Childhood Nostalgia

Rylie talks about nostalgic shows from our childhoods.

Childhood Nostalgia

By Rylie Revercomb

We might be stuffy teenagers now, but we were once energetic kids. And the only strategy our parents used that could calm us down was sitting in front of the TV and watching our favorite shows, shows that are now described as nostalgic. Reflecting and remembering shows or characters from our childhood gives a wondrous feeling of nostalgia that makes every part of our being feel warm and gives us a sense of longing. This feeling is most commonly found when revisiting childhood shows, which is why I have put together a list of nostalgic shows for your viewing pleasure, in hopes that you can remember some of these shows from your childhood.

Where's Waldo? and Nina Needs to Go!

Most people can remember the man in the red and white striped shirt. A man you spent hours trying to find, looking through crowded scenes for his familiar hat and glasses. That’s right, I’m talking about Waldo from Where’s Waldo? I’m sure that, just like me, you would spend hours looking for this guy and his eccentric group of pals. If you remember him, you likely also remember throwing the Where’s Waldo? books on the ground after not being able to find him for hours. Ah, Nostalgia. Or-- speaking of another annoying character-- how about Nina? From Nina Needs to Go! The little redhead girl stole three minutes of ad time, simply because she needed to use the restroom. The only likable character in this short was her grandma, who appeared at the most random times to help get her granddaughter to the restroom. These are some of our least favorite characters, yet seeing them still brings back a sense of nostalgia.

Image by: Books INC.

Scooby-Doo

Ruh-Roh-Raggy! Who’s next on this list? That’s right, Scooby-Doo! This show about a mystery-solving dog was first released to the public on Sept. 13, 1969, and it has had multiple spin-offs and movies that keep the love of this franchise alive. The one that quickly became most popular and well-known, however, has to be Scooby Doo Mystery Inc. A review on CommonSenseMedia claims, “My brother and I loved to watch the TV show when we were younger. It is a darker version than most Scooby Doo TV shows, but it is still really good. The mysteries are good and then the plot of the second season is amazing. It is the best Scooby Doo ever.” This show makes you just want to scream, “SCOOBY DOOBY DOO!”

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The next dose of nostalgia on my list is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-- a show about four turtle brothers who learned ninjutsu from a rat in the sewers. There are many iterations of this show, and almost every single version is treasured by long-time fans of the bandana-clad terrapins. People always debate which turtle is their favorite, with most fans clinging to the loveable goofball named Mikey. The show was cringey at times but in a ‘Laughing at Leo’s Bad Puns’ way. The show was incredible, and a fan on CommonSenseMedia says, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is great. The turtles, while flawed, are excellent role models for young viewers. There are positive messages of family, teen issues, leadership, ethnicity, and being yourself.” This was one of my personal favorites as a child, and it gives me a huge feeling of nostalgia just thinking about it.

Image by: The Hollywood Reporter

High School Musical

The movie is about musicals, misunderstandings, and basketball. That’s right. I’m talking about High School Musical. This movie is perhaps one of the most annoying and hilarious movies I have ever watched. The movie somehow manages to sneak in the most ridiculous lines, like when Gabriella tells Troy, “When I was singing with you… I felt like a girl.” Then he responds by saying, “You looked like a girl.” The entire plot of the movie centers around the stereotypically mean popular girl, who tries to ruin Troy and Gabriella's plans to rehearse for the Spring Musical. The friends in the movie, however, are not any help. They try to break Troy and Gabriella up and apologize by saying, “We were jerks… no, we were worse than jerks! We were mean jerks!” However, even though the show has its… interesting moments, a critic on RottenTomatoes writes, “Sure, it has its flaws... but the film skillfully crafts an exuberant uplifting climax that results in a warm smile-inducing feeling that remains after the credits have rolled.” Ah, yes, that familiar feeling of nostalgia. A feeling that makes you never want to forget this movie, no matter how cringey it was.

Sofia the First

“I was a girl in a village doing all right…” Ah, yes, it is one of the most magical theme songs out there. You can tell exactly what show is being talked about when you hear these simple words. That’s right, Sofia the First! Another one of my favorite childhood shows was a cartoon that was packed with Disney Princesses, talking animal sidekicks, and a magical necklace. Sounds about the same as any Disney movie, just filled with more songs and extended into four seasons. Every kid in elementary watched this show. Most backpacks even had her face plastered front and center. Sofia and her animal pals spent the episodes trying to get through small problems, such as having a frog stuck in her throat or trying to get a pegasus to fly. It is one of those adorable kid shows that you would not mind watching again, even if the age rating is supposed to be 5 years old.

Image by: The Hollywood Reporter

Image by: TV Guide

Jake and the Neverland Pirates

Finally, last but not least, we have Jake and the Neverland Pirates. This show is still a favorite today, even though the show was released in 2011, about 12 years ago. The show is about the adventures of Jake, Izzy, Cubby, Skully, and their ship Bucky. They follow Captain Hook and Mr. Smee, stopping them from wreaking havoc on Neverland when Peter Pan isn’t there to save the island. CommonSenseMedia states, “Great show. Kids will love this. I used to watch it all the time when I was younger….Though it may be fiction, I feel like it also could motivate some kids to feel adventurous, and stir up their imagination.” Also, it has one of the catchiest theme songs ever, which automatically makes it a great show.

Every single one of these shows listed has a special place in my heart, and while talking to other high schoolers, I find that they also love these shows. Hearing about a character, or watching some of the episodes with a little cousin or sibling, brings back memories and fills many with that incredible feeling of nostalgia. It is an incredible feeling, and watching these childhood shows can bring it back.

Sources:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/scooby-doo-mystery-incorporated/user-reviews/child
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-0/user-reviews/adult
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/high_school_musical
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/jake-and-the-never-land-pirates

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