you! I was starting to think that I had completely lost it because NO ONE I talk to remembers it. It was so scary! There were scores of the stone people marching around and the main character had to hide from them. My brother is too young to remember watching it with me (we were probably under the age of 6). I’m sure that a lot of this is because many of my friends didn’t have cable when we were very young.
I loved Roundhouse, but I can barely remember anything about it except for something on Sex Ed (the “risque” thing that caused me to change the channel whenever mom and dad would come in the room) and a girl daydreaming about marrying Marky Mark. Who would have thought that he would turn into Mark Walhlberg: Legitimate Actor?
Another funny thing about Roundhouse were the parents. The dad was always sitting in a recliner that he could move around via remote control. And that was the only way he got anywhere…he never got up! Now that I think of it, the premise of the show was strange…was it a variety show, like a SNL for kids? I seem to remember a lot of recurring characters, though.
Wasn’t there a Donohue-type talk show called something like Live Wire?
I think that’s what it was. But a hip, edgy variety show. Maybe even SNL for younger teens? I always got the sense that “All That” was trying to be very SNL for kids.
I never really got Roundhouse when it was first on. The creator of Roundhouse (also the creator of In Living Color) is suing about Hannah Montana–saying that it’s too similar to an original sketch on Roundhouse that the creator wanted to flesh out into a TV series for Disney.
I watched it with my kids. IIRC, it was filmed before a live audience.
Anyone ever go to Nickelodeon in Universal Studios in Florida? They used to have what they called a try-out, which turned out to be a Simon Says exercise. My daughter so wanted to be on Nick, so we went to this thing, which she won. But it turned out that if they weren’t filming that day they “filed” your name, but obviously you were out of luck.
She was heartbroken, but got the last laugh, since she eventually got to act on Nick.
BTW, the second season of Pete and Pete is out on DVD, but I understand that they’re not planning to release the third season. 
I went there in 1994 when my oldest child was 5. It was pretty cool, and she loved it. Unfortunately, the Nickelodeon section of Universal is no longer there, so my younger kids never had a chance to experience that part.
That’s awesome, Voyager…what show was she on?