Watch The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story

The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story is a 2018 documentary film that narrates the story of the popular children's television network Nickelodeon. The film is directed by Scott Barber and Adam Sweeney, and it features interviews with the network's executives, producers, actors, and writers. The movie explores the history of Nickelodeon, from its humble beginnings as a small cable channel that broadcasted nothing but classic movies and reruns to the prominent children's programming network that it is today. The Orange Years takes viewers through the network's story beginning with its inception in the late 1970s and chronicles its most memorable moments, including its iconic shows like "You Can't Do That on Television," "Double Dare," "Rugrats," "Hey Arnold," "The Adventures of Pete & Pete," and many others.

The documentary interviews several of Nickelodeon's influential key players, including Geraldine Laybourne, the network's former president; Vanessa Coffey, an animation producer; and childhood stars such as Michael Bower, the actor from the popular 90s series "Salute Your Shorts", the musician and actor Drake Bell and actor Jason Alisharan of "Cousin Skeeter" and "All That" fame.

Through several exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and clips from some of Nickelodeon's most memorable shows, the movie unearths untold stories and previously unknown processes that went into the making of the network's most beloved and innovative programs.

The Orange Years delves into how Nickelodeon's early shows revolutionized children's programming and changed the landscape of television forever. The movie explains how the company did not merely create programming for kids, but instead sought to treat children as intelligent beings - an important paradigm shift in a world where TV was often viewed as a corrupted medium that stunted children's growth.

The film also highlights the ways in which the network's success was impacted by its creative freedom, its ability to understand what children liked, and its willingness to experiment, through shows like "The Ren & Stimpy Show," that pushed the boundaries of what was deemed acceptable with someone else's content.

Overall, The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story is an engaging, funny, and enlightening documentary that encapsulates the essence of what made the network so unique and influential. The film transports viewers back to a simpler time when cable television was still in its infancy, and children's programming was still a relatively unexplored frontier. With the efforts of the people behind the network, Nickelodeon soon discovered a formula that catered to a younger audience with content that was smart, innovative, and engaging.

The Orange Years is an emotional journey for anyone who grew up in the era of Nickelodeon, but the documentary will also appeal to those who are curious about the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry. Overall, it is a must-see film for anyone who has ever been a fan of children's programming and wants to know more about the evolution of modern TV.

The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story is a 2018 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 42 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.5.