# Which preschoolers' TV shows are the most tolerable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 3, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975 "2012-06-03T23:03:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/1 "2012-06-03T23:03:26Z")
Or are there any?To be clear,I’m not saying you have to _like_ the shows,I’m just asking for any show that you can watch with your children without wanting to bang your head against the wall.The kind of shows I’m talking about is shows from the _Blue’s Clues_ age group.Thanks for coming to the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/2 "2012-06-03T23:09:32Z")
I find Toopy and Binoo the least infuriating of the shows me niece watches, aside from My Little Pony (which I willingly watch myself). On the other hand, she also watches Caillou and Dora the Explorer, both of which drive me nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/3 "2012-06-03T23:24:08Z")
I love Peep and the Big Wide World, and Pocoyu (sp?) is also kind of adorable. Both are on PBS. (I’d post links, but it’s a PITA when I’m using my phone. Both should be searchable from [pbs.org](http://pbs.org), though.) ---
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/4 "2012-06-03T23:28:40Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > On the other hand, she also watches Caillou and Dora the Explorer, both of which drive me nuts. Yeah,there’s just something about _Dora the Explorer_ that irritates me.I know it’s educational,teaching kids Spanish and all, but I can hardly stand it.I’m not sure why;maybe it’s because of Dora’s football-shaped head,or maybe it’s because of the fact that the characters are _always_ happy no matter what happens.It’s probably both.But anyway,I can’t help but feel a little perverse joy when Swiper steals their stuff. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/5 "2012-06-03T23:43:03Z")
If I just went with tolerated, the list would be shorter if I just listed the ones I couldn’t tolerate. Generally stuff like Teletubbies. So I’ll go with those I at least sorta like. I haven’t seen any in a long time, since cutting cable, but the ones I remember having liked as a late teen or adult are: Blues Clues: It’s cute. And less annoying than most with the audience interaction. It’s kinda fun to see if you can figure out the mystery with the first clue, too. Handy Manny: it helps by being funny. Gullah Gullah Island: it had a lot of singing in a style I like. Allegra’s Window: Don’t remember why I liked it. I think maybe it had singing, and I think I identified with the Allegra character, even though she was a kid. Pappy Drew It: Mostly for the actual drawing segments. Charlie and Lola: It makes me nostalgic for being a kid, and the cute accents kept it from getting annoying. Face: Not really a show, but the announcer on Nick Jr. for a while. The old one was often genuinely funny. The new one deserved the Robot Chicken parody. (unfortunately I couldn’t find it in a quick Google search.) ---
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/6 "2012-06-03T23:47:18Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Blues Clues: It’s cute. And less annoying than most with the audience interaction. It’s kinda fun to see if you can figure out the mystery with the first clue, too. Yeah, and also it’s good to see a show that not only is educational for kids but also features Elvis impressions. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/7 "2012-06-03T23:48:45Z")
I can tolerate Handy Mandy, Bubble Guppies, Little Einsteins and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It does amaze me the things I can tolerate these days. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/8 "2012-06-03T23:55:18Z")
> [@JRyan35](#): > > Yeah,there’s just something about _Dora the Explorer_ that irritates me.I know it’s educational,teaching kids Spanish and all, but I can hardly stand it.I’m not sure why;maybe it’s because of Dora’s football-shaped head,or maybe it’s because of the fact that the characters are _always_ happy no matter what happens.It’s probably both.But anyway,I can’t help but feel a little perverse joy when Swiper steals their stuff. The thing about Dora was (for me) two fold. a) I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map. I think I counted once and it repeats like 17 times. b)When Dora/the map asks a question and then waits like 15 seconds for a response. Also, I really couldn’t stand Max and Ruby. Ruby will have some problem to solve and spend the entire time shooing away Max (usually in a fairly rude way) at the end Max comes up with the solution and Ruby takes the credit. Other then the fact that they were bunnies and had fairly soft voices and the kids that watched it probably didn’t grasp what was going on, I never really felt it was a good kid’s show…and I have no problem letting my 4-6 year old watch Spongebob or iCarly. This wasn’t just once in a while, it’s was the formula. Also, Max, in each episode, only speaks two words over and over. I know this is the opposite of what the OP wants, but it’s all I could think of. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/9 "2012-06-03T23:57:33Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I can tolerate Handy Mandy, Bubble Guppies, Little Einsteins and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. > > It does amaze me the things I can tolerate these days. I think that Bubble Guppies is one of the few decent preschool shows from the last few years.The singing on that show is actually pretty good(relatively so, anyway), and I think that’s what makes it more tolerable than most other shows from the genre. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/10 "2012-06-04T00:00:21Z")
