Category Archives: Top Ten Thursday

Top 10: Favorite Shows from PBS

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10.) Reading Rainbow

The third-longest running PBS show (yes, the other two are on my list) that has my man LeVar Burton as the host. A show…about books, that wouldn’t work today. Good thing the 80’s didn’t subscribe to the idea that quality equals boring in this sense. Not for nothing, but this and all of the PBS shows for the most part had incredible theme songs.

9.) Bill Nye the Science Guy

Science Rules! Speaking of shows that pushed intelligence over entertainment…let me not lie, there was a lot of comedy and music in this show. As this list continues, you’ll see how I love my music-influenced shows but the one show that is so left of all the others actually has a lot of good tracks. Ranks very high in the theme song category.

8.) Mr. Rogers Neighborhood

The original PBS show for children. When I hear “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”, takes me back. I remember the Neighborhood of Make-Believe and all of the puppets. I remember the music being very classical and even jazz influenced. Most of all I remember Rogers as someone who came across as genuine and earnest. It was right before I graduated high school that he passed away…very sad day indeed.

7.) Wishbone

One of the shortest lasting PBS shows (the shortest on my list) but left a memorable impact. To me this is the spiritual successor to Reading Rainbow. I say that because Wishbone always tries to find the parallels between classic literary arts and the current situation of the day. I always liked that the audience gets to hear Wishbone but the human characters around him can’t. (Bill Nye may have the catchier theme song, but it’s not better than this one) What’s the story?!

6.) Kidsongs

This show did your standard children’s job of teaching lessons and solving problems. For me, I loved this show as a kid for the music. All of the songs that would be done…I would walk to school instead of catching the bus just so I could watch this show. Good memories of this show.

5.) Sesame Street

The one show that everyone should have some familiarity with. Whether it’s the human characters, the actual Sesame Street characters or a particular segment…Sesame Street had to have left an impression on you if you were a kid in the last century. Musically, only Animaniacs compares when it comes to all of the different songs that were used. (I may do a Top 10 on Sesame Street songs honestly) We may not have know exactly how to get to Sesame Street, but it being on TV was the next best thing.

4.) Arthur

Who would of thought a cartoon about an aardvark would be so entertaining? Personally, the Christmas episode alone puts this high on my list. Grew up with the books and loved those, but never thought it would get turned into a show. Granted, I was out of that target demographic but like Disney’s Recess, I was able to get on board with this show. Buster even got a short-lived spin off out of this. (Honorable Mention to two other shows that I red as a child that got turned into cartoons; Clifford and the Berenstain Bears) You can’t help but do a little dance when singing this theme song!

3.) Magic School Bus

Considering how much I enjoyed school as a kid, “I knew I should’ve just stayed home today” always got me every time Arnold said it. Lasting just slightly longer this Wishbone, this was one of my favorite cartoons period at that time. At the library at school, we had “The Pit” which was a carpet-laced area into the floor where we could lay out and read whatever books we checked out. I member those paperback Magic School Bus books…You can’t go wrong with Little Richard singing your theme song.

2.) Lamb Chop’s Play Along

This puppet-inspired show hosted by the legendary Shari Lewis was worth waking up early for to watch. (Actually I was already up because Mr. Rogers came on before it). Big on music, loved the interactions of Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, Hush Puppy…wow, these names, I’m just realizing it now. Lamb Chop always acted as somewhat of a foil to Shari which was funny. Even the Knock Knock jokes and Riddles segments I remember. Oh, and if you ever want to annoy someone, just sing, “This is the Song that Doesn’t End.”

1.) Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

So why is a game show my number one? For one reason…DO IT ROCKAPELLA!!!

Top 10: Favorite Shows from Kids WB

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10.) Johnny Test

Just another day in the life of a boy…to me this was Warner Brothers’ answer to Dexter’s Lab. Not nearly as good but I remember it well enough to be fair.

9.) Road Rovers

Wow, how old is this? Catchy little theme song and was a cartoon that never took itself too seriously. Short run but it has enough to where I would watch whenever it came on.

