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I'm working on an article for an online publication that counts down the top 20 childhood shows.
These will mostly be from the late 80's to the mid 90's, so it would help if you were born in the late 70's or early to mid 80's.
But I'd love to know what people's top ten (or even 20) childhood shows were so I can get a gauge of what people liked, and what shows seem to repeat on everyone's lists.
Thanks.
**NOTE***: I'm looking for more shows that were geared towards children specifically. Meaning, I'm not so much looking for "The Cosby Show" as I am, say, a Nickelodeon show such as "Are You Afraid of the Dark" or "Smurfs."
I'm a child of the early-mid 90s so hopefully this is a help...this is without any of the more broad-audience shows of course and doesn't really go in a specific order.
1. The Adventures of Pete and Pete
2. Are You Afraid of the Dark?
3. The Secret World of Alex Mack
4. All That (when it first started)
5. A Pup Named Scooby-Doo
6. Hey Dude
7. Salute Your Shorts
8. Clarissa Explains it All
9. Legends of the Hidden Temple
10. You Can't Do That on Television
Power Rangers (first three seasons, at least)
Spider-Man
X-Men
Fantastic Four
Batman
Superman
Ninja Turtles
Saved by the Bell
Tiny Toons
Animaniacs (especially the Pinky and the Brain segments)
Yeah, I geared more for the super-hero stuff. X-Men got me into comics, which got me into the other comic shows. By the time I got to the age that I can remember stuff, most of the cartoons disappeared off of the networks except for Fox and WB. So, I remember bits of cartoons from NBC, but not enough to feel nostalgic for them other than missing cartoons in general on the networks. I didn't have cable until 1996, and even then, all that did for me was give me access to a WB channel. So I never got much into Nickelodeon.
And I know FF and Iron Man were back to back in the Marvel Action Hour, but Iron Man usually came on too early for me to get up for.
While technically not a show, any cartoon staring Mickey or his Disney friends would probably get my attention.
In general, I preferred the shows with animation that actually looked artistic. Many new shows now, the characters are blobs or the people don't look like people.
I'm working on an article for an online publication that counts down the top 20 childhood shows.
These will mostly be from the late 80's to the mid 90's, so it would help if you were born in the late 70's or early to mid 80's.
But I'd love to know what people's top ten (or even 20) childhood shows were so I can get a gauge of what people liked, and what shows seem to repeat on everyone's lists.
Thanks.
**NOTE***: I'm looking for more shows that were geared towards children specifically. Meaning, I'm not so much looking for "The Cosby Show" as I am, say, a Nickelodeon show such as "Are You Afraid of the Dark" or "Smurfs."
I was going to list shows from my childhood, but then realized you probably aren't interested in shows from the 1960s. Let me know if you are, however.
Transformers
GI Joe
Thundercats
Smurfs
Saved by the Bell
Fraggle Rock
Punky Brewster
He Man
Charles in Charge
The Wonder Years
Webster
Cartoon Express---used to come on USA, had Yogi Bear, Snagglepuss, Grape Ape, and the Laffalympics
Captain Caveman
Flintstones
Jetsons
And then shows that I think were primetime but as a kid I watched.
I was going to list shows from my childhood, but then realized you probably aren't interested in shows from the 1960s. Let me know if you are, however.
Yea, same here. Hell i feel old! Lets see, my daughter was born in 91, a kid of the 90s...and she is still a kid, as she is only 16!
I was born in the 60s, but i watched Thundercats in the 80s, that one was good.
Oh, and of course Robotech. I am sure if i told you what i liked to watch in the 60s and 70s you would say, "what's that?", so um, yea, let us know.
Tell me about it. They're not only talking about shows I've mostly never heard of, but many of said shows ran on networks that didn't exist when I was a kid. (And which were delivered by technology - cable and satellite - that either didn't exist or existed in such a different and crude form that they might as well not have.) A bit after my time. (Hint: I still know the tune and most of the words to "The Merry Marvel Marching Society" song. )
Tell me about it, Greg! I was born 19 days after the "true" debut of TV in the US on July 1, 1942 (not the "demo debut" at the 1939 World's Fair.)
Not even my kids would qualify for this "poll!" In fact some of my grandkids would.
