Nick @ Nite, the thing that interrupted Nickelodeon

Every night when I was a kid, 8pm was the time I dreaded. My precious cartoons, and cheesy game shows ended in favor of old black and white grown up shows.

Yes, I'm talking about Nick @ Nite.

Being older now, I can appreciate classic TV shows. But at the age of 5, The Donna Reed show, Dragnet, and I Love Lucy couldn't hold a candle to Salute Your Shorts, Double Dare, and Nick Arcade.

Every night, you would eat dinner, you would watch Nickelodeon, then came that dreaded time. You had to take a bath. You didn't want to, but you couldn't avoid it. You run into your room, grab a few of your best action figures, and in you went, thinking your precious Nickelodeon was still going to be there when you got out. But just like a soldier who goes to war, only to come home and see his wife sleeping with his brother, Nickelodeon was gone. Instead of seeing Marc Summers and the slopsticle course, your eyes burned at the sight of Lucy and Ethel stuffing candy in their mouths from a conveyor belt moving too fast.

But never fear, you were forced to go to sleep anyway and when you woke up it would all come back. After The Real Ghostbusters was over, you could flip to Nickelodeon, and there it was. All the great cartoons and shows. David the Gnome, Eureka's Castle. All like an old friend waiting to see you. You were safe, back in the arms of everything good. Until 8pm that night.