Even though it’s completely wrong? All apes are monkeys. Most languages don’t even have the ape-monkey distinction, just “small monkey” and “big monkey”.
Teletubbies. Barney wasnt horrible, unless and adult had to watch several episodes- just like Baby Shark.
I kinda remember that. Sheriff John wished me Happy Birthday and sang his birthday song for us.
The songs were good.
It was a show about veggies who love Jesus. Hard to imagine Christians not liking it. Larry the Cucumber was funny.
I unironically liked The Wiggles and was sorry when my kid grew out of it.
I agree - the Wiggles didn’t bother me as a show my kid watched
Celtling was a “Wiggles” kid, and we took her to a live concert. One of the scariest things I’ve ever seen was the >Moms< who were seriously Wiggle obsessed. Like, standing at the railing, kids in hand, but clearly trying to get noticed themselves. It was soooo creepy!!
Most 70’s kids in the DC Metro area have fond memories of Bozo The Clown’s show. And it was a pretty good show when Willard Scott played Bozo. But the guy who took over for him (Dick Dyzel? something like that) was another creepy one.
I vaguely remember the NYC Bozo. I’ve met Dysel, who used to attend Balticon.
I’d watch 10 episodes of both Barney and Teletubbies before I have to watch one more episode of that whiney little shit Caillou.
“Delicious!” said Max.
I always liked that one from when my kids were small.
The producers of Teletubbies had an earlier series called Tots TV. Teletubbies is high art in comparison. The puppets in Tots TV have spoken lines, but in something that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike language. And the puppets’ mouths didn’t move. I distinctly remember them not even having mouths, but a Google image search proves me wrong. If the uncanny valley had a kids’ puppet show broadcast to Bizzaro world, it would be Tots TV.
Does anyone else here remember “Clutch Cargo”?
I actually liked the stories but wow was the animation next level awful (nothing was really animated…the characters and cars were like someone glued one model to a stick and just paraded them in front of a camera). Also, their mouths were real human mouths speaking the dialog super-imposed where the mouth should be but it was never perfect so the mouth floated around on the faces a little bit.
So weird.
Here’s an example:
The worst kids show that I can remember was called Galloping Galaxies.
He certainly was no Space Angel, to be sure.
I actually LIKED “Teletubbies” even though I was not by any stretch of the imagination part of their target audience. Sometimes, one’s brain really does need to take a break.
Even before they thought about having kids, my brother and his wife agreed that their house would be a “Barney” free zone. Someone gave them a bag of stuffed animals at one point that included Baby Bop, and they did allow it because it wasn’t Loathsome Barney. Somebody else asked, “What was their issue with Barney, besides the fact that it’s terribly annoying to anyone over the age of 6?” and I replied, “You just answered your own question.”
My brother and I hated “The Bozo Show.” Our sister loved it, so of course she had to watch it.
But not all monkeys are apes, and it’s correct about the tail distinction for the most part (yes, I know about Barbary Macaques).
The song isn’t really about the difference between monkeys and apes, or whether or not there is one, whatever. It’s about misunderstanding a “rule of thumb,” or applying one uncritically.
ETA: They’ve got a few songs like that. There’s one about a healer who prays over people, and they always get better, but the real reason they always get better is that the healer’s assistant gives out some useful advice on parting, like “get lots of rest and fluids,” and once in a while slips them a decongestant or antibiotic. Everyone extolls the talents of the healer, while we all get to know who’s really doing the “magic.”
How about the deranged fever dream that is Boohbah? Although I’m not actually sure it was truly intended for kids not just aimed at stoners with a thin layer of deniability.
On that note, I liked iCarly. I mean, I wouldn’t watch it on my own, but if I was watching it with my daughter and she wandered off, I’d finish the episode. Same with The Thundermans and Lab Rats. Maybe we need a “Kid’s shows we enjoyed” companion thread. But to, at least kinda, bring it back on topic, one thing I absolutely hated about iCarly was Nevel. Remember Nevel, that little twerp that was an asshole to Carly. Constantly trying to ruin her webshow, even to the point of, IIRC, hijacking her website. Do you remember why he was an asshole to Carly? Because she wouldn’t kiss him. He stated a few times that he would stop if she’d give him a kiss. That’s really weird and gross for a show aimed at 10 year olds.
That reminds me, I also hated Sam and Cat. At the time, that was the only place I knew Ariana Grande from and couldn’t stand her stupid breathy, ditzy speaking voice.
Once upon a time before motherhood hit me, I thought Mr. Rodgers was a stupid show. Then after my daughter came along, I saw the show thru her eyes - WOW!
As for the worst, I haven’t seen most of the shows cited here, but Barney was pretty bad. At least the shows my grandkids like, even tho they seem silly on the surface, they actually teach stuff. Who knew talking cars would be explaining principles of physics?!?!? (Blaze and the Monster Machines)
I never thought of that. A couple minutes of research has revealed that, while many people see Max as neurodivergent and many families with neurodivergent children identify with Max, the author did not intend to portray Max as autistic. If he were, that would make Ruby an even bigger jerk.