There’s something magical about the TV shows we grew up with—they were more than just entertainment; they were companions during our most formative years. Growing up in the 2010s, early Saturday mornings and after-school time often meant diving into vibrant worlds filled with unforgettable characters and stories that sparked our imaginations. Some shows didn’t just entertain, they shaped how we see the world and created long-lasting memories. These are the stories and characters that continue to resonate with me, long after the screen has gone dark.
- Shimmer and Shine (2015)
Whenever I was on a break from school in second grade, I’d always turn the TV on and click straight onto the next episode of Shimmer and Shine. Every time I heard the theme song playing from the living room, I’d leap off my bed and sprint to the other side of the house so I could watch. Even now, I wouldn’t give up the opportunity to rewatch every episode. The show follows the story of two genies-in-training who grant wishes to their best friend, Leah, named Shimmer and Shine. Now, I was oddly drawn to these two characters because I wanted to be them. I mean, what seven-year-old girl wouldn’t want to be a flying, pink haired, wish-granting genie dressed in all purple (Shimmer)? And, don’t get me wrong, Shine—who is dressed identically to Shimmer just in all blue—was my second favorite character, but something about Eva’s hot pink hair was magnetizing.
- Super Why! (2007)
Arguably one of the best TV shows I ever watched as a kid, Super Why! was the go-to show in Mrs. Hannan’s 2015 kindergarten class. Every week, we had a designated time where she would roll out the box TV on a cart and queue whatever PBS show we wanted. I can still hear the chants of “Super Why! Super Why!” as all 26 of us sat criss-cross-applesauce on the alphabet carpet. I think the reason that this show was so popular among our class, and other elementary school students, was because it was interactive. The main character, Whyatt, goes on magical adventures with his three fairytale friends and dog and becomes reading-powered superheroes. Viewers get to follow the Super Readers as they jump into books that come to life, and along the way, Whyatt asked us questions about their dilemmas—very entertaining for a class of five-year-olds if you ask me.
- Mia and Me (2012)
If I could transport myself into any of these TV shows and be the main character, it would be Mia and Me. Okay, hear me out. I know Mia gets bullied at her boarding school and has a small group of friends, but she can literally transport herself into a magical world, Centopia, where she becomes a flying elf with the ability to talk to unicorns. What more could a girl ask for? And even though the show aired in 2012, the last season was released only three years ago in 2023, which in my mind is absolutely crazy. I don’t know, I guess it took the girl 11 years to save Centopia.
- Daniel Tiger (2012)
The single most helpful show that my parents ever let me watch was definitely Daniel Tiger. A four-year-old tiger takes us on his daily adventures where he learns new and practical skills for everyday life. I forgot about this show until I saw someone made a nostalgic edit about it and I went to the PBS website only to binge watch it for three hours. I was actually really surprised to find out that they’re still releasing new seasons and another one is set to come out this year. Daniel’s unchanging red jacket and red shoes really brings me back to the days when I could lay on the couch in my pajamas all day without a care in the world. Not only that, but the show was one of the few that weren’t restricted on the Forest Hill computers, so I would always hog the second iMac from the left in Mrs. Hannan’s room and just watch Daniel Tiger until my babysitter told me it was time to leave.
- Team Umizoomi (2010)
I think the only reason I never struggled in math in elementary school was solely because of Team Umizoomi. During our break time in kindergarten, if I had no clue how to add single digit numbers, I’d run to my designated iMac and turn on Team Umizoomi to help me figure it out. Despite their young age, six year old Milli and her older brother Geo teamed up with their robot friend Bot to go around Umi City to help people solve their problems. I think I wanted to be Milli so much because she could measure anything with her hair—which, by the way, was bright pink—and I thought that was the coolest thing ever.
- Lala-Oopsies: A Sew Magical Tale (2013)
Though not a TV show, Lala-Oopsies is probably the most niche spin-off movie I’ve ever watched in my long 15 and a half years of life. I vividly recall sitting on the couch with my sister, watching these ragdolls freak out over hosting a tea party. Nonetheless, I did, in fact, rewatch it while brainstorming TV shows to use for this article, so I think it’s safe to say that it’s one of those timeless movies I can go back to when there’s “literally nothing to watch.”
- Nina Needs to Go! (2014)
If you’ve ever caught yourself watching Disney Channel as a kid, then you most definitely know about Nina Needs to Go! A little orange-haired girl named Nina is in constant need of peeing during only the most inconvenient times when her super awesome grandma swoops in with her do-all attitude and saves the day. Every. Single. Time. Whenever I was having my daily 30 minute watch sessions of my all time favorite TV show as a kid Bunk’d, it would always be interrupted by a four year old ginger who could never hold her bladder. I’ll be quite honest when I say that she’s the most irritable yet relatable character Disney Jr. has ever created.
- Odd Squad (2014)
Odd Squad will always be the comfort show of all kids growing up in 2014. I don’t know if it’s because everyone at that time collectively decided we wanted to pursue detectives as our future careers or because we just wanted to magically be as clever as the characters in the show. But what I do know is that the show isn’t the same now. Before researching for this article, I thought Odd Squad had ended years ago, but I’ve found that they’re still releasing new episodes and that the next season comes out in April this year. I watched one of the newer episodes and, safe to say, it’s better to just watch it when the original cast was still there. Despite this, I think we can all agree that Ms. O was 100% the badass we all wanted to be when we grew up.
- Dinosaur Train (2009)
I can’t remember a single episode from Dinosaur Train, but I do know that I used to watch this show religiously. I think it was because there was a girl in my kindergarten class who knew anything and everything about dinosaurs and I wanted to be like her so I started watching it. Now, did it teach me anything about dinosaurs that I remember to this day? No. But did I still watch it every single chance that I got? Of course. All I know is that there was a baby orange T-Rex that hatched in a nest of Pteranodon eggs and the mom adopted him. The theme song constantly replayed in my mind as I went about my school day, and not a single other person—except for my sister—had ever watched it. If I’m being honest, though, I was happy knowing I was the only person who watched this super awesome and amazing TV show that I can’t remember anything about.
- Lazy Town (2004)
Oh my gosh, Lazy Town is another one of those shows that I used to watch all the time that I completely forgot about. When Stephanie, the niece of Lazy Town’s mayor, arrives in the city, she joins forces with Sportacus to get kids outside and off video games. Robbie Rotten, the villain trying to thwart their efforts, was my favorite because the writers of the show made him one of those villains that always has his plans backfire on himself, and I thought that it was the funniest thing ever (give me some grace, I was five). Although I’ve never heard one of my friends watching this show, it is the root of some popular trends seen online, such as the Sportacus push-up challenge and Stephanie’s Cooking By The Book song.