Just for laughs (and in no particular order) if this question were asked of me:
Hopalong Cassidy Howdy Doody Captain Video Captain Midnight Winky Dink and You Mr. I.magination Rootie Kazootie Magic Cottage Junior Frolics Andy Devine and the Gang
Off the top of my head, I can't even remember more than 10 children's shows (I'm sure there were more, but I was always looking in on the more grown up fare). Come to think of it, we didn't even have anything even close to 10 TV channels!
Could you explain a bit why you chose what you chose, especially the top 5? What did you like about Pete and Pete over, say, Salute Your Shorts?
No problem...can't believe I forgot Power Rangers btw. Used to be obsessed with it.
1. The Adventures of Pete and Pete: I actually enjoy it more nowadays since it definitely went over my head as a kid a few times. But I remember always loving Little Pete's antics.
2. Are You Afraid of the Dark? Just great memories of watching it with my dad--it never really scared me but I just loved the stories and the anthology aspect. I probably wasn't the only kid who actually wrote his own 'episodes' for it.
3. The Secret World of Alex Mack: Huge crush on the girl who played Annie probably played a part. I just liked the continuing storyline even though it was admittedly a bit repetitive.
4. All That (when it first started): First off, I loved the Kenan and Kel show too, but this was like SNL Jr. for me without worrying about staying up so late...
5. A Pup Named Scooby-Doo: I actually prefer it to the original; way more fun and comical.
6. Hey Dude: I'd love to see this again because I think I'd appreciate it more and I barely remember it. But the theme song has always stuck with me.
7. Salute Your Shorts: Speaking of memorable theme songs, this is one of my top 5 of all time. The show itself was kind of the same from episode to episode but the characters were fun.
8. Clarissa Explains it All: Huge crush on Melissa Joan Hart of course, and I had no problems relating to the pesky sibling thing.
9. Legends of the Hidden Temple: Did any kid not want to be a contestant? Silver Snakes forever!
10. You Can't Do That on Television: Didn't see the original run but it was sort of like an earlier (and probably better) All That. But I really only remember a few of the Alanis Morisette episodes that they showed after Jagged Little Pill. This is another where I really think 85% of it went over my head and would appeal to me more if I watched nowadays.
Saturday Mornings.. come on, who didn't remember when, prior to the school year, every network would put on a show, on a Friday night, promoting their new saturday morning cartoon lineup? It was a BIG deal. Now, kids don't get that. I feel kind of sad for my own kids that way.
Anyway.. back to shows!
1. Thundarr, The Barbarian - Please, name me a show that was this awesome, ever, aimed at kids? A huge apocolypse believed to be from an asteroid strike on the moon, causes a huge die off in the world; the rise of mutants, rebel scientists, wizardry and magic - as Thundarr, the Barbarian, travels the world to free captured slaves, right wrongs, and hope to find the truth and answers to how to rebuild the world. Come on! This was fantastic SciFi stuff!
2. Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. Seriously, for all the drive for "educational" cartoons, I can't think of any show I learned more things from then "Fat Albert" a simple lesson show in each one, funny.. and amazingly adult in how it dealt with really complex issues. As a kid, I really liked this. I watch a lot of the kid cartoons they pitch out now, and I don't see anything this good.. all of them "baby" too much; this was a show that reached me as a kid like I was an adult and I got it.
3. To go along with #2, this is the only PBS show really on my list: 3-2-1 Contact. I really got into this as a kid. An experiment daily, some decent thoughts, and hell, the Bloodhound Gang.
4. Kwicky Koala - I was young when this was on, and oddly, it seemed to be the show I watched right before Thundarr. I always thought it was ridiculous slapstick. But fun. Plus, I preferred it to "Shirt Tales" (not on my list)
5. Transformers. Though give me Season 1 and Season 2 (prior to the movie) as the episodes past the film are still not that great to watch. Though "Return of Optimus Prime" is good.
6. GI Joe. So many super complex world domination schemes. So many bullets and battlefights. And yet, no one got hurt. Hell, in Thundarr people were getting killed or enslaved weekly it seemed. I always wondered that about GI Joe. But still thought it was fun. And hell, Porkchop Sandwiches! (some here will get that)
7. Duck Tales - I was an older kid, but even as an older kid (middle-school) I appreciated Duck Tales as lighthearted fun. Still do. The stories were (and still are) interesting adventure stuff with some decent jokes.
