5 Rebooted TV Shows to Share With Your Kids

One of my favorite things about being a dad is sharing my passions with my son. Whether it’s a certain song, a board game, favorite holiday or superhero, I never tire of re-experiencing these things together — and through his eyes, for the first time.

This is also true with the TV shows and movies I grew up on. Yet some of the shows and films I loved might not yet translate to a 5-year-old’s mind or patience level; or perhaps they didn’t age well; or they’re just plain impossible to find.

But as the saying goes, “Everything old is new again.” (Or was it, “All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again”?) In any event, pretty much anything you were into as a kid (movie, cartoon, comic book, toy, video game, etc.) has been rebooted, rehashed, reconfigured or reborn into a new iteration for you and your kids to enjoy. Here are just a few examples* that our family has found to bridge the generation gap!

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Super Friends / Young Justice

Super Friends was absolutely my favorite show as a kid. How can you lose with Superman, Batman & Robin, Wonder Woman and Aquaman? Yet as I watch the episodes now, they are as corny as the Wonder Twins’ jumpsuits are an unholy shade of purple. They were fine when my son was little-bity, but today’s kids (at least mine) have much more sophisticated tastes, and Young Justice fits that bill perfectly. It’s like Teen Titans, but with more glowering. Junior versions of the Super Friends/Justice League take on global threats, led by an ultra cool water-sword wielding Aqualad! And don’t worry, the old-timers show up from time-to-time, too.
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Inspector Gadget / Inspector Gadget

If you were a fan of the original Inspector Gadget, Netflix recently debuted an all new series featuring everyone’s favorite bumbling, cybernetic detective. For the most part the characters are the same, with the notable addition of Talon, Dr. Claw’s no-good nephew. Talon obviously got a lot of his uncle’s character flaws, but has the advantage of being more tech-savvy — hip to social media and the like. The new series also differs in that it’s done in 3D animation. Pro tip: skip the films altogether.
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Pac-Man / Pac-Man and The Ghostly Adventures

The OG video game hero begat a horrendous animated TV show in the early 1980s (and a pretty awful song, too). Luckily it’s difficult to find (the show, not the game), but if you want to school your little one in the origins of video gaming, you could do worse than Pac-Man and The Ghostly Adventures. The 3D animated series sets our hero in high school, bestowed with a destiny to save PacWorld from the threat of (duh) ghosts.
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My Little Pony / My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

My Little Pony (MLP to the cool kids) has been around in some form or another since they debuted on toy shelves in 1983. Since, there have been several animated series, a feature-length film, and various straight-to-video releases. But the true Pony-ssance was spurred by the most recent series, 2010’s My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic… and of course the onset of Bronies.
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The Transformers / Transformers: Rescue Bots

Another 1980’s toy-turned-pop culture giant are the Transformers. Both the toys and the original animated series debuted in 1984, with a feature-length animated film in 1986. As with MLP, the Autobots and Decepticons gained gargantuan popularity in the 21st century with the release of the first live-action film in 2007, a 4th released in 2014, and a 5th slated for 2017. I’d wager most of those are too loud and/or violent for your typical 4-year-old — or at least for their parents. But Transformers Rescue Bots fulfills the need for morphing alien robots in a preschool-friendly style and storyline, where a team of ‘bots morph into rescue vehicles.
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Other retooled classics* to check out with the family:

• LEGO fanatic? Try Legends of Chima or Ninjago.
• Fondly remember Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood? Visit Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.
• Fan of the Mr. Peabody & Sherman show? Watch the Mr. Peabody & Sherman film.
• Love the film Peter Pan? Set sail with Jake and the Never Land Pirates or Tinker Bell.
• Jonesing for Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated is pretty tasty!
• Miss your pal Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends? Meet Ultimate Spider-Man.
• Can’t wait for the new Star Wars film? Suit up for Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

*All rebooted TV shows are currently available for streaming on Netflix.

What things from your childhood have you passed down to your kids? Share them in the comments!

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