Modern day kids shows are undeniably amazing, well-written and beautifully-directed masterpieces; products of the new groundbreaking wave of socially aware of television.
But no matter how great they get, nothing will ever compare to the sheer nostalgia factor of the shows we grew up with. 90’s cartoons can remind us of a much simpler time when we didn’t have jobs or obligations, all we wanted in life was to scoot up to the TV and binge our favourite Australian tv shows all day.
These 90s cartoons practically raised us (sorry, mum and dad), so it’s no wonder that us 90s kids have a soft spot for them. Of course, there are some 80s and 90s kids movies and tv series that clearly haven’t aged well, but even looking back on those, there’s still a lot that we can appreciate about them.
Feeling Nostalgic? Let’s Take it Back to the 90’s!
Nostalgia isn’t the only reason the greats of the 90s are popular to this day; the late 90s are considered by many to be the golden age of children’s programming. 90s shows and cartoons were surprisingly smart, daring, bold, and absolutely hilarious.
Some shows even had some very adult themes that flew over out head as kids. This can be starkly contrasting to some of the kids’ shows of the 00s which seem to coddle their young audiences rather than challenge and entertain them.
Join us as we travel back a couple decades (yes it has been that long) and reminisce about the best kids’ shows the 90s had to offer.
18. Bananas In Pyjamas
Live action series | For young children
You may be aware of a rebooted Bananas in Pyjamas cartoon, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. The original live-action show which aired on ABC had us following the adventures of B1, B2, Morgan, Amy, Lulu, and the main antagonist, Rat in a Hat.
You can watch the new version of Bananas In Pyjamas on Netflix, but it will never live up to the original.
17. Cheez TV
Live action/variety series | For children & pre-teens
Cheez TV made our morning routine so much more fun. The show was full of funny skits, segments, cartoons, and the antics of hosts Jade and Ryan. Plus, that theme song is just so damn catchy! Jade and Ryan have gone on to host their own YouTube channel, but Cheez TV will forever be in our hearts.
Watch old episodes of Cheez TV.
16. Round The Twist
Live action series | For children & pre-teens
The Twists just couldn’t catch a break. After they move into a mysterious lighthouse, Pete, Linda, Bronson, and their dad Tony keep getting roped into fantastical adventures. There is quite a bit of family tension, magic, and spooks all around.
Round the Twist is now streaming on Netflix Australia
15. The Adventures Of Blinky Bill
Animated series | For young children
While Blinky Bill’s been around for decades—he was first created in the 1930s by Dorothy Wall—he got his best two years of fame during the 90’s animated series The Adventures of Blinky Bill, which aired on the ABC.This show about an iconic anthropomorphic koala couldn’t get more Australian if they tried.
Watch The Adventures of Blinky Bill.
14. Dragon Ball Z
Anime | For pre-teens & teenagers
Dragon Ball Z ran for years, but it seemed like the show would never end. Hundreds of episodes followed Goku and his gang of friends saving the world from a frightening cast of aliens, spiritual creatures, and other crazy villains. We love the series so much, not even Dragonball: Evolution could taint it!
13. Batman: The Animated Series
Animated series | For pre-teens & teenagers
Imagine: it’s 1992, big-budget blockbuster superhero films are still more than a decade away from becoming popular. For many of us, Batman: The Animated Series was our first exposure to the world of comics. We still think it’s one of the best adaptations of Batman to ever grace the screen (sorry, Christopher Nolan).
Watch Batman: The Animated Series.
12. Anything By Disney
Animated films | For children of all ages
On the topic of classic children’s movies, who can forget about Disney? They created so many amazing films in the 90s that we could populate this entire list with just Disney films. Some of the greatest hits include Mulan, Hercules, Aladdin, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Tarzan, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Nightmare Before Christmas, A Goofy Movie, and of course, Toy Story.
Thankfully, everything Disney now streams on Stan!
11. Rocko’s Modern Life
Animated series | For pre-teens & teenagers
Looking back, Rocko was NOT an innocent kids’ show, but most of the innuendo and social commentary probably just flew over our heads back then. This animated sitcom followed an immigrant wallaby (who was, of course, Australian), his food-loving steer friend Heffer, and their loyal dog Spunky as they navigate being an adult in O-Town.
