It was great seeing these kids shows respectfully deal with serious issues. For this list, we’ll be looking at shows primarily aimed at younger demographics that demonstrated just how mature they could be.
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00:00Do you like me?"
00:02Of course I do, you old jerk!
00:05Really? Wow.
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks
00:10for the top 20 kids show episodes that dealt with serious issues.
00:15It was a really bad scene. I didn't think it could get any worse.
00:19The boy was out wrong.
00:20For this list, we'll be looking at shows primarily aimed at younger demographics
00:24that demonstrated just how mature they could be.
00:27Which kids show sticks with you as an adult?
00:30Let us know in the comments.
00:33Number 20. Inner Beauty.
00:35Lizzie McGuire.
00:36We remember Lizzie McGuire for the wacky hijinks,
00:39but this surprisingly grounded episode sticks with fans above all others.
00:44When Miranda sees a photo of herself, she's driven to lose weight.
00:48Maybe you're right, Gordo. Maybe I do eat too much.
00:51I never said you eat too much.
00:53Yeah, you did. Yesterday.
00:55Man, you guys eat a lot.
00:59That's it. I'm going on a diet.
01:01Lizzie and Gordo are beyond confused, and they only grow more concerned
01:06as Miranda starts skipping meals and nearly passes out.
01:09Miranda does have an eating disorder, but not in the way that she thinks.
01:14Her dangerous diet is rooted in stress and the pursuit of control.
01:18I guess eating is the only thing I have any control over.
01:22Like, all this other stuff just happens to me,
01:24but eating's something I have a say in.
01:27That's not true.
01:29That's how it feels.
01:30While Miranda's dilemma is resolved in half-hour sitcom fashion,
01:34the episode gets to the center of anorexia,
01:37and the need for an understanding support system.
01:40To an extent, it mirrored life behind the scenes,
01:43as Hilary Duff also struggled with body image as a teen.
01:47Number 19. And She Was Gone, as told by Ginger.
01:52While she was in seventh grade,
01:54Emily Kapnick wrote a play about a girl who takes her own life.
01:57Kapnick was subsequently required to visit the school psychologist's office on a daily basis.
02:03Although most of her teachers were concerned,
02:05the drama teacher, Ms. Zorski, found the play creative,
02:10putting it on as a production.
02:11Since I do a lot of the writing for the show,
02:13there's some stuff we share in common,
02:16like Ginger keeps a journal and I kept a journal too.
02:18And Ginger's favorite teacher is named after my favorite teacher, Ms. Zorski.
02:22Years later, the experience inspired an episode of this Nicktoon,
02:26in which a character named after Ms. Zorski reads an alarming poem by Ginger.
02:46Ginger doesn't want to disappear like the girl in her poem.
02:49Upon opening up to others, though,
02:51Ginger finds that there is a little of herself in the character.
02:54Writing provides an outlet for Ginger to understand depression and how it affects us all.
03:0018. I Remember You – Adventure Time
03:21Adventure Time constantly crept up on us with its layered character development.
03:26At the beginning of the series,
03:28most folks write off the Ice King as bonkers.
03:31As we delve deeper into his backstory,
03:33we find that Ice King is not only a tragic figure,
03:36but he reflects real people living with Alzheimer's and bipolar disorder.
03:41You don't remember anything, do you, Simon?
03:44What, mon?
03:45Why do you even come see me when you don't remember me?
03:48You don't even know who you are!
03:50Yes I do, I am a lyricist!
03:53Nowhere is this better exemplified than in his jam session with Marceline.
03:57The Vampire Queen finds it hard to be around the Ice King,
04:00knowing that the father figure she once knew has lost his memories and grip on reality.
04:06Through the power of music, Ice King and Marceline find a way to reconnect.
04:10This magic keeps me alive, but it's making me crazy,
04:15and I need to save you, but who's going to save me?
04:19Please forgive me for whatever I do when I don't remember you.
04:26Ice King might not remember everything, but the love is still there.
04:30Number 17.
04:31Dances with Ignorance.
04:33Pepper Ann.
04:34Pepper Ann doesn't get as much attention as some other Disney shows,
04:38but it was ahead of the curve on many issues.
04:40Nowadays, it's not uncommon for kids shows to tackle offensive stereotypes.
04:45Each of you will research one nationality of your family heritage,
04:49and then I want you to bust a hype presentation for the class.
04:52I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the variety of ethnic spices we have
04:57in our very own little melting pot.
04:59In the late 90s, though, it was a bold subject for one Saturday morning.
05:04Discovering that she's one-sixteenth Navajo, Pepper Ann wishes to embrace her heritage.
