A host of A-list celebrities, including Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana and Selena Gomez as Alex Russo in Wizards of Waverley Place, first graced our TV screens in the 90s and 00s.
However, there are a number of childhood series that may have slipped your mind, despite their significant influence during your formative years.
This was a golden era for children’s television, with an abundance of choice for both Millennial and Gen-Z viewers. Whether you were captivated by CBBC or a Disney Channel devotee, these shows were all popular after-school viewing before the advent of streaming services.
My Parents Are Aliens (1999)
This British TV show follows the lives of three children, Mel, Josh, and Lucy Barker, and their new foster parents Brian and Sophie Johnson, who live in a house that is actually a transformed spaceship, reports the Mirror.
The children soon realise that the Johnsons are aliens from the planet Valux, who crash-landed on Earth after Brian accidentally meddled with their spaceship’s controls. They also possess the peculiar ability to morph into other people.
First broadcast on CITV in 1999, the show enjoyed eight successful seasons before concluding in 2006. The roles of parents Brian and Sophie are played by Tony Gardner, known for his roles in The Thick of It and Fresh Meat, and Carla Mendonca of Coronation Street fame.
Genie in the House (2006)
Genie in the House, a British sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon UK in 2006, spanned four seasons. The series revolved around two teenage sisters, Emma and Sophie, who stumble upon a mysterious golden lamp hidden in the attic of their new home.
Upon rubbing the lamp, they release Aldi, a trainee genie from the world of Balamkadaar, who has spent a thousand years living inside the lamp. Their widowed father, portrayed by Adam Morris, forbids any magic use in their house, leading to the sisters finding innovative ways to land themselves in trouble with their newfound wish-granting companion.
The children’s show, which began airing in May 2006, comprised a total of 78 episodes and concluded in 2010.
Trapped! (2007)
This dark fantasy children’s game show was set in a mythical tower stranded on a tiny island in the middle of the sea. Over the course of four series, children competed to win challenges on each floor of the fairytale-like tower.
Each episode is introduced by ‘The Caretaker,’ played by Simon Greenall, a globe-trotter visiting for a good night’s sleep who ends up trapped by ‘The Voice’. Except for her pale face and dark purple-painted lips, The Voice’s face remains unseen.
The Caretaker in the children’s TV show must capture ‘unfortunates’ as deemed by the eerie voice to earn freedom from the tower. Competing kids attempt to escape being ‘trapped ever after’ on each floor, with the survivor making it out with a key to freedom.
The 2007 cult classic CBBC programme recently made waves online again, sparking nostalgia among fans. One reminisced: “I was so scared of this show because I truly believed that all the kids were trapped in the rooms forever.”
The Sleepover Club (2003)
First gracing screens in 2003, ‘The Sleepover Club’, which made its name on Disney Channel up until 2008, still rings a bell for many due to its memorable melody.
Featuring characters like Frankie, played by Caitlin Stasey, Kenny, Lyndz, and Rosie, these young girls battled everyday issues alongside maintaining their ‘Sleepover Club’. The group was frequently at odds with both the M&Ms – three boys disrupting their endeavours – as well as two girls, Sara and Alana, either seeking to dismantle or be part of the club.
In the second series of the show, as the girls mature, new characters are introduced. This includes Charlie, the new leader of the Sleepover Club, portrayed by actress Morgan Griffin, who later starred in Nim’s Island and Angelina Jolie’s film Unbroken.
Kenan and Kel (1997)
Those who grew up in the nineties will recall Kenan and Kell, the legendary pair from the four-season Nickelodeon series that aired until 2000.
The show bagged the ‘Favourite TV Show’ award at the 1998 Kids’ Choice Awards, and its star, Kenan Thompson, went on to have a highly successful comedy career, featuring on Saturday Night Live since 2003.
The programme was created as a spin-off from All That and follows Kenan and Kel, the mischievous high school students, on their hilarious escapades, usually involving some sort of ‘get rich quick’ scheme. Set in Chicago, the series often broke the fourth wall at the end of each episode to interact with the studio audience, and an ongoing joke was that Kel never knew what that episode would be about as his co-star refused to tell him.
Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide (2004)
If you don’t remember it by its lengthy title, you’ll remember Ned Bigby, the star of the US TV show Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, which first graced our screens in 2004.
Another classic from Nickelodeon’s 00’s era, the show follows Ned, played by Devon Werkheiser, and his best friends Jennifer Mosely (Lindsey Shaw) and Simon Nelson-Cook (Daniel Curtis Lee), as they navigate life in middle school.
Throughout the series, Ned imparts his top survival tips, utilising these to assist himself and his classmates navigate the challenges of pre-teen life. The advice covers a range of topics including popularity, academic performance, and sports.
The popular children’s TV show enjoyed three seasons before concluding in 2007. However, in February 2023, Werkheiser breathed new life into the series by launching a podcast named ‘Ned’s Declassified Podcast Survival Guide’, featuring his former co-stars Lindsey Shaw and Daniel Curtis Lee.
Unfabulous (2004)
The American teen sitcom, Unfabulous, saw Hollywood actress Emma Roberts take on the role of middle-schooler, Adie Singer, in 2004.
The programme was among the most viewed in the U.S. by children and teenagers aged between 10 to 16 and was broadcast on Nickelodeon. Each episode was narrated by teenager Adie, as she reminisces about past events and composes songs about the ups and downs of school life.
Roberts’ character was accompanied by her best friends Geena Fabiano, portrayed by Malese Jow, who harbours a love for fashion, and dedicated basketball player Zack Carter-Schwartz, played by Jordan Calloway.
Unfabulous had a relatively short run, with three seasons and 41 episodes in total, before it concluded in December 2007. Fans longing for a dose of nostalgia can now binge-watch old episodes of this once-beloved childhood show on Paramount+.