Top 10 TV Networks and Programming Blocks Considered Nostalgic by Gen Z

Since Gen Z is often considered to include those born from 1997 to 2012, that makes the 2000s and most of the 2010s the nostalgic era. Let's go!

The Top Ten

PBS Kids

PBS Kids is the brand for most of the children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States. It features educational shows like Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which began airing in 1969. PBS Kids aims to provide curriculum-based entertainment for preschool... read more

Taking the gold spot, we have PBS Kids. You might know the network for shows like Arthur and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, but even if you exclude those, PBS Kids still has quite a few nostalgic shows.
These range from more recent shows like Peg + Cat and Odd Squad to older shows (early Gen Z mostly remember these) such as The Magic School Bus and The Electric Company.
Not only that, but many seem to hold a special spot for the 2005-13 era. Even after the rebrand, many of our nostalgic shows still remain on the network.

I loved PBS Kids as a child. My favorite shows were Thomas the Tank Engine, Arthur, Caillou, Dragon Tales, and many others.
NBC Kids

Taking second place, we have NBC Kids. This programming block is often well-known for being the last ever animated weekend programming block on broadcast television.
But looking back, NBC Kids was mostly Sprout programming you could get for free. Several shows I remember from the block are Jay-Jay the Jet Plane, Ruff-Ruff, Tweet, and Dave, and Noodle and Doodle, among others.
It's too bad the block ended in 2016 when it was replaced by "The More You Know," a block owned by the notorious Litton Entertainment. With Litton controlling four of the five local channels, I'm kind of scared they will take over Fox and Xploration Station next.
Toonami

Toonami is a television channel that launched in Asia on December 1, 2012. It is operated and distributed in Asia by Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc., a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel featured animated programming primarily targeting children and teens and ceased operations... read more

Even if I haven't seen this block as a child, many of you have. Toonami was the go-to place for anime. For those wondering, Toonami originally aired on Cartoon Network to target a teenage audience, acting as a bridge between CN and Adult Swim.
The block was mostly known for airing anime shows like "Sailor Moon" and "Dragon Ball." It also aired on The WB during the early 2000s and is currently on Adult Swim. From what I've gathered, Toonami mostly aired late in the afternoon on Cartoon Network and ended in 2008 due to low ratings. So it's pretty much the spiritual successor to Fox Kids.
Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon is an American basic cable and satellite television network that launched on December 1, 1977. It is owned by Paramount Global and is based in New York City. The network is widely known for its original children's programming, including iconic series like SpongeBob SquarePants, Rugrats, and... read more

Next up, we have Nickelodeon. The golden ages of the network were often considered to be the 1990s and 2000s, and for good reason. Many of the network's absolute best aired in these decades. Us Gen-Zs would be introduced to both classics like Rugrats, Rocko's Modern Life, and Doug, as well as modern ones from the 2000s, such as SpongeBob, Invader Zim, and The Fairly OddParents. Even after the network's decline since 2010, they still maintained a pretty solid lineup.

One of the most iconic TV networks for sure (along with Cartoon Network). Definitely my childhood for the most part.
Vortexx

Next up, we have yet another Saturday morning block. Vortexx launched in 2012 on The CW. The block itself was owned by Saban, a company considered untrustworthy nowadays due to their short-lived blocks and overall responsibility for killing traditional Saturday morning cartoons. Saban previously owned UPN Kids (a predecessor of The CW) and Fox Kids (which was sold to Disney and became Jetix).
Vortexx, like Toonami, mostly aired various anime. They had Dragon Ball, but also shows like Digimon and even Power Rangers (which previously aired on ABC before several stations preempted it due to it not being educational). The block was short-lived, only airing for two years before being replaced by One Magnificent Morning, a block owned by Litton.
It's unfortunate that the block only lasted so long. It probably could have saved us from the plague we call the "Arrowverse."
Xploration Station

