The majority of us in college right now grew up in the early to mid 2000’s. We grew up on Disney Channel, silly bands, and American Girl Dolls. Ahh, the good old days. I often find myself taking nostalgic trips down memory lane by going back and watching old TV shows I used to watch as a young kid. Sometimes I even come across a familiar show I had forgotten even existed. Here is a list of some of these “forgotten” shows that are sure to strike a chord in your memory. For extra fun, I recommend going back and listening to the theme songs for these shows for an added boost of deja vu.
- Wow Wow Wubbzy
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To be quite honest, I don’t remember much about this show or what it was about except that it is centered around “Wubbzy” a strange yellow creature with a spring-like tail. The characters (Wubbzy and his friends) are ingrained in my head and rewatching the intro/theme song tickled something in the back of my brain
- Max and Ruby
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This was one of my sister and I’s favorite shows growing up, and I still catch myself singing “Max and Ruby. Do do do. Ruby and Max” on occasion. My mom notoriously says that this was one of her least favorite shows because she thought Ruby was too bossy and a bad influence. Either way, it was very enjoyable to watch and I can vividly remember some of its episodes.
- Cake
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This show might be a bit more niche and I’m unsure if many people will remember it. It’s so niche in fact, that if you look it up it’s name Google does not even bring it up immediately. That being said, if you do remember it… can we please be friends? The show is focused on a crafty teenage girl named Cake who provides craft tutorials and guides to creative activities.
- Franklin
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Franklin is a classic late 90’s and early 2000’s TV show. Based on a series of picture books written by Paulette Bourgeois, the cartoon followed Franklin the turtle on his adventures with his friends Bear, Fox, and Rabbit (you can tell they got really creative with these names).
- Team Umizoomi
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This show is a little younger (2010) as I remember I was on the cusp of watching little kid cartoons at the time of its release. Featuring the superhero brother and sister duo Milli and Geo with their robotic friend Bot, the group travels around the city to help other kids using the power of simple math and shapes.
- Pinky Dinky Doo
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One of my favorite forgotten shows, Pinky Dinky Doo follows an imaginative young girl with vibrant pink hair who uses storytelling and creative thinking to help her younger brother Tyler problem-solve. A cartoon featuring characters that appear to be hand-drawn and colored, this show is full of familiar nostalgia.
- Jungle Junction
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I had completely forgotten about this show until yesterday when I was researching different 2000’s cartoons for this article. Once I saw the cover photo however, I was filled with a feeling of familiarity but also confusion. In other words, this show feels like a strange fever dream. With animal characters on wheels (for example Ellyvan, an elephant van, and Zooter, a pig scooter) it certainly occupies a strange part of the Disney Jr. universe.
- Miss Spiders Sunny Patch Friends
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Yet another cartoon based on a series of children’s books (written by David Kirk), Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends was a rather creepy rendition about a gentle Spider who teaches her many bug children about important life lessons. With CGI animation, the main antagonist Spiderus is sure to give anyone regardless of age nightmares when he threatens to “gobble” the others up. Seriously, look him up. Who approved him to be in a children’s television show??
- Word Girl
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This 2007 PBS cartoon followed a young girl named Becky who, when duty called, transformed into the miraculous superhero “Word Girl”. Word Girl employed the use of vocabulary, grammar, and spelling to defeat her enemies in each episode. Bonus points if you remember playing the Word Girl Games on the PBSkids website!
- Little Bear
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Last but certainly not least, Little Bear! This adorable TV show focused on a young bear as he navigated life with his loving family and forest friends. The cute and lovable characters are sure to make anyone smile regardless of age and the life lessons taught are forever valuable to young children