05:09Alas, her knowledge is limited to grossly inaccurate depictions in movies and games,
05:14not to mention that crying Native American ad.
05:17There are even a few jabs at Disney's Pocahontas.
05:20You cannot hope to understand the special bond I share with my tribe.
05:24Unlike you two, we paint with all the colors of the wind.
05:28Although this could have backfired,
05:29the episode makes it clear that Pepper Ann is the ignorant one,
05:32which she learns upon offending a Navajo family.
05:35Pepper Ann commits to learning more about her background by listening.
05:39Number 16.
05:41Hey, Who Wants Pizza?
05:42Andy Mack.
05:43Andy Mack was revolutionary for several reasons,
05:47most notably marking the first Disney Channel show to include a gay character among the main cast.
05:52Granted, shows like Good Luck Charlie featured LGBTQ plus characters,
05:57but the network had never shined the spotlight on a young person coming out.
06:01Cyrus Goodman's story arc reaches a pivotal point in the season two premiere,
06:06as he confesses to Buffy that he likes Jonah.
06:08I feel weird.
06:12Different.
06:16Cyrus, you've always been weird, but you're no different.
06:23Cyrus's journey continued to evolve throughout the series,
06:27culminating with him telling Jonah that he's gay,
06:29another first for the Disney Channel.
06:31Okay, cool.
06:34Okay.
06:36Okay.
06:38Creator Terry Minsky based Cyrus on some of her daughter's friends,
06:42who realized they were gay in middle school.
06:45Through Cyrus, more LGBTQ plus kids can grow up knowing that they're not different.
06:51Number 15.
06:52Why Charlie Brown Why?
06:54Peanuts was always more adult than some gave it credit,
06:57with life's disappointing curveballs being a common theme.
07:01This Emmy nominated special found the series at its most mature,
07:05delving into an issue no child should have to face.
07:08Look, I got myself last week and the bruises are still there.
07:12Look at all the bruises on my legs.
07:15You do have a lot of bruises.
07:17You sure bruise easily.
07:19I never used to.
07:21Alas, too many have no choice.
07:23Charles Schultz was no stranger to cancer, having lost his mother to the disease.
07:28It was a Stanford Children's Hospital nurse, Sylvia Cook,
07:32who encouraged Schultz to produce a project featuring young cancer patients.
07:37With input from the American Cancer Society,
07:40Schultz wrote a special revolving around Janice, a young girl with leukemia.
07:45I have cancer.
07:46Cancer?
07:48That sounds scary.
07:50How do they know that?
07:51I, I, I, I don't understand.
07:55Well, they've done lots of tests on me.
07:58They found out that I have leukemia.
08:00Although it doesn't shy away from the cruel nature of cancer,
08:03the special is ultimately life-affirming.
08:05Janice proves resilient throughout treatment,
08:08finishing chemotherapy with hopeful results.
08:11Number 14.
08:12Jimmy – Static Shock
08:14This underappreciated DCAU won a Humanitas prize for its season 2 finale,
08:20which is just as relevant now as when it first aired in 2002.
08:24Released only three years after the Columbine tragedy,
08:27the episode revolves around Jimmy Osgood,
08:30a young man who's been mistreated at school.
08:32Stop it!
08:33Stop it!
08:35I mean it!
08:36I mean it!
08:37Don't!
08:40Not cool, Nick.
08:41Give me a break, Hawkins.
08:42Coming across Jimmy's computer,
08:44Virgil realizes that he's taken his father's gun.
08:48Virgil deals with traditional comic book villains on a regular basis.
08:52Yet few images in the series are more haunting than a scared,
08:55angry teen pointing a gun at his tormentor,
08:58accidentally shooting Richie amid the chaos.
09:02Okay, put it down.
09:03That's not funny.
09:04Lots of things aren't funny.
09:06Breaking my computer wasn't funny.
09:09Shoving me in the locker wasn't funny.
09:11Jimmy, you're right.
09:12I'm sorry, man.
09:13No, you're not.
09:14Although thankfully nobody dies,
09:16Jimmy's actions have consequences.
09:19Not everyone learns a lesson,
09:20but Virgil will always be on the lookout to prevent something like this from happening again.
09:26Number 13.
09:27Mad Love – The New Batman Adventures
09:30Batman paved the way for shows such as Static Shock.
09:33With episodes like It's Never Too Late tackling drug use and redemption,
09:38the series felt as if it could take place in the real world.
09:41This even extended to over-the-top villains like the Joker and Harley Quinn.
09:45That's a real gasser, huh, Mr. J?
09:49I give the punchlines around here.
09:52Got it?
09:53Yes, sir.
09:54The older we get, the more eerily identifiable their toxic relationship becomes.