8.) Mucha Lucha

A cartoon about Lucha Libre (wrestling). How cool is that. Cool is Ricochet, cool is Buena Girl, cool is the Flea. Loved the signature moves and how overly animated they were. Better than I remembered.

7.) Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries

A new spin to an old classic. Hey it beats watching Scooby Doo have these type of adventures. Love the dynamic between all the characters and really fleshes out Granny, something that the old shorts never really got to do. Oh, and Tweety finally gets eaten at the end…sort of.

6.) Cardcaptors

In the vein of Sailor Moon, this was a more or less a girls’ anime. Kinda funny in Sailor Moon, the main is Serena and here the main is Sakura. I was drawn into the show because of all the different Clow Cards and the interesting/mythical characters like Yue and Clow Reed. This show was better than it had any right to be.

5.) X-Men Evolution

I was so hooked on this show. I remember being in message boards discussing who the 4 Horseman were going to end up being. Oh and the final episode with Xavier having visions of the future. Man we were so hoping for another season after that, but that is the way you end a series. Amazing memories of this show…to me, enjoyed this more than 90’s X-Men.

4.) Spectacular Spider-Man

Speaking of shows that I feel are better than their predecessor. If there was a show that had no business being canceled after only two seasons. I love the new animation style for this (even Disney Infinity liked it). The relationship between Peter and Gwen was so sweet, so though out. This is the one show on my list that deserves to be brought back.

3.) MegaMan NT Warrior

The Top 3 I own personally so that should show my love for these shows. MegMan is my favorite of the classic mascot gaming characters. But, honestly the Blue Bomber himself is not even in my top five characters on this show. His NetOp, Lan being one example, in fact I enjoy all of the NetOps’ on the show. World Three, Commander Beef, Grave and my favorte ProtoMan. This show made me go out and beat the Battle Network games (and there were a lot of them too). Power Up!

2.) Jackie Chan Adventures/Xiaolin Showdown

I couldn’t decide between the two honestly. They both operate in the same space. Talismans of the Chinese Zodiac and later Demon Chi and the Masks of the Oni on one side; the numerous and wide variety of Shen Gong Wu on the other. I think Jackie Chan did enough to warrant it’s long shelf life, while Showdown really gave a lot seriousness and depth to an otherwise quirky little kids cartoon. Both are awesome, both deserve to be this high.

1.) Static Shock

Of course, growing up a black cartoon…that wasn’t corny and a superhero one at that. Virgil, Richie, their friendship is the stuff of legends. Loved the variety of villains they had. Oh and what I said about corny, they did have guest stars like Shaq and Backstreet Boy members so…got to get those ratings. Always love when Static gets some airtime in later shows (Justice League Unlimited, Young Justice) and it all started here. Puts a shock to your system!

(Now for the record, I acknowledge that Animaniacs, Batman/Superman, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh and Teen Titans were all mainstays on Kids WB and yes, I love all of these shows in some degree or another. I left these particular shows of the list because there will be upcoming lists that involve going more in depth into these shows specifically. So I wanted to give some shine to the shows I wouldn’t otherwise mention.)

Top 10: Favorite Nicktoons

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(Just as a point of reference, what I consider as a Nicktoon…having the Nickelodeon “splat”  logo at the end of that particular show and being produced by Nick)

10.) Jimmy Neutron

Admittedly, I caught on to this show much later after its original run. Wish I hadn’t, it’s quite good.

9.) CatDog

I remember this very well, catchy theme song (the first theme song with actual lyrics) and…basically Ren & Stimpy with the roles reversed. Hey, it’s not Schnookums and Meat (do not seek out that cartoon).

8.) Danny Phantom

Half human, half ghost, all hero. Honestly, once some more time goes by, this will most likely be higher on my list. This show in my opinion was too good for Nickelodeon during that time period. Favorite Nicktoon of the new millennium!

7.) Avatar: The Last Airbender

Do I really need to say anything? The one Nicktoon that takes itself seriously. What Gargoyles was for the Disney Afternoon (yes, there will be a list for that), Avatar was for Nicktoons.

