Intro
In this blog post, I will reminisce about the television shows I watched during my childhood in the early to mid-2000s.
I was born in 1996 and grew up with television and no internet. There was a period when I had cable, and I didn't. Even without cable, I could still wake up at 6 a.m. to watch shows like Curious George on PBS Kids before going to school. I particularly enjoyed the Saturday morning cartoons that aired from 7 a.m. to noon. It was a great time to watch television from 2003 to 2010.
What I watch When I Didn't Afford Cable
Fox Kids era 1999-2000?
During the Fox Kids era, I fondly recall Power Rangers Time Force, the amazing Digimon opening songs, the classic X-Men opening theme, and the animated show Spider-Man.
4k kids 2004-2007
I remember the very first time I saw One Piece. The first five episodes were quite impressive, and the opening song was particularly awesome. Years later, I heard that 4Kids butchered it, lol. It's okay, lol. As kids, we accept everything as good. Let's not forget the TMNT, a high-paced action cartoon show.
WB kids
Most of the shows I watched were reruns from 2003 to 2006. Some of these shows have also appeared on Cartoon Network.
They were pretty good to watch back then.
Here is a list that I remember
Animaniacs
Pinky and the Brain
Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain
Superman: The Animated Series
Batman Beyond
Static Shock
What's New, Scooby-Doo?
Ozzy & Drix
Xiaolin Showdown
Johnny Test
Tom and Jerry Tales and anything related to the Tom and Jerry series around 2003
Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!
I will mention that around 2008-2010, 4 Kids-TV and WB Kids merged into one channel under the CW/4kidstv brand.
I don't remember much from it, except that most shows were Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball Z Kai. It was a mix of programs from both channels into 1 program.
I won't forget Kamen Rider Dragon Knight in 2010. It was an American version of a Japanese Kamen Rider show called Ryuki, released in 2002. At the time, I was like, "This is a sheet," meaning not a very interesting show. But after rewatching it years ago, lol, and today, I would say it was pretty good, to be honest.
At one point, I remember ABC Kids "Channel 4" having cartoon shows and some premium shows aired every Saturday morning. I oddly remember watching Tarzan (a 2003 TV series) and Recess.
Let's not forget PBS Kids lol.
Man, I remember waking up early to get ready for school around 2nd to 5th grade, turning on channel 9 or 12, and watching PBS kids' shows.
Authur
This kids' show was awesome, although it was finally over on February 21, 2022. I always thought the show was over in some way when Postcards From Buster was aired, or when it just ran with reruns.
ZOOM
I remember the episode where they made ice cream, lmao, my mom and I had to rewatch that episode a couple of times to get it right lol.
Dragon tails
OMG, the show was super awesome, from the life lessons and them speaking some Spanish in the show.
Cyber Chase
The For Real segments were awesome lmao
Sesame Street
You can't lie to yourself that Sesame Street is the first thing you watch as a kid. I still remember Elmo's World Computer and food episodes.
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
The reruns were pretty good
Clifford the Big Red Dog
A great show overall
Zoboomafoo
Another great show overall the opening song is always cool
Between the loins lol
It is an awesome show about books, and the cliffhanger segments
Curious George
I loved that episode when George was selling Lemonades, the episode when they went camping, and George retracing his steps.
Lastly, there was an international channel.
The only thing I rememeber was watching this anime called The world of Naure and this Korean Drama called Jumong (TV series) and The Kingdom of the Winds
Ultimately, it was a great time when every kid out there didn't have cable.
And yes, these shows are geared towards preschool-kindergarten age, but the whole list of shows was delightful to watch and to learn.
What I watch When I Could Afford Cable
I remember Cartoon Network had awesome shows.
I will name a few shows that I liked watching as a kid
Cow and Chicken
Never understood the show but the opening intro was awesome
Kids Next Door
The whole show and movie was awesome
Edd, Ed, Eddy
The best show ever
Camp Lazlo
Really goood
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
Great show
Johnny bravo
A show that I never understood as a kid but it was a really funny
Courage the Cowardly Dog
classic but don't watch ScoobydooXCowardly Dog match up that movie ruin the whole lore plot.
Scooby doo
Classic
Dexter Laboratory
For some odd reason, I always love the episode when Dexter's moms try to be the mom by cleaning and trying to wear the new gloves lol.
My gym partner's a monkey.
It was Ok lol the opening intro song was awesome
Chowder
very very funny show
Ben 10
I never liked it despite watching the show
Power Puff Girls
Really really good
I do remember 2004-2007 Commercial Bumpers lol.
Man, very, very good times
Tom and Jerry
classic
Looney tunes
I never liked Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, but I did enjoy the old Pokémon movies that were shown on Cartoon Network.
