Starting this week, Nickelodeon is bringing back their classic shows in a block called The Splat. Heck, The Splat logo is just like the classic Nick logo, which should have never been changed in my opinion.
The Splat will replace the current block named The 90s Are All That, and instead of two hours, with a two hour repeat, you will get eight hours of classic Nickelodeon programming from 9 pm to 5 am Central. So I have a few concerns about The Splat. I mean, we have seen other networks which have mostly relied on classic TV programs come and go, or struggle. Viacom’s own TV Land has seen fewer ratings and more current TV shows instead of the classic shows you are supposed to see on TV Land. And let’s not talk about how some programs on TV Land and other Viacom channels are time-shifting and adding commercials to a show. I bet you The Splat will see some shows become 35 minutes long, with five extra minutes of commercials!
Second, why is this going to air on TeenNick? Nickelodeon has seen what Cartoon Network is doing with their Adult Swim block, which on many nights has the highest cable ratings, especially in the 18-49 demographic, which advertisers looks at closely for ad rates. Let’s face it; Nick at Nite has gotten old and fast. There are only so many times you can repeat the same Friends episode over and over again. Many younger people are watching Adult Swim because it has shows the younger people want to watch. So if Nick is starting up The Splat, why would it not air on the main Nickelodeon channel? Many more people have Nick rather than having TeenNick. I hope Nick might consider previewing The Splat on the main Nick channel, at least one night a week.
Third, how long the hype for The Splat will last? Remember when I was talking about how TV channels with mostly older programming have come and gone? One example is the former Hub Network, now Discovery Family. Hub Network relied heavily on older sitcoms and dramas which you can see on Netflix or Hulu without the long commercial breaks. Even Discovery Family is still doing this repeating their programs over and over again. As for The Splat, for now everything will be older Nickelodeon shows, cartoons, and game shows. I mean, you can see plenty of clips and full episodes of these shows on YouTube or online. For the first few weeks, you will have people who are curious and will want to “relive” their childhood. But, soon the people will grow tired of old shows, and the ratings will go down.
I am guessing The Splat will try to keep the viewers around by having themed weeks like First Time for Everything, Rugrats Reptar Takeover, Hey Arnold! Live from the Stoop, Nick or Treat, and other themed weeks. And The Splat will do classic programming stunts like Nick or Treat, U-Pick and Super Toy Run, I wonder if those will be live or be recorded the day before, since The Splat will be an overnight block. So, will The Splat last beyond one year, five years, or more? Yes, many people have followed The Splat on social media like Twitter and Facebook. But, will those same people who have followed The Splat on social media tune in and watch The Splat on TeenNick? That is going to be the million dollar question, because I really think what will happen is people will check this out, and tune back over to Adult Swim or the late night talk shows, that have suddenly become very hip!
As for me, I will never know what The Splat will be all about, because where I live, the local cable company Cable One has removed all of the Viacom channels, including Nickelodeon and TeenNick. And in the apartment complex where I live, we aren’t allowed to have satellite. So unless I moved and found another cable provider, I will never see The Splat! And I don’t think it will be worth the hassle of seeing The Splat, because I can see a lot of this stuff online, without sitting through a ton of commercials to see the stuff. This is something Viacom has become well known for lately, airing shows with extra commercials, something us Millenialls don’t want to see today.
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