Long Lost 90s: Nick in the Afternoon

By: ThatDudeintheHoodie

It's that time of the year again, yes I'll be talking about Nickelodeon. This time we'll be looking into both Nick in the Afternoon as well as its mascot and host Stick Stickly with co stars such as Stick's mother, his brother Woodknot and co-host/ news caster Holly who is a wooden spoon. This block was my go to as a kid before the likes of Toonami and Kids WB. I can remember watching it in the summer and seeing it after school later on. It brought a smile to my face whenever I saw it.

Beginning on June 1995 and ending on December 1998, Nick in the Afternoon was originally an afternoon block in the summer that played after the Nick Jr. block. The host was a popsicle stick named Stick Stickly voiced by Paul Christie and puppeteered by Rick Lyon. The regular segments within the block were U-Pick where viewers picked what episode to watch and U-Dip where viewers picked a substance to dip the host in and on occasion kids dip their feet in the substance. Others were Stump Stick where Stick Stickly had to be stumped on a joke or a riddle, countdown lists that go by a theme and celebrity news and interviews with Holly, He had starred in three specials during his Nick in the Afternoon run. There was also a jingle to mail him which, in his comeback in "The 90s Are All That" block, became a hashtag. What I enjoyed about this block was the interactivity it offered and it was lighthearted fun with a catchy mailing jingle. However this only lasted until December of 1998.

The reason why it was changed to it being on for just the summer to all of summer, fall and early winter is unknown. After the end of Nick in the Afternoon, Stick Stickly appeared in many bumpers and specials on Nickelodeon like the Kid's Choice Awards, New Years and a computer game.

In 2011 Stick Stickly returned for a retro block on TeenNick called "The 90's Are All That" during which he hosted U-Pick Fridays as well as having adventures and hosting events for the block that had a special theme like game shows, celebrating a show's anniversary or specials on and around holidays like Christmas, Halloween and New Years.

Overall, I feel that Nick in the Afternoon was one of the trademark blocks of the nineties and Stick Stickly has become an icon of the channel and the decade as more people remember him. While not completely forgotten, the block was a fixture in summers during the mid to late nineties and is slowly getting the recognition that it deserves

Remember to Live Life and Live Nostalgic

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SockofFleagulls Posted on Dec 08, 2016 at 04:37 PM

I watched alot of Nickelodeon through the early 90s and can't remember Stick Stickly for the life of me. I loved watching the kids game shows at that time like Make the Grade, Nick Arcade, and Legends of the Hidden Temple.

Hoju Koolander Posted on Apr 07, 2016 at 06:53 PM

Stick Sticky made my 90's summers memorable as well. I always wanted the spinner to land on Salute Your Shorts.

Rick Ace Rhodes Posted on Apr 01, 2016 at 02:25 PM

I vaguely remember this block. I love watching the old Nickelodeon commercials from the era.