Ditto on _Charlie and Lola_, if only because they provide a few moments of calm after all the shouting by Dora, the Kratt brothers, et al. But my all-time favorite will always be _The Backyardigans_. I still listen to the CD, which embarrasses my now-nine-year-old daughter. Don’t know if they’re still on the air, but if they’re not, buy the DVDs. (The first season was better.) ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/11 "2012-06-04T00:06:39Z")
Oddly enough, the URLs are: > **[Preschool science and math games, activities, and videos | PEEP](https://www.peepandthebigwideworld.com/en/)** > > Play fun math and science games, videos and activities with Peep and his friends! Explore our preschool curriculum and at home activities. and > **[POCOYO.COM | Web Oficial de Pocoyo En Español | Vídeos, Juegos, Dibujos y...](https://www.pocoyo.com/)** > > Entra Y Disfruta De Nuestros Vídeos, Juegos, Imágenes, Coloreables, Apps, Fichas Educativas Y Mucho Más Contenido De La Mano De Pocoyo, Nina, Roberto, Pato, Elly, Loula, Pulpo, Pajaroto, Pajarito Y Valentina.¡Entra Y Diviértete! Who knew? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/12 "2012-06-04T00:12:11Z")
_Phineas & Ferb_? Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![bashere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bashere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bashere)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/13 "2012-06-04T00:22:34Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > _Phineas & Ferb_? > > Does that count? No. I was so happy to make it to the _Phineas & Ferb_ years. _Tiny Planets_ is good, if it’s on where you are. Unfortunately, it’s like a five-minute short. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/14 "2012-06-04T01:10:16Z")
My boys (2 & almost 4) both love the [Octonauts](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octonauts) which is actually OK enough to watch with them. [Shaun the Sheep](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaun_the_Sheep) and [Timmy time](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timmy_time) (both Aardman) are also good. Mind you, they both love _Futurama_ and _Wallace & Gromit_ (my boys are awesome 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/15 "2012-06-04T01:23:45Z")
Pocoyo Bubble Guppies Yo Gabba Gabba (the lead character “Dj Lance Rock” is from St. Louis and was pretty big in the late 90’s, early 00’s in the rave scene) ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/16 "2012-06-04T01:29:30Z")
What’s wrong with Tom and Jerry and Popeye and stuff? That’s what my preschooler watched. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/17 "2012-06-04T01:57:41Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > What’s wrong with Tom and Jerry and Popeye and stuff? > > That’s what my preschooler watched. Well, they are simple enough for them to watch… I wouldn’t let young children watch happy tree friends though. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/18 "2012-06-04T01:57:44Z")
The least annoying preschool shows I am aware of are:[Yo Gabba Gabba](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn4M6nsglKA) [Pancake Mountain](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpZCNJfPzWQ&feature=relmfu) [The Wiggles](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwy1x0-cZaI) Caveat: Parents with different sensibilities may find these show _more_ annoying than the median. I like them because they approach children’s entertainment from the position that just because it’s for kids doesn’t mean it has to suck - and also because they are _awesome_. I concede that this may strongly correlate with how hard I partied before I settled down and had kids. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/19 "2012-06-04T02:21:38Z")
I can’t stand Yo Gabba Gabba - the show makes my skin crawl for some reason. My sister, who is a wonderful person in many ways, knowing that two things I _really_ dislike are the Wiggles and Steve Irwin got [this](http://www.amazon.com/The-Wiggles-Wiggly-Safari/dp/B000068GFY) for my oldest sons first christmas. Revenge is still being planned on that one 🙂 Just introduced the mini-Popes to the\* Road Runner \*cartoons which have become the greatest things ever commited to film according to them. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975/20 "2012-06-04T02:30:32Z")
The Fresh Beat Band, on NickJr, is pretty good. Also, my two-year-old loves Team Umizoomi and Pocoyo (already mentioned), and they’re good too. Also on NickJr. There’s also The Upside-Down Show, which NickJr used to show but doesn’t anymore. It was hilarious, even for adults. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-preschoolers-tv-shows-are-the-most-tolerable/623975.md?page=2)