There are some things that belong in the past. On the other hand, there are some things that we can’t help but miss. Take our favorite childhood TV shows, for example. As we’re bombarded with reruns and reality shows, we can’t help but lament the loss of the classics. Below, 12 shows that we'd do anything to get back on primetime.
1. Dawson’s Creek
Before Kevin Williamson brought us the Scream trilogy and The Vampire Diaries, he gave us Dawson’s Creek, the teen drama about four friends living in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts. The show’s title character, Dawson Leery, was an over-analytical, melodramatic film geek with a vocabulary that was a hybrid of a Freudian scholar and a Harvard graduate. It certainly didn’t help that Dawson, played by James Van Der Beek, seemed to always look at least five years older than the rest of the cast. Nevertheless, we were fascinated by the teetering relationship of Dawson and his best friend, Josephine "Joey" Potter. Before she became Mrs. Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes was Capeside's resident tomboy and Dawson Leery’s soulmate. It’s been years since we visited Capeside, but we still can’t get that Paula Cole song out of our heads.
2. Beverly Hills 90210
Forget The OC and Laguna Beach; we'll stick with the original California rich kids: Brandon, Brenda, Dylan, Kelly, Steve, David, Donna, and Andrea. Created in 1990 by Aaron Spelling, Beverly Hills 90210 revolved around twins Brandon (Jason Priestley) and Brenda (Shannen Doherty), who were uprooted from the humdrum suburbs of Minnesota and thrust into the glitz and flash of Beverly Hills. The show, which lasted for ten seasons, began by tackling the most mundane of high school subjects, but shortly propelled into soap opera proportions. Nevertheless, the show has spawned one of the most important debates today: Team Brenda or Team Kelly?
3. Saved By The Bell
Zach Morris seemed to have it all. All-American good looks, endless amounts of charm, and the ability to freeze everyone around him. Life would be so much easier if we could call a TIME-OUT every once in a while. Although Saved By The Bell occasionally crossed the line between cool and downright campy (who could forget the time Jessie freaked out on caffeine pills?), we still wish that we could have traded fashion tips with Lisa Turtle.
4. Are You Afraid of the Dark?
The theme music wasn’t the only creepy thing about this Nickelodeon show. Each week, a group of friends who called themselves "The Midnight Society," would gather 'round the good old campfire and attempt to scare the living daylights out of one another. The show was canceled in 1996 after five seasons. Frankly, we’re still waiting for the DVD collection!
5. Boy Meets World
It was the battle call heard round the world: F-F-F-FEENY! Starring Ben Savage, Rider Strong, Will Friedle, and Danielle Fishel, Boy Meets World was like an adolescent version of Friends. We especially enjoyed watching the blooming relationship between lovers since birth, Cory Matthews and Topanga Lawrence. But what we loved even more was Cory’s older brother, Eric Matthews, and his incessant badgering of everyone’s favorite history teacher, Mr. Feeny.
6. Legends of the Hidden Temple
Back in the day, Nickelodeon was famous not only for its cartoons, but for its game shows like Double Dare and Guts. However, there was one that stood out above the rest: Legends of the Hidden Temple. Contestants battled through temple guards, moats, and snake pits, to win the grand prize, so it’s beyond us why they could never seem to put together that damn silver monkey!
7. Captain Planet
He knew about global warming before Al Gore uncovered an inconvenient truth. Captain Planet, along with a group of five teenagers, joined forces to encourage environmentally-friendly behavior. Wherever litter was found, Captain Planet came to the rescue. Compared to the rest of the super powers, we still think that the boy who got the “Heart” ring was totally shafted.
8. Rugrats
Who said babies were oblivious? We watched as Tommy Pickles, along with his friends Chuckie, Phil, and Lil battled the forces of adults, diaper rash, and Angelica, Tommy’s cousin and Cruella De Vil-in-training. Although the show did chronicle their pre-teen years with the short-lived, All Grown Up, we still prefer the simpler times, when Tommy and Co.’s biggest challenge was sneaking into the new Reptar movie.
9. Doug
Doug Funnie was just your average new kid. He was best friends with the cool-as-a-cucumber Skeeter Valentine, had a loyal dog named Porkchop, was in love with golden girl Patty Mayonnaise, and was often the target of a bully named Roger Klotz. When he wasn't listening to The Beets, Doug was drawing comics about a superhero named Quailman. Certainly, it was Doug's normalcy that kept us tuned in every week. Who knew a cartoon character could be so relatable?
10. Clarissa Explains It All
Without a doubt, Clarissa Darling was an under-appreciated fashionista. Before American Apparel was selling dayglow leggings, Clarissa (Melissa Joan Hart), was throwing together Cosby sweaters, floral-print Doc Martens, and polka-dot bike shorts with ease.
11. Salute Your Shorts
We couldn’t wait to go to summer camp after watching this Nickelodeon show. While Salute Your Shorts only lasted two sweet seasons, we ate it all up, from the clueless camp counselor to the mischievous campers. Camp Anawanna, we will always hold you in our hearts.
12. The Secret World of Alex Mack
When Alex Mack is doused in a mysterious chemical called GC-161, her whole world is flipped upside down. After all, being a teenager is bad enough, but what happens when you suddenly have the powers to move objects with your mind and transform into a weird pile of silver goop? Actually, maybe that doesn’t sound so bad after all…
What's your favorite childhood series?
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