Arthur & 14 Other PBS Shows 90s Kids Still Love (& Where To Stream Them)

Arthur & 14 Other PBS Shows 90s Kids Still Love (& Where To Stream Them)

Arthur was a staple of ’90s children’s programming, and here are nine similar series that can still be enjoyed via the advent of video streaming.

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Preschool and elementary school kids in the 1990s had no shortage of excellent educational entertainment options. Kids’ television during this time was transforming into a medium that benefited the whole child; reading and counting, music, object lessons, and social skills were more frequently included in various shows.

PBS was a true leader in the arena of holistic children’s programming. There are so many memorable shows from the 1990s, and it’s fun to go back and relive the best ones. An honorable mention is Clifford the Big Red Dog, which premiered in 2000.

Updated by Tanner Fox on Nov. 15, 2021: There’s no shortage of nostalgia for children’s television of the 1990s, but, from Space Ghost Coast to Coast to SpongeBob SquarePants, much of the conversation is centered around programming aired on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. Though most of it was meant to target very young children, PBS offered up an undeniably memorable suite of shows throughout the bygone decade. Series like Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego and Dragon Tales may not be quite as celebrated as other titles of the era, but PBS’ kids’ shows of the ’90s deserve an equal amount of recognition.

Arthur (1996-Present) – Stream on PBS Kids, YouTube, Amazon Prime & Hoopla

Arthur is one of the most beloved PBS shows of the 1990s, and it’s still premiering new episodes today. Marc Brown’s children’s books led to the animated series starring Arthur, D.W., and all of Arthur’s other mammal friends. While the series has been available on Amazon Prime with a PBS Kids extension, many of the show’s seasons are disappearing from Prime Video.

Arthur’s Ziggy Marley theme song reminds viewers to “learn to work and play, and get along with each other.” The show’s inclusive stories and practical lessons stay with fans forever.

Sesame Street (1969-Present) – Stream on HBO Max

One of the longest-running kid’s shows of all time, Sesame Street debuted in 1969 and has been teaching kids how to spell, count, color, and be kind to others. With its legendary puppeteers and human castmates, the series has always promoted diversity and celebrated many cultures.

From Bert and Ernie to Big Bird and Elmo, these lovable puppets and their human friends are the past, the present, and the future of great children’s television.

Reading Rainbow (1983-2006) – Stream On PBS Kids & Amazon Prime

“Take a look, it’s in a book. A reading rainbow!” This important series was hosted by actor and director LeVar Burton. Burton’s gentle voice brought the pages of different children’s books to life, and his award-winning series also used footage of children and adults in many environments.

The live-action scenes corresponded with the reading material of each episode. Reading Rainbow shaped children of several generations for the better.

The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon (1994-1997) – Stream On Amazon Prime

The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon was a Canadian children’s television series that aired on PBS in the United States from 1993 to 1997. Focusing primarily on the titular character of Dudley, the series is comparable to Sesame Street or Between the Lions, as it features a cast of puppeteered creatures.

A singalong affair that laid the groundwork for many PBS-affiliated children’s shows to come, The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon makes for an interesting watch today thanks to its strange main character and his weirdly sarcastic attitudes.

Dragon Tales (1999-2005) – Stream On Amazon Prime

When siblings Emmy and Max encounter a dragon scale in their new home, they are transported to a wonderful realm of whimsical dragons, whom they befriend. From the kindly Cassie and the cowardly Ord to the timid Zak and outgoing Wheezie, the show featured a cast of memorable characters, and it remained relevant through the early 2000s until its eventual cancelation in 2005.

Boasting an iconic theme song and just over one hundred episodes, Dragon Tales was a classic old PBS kids show of which turn-of-the-century toddlers likely harbor fond memories.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (1968-2001) – Stream on Amazon Prime & PBS Kids

Like many other PBS shows, select episodes of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood are available on Amazon Prime. Fred Rogers is the angel of children’s television, running his show from 1968 to 2001. Mr. Rogers broke the fourth wall, loved his neighbor, used creative puppetry, and was not afraid to treat children like the real people they are.

He carefully introduced difficult topics some days while still including basic lessons for everyday child development. It’s no wonder that so many recent projects have sought to share more about his life and career.

Between the Lions (1999-2011) – Watch On Xfinity Stream

A sequel of sorts to the massive success that was Sesame Street, Between the Lions featured a cast of anthropomorphic puppeteered lions who ran a library and focused primarily on children’s literacy. Introducing kids to famous literary works and common narrative tropes, it was something of a more intellectually advanced version of its spiritual predecessor.