Watch Rocko’s Modern Life.
10. Daria
Animated series | For pre-teens & teenagers
This show inspired a whole generation of cynical, rebellious teens. Daria was originally a spin-off of Beavis and Butthead, but it quickly gained cult status on its own thanks to the cool sarcasm of the titular character. MTC recently rebooted the series, which gives you an excuse to binge-watch the old episodes before the new show premieres.
You can stream Daria on Stan.
9. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Live action series | For children, pre-teens & teenagers
“Go, go Power Rangers!” was the chant of our childhoods. It may have seen multiple reboots and even a live-action film in 2017, but the 90s series will always be the one we cherish the most. The Power Rangers wore awesome costumes, had cool gadgets, and fought bad guys every episode. We each had our own favourite, but the Red Ranger was undeniably the best.
8. Hey Arnold
Animated series | For children of all ages
The kids on your block were never as cool (or crazy) as the gang from Hey Arnold! The show ran for 8 years, which gave us plenty of time with the level-headed nice guy Arnold, the obsessed Helga, and all of the kids of P.S. 118. For a kids’ show, Hey Arnold had a lot of heart and didn’t shy away from heavy topics like bullying or losing a loved one.
7. The Magic School Bus
Animated series | For children & pre-teens
Who knew that science could be so entertaining? Ms Frizzle was the teacher we never had, but always wanted. She was quirky, kind, and took her students on all sorts of adventures. There was no limit to where the magic school bus could go and what it could teach us—from the diverse flora and fauna of the rainforest to the inner workings of the human body. Seatbelts everyone, wahoo!
Watch The Magic School Bus.
6. Iron Giant
Although it bombed at the box office when it came out, Iron Giant was an award-winning, critically-acclaimed animated movie that eventually gained a cult following in the decades following its release. We all loved this heartwarming tale of friendship between a boy and his giant robot.
5. Captain Planet And The Planeteers
Animated series | For children & pre-teens
Is Captain Planet responsible for our current-day wokeness on climate change and the environment? Perhaps. Besides the silly villain names (like Looten Plunder) and the long-lost 5th element “Heart”, this show taught us the importance of saving the environment before it’s too late.
Watch Captain Planet and the Planeteers.
4. Cow And Chicken
Animated series | For teenagers
Hanna-Barbera gave us some of the best shows of our childhood, including The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo Where Are You!, The Addams Family, and Tom and Jerry.
Their later work included the now-classic Cow and Chicken (plus the spin-off I Am Weasel), a show so chock-full of adult innuendo that Cartoon Network had to ban one of its episodes for its on-the-nose jokes about a lesbian biker gang due to parental complaints. Rewatching the series as an adult is such a treat because you catch all those easter eggs you never understood before.
Watch Cow and Chicken.
3. Art Attack
Live action series | For children of all ages
Most shows are just mindless fun, but Art Attack was a special breed of “edutainment” that we as kids had never seen before. For half an hour an episode, host Neil Buchanan would wow us with his amazing arts and crafts skills…then teach us how to do it at home. As fun as that was, the real highlight of the show were the big art attacks.
Watch Art Attack.
2. The Pagemaster
Live action/animated film | For children of all ages
File this under “that movie you forgot you watched until just now, and all the memories suddenly came flooding back.” The Pagemaster combined both animation and live action 2 whole years before Space Jam did. And boy, did they do it well. The all-star cast included a post-Home Alone Macaulay Culkin, Whoopi Goldberg, and Patrick Stewart.
1. Ren And Stimpy
Animated series | For teenagers
Any person who has never seen Ren and Stimpy before would be shocked to find out that it used to be a kids’ show. Sure enough, it contained tons of sexual innuendo, adult jokes, dark humour, violence…and who could forget those grotesque close-ups? However, the show was one of THE original Nicktoons (premiering on the same day as Rugrats and Doug). It definitely was controversial, but we as kids didn’t care—we just loved the antics!
Watch Ren and Stimpy.
There you have it: a rundown the best and most influential kids’ shows of our generation. The 90’s may be long over, but they will live on forever in our hearts!
Did we include your fave 90s show on the list? What was your fave show as a kid that aired on free to air on Nickelodeon?
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