75% Of Adults Can't Name These Kids' TV Shows. Wanna Try?
- by Theo Kogod
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Once upon a time when we were younger and had more free time, we’d all gather around the TV and enjoy the warm rays of its brilliant programming, enjoying cartoons, sitcoms, and comedy sketch shows. This was a rite of childhood—one shared by children all over the world. Kids shows shaped who we were once upon a time. Now, they still inform our opinions as adults, and nestle in our hearts, beating with nostalgia. But too many adults have forgotten that simple childhood joy of what it means to properly appreciate good children’s programming. 75% of adults have been forgotten, to be precise. At least, that’s our estimate, taken by brilliant scientists like Beast from the X-Men, the Professor from Powerpuff Girls, and the greatest minds one could find in the halls of Acme Tooniversity.
The cartoons and kid shows on this quiz were from hit series that every kid should have watched. But not everyone will remember them. From educational programs to anime, from cartoons to live action sitcoms, from comedies to action-adventure shows, these were the things to watch as a kid! Only 75% of adults will be able to name these shows. But those who name them have managed to carry the best parts of childhood into their adult lives.
Name this show about the Warner Brothers and Warner Sister.
This cartoon from the 90s is an all-time classic. It had a huge cast of crazy characters, but the most well-known were Wakko, Yakko, and Dot—the Warners Brothers and Warner Sister, a trio of zany anthropomorphic cat-skunks who seem obsessed with whimsy and saying hello to nurses. The show was known for its brilliant use of pop culture and contemporary references, as well as its smart writing that entertained kids and adults, making it quite rewatchable as younger viewers age. What is this cartoon called?
What was this Looney Tunes spinoff show?
The Looney Tunes might be the ultimate embodiment of children’s cartoons in Western media, giving the world such iconic characters as Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, and Wile E. Coyote. This sequel cartoon told stories about the next generation of Toons growing up in the shadow of the greats, with characters like Buster Bunny, Babs Bunny, Plucky Duck, and Sweetie Pie all attending Acme Looniversity as they learned the art of Tooning. What was the name of this zany metafictional cartoon?
This show’s main character is known for fighting bad guys by moonlight.
One of the first anime to become popular outside of Japan, this show starred the character Serena Tsukino (or Tsukino Usagi in the original Japanese), a magic girl in junior high school who was granted powers of the moon to battle evil by moonlight, aided by her various astrologically-powered friends, her talking cat Luna, and the mysteriously handsome Tuxedo Mask. To this day, the show remains popular with people in and outside Japan, and has recently been given a remake. Name this iconic anime.
Shine a light on this dark superhero show.
Heralded as the greatest superhero TV show ever made, this 90s triumph in animation combined dark noir stories with art styles borrowing as much from gothic aesthetics of the 80s and 90s as from the older art deco designs of the early 20th Century. To capture the dark atmosphere, the entire thing was drawn on black paper. Voice actors included Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy, both of whom have become known for their pitch perfect performance of their roles. Name this classic dark cartoon.
What was this show about the secret lives of babes?
One of the most popular shows on Nickelodeon, this cartoon was about a group of babies who got into various forms of misadventure. The show started off with a cast of four main characters, the bald Tommy, the red-headed Chucky, and the twins, Phil and Lil, but expanded to include others like Kimi and Susie. Some major episodes celebrated different holidays, such as Kwanzaa and Hanukkah. The show’s main antagonist, Angelica, was a spoiled three-year-old, forever talking down to the babies. What was this show called?
This cartoon told the story of life in the city.
Hey, betcha can’t name this show about a boy with a football-shaped head living with his grandparents in the city. The show had a diverse cast with characters from different backgrounds, hanging out as they worked through the various social issues of being a kid from peer pressure to bullying. The titular protagonist was known for being diplomatic and offering insights that his fellow students ignored, then regretted, and finally learned from. What was the name of this show about kids living in the city?
This elemental cartoon was inspired by cultures from Asia.
This animated series dealt with the return of a boy who had been frozen in ice for a century and who was blessed with a messianic ability to control the four Hermetic elements of wind, water, fire, and earth. Set during a war with the Fire Nation invading the rest of the world, this show was inspired by cultures of Asia, with Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and other philosophies explored. It has been described as the greatest episodic narrative ever put on TV. Name this show.