Cartoon Live action ERA
Out of Jimmy's Head
Not much I could remember though the movie plot was ok
Destroy Build Destroy
It was a good show, but I can't help the fact that IT WAS ONLY THING KEEPING THE NETWORK ON IT'S LAST LEGS
Tower Prep 2010
I remember watching Tower Prep from the beginning to the end. My mom and I felt disappointed that the show was canceled and left with a cliffhanger that felt good. According to the wiki, Tower Prep was chosen to be in the live-action block to attract the Boyz demographic. It was also an expensive show to produce. Program creator Paul Dini, "The guy who made it," said that Cartoon Network didn't advertise the show enough to be a success. After the First season, the Network quickly backed away from producing more seasons to continue producing Adventure Time and Regular Show. Since those got higher ratings.
Hilariously enough, there was a show on Nickelodeon that felt like Tower Prep, but I can't remember that name at all.
It had teens
They had superpowers
It was inside a building
It was considered a school for kids who were special
Both Nickelodeon and Disney Channel continue to dominate the live-action space from 2010 to 2018. A full 8 years.
By 2012, Cartoon Network continued to struggle with creating original content and failed to effectively target its core audience. The only cartoon that aired reruns around the clock was *The Amazing World of Gumball*. By 2021, if you were a Comcast customer or used another TV provider, you had to purchase Cartoon Network as part of a higher-tier package. This meant that millions of viewers couldn't afford these premium packages, which were effectively cut off from accessing the channel.
AdultSwim/Toonami
Before we watched anime online, we had Toonami every Saturday, 7 pm-10:30 pm, and after staying up a bit longer, we had AdultSwim 10 pm-5 am.
I remember waking up very early just to see the Inuyasha ending songs lol haha.
Toonami/AdultSwim had everything a kid wanted to watch. From Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Inuyasha, Big O, Code Geass, and Teen Titans.
Back then, I didn't know Toonami was canceled in 2008 lol.
The Full reason why Toonami was canceled was
The Rise of DVD sales. Parents, ratings, and the negligence of the network led to its demise.
Adult Swim revived Toonami in 2012, and I recently learned that they created a timeslot called Toonami Rewind. According to the wiki, this block featured classic anime shows from 5 PM to 7 PM. The only anime shows that aired during this time slot were Sailor Moon, Naruto, and Dragon Ball Z Kai. Sadly, this timeslot was canceled on December 27, 2024.
Let's talk about the shows that I watched or remember on Toonami First.
Dragon Ball Z
The first anime that I ever watched was Dragon Ball Z. They mostly air out of order, though I remember seeing Vegeta Saga, the Cell Saga, and the Majin Buu Saga. It was cool watching them to the point that I got myself to the library and read my first Manga. And it's crazy that Dragon Ball Z lasted this long, with Dragon Ball Super up to now in 2025. Sadly, the creator of Dragon Ball passed away last March due to a blood clot in his brain.
Naruto
wasn't my first or second anime; it was my 4th anime that I watched on TV, and it was a brand-new Fad that lasted for nearly 18 years in America. My friends and I were wearing those headbands on our heads and just spouting ninja moves to each other. Naruto premiered on September 10, 2005. The first 2 seasons were awesome, but never showed chronology in order. But my favorite movie that I bought was Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow. The movie was really good. At that time, I thought it was pretty New in 2007 until I saw a 2004 copyright on it, making me realize that most of these are pretty much old.
To us, it was still new.
Teen Titans has been and will always be the greatest show ever, combining action and romance.
Adult Swim
Before the internet, Adult Swim from 2005-2011 was always the best channel to at least stay up a little bit later, or if you could wake up early at 4 am to catch that magic in the am. It was different; it was super raw and uncut. The Commercial block will have cue cards mixed in with Jazz Beats. When it hits 9 pm, it goes to the fantastic logo, Adult Swim Parental Advisory pops up, and the program will start.
Big-O
I only watch the ending song lol...
Inuyasha
I remember Inuyasha would sometimes be played on a Saturday at 4 am or 5:00 am just to hear the Japanese ending song.
Robot Chicken
Robot Chicken was the first cartoon that had over-the-top violence, yet very hilarious jokes. The crazy part was that the show's runtime only lasted about 10 minutes. It was crazy to even feature Blood and Guts on the TV way back in 2005 when it debuted on Adult Swim.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Go
I grew up watching the show and never understood what was going on lol
Tom Goes to the Mayor, Tim, and Eric
A really weird show lol
Check It Out! with Dr. Steve
I don't remember much of this show except the Sushi Segment lol, and how oddly the show was presented in 2010.
Boondocks
As a kid, I never understood The Boondocks until I watched some clips on YouTube to get a better understanding of the show a couple of years ago. Lol.