8. Schoolhouse Rock - I loved these segments.
9. A-Team. Come on, what kid didn't sit down with their dad and watch A-Team?
10. Land of the Lost. I actually got into this, thought it was pretty interesting.
Darn. I was born in 1966 so Ultraman, Speed Racer, Underdog, most Krofft stuff will be nowhere to be found. But I can still guess since I watched a lot of kids shows in the 80s and 90s.
Pee Wee's Playhouse-which I just bought. Heh heh! 22 emmys!! That weird little guy did good with this show.
Fraggle Rock
Muppet Show
Fat Albert
Dungeons & Dragons
Jason of Star Command
Salute Your Shorts
Adventures of Pete & Pete
You Can't Do That on Television
Land of the Lost
Power Rangers
Mutant Ninja Turtles
Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner Show
Thundarr (ditto, great cartoon)
Tarzan. The Filmation Cartoon was also top notch
Star Trek cartoon
Flintstones
Jetsons
Mr. Wizard's World (Don't forget your science fun)
Beakman's World
Well Stephen, I have to admit I just bought a bunch of Gerry "Thunderbirds" Anderson stuff (so much, boxes are still arriving). But most of those were 60s and 70s. TerraHawks is the exception. But I don't how popular that one was. I don't think his stuff reached the 80s kids. Clutch Cargo is another. Stuff like Ark II, an awesome kids show that I still dearly love to watch, doesn't quite get there either.
Born in 1983, I watched so much TV I can't narrow it down to 10, but here's what I remember watching on TV fairly regularly as a kid (the order is arbitrary, and some of them are obviously reruns):
Animated:
DuckTales
The Gummi Bears
Garfield And Friends
Looney Tunes
The Smurfs
Tiny Toon Adventures
Animaniacs
The Simpsons (remember them? )
classic Disney cartoons and movies on the Disney Channel
Woody Woodpecker
Rocky and Bullwinkle
Alvin and the Chipmunks
The Jetsons
The Flintstones
Yogi Bear
Live Action:
ALF
Pee-Wee's Playhouse
Family Ties
The Facts of Life
Diff'rent Strokes
227
Gimme a Break
Golden Girls
Punky Brewster
Webster
Silver Spoons
What's Happening
Good Times
Sanford and Son
One Day at a Time
Laverne & Shirley
Bewitched
I Love Lucy
Gomer Pyle, USMC
Road to Avonlea
Born in '82. My list, in no particular order because I always have a hard time numerically ranking favorite things:
Double Dare
Today's Special (early 80s Canadian show that Nickelodeon aired)
You Can't Do That on Television (why is this still not on DVD?)
Jetsons (used to watch it every morning before school)
Smurfs
Punky Brewster (my 5-year-old niece is now into the show, thanks to the DVDs)
Saved by the Bell
ALF (I was obsessed with this show - if there was a piece of ALF merchandise, I owned it)
Muppet Babies
Bobby's World
And an honorable mention to the Captain Planet theme song. I didn't particularly like the show, but I enjoyed the theme.
Mike, are you going to post a link to the article when it's finished? I'd like to read it.
Tell me about it, Greg! I was born 19 days after the "true" debut of TV in the US on July 1, 1942 (not the "demo debut" at the 1939 World's Fair.)
Robert I believe RCA (NBC) started a feed in New York City around 1935. If I recall correctly there were only 100 TV sets in the city.
You're spot on as to no real TV. My late afternoon radio shows were Terry and the Pirates, Chandu the Magician, Jack Armstrong (sponsored by Wheaties), and Sky King. In the early evening there was The Green Hornet and The Lone Ranger. Of course I'd also listen to my parents' shows; Jack Benny, Burns & Allen, The Great Gildersleve, Fred Allen, Amos 'n Andy, Baby Snooks, Grand Central Station, and Inner Sanctum.
The first TV show I watched was lights Out in 1948 and in 1949 I was an audience member for a radio series recorded in San Francisco named Pat Novak for Hire. The lead was played by actor named Jack Webb.
Also to everyone: If you had to pick a top 3 or top 5 live action shows that aired on Nickelodeon from the late 80's to 90's, what would they be?