What was this Nickelodeon comedy show called?
One of the live action shows that was incredibly popular on Nickelodeon in the 90s, this sketch variety show had a number of spinoff series including The Amanda Show and Kenan & Kel. The show ran 10 seasons, finally ending in 2005, and throughout its ten-year run had brilliant child actors who maintained an irreverent style of humor rare in children’s programming. Among its most well-known sketches were “Ask Ashley,” “Detective Dan,” “Good Burger,” and “Everyday French with Pierre Escargot.” Name this sketch variety show.
Identify this cartoon about a kid struggling with daily life.
This cartoon told the story of Doug Funny, a boy in school who encounters various struggles of bullies, peer pressure, test anxiety, and romantic pursuits, all the while keeping track of these in his journal. Frequently, he would envision himself as a pulp hero like James Bond, Indiana Jones or the superhero Quail Man, blowing up his mundane struggles in his mind by making them larger than life. With his best friend Skeeter and his love interest Patty, he would hang out at a burger joint when not at school. Identify this show.
“He lives in a pineapple under the sea…”
This show is about a sentient sea sponge. With all of the intelligence one would expect from a sponge, the show’s protagonist was eternally upbeat. His best friend was a starfish named Patrick, while another friend of his was a Texan squirrel who survived by staying in a pressurized suit with an oxygen supply. He worked as a burger flipper at a restaurant whose name included the less than appetizing word “Krusty.” What was this cartoon about a pineapple-dwelling rectilinearly pantsed sea sponge called?
Gotta catch ‘em all
This anime’s main character, Ash Ketchum (or Satoshi, in the Japanese) wanted “to be the very best,” while acknowledging “no one ever was.” According to the theme song’s intro, “to catch them is my test, to train them is my cause. I will travel across the land, searching far and wide.” What was he trying to catch, train, and travel across the land in search of? Well, the answer to that question is the title of the show. Find it from the answers below.
This Nickoledeon show was about two close friends.
This show was a spinoff from “All That.” A comedy sitcom about two boys and their various adventures, one of the boys worked in a convenience store while the other worked to just function in daily life in his eternal search for orange soda. Both were loud, creative, and impassioned, coming up with various schemes from episode to episode. The movie “Good Burger” emerged from this show as a sort of spinoff starring the main characters, though the movie deviated from the plot of the sitcom quite a lot. Name this sitcom.
What cartoon was about winged monsters who turned to stone?
This original Disney cartoon was a dark modern fantasy about winged clawed supernatural creatures from the Dark Ages who reawakened in the present day. Inspired by Celtic folklore, the series made use of MacBeth, fey, Arthurian legend, and Viking invasions as part of its plot, while also including cybernetic robots, 90s street gangs, corporate crime, and weapons development programs. The show asked poignant questions about the nature of humanity, honor, and duty. What was this animated masterpiece about time-displaced guardian monsters?
This show featured sugar, spice, everything nice…and Chemical X.
This show starred three superpowered little girls: the redheaded leader of the team, Blossom; the blonde blue-attired super sweet Bubbles; and the dark-haired green-suited tough-as-jawbreakers tomboy Buttercup. Their father figure was the affable (and in all probability mad) scientist, the Professor. Among the other characters were a mustachioed mayor with dwarfism, the villainous genius monkey Mojo Jojo (who possibly has the most fun name ever to say out loud), and a devil whose name was a four-letter swear starting with H. Identify this cartoon.
Name this show about stopping environmental destruction.
Back in the 90s when destroying the environment was something only done by cartoonishly evil supervillains, this show aired, telling the story of a group of five teenagers displaced from their various countries as they wielded elemental rings to protect the planet from polluters, poachers, fossil fuel mismanagement, and unethical mining practices. The five teenagers—and their rings—could come together to summon a blue-and-green Golem who fought to protect the Earth. Each episode ended with a message about how to help save the planet. What was this cartoon called?
This show featured a team of teens fighting Putty monsters.
This is one of the all-time classic martial arts shows. Inspired by the Japanese series Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger, much of this series literally just recycled stock footage from the original Japanese show, while the rest of it was essentially a teen sitcom where the English speaking actors made a plot to build around the fight scenes of costumed martial artists, often coming into conflict with a pair of bullies, Bulk and Skull. The five heroes also had animal-shaped battles vehicles that transformed into a mech.
