The Dreamer's Pen

What TV shows did you watch as a kid?

Some of my best childhood memories are stitched together by TV theme songs and commercial breaks, especially the shows I watched curled up next to my mom. Those evenings felt like a ritual: snacks on the coffee table, a blanket we tug-of-war’d over, and reruns that somehow never got old.

Watching with Mom:

We had a whole “comfort classics” rotation. Mary Tyler Moore made me want to toss a hat in the air and believe I could land on my feet. Mary’s mix of warmth and independence felt like a mini masterclass in how to be your own person without losing your kindness.

With I Love Lucy, we laughed until we cried—Lucy in any sort of “I can totally do this… oh no I can’t” situation was appointment viewing at our house.

Taxi was our mellow, later-evening pick; there’s something about that wistful theme and the ramshackle family of misfits that felt honest and human.

And Bewitched? Let’s just say I absolutely tried the nose wiggle more than once to clean my room faster. (It never worked—but it made chores more fun.) I wanted to be Samantha!

We also watched Three’s Company, which was hilarious even if I didn’t fully understand the innuendo at the time. The misunderstandings, pratfalls, and perfectly timed comedic chaos were enough to keep me laughing anyway.

Mama’s Family brought its own brand of humor, with its quirky relatives and chaotic family dynamics. Even as a kid, I could appreciate the outrageous personalities and insanity. It was comedy that made family life feel both silly and relatable. Iola has always been my favorite character, and I’m a huge Mama’s Family fan to this day.

Those shows were bonding time with my mom. They set a baseline for what I loved in TV: humor with heart, a little magic, and characters who felt like they lived just off-screen.

My Kid Show Lineup:

Daytime was a different flavor entirely, pure color and imagination.

Sesame Street was my neighborhood before I fully knew my own. I learned letters and numbers, sure, but I also learned about feelings, kindness, and how to talk through big emotions. The songs stuck, the skits stuck, and the sense that learning could be joyful stuck most of all.

Dumbo’s Circus felt like a storybook come alive. The bright costumes, the gentle lessons, and the way each episode wrapped with a little bow made it ideal. It was safe, sweet, and somehow always a little sparkly.

Under the Umbrella Tree made me feel like I had friends living in the living room!!

Those shows fed my imagination in a different way than the classics. They weren’t about adult problems or wit, they were about curiosity, community, and finding confidence in small wins.

Leveling Up to Action:

As I got older, the dial turned from cozy to kinetic. Enter Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and with it, a full-blown era of playground reenactments, choreographed morphing, and an encyclopedic knowledge of zords I absolutely did not need for school.

And yes, I had a huge crush on Billy, the Blue Ranger. Something about the brainy and brave vibe got me every time. He was proof that you could be thoughtful and still be a hero, that “smart” and “strong” weren’t opposites. I didn’t have the words for it then, but looking back, that crush said a lot about the kind of people I admired: brainy, kind, clever, steady.

What These Shows Gave Me:

From Mary Tyler Moore, I learned that independence can be warm and generous. From I Love Lucy and Taxi, that comedy can hold real life in it, messy, sweet, and heartfelt. From Bewitched, that a little whimsy never hurt anyone (and that chores still require actual effort). From Sesame Street, that learning is better when it’s shared. From Dumbo’s Circus and Under the Umbrella Tree, that gentle stories can build sturdy values. From Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, that teamwork feels electric, and that the Blue Ranger will always have my heart.

When I stack these shows together, they look like a timeline of growing up: starting on the couch with my mom, graduating to my own after-school worlds, and then sprinting headlong into action and adventure. They weren’t just TV; they were little maps for how to be, curious, brave, kind, and occasionally a little bit magical.