Top 10 Most Watched Kids Shows of All Time

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Moms and dads, here are the shows you're tired of watching! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most popular kids’ and teen shows with some of the highest-viewed episodes ever.

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00:00 Hold on a second, I'll be right out.
00:03 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most popular kids and teen shows with some of the highest viewed episodes ever.
00:11 Do you feel that energy? If I didn't know better, I'd say that was my dad.
00:15 Number 10, Bluey.
00:18 Bluey is a show about an energetic puppy who has adventures that have captivated audiences everywhere.
00:23 This story is set a long, long time ago in a place called the 80s.
00:28 That's me when I was 10 years old.
00:31 It's garnered massive appeal with young children and is one of the most popular kids cartoons of today.
00:35 In 2022, it cracked the United States' top 10 most streamed programs.
00:39 You're doing great.
00:41 Not to mention, it's been a leading kids show that's actually popular across all age groups, especially in its native Australia.
00:50 In terms of total minutes streamed on Disney+, it's even beaten juggernaut shows like Seinfeld.
00:55 And just what did you do about this?
00:58 Well, I tried my best.
01:00 It also can't hurt that Bluey's got some serious accolades under its belt, including winning an International Emmy Kids Award.
01:05 No wonder those involved with the show are rapidly trying to grow the franchise with merchandise and potentially even a film adaptation.
01:11 Mom, I want to do a big girl sleep tonight and wake up in my own bed.
01:16 You do your best, honey. But remember, I'm always here if you need me.
01:22 Number 9, Avatar The Last Airbender.
01:25 Avatar The Last Airbender followed Aang, an airbender destined to bring peace to a fractured world.
01:30 This show's popularity knew no bounds.
01:32 If only I could have helped you.
01:35 Leave from the vine.
01:39 It averaged roughly 1.1 million viewers with each episode during its original run.
01:43 It was also declared the highest rated animated kids show in its debut year.
01:47 And its ending got the attention of fans and critics, too.
01:50 The finale, Sozin's Comet, had gained over 5.6 million viewers, which was a personal best for the show.
01:57 Come on out, little boy. You're about to be...
02:01 We can see why this Nickelodeon cartoon was all the rage.
02:07 I am the greatest earthbender in the world. Don't you two dunderheads ever forget it.
02:12 Number 8, Peppa Pig.
02:14 There's no need to be afraid, Peppa.
02:16 Spiders are very, very small, and they can't hurt you.
02:20 The titular Peppa Pig spends her days playing with friends and family, and learning important lessons along the way.
02:25 It's a show that has been a smashing success with young kids across the globe, and we can't emphasize that enough.
02:31 The show has been viewed in 180 nations across the globe.
02:34 It's especially popular in China, with the People's Liberation Army even publicly endorsing it.
02:39 We've looked everywhere, but we can't find daddy's glasses.
02:43 This is a show that spawned entire theme parks across the world, and grown to become a billion-dollar property.
02:49 That's right, it turns out a lot of families like seeing what Peppa Pig gets up to.
02:53 Daddy, we almost left you behind.
02:56 Number 7, Adventure Time.
02:58 Dude, don't eat that!
02:59 Why not? All the people that I care about in this world are being wads!
03:03 As you might guess from the title, Adventure Time took its characters, and viewers, on all kinds of wacky adventures.
03:09 And the show, following Finn the Human and Jake the Dog, proved to be one of Cartoon Network's most popular cartoons.
03:15 It was reportedly pulling in a whopping 2 to 3 million viewers an episode on average.
03:19 Why are you keeping these girls prisoners, jerk?
03:21 You don't understand! I collect princesses because I want to marry one.
03:26 And since the show dived into mature themes, and brought a level of complexity to its characters, it made watching it that much more fun.
03:33 It was clear throughout Adventure Time's 8-year run that it would become a cult classic, and that was reflected as such through its 8 Emmy wins.
03:40 No prob, Bob. Ha, congrats again.
03:43 Number 6, Sesame Street.
03:45 Hi, Abby! Hi, Elmo!
03:47 Oh, look who's here!
03:49 Since all the way back in the 60s, Sesame Street has been helping kids learn and have fun doing it.
03:54 Its memorable characters, catchy songs, and important lessons have raised entire generations of kids.
03:59 I got a song to sing, and I'm gonna sing it.
04:02 That's not an exaggeration.
04:04 Considering the show's still running today, you know they're doing something right.
04:09 It's been viewed in a staggering 150 different countries, and since its inception, roughly 86 million U.S. kids were estimated to have seen the show.
04:17 Hi, little bitty Ernie!
04:19 Thousands of studies conducted on the series even showed that it made a real difference in educating its audience.
04:24 And with a current standing of over 222 Emmy Award trophies, Sesame Street's cultural impact and legacy simply can't be denied.
04:32 It's not easy being Cookie Monster.
04:35 Me spend a lot of me time waiting and waiting.