6.) Rocket Power

While CatDog is not quite as good as I remembered, Rocket Power is definitely better than I remembered. The last Nicktoon of the last century was based out of L.A. and included extreme sports and a main character who had to go to the Daffy Duck school of thought. Otto was awesome, oh and Tony Hawk was in an episode once too!

5.) Hey Arnold

This spot was a toss-up between this and Doug. Both shows had their bland moments but it came down to who was the more interesting main character. Honestly, Doug I remember more for his alter-egos like Smash Adams and Quailman. Arnold was an “everyman” character who honestly of all the Nicktoon characters (the prominent ones at least) I can relate to the most. He will always set out to do the right thing, even if it is not sensible to do so. The episode “24 Hours”, words can’t describe.

4.) Rugrats

“A baby’s gotta do what a baby’s gotta do.” The show that made “potty emergency” a thing before Wacko Warner ever did. Memorable characters, memorable holiday episodes…yes, Chuckie was my favorite character. Why is is not higher? Sometimes something can be so good, it runs the risk of overstaying its welcome (and I don’t mean All Grown Up, which didn’t help). Susie wasn’t in enough episodes to break the original 5 dynamic, but when Tommy had siblings, well…

3.) Aaahh!!! Real Monsters

Surprised this is so high for me? A show that was about monsters going to school to scare humans, is this Disney? (Not for another six years, anyway) As a kid, I enjoyed this show; I really like this show looking back on it. The main characters are all complex enough to stand on their own despite working best when they’re all together. Oh, and they had a cameo in a Rugrats’ episode, bonus points!

2.) Ren & Stimpy

I’m just going to rattle off some of my favorite one-liners and leave it at that: (Powdered…Toast…Man…!!!, Log!, Space Madness, Happy Happy Joy Joy, Don’t Whiz On the Electric Fence, No Sir, I Didn’t Like It, and pretty much every time Ren gets angry, like all of them).

1.) Rocko’s Modern Life

Was my favorite Nicktoon, will always be my favorite Nicktoon. Does this have anything to do with Spongebob being as successful as it is, being a rip-off of this show…maybe. But take that away and you have a show that has the spirit of Ren & Stimpy and Animaniacs rolled up into one. There were jokes running on this show that would last for a whole season that higher-ups did not even realize (Chewey Chicken? Nice edit Nick). The innuendo was so downplayed that some I didn’t get until after I became an adult. This show was a hoot!

Top 5: Favorite Shows from Nick Jr.

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(My little sister asked me to do some lists covering blocks of children’s shows I grew up, so I said okay but they’re going to be Top 5’s because it keeps me from covering just what I remember to what I remember vividly.)

5.) Muppet Babies

Who doesn’t remember this? A cartoon that references pop culture (of that time period) and encourages using your imagination (it even says so in the theme song), and you never saw above Nanny’s legs. That still makes me wonder to this day.

4.) Gullah Gullah Island

I loved this show as a kid. The music was great (definitely my favorite theme song from the Nick Jr. days), I had such a crush on Vanessa, I thought it was awesome that the parents played themselves and it was their way of teaching about their culture through life lessons, songs and adventures. This show did what My Brother and Me (also an African-American centric show on Nick) failed to do. Binyah Binyah!

3.) Allegra’s Window

The one show on my list that I bet is least remembered if at all by most people. In case you couldn’t tell, I loved shows with musical accompaniment and this show was no different. It was very Sesame Street-esque using animation, live actors and puppets but this show most reminds me of Lamb Chop. (Just wait till I do a KERA block of shows) I will always remember the talking instruments that would sometimes help with the musical numbers. Good little show.

2.) Eureeka’s Castle

Man, this is the one show on the list that I miss the most. Did you know that this show was co-created by…R.L. Stein? Awesome! This puppet show was the most like Sesame Street to me and had just as many memorable characters; Eureeka who was a magician in training, a dragon named Magellan, Batty (guess what he is), The Moat Twins who love peanut butter sandwiches and the Fishtones who basically gave the show an excuse to have random singing in it (not for nothing but next to them, Eureeka had a really good singing voice too!). The one show on my list that I can sit and watch as an adult and feel no shame whatsoever.

