We Ranked ABC Kids Shows From "Immediately Changed The Channel" To "Goddamn Iconic"

    The way my brain has retained every single word of the Cyberchase theme song.

    Isha Bassi
    by Isha Bassi

    Entertainment Producer

    29. The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky

    ABC

    All I can say about this cartoon is that I almost always reached for the remote to change the channel so I wouldn't have to watch it.

    28. Sitting Ducks

    ABC

    There were definitely some wholesome moments between Bill (the duck) and Aldo (the alligator), but Sitting Ducks didn't make a huge impact on me. It was mostly a filler cartoon that I didn't mind missing while grabbing a snack and waiting for the next one.

    27. Tiny Planets

    ABC

    Okay, before you come for me with your pitchforks, listen to what I have to say first. Bing and Bong were adorable, and the theme song absolutely slapped (and is embedded into every child's mind), but I cannot remember the plot line of Tiny Planets for the life of me. Was there one or was it just Bing and Bong being cute? Either way, this ranks low because of watchability.

    26. Girlstuff/Boystuff

    ABC

    Another cartoon with a catchy theme song that I can still remember to this day, Girlstuff/Boystuff was fun, but it didn't have a whole lot of substance to it. Although, I will say that as a kid, I dreamed about having a cool group of friends like this when I was older.

    25. Bear In The Big Blue House

    ABC

    What '90s and '00s kid didn't grow up watching Bear In The Big Blue House? It was cute, Bear always had good advice to share and the "Goodbye" song will forever be iconic. But while I'll always have fond memories attached to this show, it's one that I grew out of quickly.

    24. Angelina Ballerina

    ABC

    Angelina Ballerina was such a soft and gentle cartoon that was filled with all the wholesome vibes. Plus, the art style perfectly matched the sweet tone of the storyline. This was definitely one for the younger kiddies though.

    23. Being Ian

    ABC

    The premise of Being Ian was super cool, with Ian (an aspiring filmmaker) transforming his everyday life situations into something more Spielberg-esque. The execution, however, was a little bit cheesy, meaning that I never quite got into this cartoon.

    22. The Worst Witch

    ABC

    My brain can't recall specific scenes or episodes, but I remember being glued to the screen watching The Worst Witch — which also doesn't make sense because I was born in '96. Either way, there's some part of me that loved this show and the adventures of Mildred.

    21. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids

    ABC

    Another relic from the '00s era, Grizzly Tales was pure nightmare fuel. Between the creepy cinema introduction (featuring a little boy chomping into some bugs) and gruesome cautionary tales, only the ~lovers of squem~ could handle this one. Looking back, this may have been what kickstarted my love of horror films.

    20. Bounty Hamster

    ABC

    If there's one thing I remember about Bounty Hamster, it's Marion (the, uh, hamster) saying "DON'T CALL ME CUTE!!!!" This cartoon had cool sci-fi elements, but it was too short-lived (only one season according to Wikipedia) to have any sort of lasting impact.

    19. Corneil And Bernie

    ABC

    I am just learning that this cartoon was called Watch My Chops in other parts of the world, but I firmly remember it as Corneil And Bernie. Anyway, the theme song is burned into my brain and for that alone, it scores highly. Actually, I feel like I would enjoy this more as an adult because I might have been a smidge too young to understand all the jokes. Either way, Corneil And Bernie was a solid show and I never minded watching it after school.

    18. Angela Anaconda

    ABC

    Why do I remember every word of the Angela Anaconda theme song 20+ years on? Surely my brain doesn't need this information stored. I always found the animation to be on the creepier side, but Angela Anaconda provided enough laughs to make me overlook that.

    17. Tracey McBean

    ABC

    The best thing about Tracey McBean was how quintessentially Aussie it was, meaning that it was relatable AF. You could also miss a whole bunch of episodes and still pick it up easily. Onya Tracy.

    16. Grossology

    ABC

    I feel like I'm only one of 10 people who watched Grossology because there's so little about it on the internet, which is a real shame because I really enjoyed this series. It followed Ty and Abby, who work for the Bureau Of Grossology and investigate gross crimes, criminals and other gross phenomena. I liked the science behind each episode and if I'm being really honest, I probably had a crush on Ty.

    15. Tutenstein

    ABC

    Honestly, Tutenstein was my gateway into becoming a full-blown Egyptology nerd and I'm not mad about it. File this under severely underrated '00s cartoons that people need to appreciate more.

    14. Silversun

    ABC

    It's actually kind of sad that Silversun has disappeared off the face of the Earth (besides for some low-quality recordings on YouTube) because I remember it being talked about so much at school. Popular topics included Ryan Corr's perfectly gelled spikes, the banger of a theme song and the travesty of the show being cancelled before we found out if they actually made it to Silversun.

    13. Blue Water High

    ABC

    There is no other series that so perfectly encapsulates Aussie teen '00s culture than Blue Water High. It had the surf, the beach, the ~casual~ school uniforms, the Roxy/Billabong merch and most likely its fair share of jewellery from Diva, Equip or Lovisa. The first season remains the best and then, idk, it went kind of downhill after the main cast left. Still, I'll always have the character of Heath Carroll to thank for my sexual awakening (don't lie, you had a crush on him too). 

