The Best British 90s Kids TV Shows!

With the recent announcement of the revival of Barney, yes Barney the purple dinosaur! We wanted to take a stroll down memory lane and rewind back to a time when TV was at its prime for kids... the 90s! 

The 1990s was an era of nostalgia, especially when it comes to kids TV shows. Many of us who grew up during this decade have fond memories of spending hours watching our favourite TV shows, whether that was after school or on the weekends. From animated cartoons to fun game shows, there was something for everyone.

There's nothing quite like hearing the theme tune of your favourite TV show to take you right back to the golden era of your childhood. Back in the day, that precious time after school and before tea was reserved for classics like Art Attack and Blue Peter.

To celebrate the 90s, we want you to take a trip down memory lane with us and reminisce about some of our favourite shows that defined a generation. So grab a bowl of cereal, put your hair up in a scrunchie and get ready to relive some of your favourite childhood memories with us!

Barney 

Now we know that Barney isn't British BUT we had to include him in this blog post considering he was the reason for us writing it in the first place!

Barney was a staple of our childhood and our favourite purple dinosaur. Every episode was filled with song and dance, making us as little kids get up and boogie! He made learning fun and taught us about manners, art and helped us fuel our imagination. From its catchy songs to Barney's memorable catch phrases, no show could match Barney. 

Teletubbies

Noo-Noo, tubby toast, and the sun who had the face of a baby. Oh how we loved the Teletubbies! We were obsessed with four giant, alien-looking babies with antennas on top of their heads and televisions in their tummies and we're not ashamed to say that!

Tweenies

Now we know, Tweenies is just on the cuff of being a 90s show as it was at its prime in the 00s BUT as it technically started in the 90s we wanted to include it as one of our faves! When you think of the Tweenies, it's very likely that you immediately think of that iconic theme tune. 

The series followed four young (but adult-sized) children as they played, sang, learned and (often, in the case of Milo) threw tantrums that were quickly followed by needy apologies. Tweenies was basically a kids version of Friends but with less romance and more singing. They certainly don't make TV shows like this anymore. 

Blue Peter

As a 90s kids growing up in the UK, Blue Peter was one of the greatest TV shows. It was a show that we looked forward to watching ever week. Everything about the show was great! From its fun and friendly atmosphere created by the show's presenters to its wide range of fun and creative activities. Growing up we dreamt of being a part of Blue Peter and getting our very own Blue Peter badge! We're still waiting for one by the way...

Art Attack

When it comes to 90s kids TV shows, Art Attack was in a league of its own.

Neil Buchanan was a legend. He did it all! From mini challenges to huge creations, even sharing some awesome DIY tutorials and reading out fan mail. He taught so many of us how to draw, paint and craft - we'll never forget that! Oh and how could we forget Morph?! 

Jungle Run

Who else wanted to be on this show?! 

We were always so envious of the kids that got to be involved in the challenges and wanted to try them out so desperately! In case you can’t remember what Jungle Run was, it was a classic game show which aired on CITV from 1999 to 2006. Similar to Fort Boyard and The Crystal Maze, a team of kids would complete five jungle challenges where they would originally win bananas which would give them extra time in the final challenge.

Postman Pat 

Postman Pat, Postman Pat, Postman Pat and his black and white cat!

These days there are multiple couriers to choose from and lockers to pick parcels up from, but the Pat of our childhoods lived a much simpler life. He still mixed up parcels though, I guess some things never change!

Bernard's Watch

Even now in 2023, you still hear people say “I’d love to have a watch that could stop time.” Well, Bernard had a watch that stopped time meaning as a young boy, he could stop time. Name something more iconic.

Sooty & Co

Oh boy, did we love Sooty and Co! The series followed Sooty, Sweep, So, and Scampi on their group adventures as they try to run a shop in Manchester. The cutest trio ever!

Tots TV

Looking back now the puppets look slightly creepy BUT at the time, we loved them! Tots TV was one of  ITV's most popular kids shows back in the 90s and provided us with some great entertainment.

Rosie and Jim

Remember Rosie and Jim?! Those two rag dolls on The Old Rag Doll canal boat, who came to life when nobody was watching?! They were so fun and were always up for an adventure! And let's not forget that catchy theme song - every 90s kids still can't help singing it every time they spot a canal boat.

Come Outside

"Look up, look down, look all around!" Come Outside was just the best! Not only was it educational, but it was comical and what made it even better was Pippin the pup. Pippin was everybody's favourite dog! And let's not forget Auntie Mabel! She taught us about the world and showed us how something was made. Oh and her polka dot aeroplane was iconic.

The Queen's Nose

Hands up if you used to rub your nose on every 50p to check if it was magical. Come on, we know we're not the only ones who did this! Created back in 1995, The Queen's Nose was a show about a young girl who was given a magical coin that could make all her dreams come true. Even saying that out loud now sounds magical!

50/50

If you grew up in the 90s watching CBBC then you know what 50/50 is! 

50/50 was a game show that we desperately wanted to appear on when we were kids and included challenges, quizzes and inflatable obstacles! Now where do we sign a petition to bring this back for us 90s babies?

My Parents are Aliens

Yes, we can't believe it either...My Parents are Aliens aired back in the 90s!

My Parents are Aliens followed the day-to-day lives of three orphaned children who were adopted by aliens that had trouble adjusting to the local culture. It was crazy, chaotic but heart-warming and funny at the same time. 

What a CITV classic! Who else remembers rushing home from school to watch this show? 

Pingu

Even though Pingu first started in the 80s, Pingu ruled over two decades. 

Despite the fact that the Pinguinese language made no sense whatsoever, we understood Pingu and the comedy involved which definitely transferred across the world! From the way he wobbled and skidded across the ice to that babbling, honking noise he made, we adored Pingu. And do you know what? We’d still watch Pingu now.

Brum

Our little friend Brum! We watched him head off into the big city in search of something more and meet a lot of new people along the way! Admit it, back in the day we all wanted a car like Brum...

Chucklevision

To me, to you...

From their matching taches to their hilarious adventures, Paul and Barry Chuckle always had us in fits of laughter. Nothing ever went to plan for them, which just made everything 10x funnier. Looking back now, we never really knew too much about them as characters and we never even questioned anything about them - like why did they have a new job every week? Regardless, we absolutely loved their relationship and no 90s kids TV show list would be complete without the Chuckle brothers. 

Let's face it, the 90s were amazing! Have we missed your favourite TV show off the list? Let us know in the comments below which show was your favourite growing up!