10:00Harley's devotion to Mr. J was fleshed out in the Eisner award-winning comic Mad Love,
10:05which would be faithfully adapted to the screen.
10:08The story captures how a promising individual can have their world
10:12turned upside down by a manipulative love interest.
10:15You've forgotten what I told you a long time ago.
10:19What are the painful truths of comedy?
10:21You always take shots from folks who just don't get the joke!
10:26Even when someone finally says enough is enough,
10:29an empty gesture may be all it takes for the vicious cycle to repeat.
10:34Number 12.
10:35Appa's Lost Days – Avatar The Last Airbender
10:38Taking place against the backdrop of war,
10:41we can include the entirety of Avatar The Last Airbender on this list.
10:46Since individual episodes are the focus here, however,
10:49we're singling out one of the show's saddest half-hours.
10:52Separated from Team Avatar, Flying Bison, Appa, is sold to a circus after being abducted.
11:05Appa winds up at the mercy of a sadistic animal tamer,
11:08while much of the audience finds amusement in his suffering.
11:11Appa's Lost Days won a Genesis Award from the Humane Society for its depiction of
11:16how circuses have treated countless animals,
11:19a topic that's only gotten more attention since the initial airing.
11:23Even after Appa escapes, the lost animal endures a physically
11:26and emotionally exhausting journey while searching for Aang.
11:35Number 11.
11:36Faces of Hope – The Kids of Afghanistan – Nick News
11:40Nick News regularly approached real-world issues in a way that young audiences could
11:44understand without talking down to them. In the early 2000s, virtually every news program
11:50was reporting on the Taliban. However, only a select few focused on how the Taliban
11:55affects the children in Afghanistan.
11:57Girls in Afghanistan can't attend school. Here I can attend school and I can do whatever I please,
12:03and I can play outside if I want to.
12:05In this Emmy-winning special, Linda Ellerby provided a platform for several Afghan kids
12:10who left their home country after the Taliban rose to power. The episode explores why the
12:16Taliban and Osama bin Laden have solidified themselves as enemies of the U.S. At the same
12:22time, we see how the Taliban has made life unbearable for innocent people in Afghanistan.
12:27The Taliban have especially harsh laws concerning women and girls. By law,
12:33every woman must wear a burqa, a heavy cloak that covers her from head to toe.
12:38The special also emphasizes that many Muslims condemn the Taliban and just want to live in peace.
12:45Number 10. Alone at Sea – Steven Universe
12:49Behind its colorful, bubbly exterior, Steven Universe has gotten some pretty mature messages
12:54across to its audience. One of the most unsettling episodes finds Steven trying to comfort Lapis
13:00Lazuli shortly after she escapes Jasper's clutches. Although their relationship was a
13:15recipe for disaster, Lapis reveals that she actually misses Jasper and feels that they
13:20belong together. When Jasper tracks Lapis down and asks her to fuse into Malachite,
13:35she's tempted to repeat a toxic cycle, but rejects it with Steven's support.
13:46Through Lapis, the writers delivered a down-to-earth look at the nature of
13:54abusive relationships, as well as the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.
13:58Number 9. True Colors – That's So Raven
14:02This episode of That's So Raven explored Black History Month,
14:05but also delved into racial prejudices that still very much exist in 21st century America.
14:16Raven applies for a job for which she is clearly the most qualified,
14:22only to see the Caucasian Chelsea land the position instead. Through a vision,
14:26Raven learns that the manager made her decision solely based on skin color.
14:39Raven additionally finds that she's far from the first person of color who has faced job
14:42discrimination. Above all else, she learns that one person can make a huge difference
14:47in the fight for inclusion. Number 8. Mel vs. The Future –
15:02Gordimer Gibbons' Life on Normal Street Overcome with denial, Mel refuses to cry
15:07over the sudden loss of her mother, and instead dedicates all of her energy towards building a
15:12time machine. Mel eventually crosses paths with her future self, who reveals that even
15:26after mastering time travel, she was still unable to save their mother. Regardless,
15:31Mel is willing to spend the rest of her life trying to undo this unspeakable tragedy.
15:42It isn't until Mel finally confides in her family and friends that she accepts her mother's passing.
15:49Even in the fantastical world of Normal Street, there are some harsh realities we can never escape.
16:01Number 7. Helga on the Couch – Hey Arnold! Why exactly is Helga so aggressive?
16:08Well, this episode reveals her father is likely a narcissist, her mother probably has an alcohol
16:14use disorder, and she's always lived in her overachieving sister's shadow.