This teen drama told the story of Cory Matthews.
In this teen dramedy sitcom, the star Cory Matthews dealt with the struggles of life in high school. With his best friend Shawn Hunter, his girlfriend Topanga, and his teacher George Feeny, Cory frequently got into various adventurous spats of drama and mischief. The show was on the air from 1993 until 2000, lasting 7 seasons. Many have remarked that the biggest mistake the show made was to continue the story into Cory’s college years. What was this show about Cory’s time in the world called?
What Cartoon Network series was about a boy genius?
Behold, the laboratory, and all of its mad ingenious science! And remember, that is la-bor-a-tor-y, and NOT lab-ruh-tor-y. This show was about a boy named Dexter and the insane antics he got up to as he built various contraptions in his secret hidden science room, even as he was thwarted by his ditzy ballerina older sister, Dee Dee, and his rival scientist, Mandark. This animated classic was the first of Cartoon Network’s programming of “Cartoon Cartoons!” Name this classic sci-fi series.
Name the show starring Baloo the bear and his career as a pilot.
One of Disney’s all-time classic movies is The Jungle Book, based on the Rudyard Kipling novel of the same name. Recently, the movie got a live action remake, but before that, this cartoon spinoff tapped into the heart of Kipling’s ethos when it took the carefree bear Baloo and made him a pilot tasked with shipping cargo through Soviet-inspired warthog territories while an orphan bear cub sky-surfed behind his plane. Okay, so the Disney show might have Kipling rolling in his grave, but it was still a hit. Name this cartoon.
The superheroes on this show were hated and feared by society.
This classic 90s cartoon told the story of Marvel’s mutant superhero team. At the time of its production, the show was controversial, and Marvel’s Margaret Loesch staked her job on its success while vouching for it. She was right to do so. Its opening theme song is legendary, while this cartoon dealt with mature themes like bigotry, genocide, and the military industrial complex, while telling classic stories from the comics better than the live action movies have ever been able to. What is this excellent extreme superhero cartoon?
What cartoon featured a buff blonde wannabe lady’s man?
This animated series was about a muscular man who lived with his mother who is obsessed with beautiful women. Full of toxic masculinity tropes, this protagonist and series built its humor around undermining the machismo attitude this character tried to embody as he regularly got his behind handed to him by the various women he objectified. The man was vain, thick-skulled, and Elvis-like in his appearance, but if he had one virtue it was his deep respect for his mother. What cartoon is this?
All three lead characters of this show had the same name.
One of the cartoons on Cartoon Network’s “Cartoon Cartoons” slot of broadcasting programs, this comedy series told the story of three boys with the same name living on a cul-de-sac who were committed to a personal crusade in search of jawbreakers. The quests for jawbreakers frequently ended in humiliating failures, including being abused by the predatory bullies known as the Kanker Sisters and who were in love with the trio of titular protagonists. What was this cartoon about three boys with the same name?
In which cartoon did chipmunks fly a jet and fight evil?
This cartoon about a team of chipmunks and mice adventuring debuted on The Disney Channel in 1989, and though it only lasted until 1990, reruns of the series continued to air up through 2004. The show reinvented the chipmunk character Chip and Dale, as well as the mousy inventor Gadget, and the cheese addict Monterey Jack. These private detectives helped other animals n cases the police wouldn’t tackle, often facing off against the fat cat feline named Fat Cat. What was this cartoon?
Name this Disney cartoon about a family full of pride.
This Disney animated sitcom dealt with an entire family—the Prouds—and starred the fourteen-year-old Penny Proud, an affable but bratty girl who was a gifted singer and poet. Her father Oscar tended to be overly protective, while her mother Trudy was a veterinarian proved both wise and compassionate. Other characters included the grandmother matriarch Suga Mama, the two-year-old twins BeBe and CeCe, and Penny’s best friend Dijonay. The show ran from 2001 to 2005 on The Disney Channel and got its own movie in August of 2005. Name this cartoon.
This animated series was set in a futuristic Gotham City.
