From 90s classics to 00s hits, the kids’ TV shows that deserve a reboot after Pingu-Pierra Willix-Entertainment – Metro

Here are the 90s and 00s kids shows we’d love to see return to screens (Pictures: BBC/ Mattel/ Reuters/ Disney/ Cartoon Network)

We’re all used to hearing about how things were ‘in the good old days’, but people do really seem to be having a soft spot for nostalgia at the moment.

This year has featured an influx of reunions and reboots for movies, TV shows and bands, with firm favourites from the 90s and noughties whipping up frenzies for fans.

From the massive Oasis reunion, a long-awaited Freaky Friday sequel and a Harry Potter reboot, the current cultural output is a throwback to the past.

Although there’s no shortage of new releases flooding our TV screens, in recent months it’s been announced we have plenty of old favourites returning too.

From Walking with Dinosaurs, Balamory and Pingu, the latter’s revival was announced just last week, with Mattel and Aardman (the studio behind Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run) to co-produce the new series.

However, there’s some other old favourites we’d also love to see come back too.

Hey Arnold!

Hey Arnold! is ripe for a revival (Picture: Reuters)

This American animated series aired on Nickelodeon from 1996 until 2004 and followed Arnold Shortman, who lived with his grandparents in an inner-city tenement in the fictional city of Hillwood.

The episodes centred on his experiences navigating urban life with his friends.

A movie was also released in 2002, while a 2017 big screen adaptation – Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie – was released and wrapped up the series’ storyline.

The show was praised for showing kid’s growing up in a big city, with one critic writing at the time it ‘showed the reality of millions of kids who grew up in urban areas and challenged the idea of the perfect American life’.

The Magic School Bus

We’d love many more adventures with The Magic School Bus crew (Picture: La Pictures11)

Another 90s animated series that picked up a loyal audience was The Magic School Bus, which ran from 1994 until 1997.

Based on the book series of the same name, it starred Lily Tomlin as the voice of Ms. Frizzle, an eccentric schoolteacher who took her students on wild adventures on her magical school bus.

Traversing time periods, the kids learnt the wonders of science along the way, with celebrities including Dolly Parton, Wynonna Judd and Michael York appearing in guest roles.

Although the show was in fact revived in 2017 for Netflix, it wrapped up in 2021, with fans of the franchise still begging for it to be brought back yet again.

Kim Possible

Can we call and beep Kim Possible to come back (Picture: Disney)

Millennials likely all still remember the catchy ‘Call me, beep me if you wanna reach me’ theme song of this animated action comedy.

Kim Possible followed a teenage girl who was tasked with not only dealing with the trials and tribulations of being a teenager, but also saving the world on a regular basis.

She was assisted in her missions by clumsy best friend, Ron Stoppable and pet naked mole rat Rufus, as well as 10-year-old computer genius Wade.

One of few female-led animated series, this TV show was groundbreaking and appealed to kids and adults alike.

Airing from 2002, it ran for four seasons until 2007, during which time it had become one of Disney’s top-rated and most popular series.

During its run, two made-for-TV films were also released – A Sitch in Time (2003) and So the Drama (2005).

There was another film released in 2019 but there’s still plenty of fans keen for another TV series to continue the teenage hero’s story.

Recess

Recess is another 90s show that had a loyal following (Picture: Disney)

Recess followed a group of sex fourth graders as they went about their daily lives in a school environment at Third Street Elementary School.

The school community echoed traditional human society with its own government, class system, and set of unwritten laws, with the students ruled by a sixth grader called King Bob, who had various enforcers ensure his decrees were carried out.

The show aired from 1997 until 2001 and a film, Recess: School’s Out, was released the same year the series ended.

Two years later two more films were released, and the characters made their final appearance in a crossover episode for Lilo & Stitch: The Series.

It was two years ago that the creators revealed they were working on a potential revival, saying: ‘We’ve come up with several different angles and we’ve tried different things. It’s been four years that we’ve been working on it, but that’s an example of how things have changed… things are slower.’

However, there’s been no update since then.

Babar

Babar would be a perfect story to be retold today (Picture: Channel 5)

First hitting screens in 1989, Babar was based on Jean de Brunhoff’s book series, which was published in 1931.

The first two seasons focused on the titular elephant, who after being traumatised by a hunter killing his mother, fled from his home forest to the city, where a kind old lady adopted him and teaches him the ways of human life.

He then returned to his forest home and, full of ideas and progress, devised a plan to drive out the hunter and his men, with Babar then being crowned king of he elephants for his heroism.

Subsequent seasons focused on his family life in the present day.

The show was dubbed in 30 languages in over 150 countries before it ended in 1991.

A short-lived revival aired in 2001 and then another in 2010 premiered on Disney Junior.

However, 14 years on, the themes contained in the tale are just as relevant and are ripe for another adaptation.

In recent years, fans have shared on social media the show ‘made their childhood’s’ and labelled it ‘one of the best cartoons of the 90s’.  

The Wild Thornberrys

The Wild Thornberrys went on many amazing adventures (Picture: Nickelodeon)

Animal-obsessed children were always jealous of the adventures Eliza Thornberry got to experience on this animated series.

From the same creators of the Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys aired from 1998 until 2004 and followed a family of nomadic wildlife documentary filmmakers known as the Thornberrys, which consist of the nature documentary television host Nigel, his wife and camera operator Marianne, their 16-year-old daughter Debbie, their younger daughter Eliza, their adopted son Donnie, and a chimpanzee named Darwin.

The show particularly focused on Eliza, who had a magical ability to communicate with animals.

The family travelled to every continent and wildlife environment in their ComVee.

Originally pitched as an adult animated sitcom, the show ended up becoming a family-friendly d series for Nickelodeon.

A feature film, The Wild Thornberrys Movie, in which Eliza embarks on a quest to save a cheetah cub from poachers, was released in 2002 while the crossover film Rugrats Go Wild hit screens the following year.

The series was praised for encouraging children to be empathetic towards animals, embrace a curiosity towards other cultures and ways of life and to understand the vastness and diversity of the world.

Viewers have recently said they’d love to ‘get an idea of where the family would be now’ in a reboot too.

The Powerpuff Girls

A planned live-action revival of The Powerpuff Girls never happened (Picture: LA Pictures1)

Another series that featured female leads saving the day was The Powerpuff Girls, which centred on three kindergarten-aged girls with superpowers – Blossoms, Bubbles and Buttercup.

Living in the fictional city of Townsville with their father and creator, a scientist named Professor Utonium, the trio were frequently called upon by the city’s mayor to help fight nearby criminals and other enemies using their powers.

Running for six seasons, three specials, and a feature film, the show aired from 1998 until 2005.

The show began airing during the ‘girl power’ movement in the entertainment industry, with the show’s creator Craig McCracken saying it gained momentum during this time due to the appetite for its themes showing strong young women.

Although there were plans announced for a live-action TV series in 2020, it was cancelled last year after negative reviews and script changes before it had even gone into production.

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