Now onto the companion list of 10 live action shows, I already did an exclusive British list so lets do the others.
Honorable Mention
Sesame Street
I'm bound by my rules on Pre-School shows and the fact that this has alot of animation as well as live action doesn't really make it a candidate on this list, however I will never say a bad word against this show.
10. Pee-Wee's Playhouse
A bizarre world from the mind of actor Paul Reubens, Pee-Wee's playhouse was the madcap adventure that was designed for kids with ADHD.
9. Are You Afraid of the Dark?
A surprise Canadian hit which managed to really scare you and while the safety filter was on and most of the stories ended in safety, the occasional darker ones would really catch you out and of course many jumped on that opening sequence.
8. Bill Nye the Science Guy
If you want your science lessons to be insanely awesome then Bill Nye has you covered, a fast paced comedy show full of song parodies and endless amounts of science to make your brains work overtime after schools.
7. Fresh Prince of Bel Air
Bit of a grey area as it travels the fine line between kids show and adult but I watched a lot more of this when I was younger rather than older. Watch a young Will Smith live it up with his rich Aunty and Uncle in Bel-Air. Time to make you feel old now. Will Smith is now older than Uncle Phil was in the show. To be honest Will Smith just doesn't age anyway.
6. Saved by the Bell
Before Nickelodeon and Disney packed the world with nothing but Live Action Kids shows, Saved by the Bell was the show that pretty much started the whole trend, while suffering a bit from being in the Pink Cadillac era of tv (High School setting that feels like the 50s but with plenty of 90s trends) it still manages to be significant in this day and age but it does show it's age.
5. Sister Sister
Nickelodeon's breakthrough hit that gave way to others like it, Sister Sister showcases the lives of Tia and Tamara who get separated as infants but reunite as teens under unique single parents Fashion Designer Lisa and Limo Driver Ray. One of the few twin plots that doesn't go for the obvious tropes and occasionally played some powerful moments such as when they finally learn about their birth mother.
4. Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Melissa Joan Hart originally started with Clarissa Explains It All, my sister was obssessed with it and the brother and sister dynamic in that show really put me off but Sabrina, Hart's more famous work was a lot more entertaining and really gave the live action sitcom market a boost in what can be accomplished with technology at the time.
3. MIghty Morphin Power Rangers
Haim Saban is a genius, without him I think anime would be dead because he saw something in Hurricane Rangers that would make a fortune over in the west and it did. This was Power Rangers and while it has become a cheese fest it's a very entertaining cheese fest, welcome to the world of Japanese TV and all it's weirdness.
2. Kenan & Kel
A cult classic and one of the few that's remembered among all my friends. Kenan & Kel showcases comedian friends Kenan and Kel as they get into bizarre situations usually by dumb luck or poor judgement and made even more famous for the "Who Love's Orange Soda?" line. It's so well remembered Nickelodeon started doing reruns again. (Or maybe they are desperate to win back diminishing viewers for their channel)
1. Wishbone
Now for something adorable.
Wishbone was a story telling show as the title character would tell a story from the point of view of a dog obviously done by voiceover who would replace the story main character with Wishbone himself, these were famous literacy works that may even be taught at school, everything from Shakesphere's works to Dickens, from legends like Robin Hood to old folk tales like Journey to the West. Yes Wishbone covered Saiyuki.
It was charming and had a sense of whimsy and Soccer the Dog (Actual name) is so adorable!
