Cartoon Network’s Courage the Cowardly Dog (1999)
This kids’ horror show is peak cartoon for me. It shaped my future preferences and taste for the horror and gore genre. The premise revolves around Courage, a timid and “cowardly” dog, whose fear frames the plot. His love for Eustace, the grumpy husband, and Muriel, his loving mom, manifests in the weirdest ways possible. He defends them from bizarre occurrences—sometimes it’s ducks, sometimes it’s foxes, sometimes it’s evil men… which are all borderline paranormal.
Shirley the medium, with her crystal ball, was another character I idealised. Her cool, golden piercing and powers of prediction kept me glued to the screen. This loyal dog, in all his cowardice, formed my entire childhood. Honestly, I’d probably get addicted to the show again if I encountered it now.
Nickelodeon’s Power Rangers Samurai (2011)
We all know the many versions of “Power Rangers”. Proud to say I’ve probably seen all the ones up to 2018… yes, forgive me for only sticking with it until I was 14. The story follows our rangers as they fight against their mortal enemy, Master Xandred. The Red Ranger, Jayden Shiba, and the Pink Ranger, Mia Watanabe, were my OTP when I was 7. I used to wish for a Red Ranger to whisk me away. Let’s be real: I think pretty much everyone had a morpher and pretended to be a Power Ranger at some point. Hell, I even cosplayed one for fancy dress at school. One year I was Barbie, the next I was a Power Ranger. Safe to say, my choices were always elite though.
Disney Channel’s Doc McStuffins (2012)
Now this is what I’m talking about—feminist icon Dottie, a 7-year-old who performed surgeries and repairs on her dolls. She literally turned me into someone who would purposely tear up my stuffed animals just to perform operations. The show was so popular when it came out, I remember playing Doc McStuffins-esque games with my cousins. I particularly remember asking my mom to let me buy the iPad game based on the show. It was a paid game though, so it became my Christmas present for the year. It really taught little me the value of starting your business early. I should’ve taken that lesson to heart though because now I’m struggling to find part-time jobs at university. Sorry Doc, I couldn’t live up to your standards.
“Doc McStuffins” by Walt Disney Television is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.