Next up, we have the ONLY live-action block that's not owned by Litton. Launched in 2014, Xploration Station mostly aired on Fox stations after the network took a six-year hiatus from children's programming. Most shows that I remember seeing were often stuff like Animal Science, DIY Science, and Earth 2050. In all honesty, even if you don't like the block, it's either this or another Litton block.
Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network is an American basic cable and satellite television channel that was launched in 1992 by the Turner Broadcasting System. It is now owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is known for airing animated programming targeted primarily at children and teenagers. The network has been home to many... read more

"Who's ready for some fun cartoons?" The Gen-Zs are! Cartoon Network was the rival to Nickelodeon. Unlike Nick and Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, for the most part, was only cartoons. There are several shows, both old and new, that are remembered widely by Gen Z, such as The Powerpuff Girls, Chowder, Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball, and more. This isn't including Adult Swim, which adds more shows to the mix!
Qubo

This is personally my grand childhood. As a person who grew up without cable, Qubo and PBS Kids were the only kids' networks I had access to. Qubo had everything a kid wanted: wholesome shows like Babar, educational shows such as ToddWorld, and fun and laid-back shows such as Cosmic Quantum Ray. Even if the network did go downhill, Qubo still maintained a big part of my childhood and even adolescence.
Adult Swim
Noggin

Next up, we have Noggin. Noggin was sort of like Major Network Five, as it wasn't really competing with the Big Three but was just there (similar to Discovery Kids and later Sprout). But that didn't stop Noggin from being the memorable network it was. Most of the library comprised Sesame Street shows and Nick Jr. programming.
Nowadays, the network goes by the name of Nick Jr. and only shows five shows every day, one of which is the infamous Baby Shark's Big Show.

I loved Noggin as a child. My favorite shows were Blue's Clues, The Backyardigans, and LazyTown.

The Newcomers

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Cookie Jar TV
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KEWLopolis

The Contenders

Playhouse Disney

And finally, we have Playhouse Disney. As Nick Jr.'s competitor, Playhouse Disney mostly showed preschool programming and motivated Disney to produce CGI animation with shows like Handy Manny and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
However, unlike Nick Jr., Playhouse Disney was only a programming block with a few shows airing on its sister network Toon Disney. Even if you hated Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, you've got to admit, Playhouse Disney was a memorable network, even if they adopted the generic "Junior" name in 2011.

I remember watching shows such as The Wiggles, JoJo's Circus, and Bear in the Big Blue House as a child.
Jetix

Jetix, formerly known as Fox Kids in Europe, Latin America, and North America, was a children's television programming brand. It was jointly owned by Jetix Europe, Jetix Latin America, and ABC Cable Networks Group. Jetix operated from 2004 to 2009 and aired popular animated and action-oriented programming... read more
Disney XD

Disney XD is an American digital cable and satellite television channel. It is owned by Disney Channels Worldwide, which operates under the Disney - ABC Television Group, a division of The Walt Disney Company... read more
Kids' WB

Kids' WB was an American children's television programming block that aired on The WB Television Network from September 9, 1995, to September 16, 2006. The block moved to The CW on September 23, 2006, after The WB and UPN merged to form the new network. It featured popular animated series and served... read more
Fox Kids

Fox Kids was an American children's programming block and international brand of children's television channels. It launched in 1990 and became popular for shows like Power Rangers, Batman: The Animated Series, and X-Men: The Animated Series. The block was eventually phased out and replaced by 4Kids... read more
Hub Network
The Basement

This was the afternoon programming block on Fox Family, home to such shows as Bad Dog (literally based on a screensaver), Monster Farm (not the anime, an unrelated show in which farm animals were represented as classic monsters), Three Friends and Jerry, and Walter Melon.
KidsCo

KidsCo was an international children's entertainment brand launched in April 2007 by Canadian broadcaster Corus Entertainment's Nelvana, American producer DIC Entertainment, and European broadcaster Sparrowhawk Media Group. By the end of that year, media conglomerate NBC Universal acquired Sparrowhawk,... read more
The Disaster Area
USA Cartoon Express
The Family Channel

What is now called Freeform was originally The Family Channel, which was subsequently bought by Fox, becoming Fox Family and later Disney (long before Disney bought Fox itself), becoming ABC Family. It's still owned by Disney. They just changed the name.
This TV (U.S.)
CW4Kids
4Kids TV
Pop Girl