Harriet the Spy (1996) Childhood Lessons, Nickelodeon Nostalgia, and Farewell to a Star

“You’re an individual, and that makes people nervous. And it’s gonna keep making people nervous for the rest of your life.”

2025 isn’t even halfway through and already we’ve lost several iconic figures in entertainment. To honor their legacies, we’re launching a tribute series this month titled “May They Rest In Peace.” We’re starting with a loss that hit us right in the childhood heart.

🎬 This week, we’re diving into Nickelodeon’s first-ever theatrical release—1996’s Harriet the Spy. Set in New York City, the film follows 11-year-old Harriet as she trains to be a spy, chronicling the lives of neighbors and classmates until her notebook is exposed and her world turns upside down.

Directed by Bronwen Hughes and starring Michelle Trachtenberg, Rosie O’Donnell, and Gregory Smith, this mid-90s gem has plenty to say about identity, growing up, and the pain of being honest in a world that wants you to conform. 


Topics include:

• Did Nickelodeon dominate 90s kids’ media?
• How massive was the marketing push for their first movie?
• What made Michelle Trachtenberg perfect as Harriet?
• Is this still a kids’ movie, or does it hit harder as an adult?
• What life lessons still resonate nearly 30 years later?

PLUS:

• What’s the correct way to prepare pot roast?
• Henrique’s story of Nickelodeon visiting his elementary school.
• Listener suggestions that might shape future episodes.
• The final TV role that brought Michelle Trachtenberg’s career full circle.
• Did our hosts prefer The Accountant 2 or Until Dawn?

📺 Watch Harriet the Spy on Paramount+: https://paramount.originals.watch/media/23334/harriet-the-spy

📺 1996 Nickelodeon Special on Harriet the Spy: https://youtu.be/-8DsBEZnQ8w?si=ktLeypVx7kqtbeTY

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