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Have you wondered what would happen if a certain popular Nicktoon about a talking cheese head didn’t originally air when it was supposed to? What if...the Louds had been Nickelodeon's mascot? Episode 35: What If…The Loud House Premiered in 1999 Instead of SpongeBob? Before we get to that, let’s recap the history of Nicktoons, shall we? In 1979, QUBE was rebranded as Nickelodeon, becoming the first network dedicated entirely to kids. At the time, the channel didn’t offer much variety and lacked a president. That changed in 1984 when Geraldine Laybourne became Nickelodeon’s first official president. She played a major role in transforming the network by bringing in animated programming and shaping its identity. Throughout the late '80s, Nickelodeon aired several animated imports—mostly British and Canadian cartoons like Danger Mouse and Inspector Gadget. Then came 1991, a landmark year when Nickelodeon introduced its first three original animated series: Doug, Rugrats and The Red & Stompy Show. These were the first official “Nicktoons.” (Fun fact: Count Duckula was actually commissioned by Nickelodeon, so it arguably counts as a proto-Nicktoon, even if most people don’t realize it.) Then came 1999, considered the biggest year for Nick since the debut of the original Nicktoons. That was the year the world was introduced to SpongeBob SquarePants. You all know this story. In this timeline, everything goes normally until that point. Instead of pitching a cartoon, Stephen Hillenburg decided to pursue a different career path of marine biologist. The Loud House would premiere May 1st, 1999 after the Kids Choice Awards instead. It debuts to a staggering 9.5 million viewers. The concept of one boy living in a chaotic house full of sisters instantly resonates with audiences. The show becomes a cultural phenomenon, topping the charts as Nickelodeon’s #1 show. Within five years, it gets its first theatrical movie. Fans all over the world embrace the characters, the humor, and the relatability. Internet forums like TV.com create dedicated fan communities, eventually splintering off into The Loud House Community, and memes spread like wildfire online. It becomes the face of Nickelodeon going into the 2000s. The show would not go on smoothly however, as controversies with the creator Chris Savino would arise. He would eventually be replaced by Paul Tibbitt, whose tenure as show runner became controversial in its own right. This lead to in-fighting in the fandom if the show declined in quality or if it's still good. Deja vu. The Ultimate Loud House LoudBash was held in 2009 to celebrate 10 years, airing numerous new episodes and a tv movie where the Louds get trapped in a vent and reminisce their history to questionable accuracy. Then, in May 2016, SpongeBob SquarePants finally debuts… but it doesn’t perform well. It only lasts three seasons, and the movie released later is considered the series finale. SpongeBob would become yet another Nicktoon that is quickly cancelled and fades away into obscurity. Some would demand it returns though others may be happy it ended where It did here, especially with the knowledge of the timeline we did get (oops). This would also mean SBM and SBC never exist, dang. So not all sunshine and rainbows. In this alternate timeline, The Loud House becomes the network's top priority. It gets multiple spin-offs, movies, games and even a musical. That’s our Marvel Universe! They’ll never stop the Louds…

Am I really going to defile this grave for memes? Of course I am!