Top 10 TV Shows Kids Today Don't Recognize
Ah, the good old days! For this list, we’ll be looking at shows stored away in the dusty corners of our memory banks that would have kids today scratching their heads.
Transcript
00:00 I am most seriously confused.
00:03 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 TV shows kids today don't recognize.
00:09 Thanks for stopping by. Play safe. See you soon.
00:13 For this list, we'll be looking at shows stored away in the dusty corners of our memory banks that would have kids today scratching their heads.
00:20 Do you have any shows you remember that no one else seems to have a clue about? Let us know down in the comments.
00:26 Number 10 - The Tribe
00:29 The first thing we have to do is accept what has happened.
00:32 Our friends are gone.
00:34 We have to face up to it.
00:36 We're on our own now.
00:39 When a strange disease sweeps across the world, killing all the adults and leaving behind only children and teenagers to fend for themselves,
00:45 you get a show full of drama and post-apocalyptic action.
00:49 This live-action show follows a group of teens known as the Mall Rats as they struggle to survive in the world on the brink of total anarchy.
00:56 What happens if you run out of batteries for your radio then?
00:59 We have to start again.
01:00 Basic tools, basic skills.
01:03 It's what we need now.
01:05 Most live-action TV shows today aimed at kids contain easy-to-wrap-up problems and a fun laugh track.
01:10 With The Tribe being such a different beast, it's no wonder it has mostly been forgotten to the point of being unrecognizable for kids today.
01:17 Humans or animals?
01:20 I'm serious.
01:21 We can't afford to feed animals unless we can eat them.
01:25 He's horrible.
01:27 Number 9. My Life as a Teenage Robot
01:30 Being a teenager is hard enough.
01:38 But what if you had to do it while juggling the responsibility of protecting the entire world?
01:42 That's the task of XJ9, better known as Jenny, a robotic girl created to defend the Earth from whatever wacky threats may seek to do it harm.
01:50 Of course, Jenny would prefer to just live the normal high school life of a teenager alongside her friends.
01:55 They wanna hang out? With me?
01:57 Oh, these C-Class ones always burn up in the atmosphere.
02:03 Let's hang out!
02:06 The quirky antics of awkward teens learning life lessons is nothing unfamiliar to kids nowadays.
02:11 However, the animation and the early 2000s humor resulted in the show being left behind in the pages of cartoon history.
02:18 Show this show to a kid today, and they're unlikely to recognize this mechanical super-teen.
02:22 Well, well, well. I see the minutians are gone, and you cleaned your room.
02:28 Splendid work, XJ9.
02:30 Number 8. Oswald
02:32 Sure is a quiet day today, Weenie.
02:35 Hey! What was that?
02:44 In the bizarre world of Big City, a blue octopus lives his day-to-day life accompanied by his best friend, a hotdog-shaped dog named Weenie.
02:52 Each episode follows Oswald as he talks to his friends like Henry the Penguin and Daisy the Flower.
02:57 Are you having fun, Henry?
02:59 And how? Even though it's not like always?
03:03 Uh-huh. You were right, Oswald. I guess you never know.
03:08 While many shows today, even ones directed at young children, contain action and engaging adventures, Oswald strikes a different chord by being a calm, soothing experience.
03:17 Sometimes there's drama, like Oswald learning to roller skate or getting stuck to his cookbook.
03:22 But even that danger is accompanied by soothing music and low stakes.
03:26 The mellow mood of this show leaves it as one that's tough to recall as more than a vague memory.
03:30 We helped our best, so now we'll try a helping of 2D Fruity Pie.
03:41 Number 7. The Big Comfy Couch
03:43 Are you ready? Are you ready to clown around?
03:48 With Luna and Molly, I'll clown her dolly on the big comfy couch!
03:54 Who doesn't love jumping onto a soft couch and settling in to watch a clown girl and her doll complete activities and learn lessons?
04:00 Why not stretch your legs as if they're the hands of a clock?
04:03 Maybe you'd like to hear the clown read a story to her doll.
04:06 All of this and more await you on the big comfy couch.
04:08 In the land of Lemon Meringue, the red balloon with the yellow string made the children laugh and sing.
04:18 It's certainly a show that felt right at home when it was made, but now is more unsettling and eerie than anything else.
04:23 Especially the sentient dust bunnies that speak gibberish.
04:26 [Dust bunnies speaking gibberish]
04:34 It's no wonder this show has become a relic of its time.
04:36 Any kid that unearthed this show today would likely question why it was made in the first place.
04:41 Number 6. Ah, Real Monsters
04:44 If you're looking for a show about creepy monsters living in a dump and learning to scare the daylights out of humans, look no further.
04:50 This bizarre animated series follows three monsters doing just that, all while getting into trouble and having fun.
04:56 So I was outnumbered. It takes more than 15 men to scare me.
05:00 15? Excuse me, but there were six. Two wore short pants and none of them shaved.
05:06 This show contains wild scenes, like a pencil child tearing the skin off his own hand to pass a note in class.
05:12 That just isn't something you see anymore.
05:14 My grumble's gonna bite our heads off for sure.
05:16 You said monsters don't eat humans.
05:18 True, but I never said we don't eat other monsters.
05:21 The character designs are strange and off-putting, the environments are dingy, and the storylines are just odd.
05:27 It's no surprise that we moved on from this creepy, crawly cartoon to brighter pastures.
05:31 Maybe it's best we just leave this horror show in the past where it belongs.
05:35 I can finally get some sleep.
