The Land Before Netflix: 10 Favorite TV Shows from Childhood

Last week I wrote about things we lost when binge-watching took over the world. But let’s not get too down. It is what it is. In considering ideas for that list, I took a trip down memory lane, reflecting on all the TV shows I’ve invested in and cared about over the years. I thought I’d bring you along with me in a little series in celebration of TV shows of yore. And you might get to know me better. Enjoy!

Honorable Mention: Zoom, which was a variety show in the early 2000s. It encompassed science, crafts, cool tricks, and it’s own language called Ubbi-Dubbi. And it was created mostly by kids and starred a well-rounded cast of kids, too. I was probably too old to be watching this one, but I have a brother who is twelve years younger than me so it’s a reasonable excuse.

10. Dark Wing Duck: Technically, I wasn’t allowed to watch this one. But it was popular at school, and not wanting to be left out of mainstream culture, I often switched the channel once Sesame Street was over. My attachment to it is probably more for the thrill of getting away with mischief than the actual story, though it was a pretty good series of adventures. Mom, if you’re reading this: #sorrynotsorry

9. This Old House: This might be an odd one to make a childhood favorites list, but I was an only child at the time and have fond memories of watching with my parents every Thursday night. On Sundays after church we’d go wander through new suburban neighborhoods under construction and I got pretty good at finding all the laundry rooms and bathrooms based on studs and pipes.

8. Arthur: Again, I was probably a little too old to be watching this, but the characters were so endearing! I watched this one often with my brother after school.

7. Sesame Street: Classic PBS right here. My favorite character was Snuffleupagous. One episode in February 1990 scarred me for life. I was watching it at daycare, and all I remember is little two-year-old Miles crawling through the smoke to find Gordon and Susan as their apartment at 123 Sesame Street burned. I think the creators were trying to teach kids about fire safety, but goodness gracious, I have been terrified of fire ever since.

6. Shining Time Station: While I did know that a wee little Ringo Starr starred in this show, it wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized that the Station Manager was Frenchy from Grease. Shining Time Station told the story of the Station that was home to Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends. And in true late 80s fashion, the show also employed puppet storytelling and singing. So weird.

5. Family Matters: This was another one I watched with my family. We just laughed and laughed together. Oh TGIF. I wrote to Jaleel White for a fifth grade letter-writing assignment. Basically all of TGIF was wonderful and hilarious, but Family Matters was my favorite. Did I do that?

4. Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?: Who doesn’t love a good game show? I loved playing along and feeling smart. And I learned so much about the world and my literal place in it. I liked the suspense of the chase and whether or not the final contestant could conquer that map in the last round. My husband and I recently watched the Netflix animated original which dealt with Carmen’s backstory. Highly recommend!

3. Wishbone: A dog who knows literature? Yes please! I’m not sure if my love for literature stemmed from this show or if I loved the show because of the literature, but either way, every 90s kid who watched this show can now carry on an educated conversation about all sorts of classic lit, thanks to this show. The friendship in the real-life world of the show was really quality, and the whole thing conjures up great memories of kid-life before the Internet and social media overtook us.

2. Ghostwriter: A group of diverse kids from Brooklyn are united by Ghostwriter, a character who appears only to them and only as a bouncy animation on screen. Ghostwriter reads words and uses the letters around him to communicate with the kids as they work together to solve mysteries in their school and neighborhood. To this day, I’d love to visit Brooklyn because the show really brought it to life for me.

1. Square One TV: You may see some overlap of this fave on other lists because it’s just been a big part of my life since I was about four. This was a variety show that featured game shows, animated story segments, and epic music videos that taught elements of mathematics, both basic and advanced. Before I knew how to use a VCR, I used to record the audio onto cassette tapes. I have audio of myself understanding fractions long before it was introduced to me at school. The final segment was a detective show called “Mathnet” that followed partners Kate Monday, Pat Tuesday, and George Frankly as they solved crimes using mathematics. It was hilarious, full of quirky characters, intense, and full of puns for the adults. What a gem.

Clearly, I was a PBS Kid. And you know what? No regrets. I really liked how the shows in my childhood were each focused on a specific school subject, like science or literature or math, instead of a character-driven series about making friends and making good choices. I thought it added more depth. Plus, I like school (obvs, haha.). If you also find yourself lost in TV nostalgia, many of these shows are available on YouTube.