Top 10 Kids Cartoons You Forgot About

When asked about the on-going theme of history in his shows, creator Jay Stephens said “the past is full of surprises.” Twelve-year-old protagonist Cleo Carter was certainly in for a surprise in “Tutenstein,” when she stumbled across the mummified body of Tutankhensetamun. Even more surprising - Tutankhensetamun is shocked back to life by a bolt of lightning, and Cleo must help him adapt to the modern world. Airing on Discovery Kids, the series drew inspiration from real-life Egyptian myths and kings, and even had an Egyptologist on-board to act as a consultant. Thankfully, the series’ pseudo-educational angle never impacted its comedy or the fun in its adventures.

Brandy is a haughty, pampered pooch. Mr. Whiskers is an easily excitable, and often unhygienic, rabbit. Although they wouldn’t typically get along, circumstances have landed them both in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, where they must learn to work together in order to survive. While adapting to their new surroundings, the unlikely pair meet some surprising new friends and get involved in a number of kooky – not to mention dangerous – scenarios. The series won a Daytime Emmy award for “Individual Achievement in Animation” in 2005, and inspired a handful of fun and memorable flash games on Disney Channel’s tie-in website. Sadly, the show has never made its way to Disney+, making it harder for newer generations to enjoy Brandy & Mr. Whiskers’ Amazonian exploits.

While it’s easy to forget about a lot of kids TV shows as you move into adulthood, it’s considerably easier to forget a show you watched as a toddler. “PB&J Otter” aired on Disney Channel’s preschool block, Playhouse Disney, and centered around the lives of a family of otters living in a small fishing community. Like many shows of the same ilk, episodes of “PB&J Otter” often had an educational message or moral lesson. Episodes also almost always featured one or more songs, the likes of which would land the series an Annie Award nomination for Outstanding Music. Cue the “Noodle Dance”!

You probably know Outkast for songs like “Hey Ya!” and “Ms. Jackson,” but did you know that one half of the famous hip-hop duo once created a Cartoon Network series? Unsurprisingly, the show was a musical, and featured André 3000 as a music teacher named Sunny Bridges who taught at the Westley School of Performing Arts. Unlike many other cartoon shows, which take place in either vague or fictionalized towns, “Class of 3000” was situated in the real-life city of Atlanta, Georgia. This location was important to André, who sought to share the city’s unique culture with the world. And share it he did, with a diverse cast of characters depicted in a colorful experimental style.

Whatever happened to “Whatever Happened to… Robot Jones?”? It seems to have been a show that executives at Cartoon Network weren’t really sure what to do with. Even the voice of the show’s title character was an issue, with the network ultimately forcing the show’s creator, Greg Miller, to hire a human actor rather than utilizing text-to-speech software. Still, it’s hard to argue against the series’ fun premise, which saw a teen robot living alongside humans and learning their culture in an alternate 1980s’ Delaware. It’s a shame that’s all we got to see because Miller hinted in interviews that Robot Jones could have taken a surprisingly dark turn towards world domination had the series lasted beyond its short thirteen episode run.

You may not remember this show, but you probably remember its characters. This is because “Evil Con Carne” is one of two spin-offs of Maxwell Atoms’ “Grim & Evil” - with its sister show being the more popular “The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy.” While “Billy & Mandy” focuses on the adventures of two children who befriend the Grim Reaper, “Evil Con Carne” has a considerably stranger premise. It centers around Hector Con Carne, a crime lord whose brain and stomach are put into the body of a purple circus bear after a failed assassination attempt. It only ran for twenty-two episodes, but its characters found new life in cameo roles on “Billy & Mandy” where they were probably always better suited.

It’s crazy that this series has become forgotten by so many! Although it failed to reach the popularity of fellow Disney shows like “Kim Possible” or “The Proud Family,” “Dave the Barbarian” wasn’t without its fans. It even received its own line of McDonald’s Happy Meal toys! But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The real unforgettable aspects of this short-lived series were its charming cast of characters and stellar sense of humor. And while it took place in the Middle Ages, it had an undeniably modern slant that allowed for some surprisingly surreal, era-defying adventures. Unfortunately it only lasted for one season, ending unceremoniously with the protagonists’ parents still away and the villainous Chuckles the Silly Piggy still at large.

We’re not pulling the wool over your eyes! This cartoon from the author of “Knuffle Bunny” and “Elephant and Piggie” is a “shear” delight! “Sheep in the Big City'” follows the life of a sheep, aptly named Sheep, who leaves his home on the farm for the big city after a Secret Military Organization takes interest in him for their sheep-powered ray gun. The show unfortunately faded into obscurity after its twenty-six episode run, but was once the highest-rated premiere on Cartoon Network. With its occasional meta humor, smart word play, and a unique, simplistic art style, the show still feels as fresh today as it did in the 2000s, and still makes for a fun and breezy watch for all ages.

Before KPOP and JPOP reached the mainstream in America, “Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi” brought authentic Asian pop music to the small screen. The series featured fictionalized versions of the Japanese pop rock duo Puffy AmiYumi, who would also occasionally appear on the show themselves in short live-action segments. Though it was primarily in English, untranslated Japanese words and phrases were sprinkled throughout the script to keep the show on theme and give it an extra air of authenticity. “Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi” saw success with both merchandise sales and award nominations, and even had its own float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but was nonetheless canceled by Cartoon Network after a change in management.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

A Lighthearted Entry to the DC Animation Lineup Starring Superman’s Powerful Pooch

The Soft-Spoken Kipper Has Fun With Friends in This Childrens’ Book-Based Series

Mike & the Albonquetanians Exchange Laughs & Culture in “Mike, Lu, & Og”

This Family of Cryptozoologists Protect Humanity by Keeping Cryptids a Secret

A Resurrected Sherlock Holmes Solves Classic Mysteries in a Thrilling Futuristic Setting

What do you get when you mix a 1970s police drama with the drama of high school? In this case, you get “Fillmore!,” a vastly underrated ABC and Disney Channel series that ran for just two seasons. It’s true that Fillmore may take his job as safety patrol officer a little too seriously, but we’re right there with him when the mysteries he and Ingrid solve are so intriguing. The series also features a number of guest stars befitting its 2000s release date, such as “Drake & Josh’s” Josh Peck, “Malcolm in the Middle’s” Frankie Muniz, and “That’s So Raven’s” Raven-Symoné. Charmingly of its time but original enough to hold up for new viewers, “Fillmore!” is one forgotten cartoon that definitely deserves a pop culture comeback.