This cyberpunk superhero show was set in a dystopian futuristic Gotham City, in which Batman has retired, the Jokers are a gang terrorizing the streets, and Wayne Enterprises is being bought out. The protagonist, teenage delinquent Terry McGinnis, was taken under the wing of an elderly Bruce Wayne, and trained as the next Batman. Part of the DC Animated Universe, this series had strong writing, voice acting, and high concept drama. Corporate espionage, post-human fashion, and genetic modification, development were just some of the show’s themes. Name this classic cyberpunk cartoon.
What children’s show stars an aardvark?
This television cartoon about an 8-year-old anthropomorphic aardvark first appeared on WGBH and PBS in 1996, and it is still going strong after 21 seasons. The only animated show that has been running longer is The Simpsons! Set in the fictional Elwood City, the show clearly is just making Elwood a stand-in for Boston since it has addressed such topics as Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, the Curse of Bambino, and shopping at the “Mill Creek Mall.” What is this show about a fist-clenched child aardvark?
What Hanna-Barbera cartoon added cyberpunk to a classic series?
This show starred the boy Jonny, who accompanied his scientist father on adventures, along with bodyguard Race Bannon, his best friend Hadji, and Race’s daughter Jessie. The characters regularly encountered cryptids, aliens, ghosts, and various terrors in cyberspace. An ongoing subplot in the series involved Jonny’s father’s romantic relationship with a woman of Anasazi descent. Another major theme was “QuestWorld,” a virtual realm right out of the cyberpunk fiction of the era. What was this modernized sci-fi remake of a classic Hanna-Barbera pulp show?
Which mecha anime portrayed a war between Earth and Space?
This mecha anime debuted in Japan in 1995 and was airing on international channels the same year, making it one of the early examples of an anime that non-Japanese fans didn’t have to wait to access. In the show, humanity has colonized space, and the colonies have gone to war with the peoples of Earth, using mecha mobile suits for combat. The series starred five pilots of these mecha: Heero Yuy, Chang Wufei, Quatre Raberba Winner, Trowa Barton, and Duo Maxwell. What was this cartoon?
This show was about an alien invader and his robot.
This cartoon was about the alien Zim—perhaps the least competent alien invader ever to infiltrate Earth space—and his pet robot servitor GIR. This hilarious and cynical show was created by animation genius Jhonen Vasquez (of the legendary comic Johnny the Homicidal Maniac). GIR would frequently disguise himself as a doom-singing dog, while the alien, Zim, would disguise himself as human. The series has a cult status and is set to have a sequel series come out later this year. Name this show.
This Nickelodeon show's protagonist broke the 4th wall.
This live action teen sitcom starred a girl named Clarissa Darling who would speak directly through the 4th Wall to the audience as she dealt with romantic struggles, acne, and other adolescent struggles. The show ran five seasons between 1991 and 1994, and still has reruns on Nick’s programming block The Splat. Among the major characters were her best friend Sam who would regularly climb through her bedroom window and her younger brother Ferguson. What was this show from Nickelodeon called?
Which kid’s sitcom was about a high school witch?
This live action sitcom appeared on ABC and was about a teenage girl named Sabrina who lived with her aunts Hilda and Zelda and her cat Salem—all of whom were magically gifted. This comic show was actually based on an Archie Comics character, and is about to get a reboot with more of a horror feel to it. The series ran for seven seasons between 1996 and 2003, transferring to The WB in 2000. We shouldn’t to spell out which show we’re talking about.
What was the first major all-CGI animated series?
This cartoon was the first completely CGI television series ever made. It started with a story about life inside a computer, with Bob as a guardian who protected the mainframe, Dot Matrix who owns the local diner, and Dot’s younger brother Enzo. However, later seasons focused on an adult Enzo—now called Matrix—who struggles with PTSD as he journeys through the network with his girlfriend, a game sprite called AndrAIa. This groundbreaking show has recently been remade by Netflix, but there is no replacing the classic original. Name this show.
In which series did the teacher Ms. Frizzle lead fieldtrips?
The school teacher Ms. Frizzle made learning truly magical in each episode of this show where she took her class on field trips to learn. Kids were learning about dinosaurs? No problem! The class would just travel back in time. Learning about space? They’d just drive their school bus to the edge of the solar system. Other characters included the perpetually anxious Arnold, the prankster Carlos, and the pet lizard Liz. Based on a book series by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen, the show ran 4 seasons. Identify this educational cartoon.