    12. Babar

    ABC

    Babar, sweet, sweet Babar! I grew up watching this cartoon (I still have my VHS copy) and as an adult, I still have such a soft spot for it. It's soothing, heartwarming and filled with valuable lessons that are taught by this gentle and affectionate elephant family. The theme song is still one of the most beautiful things I've heard and reminds me of a time when I didn't have a worry in the world — ah, to be a kid again.

    11. Cyberchase

    ABC

    Cyberchase will forever be iconic — not only because of its theme song, but it made math, a subject loathed by many kids (including myself), fun. I'm now wondering if Motherboard was ever saved though.

    10. Ruby Gloom

    ABC

    There must have been some sort of prerequisite for '00s kids shows to have banger theme songs and Ruby Gloom had one of the best ones. Besides that, I think Ruby Gloom just appealed to little me because it celebrated individuality and being with people who accepted you. The characters were so good at exploring that, alongside other issues. Plus, the art style is beyond adorable.

    9. Round The Twist

    ABC

    I fear a roasting from my fellow Aussies for not placing Round The Twist higher, and look, I love this show in all of its cooked glory. But that's just it — Round The Twist had some truly bizarre storylines that I am happy to leave in the past. Like Bronson's propellor penis? Pete getting pregnant from a tree? The terrifying cabbage baby? Iconic episodes, but I would rather not give my sleep paralysis demons any new ideas.

    8. Arthur

    ABC

    *Clears throat.* EVERY DAY WHEN YOU'RE WALKING DOWN THE STREET, AND EVERYBODY THAT YOU MEET, HAS AN ORIGINAL POINT OF VIEW. AND I SAY HEY (HEY!), WHAT A WONDERFUL KIND OF DAY. IF YOU CAN LEARN TO WORK AND PLAY, AND GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER.

    Enough said. No, but really, Arthur was — and continues to be — one of the best kids shows in existence. He taught us life lessons, DW taught us sass and the cartoon is still spawning viral meme after viral meme.

    7. The Saddle Club

    ABC

    Ah, The Saddle Club — a show that defined a generation of Aussie kids and a huge rise in the number of horse girls. We all remember singing the catchy theme song (which still slaps to this day), we all had a crush on Max and we all have sweet, nostalgic memories of this series that we'll carry with us forever.

    6. Young Dracula

    ABC

    I'll admit that I found Young Dracula kind of cringe during its first season, but this show grew on me — especially during its later episodes where the characters had developed and grown up a little. The cast, especially Count Dracula (played by Keith-Lee Castle) was great, the script was hilarious and it was fun to grow up alongside the characters (especially since Season 3 came out THREE YEARS after Season 2). 

    5. Class Of The Titans

    ABC

    I've always been a huge ancient history nerd, so Class Of The Titans — a cartoon that's about descendants of the Greek gods in the 21st century — had me frothing as a kid. Like, I was obsessed with this show and its characters! My favourite was Theresa, the fighter (descended from Theseus), and her developing romance with Jay (the leader) over the seasons was EVERYTHING back then. I mean, sure, this kids show didn't get everything about Greek mythology spot on, but it was fun and unique. Plus, since I've found HD episodes on YouTube, I'm going to watch Class Of The Titans immediately and relive my childhood.

    4. Total Drama Island

    ABC

    You know when you rewatch something as an adult and you find it infinitely funnier because there were a bunch of jokes that went way over your head as a kid? That's exactly the case with Total Drama Island. It's comedic gold, has a bunch of memorable characters (team Gwen ftw) and will forever be one of the best cartoons to exist.

    3. Dragon Booster

    ABC

    It was an absolute crime that Dragon Booster was cancelled after three seasons (especially after ending on a cliffhanger) because this cartoon perfectly blended fantasy and sci-fi elements together. I mean, what's not to love about racing dragons who have "mag-energy" and wear high-tech gear? For the most part, Dragon Booster had a great story, plenty of interesting lore that was slowly revealed and solid character development. If a reboot was made today, I would watch it in an instant.

    2. Jeopardy

    ABC

    With its creepy storylines and jerky handheld footage, Jeopardy was like The Blair Witch Project, but for Aussie kids. Even though it scared the shit out of me as a child, there was just something about this fever dream of a kids show (UFOs, twins, alternate universes, getting abducted, the red eye virus) that had me hooked. And if you think it gets any less creepy rewatching it as an adult, think again!

    1. Dance Academy

    ABC

    Dance Academy is, hands down, one of the best ABC kids shows in existence. Sure, it was a little cringy at times, but the characters were fun and extremely relatable. Plus, those dance sequences were incredible! The show also didn't shy away from the heavy stuff, including mental health, grief (I'm still not over Sammy's death), eating disorders and more. I've rewatched it twice as an adult and can confirm that I'm still madly in love with this series.

    What other ABC kids shows did I miss out on ranking? Let me know your favourites in the comments!