Though it technically debuted in 2000, Between the Lions was in development throughout most of the ’90s, and it occasionally guest-starred actors from other PBS series like Zoom and Sesame Street.

Barney & Friends (1992-2010) – Stream on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Peacock, Tubi & Netflix

Barney was born out of a mother’s desire to give her young son an entertaining television option. That mom was Sheryl Leach, and she helped bring Barney to life with the character’s first videos in the late 1980s, Barney & the Backyard Gang.

The big purple dinosaur made it to PBS in 1992, and Barney & Friends did not end until 2010. With songs like “Clean Up,” “I Love You,” and “If All the Raindrops,” Barney engaged every part of the young viewer’s brain. The television series extended to live shows, books, and cuddly miniature Barneys.

The Magic School Bus (1994-1997) – Stream On Hoopla & Netflix

The music, the animation, and the unbelievable stories truly took fans of The Magic School Bus (1994-1997) on a journey. From the moment Little Richard started singing that theme song, kids knew they were about to have a good time.

Elementary science teachers loved to take a break by propping the kids up in front of an episode of this show, and students didn’t seem to mind. With Ms. Frizzle (Lily Tomlin) and The Producer (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), there was always something to learn and somewhere new to go.

Lamb Chop’s Play-Along (1992-1997) – Watch on Xfinity Stream

Starring puppeteer Shari Lewis and her sock-puppet partner Lamb Chop, Lamb Chop’s Play-Along was a children’s variety show which debuted in 1992 and ran on PBS until 1997.

Lamb Chop’s Play-Along emphasized participation and interactivity as opposed to passive observance. Lewis intimated that contemporary children’s shows of the time failed because they refused to challenge young audiences, stating in a 1994 interview with Star News “I don’t care if you tack on a prosocial message at the end of the show. You have not done a quality show.”

Zoom (1999-2005) – Stream on YouTube

Zoom was one of PBS’s educational offerings in the 1970s, and it was remade as a 1999-2005 series. The show was full of creative science experiments, games, skits, crafts, and songs like “Fannee Doolee” and the theme song. The motto was simple: “If you like what you see, turn off the TV, and do it.”

While the show is very hard to find and YouTube clips aren’t the best quality, fans can go to the “Zoom into Action” YouTube playlist to see their favorite cast members teaching kids in 2021 how to make fun and useful crafts. PBS still shares the show’s applicable object lessons for classroom teachers, too.

The Big Comfy Couch (1992-2007) – Stream on Amazon Prime, Tubi, & Hoopla

The Big Comfy Couch aired from 1992 to 2002 and had a brief revival in the 2000s. The Canadian series found incredible popularity in the United States thanks to Loonette the Clown and her doll, Molly.

Loonette taught kids how to get up off the couch and stretch, dance, play, and think. With the help of Granny Garbanzo and Major Bedhead, Loonette always had something to do.

Wishbone (1995-2007) – Stream on YouTube

Who could forget the Jack Russell Terrier with a passion for adventure? Wishbone—which may have a new movie in the works—taught children about literature during the ’90s.

Wishbone found his way into Greek epics, British novels and plays, American classics, an African folk tale, and more. As the above photo shows, Wishbone was pretty adorable as Sherlock Holmes.

Teletubbies (1997-2001) – Stream on Roku, Hoopla, & Amazon Prime

Teletubbies are perhaps the strangest cultural phenomenon to come from the ’90s; a British series that originally premiered in 1997, the show follows four titular creatures who live in a dome that rests in a grassy field. The four often get into misadventures with their vacuum cleaner or watch cut-away segments through the televisions on their stomachs. It’s odd, to say the least.

That said, Teletubbies still exists in some form, and new episodes can be seen on YouTube. However, nostalgic ’90s kids are doubtlessly more interested in the original series, which can be streamed on Amazon Prime.

Zoboomafoo (1999-2001) – Stream on Amazon Prime

Before they did Wild Kratts, Chris and Martin Kratt hosted Zoboomafoo on PBS from 1999 to 2001. Kids loved learning about animals with the Kratts and the cutest lemur, Zoboomafoo, who was played by the late lemur Jovian.

There is no question that this wildlife show was a valuable part of the ideal educational lineup back in the day. More often than not, ’90s PBS children’s shows were just as informative as they were fun.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/arthur-best-90s-pbs-shows-streaming/

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