What show featured a time-traveling bushido swordsman?
This animated series was about a time-displaced samurai warrior whose life was ruined by the world-conquering demon Aku. The samurai is thrown into the far future where Aku is a god-emperor who rules over all. However, said samurai fights back with nothing but his katana, training, and wits, slicing through mechs, battle droids, aliens, cyborgs, and other foes with an artful mastery of the way of the sword. The series was created by genius cartoon visionary Genndy Tartakovsky. What was this cartoon called?
This cartoon took place in the Hundred Acre Woods.
Set in the Hundred Acre Woods, this cartoon about sentient stuffed animals like the zany tiger Tigger and the chronically depressed donkey Eeyore was based on characters created by author A. A. Milne. Of course, the most famous character is the titular protagonist, a honey-addicted teddy bear. It first aired in 1988 and ran through the early 90s, where it continued to be repeatedly replayed on various networks for most of that decade and much of the next. What’s this classic cartoon called?
“Let’s get dangerous.”
This action-adventure cartoon told the story of a caped crusader who fought crime by night and also happened to be a duck. His compatriots included his good friend, the pilot Launchpad McQuack (who also appeared in the show DuckTales) and daughter Gosalyn Mallard. One reason the cartoon was so popular was its references to superhero pop culture, parodying Batman, The Shadow, Zorro, The Sandman, Doc Savage, and others. And of course there was that famous catchphrase of his: “let’s get dangerous.” Name this series.
This show was about a pair of moody wood-chompin’ brothers.
Airing in ’97 and lasting 4 seasons, this show told the story of a pair of brothers who were beavers. One was Dag, the younger brother of the two, a manic brown-furred neurotic manipulator. The older brother, Norb, was sarcastic but was a brilliant engineer and visionary with a more light-hued beige yellow fur coat. The show won a number of awards, including the World Animation Celebration Award for “Best Animation Produced for Daytime.” What was this show about two moody mammals caused?
Which cartoon was about a dog who was a ‘fraidy cat?
Horror is hard to do well. This is especially true when designing kids’ programming. Yet this animated cult classic managed to produce some genuinely nightmarish episodes that still haunt adult viewers. Created by Hanna-Barbera, this series was about a dog named Courage who lived with Muriel and Eustace Bagge, an elderly couple, in the middle of Nowhere, Kansas. Stranded in the middle of Nowhere (literally), the characters were haunted by mad scientists, aliens, monsters, zombies, and demons. What was this show called?
This show featured a man explaining science.
The main character of this show is still doing his good work, spreading the Gospel of Science as he challenges misinformation and ignorance by using the scientific method. The show originally aired in 1993 and lasted 5 seasons, winning 19 Emmy Awards during that time as it tackled issues like evolution, gravity, cells, biodiversity, static electricity, and the Earth’s crust. The main character used his real name, and a spiritual sequel to the show has since appeared on Netflix. What was this educational series?
In which cartoon did magical fairies assist their godson Timmy?
Fairy godparents are a common trope of fairytales and fantasy fiction. This series took that trope and twisted it into a barely recognizable shape, one so odd it seemed to near the uncanny valley, and yet it still somehow worked. The two godparents, Cosmo and Wanda, aided young Timmy in his struggles, but could not have their existence revealed to others, according to a book called “Da Rules.” The series ran for ten seasons, finally coming to an end in 2017. What was this series?
What show featured a blue-shirted wallaby?
Despite the overabundance of anthropomorphic animal characters populating cartoons, wallabies are not frequently seen on TV. Yet this show starred a wallaby, a shy well-meaning creature of comfort who had immigrated from Australia to the States, where he took up residence in the town of O-Town, where major businesses and landmarks included the KFC-inspired chain Choky Chicken and the major Conglo-O Corporation. Along with his best friends, a heifer named Heffer Wolfe and a glasses-wearing turtle named Filburt, there was his dog, Spunky, one of the only non-anthropomorphic animals. What was this show called?
Which show was about playground life after school lunch?