I do remember it was airing way back in 2006-2007
The very last one is Samurai Jack Season 5
Yes, Samurai Jack came back as the final season/final story arc. I do remember watching a couple of episodes on TV in the morning, especially the very last episode on how it was ending. It was awesome
Fullmetal Alchemist
There is not much, but a lot of good action
Just as I said before about Cartoon Network and Adultswim, times were changing, and they were moving really, really fast. They just couldn't catch up, and now the only thing I will remember about Adultswum nowadays is Rick and Morty.
Disney Channel,
I always consider the Disney Channel a wonderful place to watch awesome TV shows and be really, really excited to watch a feature-length premiere movie on that Saturday evening.
2001-2004 were really special
2005-2006 Not much to remember lol...
2007-2012 was the golden age of Disney
Live action series
That's So Raven
Even Stevens
Lizzie McGuire
The Suite Life with Zack and Cody
The Suite Life on Deck
Hannah Montana
Wizards of Waverly Place
Shake It Up
Bunk'd
So Random!
Movies
Got A Clue
Catch that kid
High School Musical
Wizards of Waverly Place movie
CampRock
Cartoons
Kim Possible
The Proud Family
Phineas and Ferb
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon was also a very special place in my heart
SpongeBob SquarePants is the most popular cartoon show in the history of the century. It was huge for Nickelodeon. It had toys, 3 movies, Specials, etc..
All That
Amanda Bynes show
Drake and Josh
ICarly
Big Time Rush
Victorious
Supah Ninja
Power Ranger Samurai
Ohh sheet!!! Let's not forget RUGRats and Hey Arnold!
Mini History on DVD and Comcast Ondemand And why everyone watch Stuff Online
For most of early 2010, buying a DVD from Funimation/Viz Media was the real deal to get the anime that you wanted to watch. You go to Walmart, buy a copy of Naruto or Inuyasha, a full season, and you never have to wait every week to catch up on TV.
You just don't need to wait.
It was a real Luxury back then.
I will be super honest, the first anime DVD that I got was Yu-Yu-Hakusho seasons 3 and 4. I love watching every second of it from beginning to end
If you were a Comcast Subscriber, by paying a fee, you could go to the On-Demand service and just watch anime that was available on there as well. And when DVDs and Blu-rays got too expensive in 2012, people just started downloading them online or on torrents.
My 2008-2010 internet mindset back then was in its infancy stages, meaning I didn't know that you could do these things; I had watched some anime online beforehand, but never knew how to download them. Until anime season.com lol in 2011. That's when I can download them for my heart's content. Sadly, animeseason.com was shut down in 2018. Taken by a DMCA notice. People started to upload anime content on YouTube, which also featured full-length episodes in 3 separate parts due to the run time limit on YouTube from 2011 to 2012. Nowadays, on YouTube, you can just watch a full-length episode, hoping it has not been taken down.
Later on, Streaming was a thing, but somehow that also had problems with "The ads," where it's just best to download them on your computer and never mess with the streaming side of things ever again.
The End and TLDR
American Television has always been the place to watch entertainment in the living room with friends and family. It is also a place where you learn things from different cultures and understand different people from the other side of the world. It was like this until the 2010s when YouTube and streaming took over. By the mid-2010s, creativity just went straight to the toilet, to the point that nothing was good to watch.
Last year or so, I wanted to know why most of the quality faded away so quickly. It all started with the Writers' Guild strike in 2008. TLDR money money money. If you give enough money to the guy who wrote a show, it's gonna be good. If you give the guy less money to write your show, it's gonna suck and will leave the workers and your audience very, very unhappy. And even to this day, workers in the entertainment industry are getting paid even less.
So yeah, being a kid in the mid-2000s through the early 2010s was a great time to be a regular kid watching TV, avoiding online drama, and focusing on what was in front of your eyes
Side Note
Power Rangers Time Force was Freaking awesome
Power Rangers Wild Force was Awesome
Power Rangers Ninja Storm was awesome
Power Rangers Dino Thunder was good
Power Rangers SPD was awesome
Power Rangers Mystic Force was freaking good
The rest of the Power Rangers series up around 2007 until now except Samurai, went to the sheet lol "Meaning it wasn't good well to me I didn't like it
Remember, freaking MTV, VH1, and BET had freaking Music Videos!!!!
Holyshit lol
I remember on Saturdays and Sundays, MTV had Rap and Rock Videos 12 hours straight, and sometimes in the noon or afternoon, they also had those shows like MTV Cribs, Run's House, and that Rob & Big Show.
VH1 also had music videos for pop songs, or sometimes did documentary stuff.
CMT was mostly country music
And BET was an all black channel with rap videos and such, sometimes airs Movies on it. Remember BET had 106 And Park!!! Dman Good times
Before streaming looking forward for a music video was good times sometimes it had Rap or Rock music sometimes it was good or it wasn't interesting.