(A quick Honorable Mention to Face who handled all the segues and lead-in’s between the shows. He was what started the day for Nick Jr. and he closed it out too!)

1.) Blue’s Clues

I’ll admit, the reason why this is #1 is not because of its replay value and especially not when Steve left the show. The whole idea of playing the game with your younger siblings is a memory that goes way beyond the viability of a television program. Singing, Mail Time, or “we just got a letter” or the goodbye song…I still know clear as a bell because honestly when we were looking for Blue’s Clues…looking back “it was really fun.”

Top 10: Favorite Looney Tunes Characters

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10.) Foghorn Leghorn

To this day, he gives one of my all time favorite one-liners in all of cartoons: “Gal reminds of the highway between Fort Worth and Dallas…no curves.” Zing!

9.) Marvin the Martian

Nothing like a character that wants to blow up the earth. Oh, he was my favorite character to draw as a kid.

8.) Speedy Gonzalez

So why not the Road Runner? I always thought Speedy’s love for cheese made him more interesting than bird seed did for the Road Runner. And there’s the song Queso Bandito

7.) Bugs Bunny

Despite my obvious bias (we’ll get to that later) Bugs’ dealings with the mobsters Rocky and Mugsy are enough for him to get on my list. That and he has some of my favorite songs in all of Looney Tunes: “Someone’s Rockin’ My Dreamboat”, “Jimmy Crack Corn”

6.) Yosemite Sam

I Hate Rabbits!

5.) Tweety

Three reasons: 1) Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries  2) Hyde and Go Tweet (watch the episode) 3) “He fall down go BOOM!

4.) Porky Pig

His interactions with a certain little black duck are the stuff of legends. The most underrated Looney Tunes star in my opinion.

3.) Pepe Le Pew

Yes I like the skunk, no don’t judge me for it.

2.) Wile E. Coyote

A lot of people forget that Wile E. Coyote: Super Genius, can not only talk (quite well actually) but he’s had some run ins with Bugs Bunny himself. It’s not fair…Wile E. deserved some compensation for all the abuse he took…

1.) Daffy Duck (and his ego)

If you know me, this comes as no surprise. The real star of the show, the one that makes everybody else look a whole lot better than they have any business being, the gorgeous hunk of duck himself. Daffy Duck’s Quackbusters is resume enough. I ran over a girl trying to see Daffy at Six Flags…I was an adult when this happened. Lastly, Duck Dodgers and “Monsters Lead Such Interesting Lives.”

(drops mic…and hears nothing but crickets.)

Top 10: Dragonball Z Attacks!

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10.) Tri-Beam

Tien’s attack of choice, one whose power comes from the very life force of the user. Whether it blows up the ring in the World Martial Arts Tournament against Goku or able to slow down Stage 2 Cell from absorbing the Androids, it is definitely one of the most important attacks in DBZ.

9.) Big Bang Attack

Expect a lot of a Vegeta on my personal list. A single handed energy ball attack (one of the few non-beam style attacks by the way) that really comes across well in the video games but in particular when under the influence of the Majin symbol, killed a section of the audience with it during a World Tournament trying to provoke Goku into fighting him. Oh and he bested Android 19 with it upon his newly-achieved Super Saiyan status.

8.) (Super) Dragon Fist

The Only GT attack on my list, I personally prefer the Kid Goku version over his SS4 counterpart because such a big move coming from someone so small. Not for nothing, but the first victim of this move was actually against Super Android 13.

7.) Final Explosion

The defining moment in Vegeta’s Dragonball Z run…Majin Buu was unstoppable. He one-shotted Gohan, took down the Supreme Kai, not even the combined Trunks and Goten were enough. Similar to Tien, Vegeta converted his life force into energy…all of it turning himself into a bomb hoping to blow Majin Buu to bits. And while Vegeta’s sacrifice left him as a lifeless statue, Buu would simply regenerate himself. Goku would also try this in GT against Super Android 17 but he too failed but not at the cost of his life and was talked out of trying it on Omega Shenron by Vegeta himself.

