Lmao holy shit this unlocked a memory. As a kid I'd post on a Hey Arnold fan forum in 1999-2000, and I remember the absolute hate train that Spongebob got from the posters there.
I didn't think much about Spongebob myself for a couple years until I saw the episode "Band Geeks" in like 2002.
Also Rocket Power... That was one of those shows that merely existed. I didn’t encounter anyone who had anything bad to say about it, but I was hard pressed to find a diehard fan. All I remember about it was the dialogue was "hello, fellow kids" tier (even moreso than a typical Nick show) and full of slang that was about 10 years out of date by 1999.
I was super into Rocket Power, specifically the episode where they got to ride with Tony Hawk on the light up boards. I was really into THPS so it was a match made in heaven.
Also, I can see why Hey Arnold fans would hate SpongeBob. Those shows are polar opposites in terms of tone and sensibility.
I remember watching episodes of the first 3 seasons when they premiered. It was one of the biggest things for kids back then, we would talk about it in school. I got more invested in Cartoon Network a bit later after it became apparent Nick was sinking all its resources into all those teen sitcoms.
Sometimes I miss that structure and anticipation that you get when watching something premiere on TV.
I disagree with chalkzone's central premise though. If it's supposed to be a reality full of anything ever drawn in chalk it's not going to be dinosaurs and houses and stuff. It'll primarily be hopscotch squares, math equations, and drawings of penises.
I guess, at first glance, Rocket Power seems like an idea that'll make a really good trailer, but to not hello, fellow kids it, is nigh impossible for a childrens cartoon network. Meanwhile, Spongebob is the only IP mentioned that people still watch and love 25 years later, so I guess that's that.
sponge bob was too woke, too many "diversity hire" species. the starfish did absolutely nothing for the plot of the pilot it was just to virtue signal to SJWs to let them poison the minds of their children. this show is gonna fail you just see #go_woke_go_broke