20 90s Kids Shows You Might Have Forgotten
Take a trip down memory lane with these 90s kids' shows that you totally forgot about. From crime-fighting sharks to ghostly wordsmiths, each one is a hidden gem of nostalgia waiting to be rediscovered!
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
The 90s gifted us with some of the most creative and bizarre kids’ shows, many of which have faded into nostalgic obscurity. From crime-fighting sharks to supernatural mysteries, these forgotten gems were packed with quirky characters, bizarre plots, and unforgettable themes. Whether they terrified, entertained, or sparked our imaginations, these shows were integral to a generation’s childhoods, and it’s time to revisit them for a blast from the past.
1. Gargoyles
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Dark, brooding, and far ahead of its time, this Disney animated series gave kids Shakespearean drama in stone-skinned warriors. At night, they fought crime; by day, they were frozen statues on a castle rooftop. Come on, admit it- you can still hear Goliath’s gravelly voice whispering to you.
2. ReBoot
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This was the first fully CGI-animated TV show, and it was about life inside your computer long before The Matrix made it cool. Mainframe, viruses, and games that could delete you? It was equal parts quirky and existential dread for the floppy disk generation.
3. Are You Afraid of the Dark?
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Every 90s kid was either obsessed with or terrified of this anthology horror show. Campfires, creepy tales, and that eerie opening theme haunted us long after bedtime. If “The Tale of the Dead Man’s Float” still gives you chills, you’re not alone.
4. Bump in the Night
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Claymation madness with a lovable monster named Mr. Bumpy, who lived under your bed and ate socks. This bizarrely charming show made the mundane magical—and made you think twice about where all your socks went. Nostalgia snack: Mr. Bumpy’s hilarious songs were pure earworms.
5. Captain Planet and the Planeteers
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Before Greta Thunberg, there was Captain Planet and his eco-warrior squad. He fought pollution with heart. This was equal parts action and environmental PSA. Who are you if “The power is yours!” isn’t stuck in your head?
6. Eerie, Indiana
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It was like The X-Files for kids, following a boy who moved to a town where everything was weird. From Tupperware-obsessed vampires to dogs taking over the world, it was creepy in the best way. Too bad it lasted only one season—justice for Eerie!
7. Kablam!
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A wild mix of claymation and live-action animated shorts, Kablam! was that messy fever dream you never knew you needed. The true show-stealer is Action League Now!, intentionally flawed stop-motion superheroes. This is Saturday morning randomness at its finest.
8. Street Sharks
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Sharks in jeans and rollerblades fighting crime? Only the 90s could make that a thing. They were excellent—and if you didn’t have at least one Street Sharks action figure, were you even a kid?
9. Animorphs
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Based on the book series, this show featured kids turning into animals to fight parasitic alien slugs. It was weird, low-budget, and surprisingly dark for Nickelodeon. Those mid-morph CGI sequences were nightmare fuel, but we were here for it.
10. The Secret World of Alex Mack
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Teenage girl + chemical spill = powers like telekinesis and turning into liquid silver. Alex Mack was every 90s kid’s relatable superhero—awkward, funny, and trying to hide her powers from shady corporations. We all wanted her bucket hats and powers.
11. The Weekenders
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It’s a cool cartoon about four buddies just hanging out on the weekends—that was so relatable at its peak. Their rotating pizza joint and Tino’s sardonic monologues made this show legendary. Plus, that theme song by Wayne Brady slapped.
12. Double Dare
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It was part trivia, insane physical challenges, and all messy fun. Who didn’t dream of diving into a giant bowl of slime for prizes? Watching kids struggle to find flags in oversized nostrils was oddly satisfying.
13. VR Troopers
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Imagine Power Rangers but with computers and VR headsets. It had cheesy fights, glitchy villains, and more spandex than a gymnastics meet. While it never hit Ranger-level fame, it had its cult following.
14. Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
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The monster school was in session, and it was delightfully gross. Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm taught us that being weird was excellent—mainly if you lived in a garbage dump. The gross-out humor was classic Nickelodeon, and we loved every second.
15. Mummies Alive!
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Mummies as superheroes protecting a kid in San Francisco? Ancient Egypt meets 90s urban chaos. With its mix of magic, mythology, and action, it deserved way more love.
16. Tales from the Cryptkeeper
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It’s a kid-friendly version of Tales from the Crypt, but it’s still creepy enough to make you hide behind the couch. Hosted by the pun-loving Cryptkeeper, this anthology cartoon was spooky fun. It was perfect for a generation already addicted to Goosebumps.
17. Wishbone
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Wishbone, the only dog that made literature cool, transported us to classic novels. Whether he was Sherlock Holmes or Odysseus, his tiny costumes were legendary. Plus, he had better literary references than most adults.
18. Dinosaurs
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Not the Mama! This sitcom about anthropomorphic dinosaurs was surprisingly deep, tackling issues like consumerism, environmentalism, and family life. The series finale is still one of the darkest endings in TV history—cue existential crisis.
19. Life with Louie
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Louie Anderson’s autobiographical cartoon was equal parts humor and heart. Watching little Louie deal with his eccentric family and quirky neighbors was pure joy—bonus points for his dad’s hilariously deadpan one-liners.
20. Ghostwriter
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A group of kids solving mysteries with the help of a ghost that communicated through words? It was like Scooby-Doo in the early Internet era. This show made typing cool and taught us teamwork—and maybe gave you a weird fascination with floating punctuation marks.