6.) Wolf Fang Fist

One of my favorite aspects of the original Dragon Ball series was not only the importance of “human” characters but the actual martial arts that took place in this series. Yamcha: it’s practitioner introuduced the first ki-based attack in the series. Yes it is a melee-type move but the wolf that is always seen in the background is essentially the embodiment of the ki that powers his strikes. I always thought the move was cool.

5.) Four Witches Technique

Since I just brought up Dragon Ball, the only move on my list that really is not an attack. Tien basically sprouts two extra arms from his shoulders and continues the final round match with Goku. In conjuction with this, I equally like Goku’s answer to this move, which he took from a preliminary match giving him the illusion of eight arms. (For the record, this is my favorite fight in the entire series.)

4.) Kamehameha

What else needs to be said.

3.) Galick Gun

Vegeta’s Kamehameha if you will…not nearly as iconic but I’m partial to the Saiyan Prince.

2.) Special Beam Cannon

People tell me the DBZ character that I remind them of most is Mr. Piccolo. Loved the original build up for this move as a means to defeat Goku (which he basically ended up doing anyway) and it turned into the move that really set the Saiyan Saga in motion. The move may not cover a wide surface area like other beam attacks but I love the design of the move and the piercing effect it gives.

1.) Final Flash

Yes, my favorite move is Vegeta’s trump card against Perfect Cell that blew half of him away…and although later a Cell Jr. made this move look like utter language, the grandiose nature of the move always appealed to me and the fact that Vegeta comes across very well when using it!

Top 10: Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies

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10.) Iron Man 2

This was the first movie to me that really set up the MCU from referencing Africa (Black Panther), showing footage of the Hulk, Captain America’s shield and Thor’s hammer (in a post-credits scene) Not to mention Tony Stark outing himself as Iron Man

9.) Thor

Great introduction to the mythos of Asgard and really enjoyed Chris Hemsworth performance in this film. Didn’t think the sequel was anything special though…

8.) Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. was meant to be Tony Stark, this was the movie that demonstrates why? (Sam Jackson shows up at the end…awesome!!!)

7.) Avengers: Age of Ultron

There is some recency bias with this one because while it lacks the stakes of the first film and the action isn’t as hard hitting as I would have hoped for (save for the Hulk/Iron-Man Hulkbuster battle), there was a lot more humanity in the film. Between the relationship between Banner and Natasha, Pietro and Wanda as well as Hawkeye’s pathos with his own family, I did enjoy the story a little bit more. We get vibranium as a central plot device, a Civil War tease, Vision and Thanos with empty infinity gauntlet in hand. Language!

6.) Ant-Man

I have no words…most surprising movie I have seen. A good, solid film. Though it does remind me a bit of the first Iron Man, but that’s a good thing.

5.) Iron Man 3

“Suit or no suit, I am Iron Man.” Pepper Pots and PTSD taken seriously makes this my favorite of the trilogy.

4.) The Avengers

I still remember the feeling of being in the theater day of the movie’s release. It felt like being at a home team’s football game with fellow fans around you. Amazing…oh and “Puny god.”

3.) Captain America: The First Avenger

As a period piece, this movie does what no other movie in this universe does for any of their characters. It gives gravitas and scope to one of the most important and influential characters in our country’s history. It even handles the corniness behind the character as a means to advance Steve Rogers’ character not just as Captain America but as a soldier fighting for credibility and dignity. This is the film that I watch the most just because I appreciate what the filmmakers were trying to accomplish and I think they did.

2.) Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Normally this movie would be my number one…because of bias. The biggest challenge of this movie was putting a period piece character in modern day times. It worked and I think it exposed some unflattering truths that people do not like to admit or talk about and I love this movie for doing so.

1.) Guardians of the Galaxy

This movie is so B.A. and it’s because I knew next to nothing about these guys and this movie made me care. It mage me invested in their story. Don’t get me started on the musical aspect which was not only essential to the plot but we got a good soundtrack out of it too. If there is one sequel I am most excited for…it’s this one!