The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Lizzie McGuire,That’s So Raven – everyone remembers those. But what about the ones we watched before, or on Saturday mornings when there was nothing else to do? Read on for a trip down memory lane, and get ready to have the theme songs stuck in your head for the rest of the day.
“As the Bell Rings”
Baby Demi Lovato and Scream’s Carlson Young headed this Disney mini-series (emphasis on the mini – each episode was two to five minutes long). In the changing period between classes, these students somehow found time for gossip and romance, giving us our first glimpse of how fun high school was going to be. Did anyone else have a crush on Danny, or was that just me?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iyu9Jt3qo0
“Totally Spies”
Who needs James Bond? Smart Sam, naïve Alex, and boy-crazy Clover had a much better gig as agents for WOOHP – aka the World Organization of Human Protection. During the day they were trendy high school students in Malibu, but at night they were spies with some of the coolest, girliest gadgets ever. Compacts became cell phones, hair dryers became freeze rays and the girls always saved the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKDvH2qChj0
“Jonas”/”Jonas L.A.”
Following their roles in Camp Rock, the JoBros worked with Disney to create their own sitcom, which portrayed a fictionalized version of how the boys balanced stardom with their real lives. But upon researching for this article, this writer found out that the original premise was J.O.N.A.S., which stood for “Junior Operatives Networking as Spies.” Instead of balancing the band and real life, the brothers would have used stardom as a cover for espionage. But hey – the Jonas Brothers are the Jonas Brothers, and until they stage a comeback, we’ll be watching Jonas and reminiscing on simpler times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giAJNMfc-yw
“Big Time Rush”
OH OH OHHHH OH. This goofy Nickelodeon sitcom followed four hockey heads from Minnesota and their journey to become the hottest new boy band. And it worked – at least until One Direction came along, and pushed our beloved BTR out of the way. At least we still have that theme song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihl4iHN2Ni4
“Unfabulous”
Before she was starring as sorority tyrant Chanel Oberlin, Emma Roberts was the clumsy, sweet, and all-too-relatable Addie Singer on Nick’s show. With her best friends Geena and Zack, Addie stumbled her way through high school, mean girls, crushes, and some pretty questionable outfits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qqwjA4E96U
“The Saddle Club”
If you ever went through a horse phase, you most likely longed for a life like Carol, Lisa, and Stevie’s. Three best friends, an exclusive riding barn, gorgeous horses, and cute riding boys? Baby Chris Hemsworth? And the THEME SONG.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqdBD6MMciA
“Flight 29 Down”
If Lost was a reality show and toned down for kids, it would pretty much be Flight 29 Down. The Discovery Kids show followed 7 of the 10 survivors of a plane crash as they tried to survive group tension and infighting in addition to being stranded. A solar-powered video camera let the castaways film confessionals, the contents of which typically came back to haunt them – pretty intense for a kid’s show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDYN8xtnL3A
“Bindi the Jungle Girl”
At the peak of her dad Steve Irwin’s success as the Crocodile Hunter, a young Bindi snagged her own TV spot. Her Discovery Kids’ show was like her dad’s on Animal Planet, but geared more for young kids – and the animals featured were definitely cuddlier than the vicious crocs her dad made his name with. Steve and Terri (Bindi’s mom) occasionally made cameos, giving us all the family feels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Qljk9n_44
What was your favorite childhood show, Collegiettes?