This ABC series was about six elementary school students and their dealings with the complex social structures and governmental society they and their peers had developed for a micro-society that existed on the playground after lunch. The characters were as follows: T.J. Detwiler, the baseball cap-wearing leader of the friends group; Vince LaSalle, a confident athletic boy; Ashley Spinelli, a wrestling-addicted tomboy; Mikey Blumberg, an easygoing, philosophically-prone, and overweight boy; Gus Griswold, a shy new kid; and Gretchen Grundler, a child prodigy. Identify this cartoon from the list below.
This WB cartoon about a teenage superhero made audiences ecstatic.
A cult classic, this show took the breakout character from Milestone Comics and gave him a hit series created by Denys Cowan and the late great Dwayne McDuffie. This superhero cartoon was part of the DC Animated Universe, and as such was tied into the events of other popular cartoons like Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, and Justice League: Unlimited. The show tackled serious issues like racism, gun violence, and gang activity. What was this classic masterpiece of DC animation?
What Marvel show starred a friendly neighborhood New Yorker?
In the 90s, Marvel tried to make a series of hit cartoon shows based on their various characters. The first of these, X-Men: The Animated Series, is a resounding success. Other shows weren’t quite so well made. But this cartoon about a friendly neighborhood New Yorker was consider to be second only to their X-Men series in terms of its effect, telling long-form stories and even building to the major Secret Wars event from the comics. Plus, the opening theme song was amazing. Spectacular, even. What was this show called?
Which Hanna-Barbera cartoon was a sword & sorcery corsairs saga?
Sword and sorcery tales might be one of the most iconic subgenres of fantasy, but all of the swashbuckling gore and women with lots of exposed skin meant they seldom translated well to children’s TV. This show defied such limitations, crafting a dark compelling narrative of black magic, cruel corsairs, and high seas adventures as titillating and intense as anything written by Robert E. Howard! The main character was a young prince named Ren, who was aided by an ecomancer named Tula and the pirate Ioz. Name this Hanna-Barbera fantasy series.
This Disney sitcom was about a teenage psychic fashion designer.
There aren’t a lot of shows about teenage psychic fashion designers, but it’s nice to know Disney knows how to do justice to those that exist (which is to say, just this one, as far as we know). It’s protagonist, Raven Baxter (played by Raven-Symoné), was a bright and impassioned girl who would get premonitions of the future, but then would comically try to bring about or avert such futures throughout the episodes as she blundered from one mistake to the next. What’s this show called?
Is it possible to ID this cartoon about a secret agent cheerleader?
Secret agent teenagers are one of those gimmicks that never seem to go away. We’d say the trope never gets old, but then again, it’s been an old trope for a long time now. Still, there’s something undeniably cool about a high school student taking on international crime syndicates with an array of high tech gadgets. This series was about a Buffy-like high school cheerleader who did just that, accompanied by her best friend Ron and her pet rat Rufus. What was this series called?
“What are we going to do tonight?” “The same thing we do every night.”
Spinning out of Animaniacs, this cartoon starred two lab mice, one of whom was idiotic but affable, and the other of which had a brilliant mind bent on world domination (and all of the charm one expects from a megalomaniac). Even though it was a spinoff of another series, the characters and plots were strong enough that the show ran for 65 episodes, lasting 4 seasons, running from 1994 to 1998, with only 7 episodes in the final season. What was this show called?
This cartoon featured feline anthropomorphic garbagemen vigilantes.
Boom. ‘Splosions! Jet fighters! Motorcycle fights! Ahhh! That is pretty much the entire plot of this show about Chance Furlong and Jake Clawson, a pair of sentient cat garbage men who use the products of the city dump to build weapons of war. It was a series of pure vigilante adrenaline that had all the substance of smashing two action figures together, and because the show’s creators understood this, it worked brilliantly. The series has been re-aired on Cartoon Network and Boomerang, and recently Kickstarted a new sequel series. Name this explosive show.
This show is about a family of wildlife documentarians.
This series was about a family who traveled around the world shooting a nature show, and in particular, about the younger daughter of the family, Eliza, who was gifted with the ability to speak with and understand animals. Her father Nigel was an eccentric zoologist and naturalist who turned down a professorship at Oxford, her mother Marianne who filmed the show, her pop culture-obsessed older sister Debbie, and the feral child Donnie who they adopted. What was this popular cartoon called?