04:41 Number 5, Dragon Ball Z.
04:43 Dragon Ball Z is arguably one of the most popular animated shows ever.
04:47 Viewers from all across the world have tuned in to see heavy hitters like Goku battle against the forces of evil.
04:53 It found particular success in America.
04:55 Does a machine like yourself ever experience fear?
04:58 In certain areas of the country, its first season outperformed shows like The X-Files and Friends.
05:03 During its season 3 premiere, it had delivered the highest ratings the Cartoon Network had ever seen at that time.
05:08 And this, what's he doing?
05:13 Is to go even further beyond!
05:17 The show was so influential, it's even seemingly had an inspiration on other shows.
05:21 The Super Sonic character from Sonic the Hedgehog has widely been considered to be an homage to Super Saiyans.
05:27 Dragon Ball Z has made more of an impact than you might think.
05:30 Number 4, Phineas and Ferb.
05:38 The characters of Phineas and Ferb routinely get into elaborate situations and all sorts of fun.
05:43 That's not even us mentioning the platypus that lives a double life as a secret agent.
05:47 Or the comedically ineffective mad scientist he fights.
05:49 I'm controlling Perry the Platypus.
05:52 And, slap yourself!
05:55 There's no denying that this cartoon has been one of Disney Channel's most popular.
05:59 The very first episode, Roller Coaster, is the network's most viewed episode for an original animated series ever.
06:06 With an astonishing 10.8 million viewers.
06:09 We should have charged more.
06:14 That's a stat that's more than enough to solidify this as an all-timer.
06:17 And while the show finally ended in 2015, a revival is currently in the works.
06:21 Is summer vacation ever going to end for these two guys?
06:24 We hope not.
06:26 Great job, gang. What do you think?
06:30 So, what is it?
06:32 It's everything.
06:33 Number 3, iCarly.
06:35 The pure chaotic energy that was iCarly made it a TV show you just had to be there to see every week.
06:41 Its eccentric characters and bizarre plot lines made sure that you'd never find yourself bored with a single moment from this older kids show.
06:48 What's wrong with you, Neville? Why is your lifelong dream to get rid of iCarly?
06:52 It's not. My lifelong dream is to open my own haberdashery.
06:55 And four of the sitcom's episodes were among the top 10 most watched premieres for a Nickelodeon show.
07:00 What is that?
07:02 A sock full of butter.
07:05 For what? For swinging? I could brain an elephant with this thing.
07:09 That included the special episode, "I Saved Your Life," which had over 11 million viewers.
07:14 So with all that in mind, it's safe to say that the Nickelodeon TV show certainly succeeded in cultivating a major following.
07:20 Perfect timing. I think my loaf of bread is just about done.
07:23 Silence!
07:25 Move!
07:27 I'm just gonna give it a few more minutes.
07:30 Number 2. "Wizards of Waverly Place."
07:33 Not everything's as it seems with this sitcom.
07:35 What is with the noise? Don't you know my Saturday is my sleep till Sunday day?
07:39 What might have looked like just a series about teen wizards transformed into one of Disney Channel's flagship shows.
07:44 It joined the ranks of other highly watched classics like "Hannah Montana" and "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody."
07:49 With 106 episodes spread across four seasons, "Wizards" was also one of the longest running live-action Disney Channel original series.
07:56 And it was a wizard with ratings, too.
07:58 Seven of its episodes brought in over 5 million viewers.
08:01 You deserve this more than anyone.
08:03 And when "Wizards" finally concluded, the series finale brought in around 9.8 million viewers.
08:09 It's not just impressive, it's historic.
08:11 It was the highest viewed series finale for a Disney Channel program ever.
08:15 They sure knew how to work their magic with this one.
08:18 "That's awesome!"
08:20 "Guess what, guys? I get the substation!"
08:22 "Yeah!"
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08:37 Number 1. Spongebob Squarepants
08:42 "The Krusty Krab Pizza is the pizza, absolutivally."
08:48 "Pizza."
08:49 The fun never stops in Bikini Bottom.
08:51 We probably don't even need to explain what this show is about.
08:54 Because unless you're living under a rock like Patrick Star, you already get the gist.
08:58 "Is mayonnaise an instrument?"
09:00 Spongebob Squarepants has name recognition pretty much everywhere.
09:03 Former President Barack Obama has even gone so far as to say Spongebob was his favorite TV character.
09:09 And when it comes to ratings, "The Sentient Sponge" is an undeniable draw.
09:13 The show's had more than one episode go past 7 million viewers.
09:16 And since it's still currently running, it's not unlikely to see it continue to do more great numbers.
09:21 Spongebob has proven to be one of the most in-demand animated TV shows ever.
09:25 And it's hard to doubt it.
09:26 Which of these kids' shows have you watched? Let us know in the comments.
09:37 "We should call my nephew."
09:39 "We should dig a moat."
09:41 "We should take Bikini Bottom and push it somewhere else."
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09:54 [music]