05:37 Oh, now we can finally get some sleep.
05:41 Number 5. Wishbone
05:47 Have you ever wanted to learn more about classic literature but struggle with dense texts?
05:52 Why not engage with the material by watching a dog dress up in costumes and tell you the stories?
05:56 Uh, sir, I may be deaf and that may be sign language, but you've got quite a stutter.
06:01 Don't you play cute with me. You know who I am. Dom Cloud Froyot, your master.
06:07 Wishbone follows the titular dog as he imagines himself into various books.
06:11 Want to see a dog as the hunchback of Notre Dame?
06:14 Maybe you've always been interested in pride and prejudice, but would pay more attention with a pup involved.
06:19 Wishbone is the show for you.
06:21 It must be said, I've struggled in vain.
06:24 You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.
06:29 Of course, the meeting point between dog lovers and children interested in classic literature has always been a slim overlap.
06:35 Maybe that's why this adorable pooch and his colorful imagination haven't remained a staple after all these years.
06:41 A musketeer and a lieutenant. This is a dream come true.
06:45 En garde! All for one and one for all.
06:50 Number 4. Jojo Circus
06:52 So dance and shake and clean the whole room.
06:55 Get in spongy. Jump up, jump up. Move your body. Clean up, clean up.
07:02 Since kids obviously love clowns so much, why not create an entire stop-motion show about clowns living in Circus Town?
07:09 Each episode follows Jojo Tickle as she goes on adventures with her pesky pet lion, Goliath.
07:14 Along the way, she interacts with the other residents of Circus Town, talks to the audience, and learns a daily lesson.
07:20 We're all here so come on, take it away. Step right up and tell us what you learned today.
07:26 We all wanna know, tell us what you learned today.
07:29 The clowns, the animation, and even the wrap-up portion are all a relic of their time.
07:34 Perhaps it's best that an entire world of clowns is left in the past to protect kids today from forming eerie memories about this strange reality.
07:41 I learned that if you want to talk to a bear who doesn't speak your language, there's a lot you can say just by using your body.
07:47 Number 3. Ooby.
07:49 What do you get when a bunch of puppeteer veterans of the Muppets are hired to do hand puppets?
07:54 Ooby, of course.
07:55 Zoom, squeak, squeak. Yeah.
07:58 Ooby? Grand Poo, Ooby, fix sink.
08:05 Okay.
08:07 Following the four-year-old Ooby through his daily life, you get to experience a world where literally everyone is a hand puppet in googly eyes.
08:14 Then, of course, there are the strange short sentences that the puppets talk in, usually in third person.
08:19 All of this taken together creates a strange show that feels like something out of a fever dream.
08:23 Ooby, see Dr. Rose.
08:27 Ooby see doctor? Ooby sick?
08:30 No, Ooby, Ooby not sick.
08:34 This program is truly something that makes you question why it was ever made, but it really did exist.
08:39 Sure, the idea of a show based on puppeteer training techniques is interesting, but in practice, the result is pretty bizarre.
08:45 Goodbye, Grand Poo. Goodbye, Ooby.
08:48 Bye. Um, Dr. Rose hug Ooby?
08:52 Dr. Rose hug Ooby.
08:55 Number 2. Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century.
09:00 Dr. John Watson, and I shall endeavor to-
09:03 Lestrade, what have you done? This machine thinks it's Watson.
09:08 Elementary, my dear Holmes.
09:12 Kids today have likely been exposed to a number of adaptations of the legendary Sherlock Holmes.
09:16 However, there is one that truly might be the most confusing take on the character.
09:21 When a clone of the infamous Moriarty begins causing trouble, New Scotland Yard does the most logical thing possible.
09:27 Bring Sherlock Holmes back to life.
09:29 How did you know my name?
09:30 Eyes and brains, my dear. The family resemblance is strong.
09:35 I knew your ancestor only too well, I'm afraid.
09:39 Besides, you're still wearing your badge.
09:41 To complete the cast of odd characters, a robot takes on Watson's identity to give Holmes his old partner back.
09:47 It's a novel spin on the character, but certainly not a definitive one, which perhaps explains why it's been largely forgotten.
09:53 It's elementary, my dear Watson.
09:57 This is your home. Here, with me.
10:00 Ah, I would be honored.
10:02 Good.
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10:18 Number 1. Angela Anaconda
10:21 My name is Angela, hey, hello.
10:24 Welcome to my very own show.
10:26 I'll introduce my friends to you.
10:29 Oh no, it's Minnie Mouse.
10:32 Coming of age stories about teenagers dealing with everyday life are common and timeless.
10:37 At that level, you would think Angela Anaconda might still be around.
10:40 However, what sets this bizarre experience apart is the unsettling animation style.
10:45 Black and white photographs were used as part of a cut paper animation style,
10:49 leading to a strange presentation of an otherwise mundane concept.
10:53 A special gift to me from Mrs. Anaconda.
10:55 Her name is Princess.
10:57 Despite her lack of proper breeding, I plan to educate her and groom her to become a fine and noble beast.
11:02 The unsettling faces of these characters are bound to make anyone want to forget the experience, if they can.
11:08 It just goes to show that even if the story is relatively tame,
11:11 the presentation can transform it into something entirely different.
11:14 Who here feels filled with joy?
11:16 Oh, I feel like a sucker.
11:18 You said it, Johnny-o-body.
11:20 Josephine!
11:22 Josephine!
11:24 Give us back our car!
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11:34 [outro music]