One feeling that follows me everywhere I go is nostalgia. Although being an adult means having more money, more autonomy, and fewer rules, I often wish I could go back to the way things were when I was a child.
Television has been a form of entertainment in my life for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I can think back to when certain TV shows were airing and what my life looked like when I watched them.
Cartoons I watched as a young child continue to stand out as exceptionally memorable. I often remember songs and music from shows I have not seen in over a decade. Plots that I did not understand still resurface, reminding me that growing older does not mean all my childhood questions have been answered.
Whether it be animation style, storyline, or soundtracks, children’s cinema can be truly breathtaking, and I have compiled a list of some of my favourites!
- Toopy and Binoo
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Toopy and Binoo is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest animated children’s TV shows of all time. Though it revolves around only two characters, the series takes audiences on journeys far beyond the ordinary world.
One episode followed Toopy and Binoo discovering fruit-flavoured snow, then creating those fruits from their respective snows and eating them. Another focused on the search for Binoo’s missing beloved stuffed animal, Patchy Patch. Toopy and Binoo began by just searching under the blanket, but were soon on a long-winded adventure, even visiting “Patchy World” in hopes of finding him. Overall, Toopy and Binoo’s story lines were often fun, adorable, and sometimes quite odd.
- Little Bear
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Little Bear followed animals that walked on two legs and could interact with and coexist with humans. They had a more “realistic” and down-to-earth storyline than Toopy and Binoo.
In fact, Little Bear has been applauded for being a low-stimulation show suitable for young toddlers. Episodes often featured simple stories about friendship and learning from one’s mistakes. The cartoon also often had very gentle but memorable music and songs.
- Littlest Pet Shop
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Littlest Pet Shop was one of those shows I watched when I was a little older than the target audience.
Although I was a little embarrassed to tell anyone that I watched it, I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the animation style, the colours, and the effort to have the main character wear a different outfit and hairstyle in every episode.
This animated TV show taught positive lessons and often had some really cute songs!
- My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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My Little Pony was also a show that I was embarrassed to admit I enjoyed because of my age. I’m happy to share now, though, that it was truly one of my favourite shows at the time.
Focusing on friendship, finding one’s true passion, and helping others, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic combined well-written plots with eye-catching colours and lovable characters.
Impressively enough, the show actually ran for 9 seasons. Unfortunately, I stopped watching at some point and didn’t actually make it to the end of the show.
- Maggie and the Ferocious Beast
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Maggie was a little girl with red curly hair. Her friend, Hamilton, was a pig who lived in a cardboard box. The two were also friends with the “Ferocious Beast,” who was actually not ferocious at all but quite large, with horns and yellow with red polka dots.
This TV show, similar to others, also often involved a large number of songs and dances. Its episodic storylines were also interesting and expanded one’s curiosity, such as one where the group chases the end of a rainbow, only to end up learning that this is, in fact, not possible.
I also think the characters’ absurdity added to the show’s charm.
- Max & Ruby
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Max & Ruby also stands out as one of the more iconic childhood TV shows. Max and Ruby were two young rabbit siblings who were usually seen without their parents. They often played dress up and bothered one another, learning lessons along the way.
A handful of episodes I remember most vividly were those based on popular fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk. I still daydream about how cool it would be to climb to the top of a beanstalk, walk on clouds, and collect all the things like Max!
- Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends
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Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends always made me wish I had as many siblings as the characters in the show did.
I think the cartoon was also my first exposure to the concept of adoption. It was pretty cool to see different bugs living with a spider family and being treated as their own.
Frogs, and how they eat bugs, was also a common theme in the show, though it was always emphasized that no frogs actually intended to eat their bug friends, and it was just the paranoid spiders who avoided frogs at all costs.
The show was overall very sweet, cute and colourful.
- Wonder Pets
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When Wonder Pets was on TV, I knew it was going to be a good day.
The show follows three classroom pets, Linny, Tuck, and Ming-Ming, on their adventures after the school bell rings and all the children go home. The trio sang songs, made mistakes, and saved animals in danger.
Seeing those little animals go from being in classroom cages to exploring icebergs and forests was always amusing to little me. However, what I remember most about Wonder Pets is the song they sang when the phone rang!
I think the cartoons I watched as a child truly shaped who I am today. Thinking back on all these characters I haven’t seen in years truly makes me wish I could go back, but also makes me feel content that I had such great taste when I was younger.