16:24After punching a student, Helga is forced to meet with a child psychiatrist. Though a reluctant,
16:29Helga soon places her trust in Dr. Bliss. We know Helga is troubled, but this episode really delved
16:34into her insecurities and emotional scars. It additionally showed us why she's so afraid to
16:46share her true feelings for Arnold. Dr. Bliss ultimately teaches Helga that she isn't alone,
16:50a message neglected children everywhere can take to heart.
16:54Number 6. A Formula for Hate – Captain Planet and the Planeteers
16:59Taking a break from protecting the environment, Captain Planet tackled the HIV-AIDS crisis.
17:10We meet Todd Andrews, a young HIV-positive athlete voiced by Neil Patrick Harris.
17:15As rumors about the disease spread, Todd and his mother, voiced by Elizabeth Taylor,
17:20become outcasts in the community.
17:29The episode does, admittedly, simplify the hardships HIV-AIDS patients face,
17:34but it was still incredibly risky for a children's animated series to take on
17:38this difficult subject matter, especially in the 90s. What the showrunners deliver
17:42is a well-meaning life lesson that both educates on AIDS and encourages acceptance.
17:47Number 5. The Great McGrady – Arthur
18:00Mrs. McGrady has been appearing on the series since season one,
18:03so it came as a massive blow to viewers when she was diagnosed with cancer.
18:17The way Arthur and his friends react to this news feels surprisingly relatable and authentic.
18:24Arthur and D.W. try to comfort McGrady, Muffy doesn't entirely understand what she's going
18:28through, and Francine is too afraid to visit her in person. Fortunately, Francine works up the
18:42courage following a talk with Lance Armstrong. This episode was co-written by Leah Ryan,
18:51who passed away from cancer before its airing. In her honor,
18:54McGrady was later gifted the first name Leah.
18:57Number 4. America's Kids Respond – Zoom
19:12The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 has inspired many stories throughout the years,
19:19and Zoom was one of the first programs to address the tragedy. America's Kids Respond
19:24aired on PBS a mere 10 days after the World Trade Center collapsed. At a time when America
19:30was overwrought with grief, this special episode exemplified the importance of community and what
19:35we can all do to help. A year later, Zoom aired a follow-up special entitled America's Kids Remember.
19:42Reflecting on the aftermath of 9-11, the Zoomers showed us that the country may still be hurting,
19:58but it was also healing.
20:08Number 3. Mother's Day – Rugrats
20:11Chucky Finster always stood out as the only rugrat with a single parent.
20:15This Emmy-nominated episode addressed the absence of Chucky's mother,
20:19and executed it in a subtle, honest way. Chucky only has vague memories of his mom,
20:24but still feels a strong connection with her. He tries filling the void by seeking out other
20:37maternal figures, but is ultimately drawn to a photo of the woman from his dreams.
20:50Realizing that his son is old enough, Chaz begins to tell Chucky about his late mom.
20:55Although she passed away from a terminal illness, Chucky takes solace in knowing
20:58she'll always be with him in spirit.
21:10Number 2. Mr. Rogers Talks to Children and Adults About Violence – Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
21:16Given the wholesome nature of his show, it's hard to imagine Fred Rogers talking about shootings.
21:22A year after John Lennon was assassinated, however, Rogers dedicated an episode to violence.
21:28With such a serious subject at its core, the special aired in the evening,
21:43and Rogers informed his viewers up front that youngsters shouldn't watch without a loving adult.
21:47So please get a grown-up that you love to watch this program with you,
21:52because we're going to talk about some sad and scary things.
21:57As sad and scary as matters get, Rogers still offers a message of hope and peace.
22:02Unseen for nearly 35 years, the Fred Rogers Company released it to web in 2015,
22:07giving it a wider audience at a time when its topic remained a hot-button issue.
22:12You'll always find somebody who's trying to help.
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22:31Number 1. Episode 1839 – Also Known as Farewell Mr. Hooper – Sesame Street
22:36Since its debut in 1969, the series has taught kids everything from mathematics to nutrition.
22:42On occasion, Sesame Street has even veered into more serious territory,
22:46introducing characters with autism and divorced parents.
22:49In 1982, actor Will Lee, who played Mr. Hooper, died.
22:53Rather than recasting or avoiding the issue,
22:56the creators decided to use this opportunity to educate viewers on death.
23:00Big Bird, don't you remember we told you Mr. Hooper died? He's dead.
23:08Oh yeah, I remember.
23:11Well, I'll give it to him when he comes back.
23:14Big Bird, Mr. Hooper's not coming back.
23:18The confusion and sadness Big Bird endures sincerely captures how many children cope with loss.
23:24This episode not only offers a loving tribute to Mr. Hooper,
23:27but also set the standard for all the other shows in this list.
23:31We can all be very happy that we had a chance to be with him,
23:35and to know him, and to love him a lot when he was here.
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