I cannot tell you how many times I’ve asked a fellow zillennial if they’ve seen a program or film from our childhood, and they would be flooded with nostalgia as I had sparked a buried memory for them. 

 

The shows and movies we grew up with were iconic. They brought us catchy songs, engaging stories, and pertinent moral lessons. We often forget how impactful these programs were, how they expanded our hearts and minds. They made us feel validated in our experiences and allowed us to be more imaginative.

 

There are a lot of notable childhood shows and movies I could talk about, but I thought I’d focus this list on the ones you probably haven’t thought about in a while.

 

So, here are 8 shows and movies from our childhood that you may have forgotten about:

1. 1. Crashbox: This show was immensely underrated. Broadcasted on HBO Family in the late 90s to 2000, Crashbox was an animated masterpiece consisting of educational games, each with their own unique flavor and fashion. The games within the series exercised our developing minds, allowing us to learn about history, political figures, the animal kingdom, math, riddles, and much more.

1. 2. RL Stine’s The Haunting Hour: This show was Goosebumps’ modern cousin, consisting of spooky and inventive tales that scared and thrilled the kids that loved scary stories. The series ran for four seasons, and like Goosebumps, many episodes starred celebrities we knew and loved from our favorite kid movies and channels. Still to this day, I find myself wanting to watch some of my favorite episodes of this amazing series. And you know what? So you may find enjoyment in the thrilling tales of The Haunting Hour, I’ll share 10 of my favorite episodes with you here:

• • • • • “Really You” (S1, Ep.1 & Ep.2)
        • “Catching Cold” (S1, Ep.17)
        • “The Perfect Brother” (S1, Ep.20)
        • “Scary Mary” (S1, Ep.21 & Ep.22)
        • “Creature Feature” (S2, Ep.1 & Ep.2)
        • “Flight” (S2, Ep. 7)
        • “Headshot” (S2, Ep.17)
        • “Intruders” (S3, Ep.5)
        • “My Imaginary Friend” (S3, Ep. 8)
        • “The Girl in the Painting” (S3, Ep.12)

3. 3. H2O: just add water: By far my favorite series on this list, I find myself re-watching this one over and over again. Cleo, Rikki, and Emma (who is replaced in Season 3 by Bella) are three teenagers trying to live normal adolescent lives while being mermaids. With the help of their human friend, Louis, the three girls battle scientists, the full moon, their families, and even water itself in an effort to keep their mermaid identities a secret. This series had me rooting for one of my favorite tv couples and loathing a character that I deem as the worst I’ve witnessed on tv [a blog post to come].

4. 4. House of Anubis: This show gave me the same vibes as the magical and mysterious book I read as a child Midnight Magic. House of Anubis is about students at an English boarding school where things are not exactly what they seem. You never really know who to trust as the students uncover the secrets that lie within the house they live in. What initially drew me to this series was the main character, Natalia Ramos, who played Yasmin in the live action Bratz movie. And while I thoroughly enjoyed season one of this series, I’d be lying if I said I watched the second season. If you all give the second season a watch, let me know how it compares.

5. 5. Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging: This movie was so perfect for its time, and I still love giving this a watch to reminisce about the sometimes awkward and carefree era of adolescence. In this Nickelodeon film, the main character, Georgia, goes through a journey I know that we all have, facing conflict with family, friends, and mean girls while also having crushes, learning how to kiss, and obsessing over birthday parties. 

6. 6. My Babysitter’s a Vampire (the movie and the series): So, this tale kicks off with the movie, and the title pretty much explains the premise of the story: the babysitter is a vampire, and the three main characters go on a journey to save their peers from the vampires that are terrorizing their town. It was quite entertaining getting to witness the origin of the main characters and how they navigate the world knowing that vampires and others mythical beings exist. The story continued in the series where each episode the main characters battled some type of supernatural creature or mystical phenomenon.

7. 7. Oswald: This show was so cute. Oswald starred a blue octopus and his pet dachshund, as they go about their normal day doing normal things. But what makes Oswald such a special show is the soothing music and how inexplicably kind this blue octopus is to everyone he encounters. Oswald taught us the value of being a good friend, neighbor, and person.

1. 8. Aquamarine: While one can argue that most of us haven’t forgotten this movie, I couldn’t help putting it on this list. Aquamarine is about a teenage mermaid on a quest to prove to her overbearing father that love exists is such a funny and beautiful tale. Aqua comes out of the ocean onto land to find love, and what she finds are two amazing human friends, Claire and Hailey, who help her accomplish her goal while attempting to keep her mermaid identity a secret. What’s most beautiful about this movie is the friendship between all three characters and how they prove the existence of love through their love for each other.      

I hope this list was as nostalgic for you as it was for me to write. Was there any that I missed? Please leave a comment below and let me know.

My name is Janyce-Monique, and this is Simply Doin’ the Most. Thank you for reading and if you’re ever bored, maybe revisit a childhood favorite.