Definitely You Can't Do That On Television and Double Dare. I guess I'd round it out with Inspector Gadget, because I didn't really watch anything but the first two.
I'm sorry I'm late in replying to this thread Mike. I was born in 1978. The following may be a partial list since my memory is little hazy, but here are my top 20 childhood favorites:
DuckTales (This was my favorite animated series.)
Garfield and Friends (This was my top favorite program on Saturday mornings.)
The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show (My second favorite and I watch it consistently for many years.)
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
The Jetsons (repackaged 60s version and syndicated 80s version)
The Flintstones
Care Bears
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Inspector Gadget
G.I. Joe
Transformers
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
Voltron: Defender of the Universe
The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin
MacGyver
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Family Ties
Nick-at-Nite
The Disney Channel (The Mickey Mouse Club, Avonlea, Danger Bay, Disney theatrical shorts, etc.)
Honorable Mentions:
The Jim Henson Hour (I was pissed when this was cancelled.)
PBS
Robert I believe RCA (NBC) started a feed in New York City around 1935. If I recall correctly there were only 100 TV sets in the city.
You're spot on as to no real TV. My late afternoon radio shows were Terry and the Pirates, Chandu the Magician, Jack Armstrong (sponsored by Wheaties), and Sky King. In the early evening there was The Green Hornet and The Lone Ranger. Of course I'd also listen to my parents' shows; Jack Benny, Burns & Allen, The Great Gildersleve, Fred Allen, Amos 'n Andy, Baby Snooks, Grand Central Station, and Inner Sanctum.
The first TV show I watched was lights Out in 1948 and in 1949 I was an audience member for a radio series recorded in San Francisco named Pat Novak for Hire. The lead was played by actor named Jack Webb.
Yes Garrett, I'm aware of the early feeds involving TV in the NYC area in the 1930's (not from personal experience since I was born in 1942). I was referring to the first electronic commercial broadcasting in the USA. This occurred on July 1, 1941 (technically, 10 p.m. the night before). Here's a copy of the program guide:
I did mistakenly set the date at "July 1, 1942" in my previous post. This information came from an erroneous source. By 1942 the war effort had halted the production of most TVs and most public broadcasting. Also, other countries beat the US to the punch between 1935 and 1941 in this area (Germany, England, Italy, France, Holland, etc.) And, of course, the concept of "Television" (the term was coined in 1900) was already in developers' minds during the last decade of the 19th century.
Your comments about those radio shows brought back many pleasant memories. I would wait by the radio for Baby Snooks (with Fanny Brice) to start. For some strange reason I can still remember the ad phrase "Tums for the Tummy" even though I sometimes can't recall what I had for breakfast! "Waaaaaaaaaaaa!"
And Lights Out was a favorite show of mine as well. That "floating head" opening was downright scary! Lights Out aired on Monday Nights on WNBC-TV at 9 pm opposite I Love Lucy on WCBS-TV. I recall being the only kid in school the next morning not knowing what Lucy and Desi had been up to the night before!
Thanks for the memories. Most people here (except other old farts) don't have a clue what we are talking about.)
In my opinion think Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers should automatically be on top of any childhood TV list since a lot of kids watch them. Here's a list of some of my favorite shows that I used to watch.
Muppet Show
Fraggle Rock
G.I. Joe
He-Man
Transformers
Voltron
Thundercats
Inspector Gadget
Today's Special
Pinwheel
Some of the cartoons that Nickelodeon used to show over 20 years ago that I also liked are Belle And Sebastian, The Little Prince, and David The Gnome.
I also watched a lot of ABC's TGIF over the years, which was sorta geared towards kids. The era I remember most is the one anchored by Sabrina and Boy Meets World.
The last couple of lists are jogging my memories of shows that I know I saw occassionally, but was too young to really comprehend and/or remember at this point. Therefore, I don't remember enough to know if I really enjoyed them, or watched them because I was a typical kid that watched any moving picture on a TV.
Thanks! I watched a few of those over the weekend. They're still fun. Although I also watched the Gerry Anderson show Supercar, which is similar but much more interesting to watch.
Marionettes & detailed models > paper cut outs & creepy human mouths.
But both have likable characters and simple/fun storylines. Perfect Saturday morning fare.
)
I just liked the continuing storyline even though it was admittedly a bit repetitive.
