Voltron, Defender of The Universe - Vol. 1

That’s right. I had a lot of passions on TV as a kid – but Voltron probably tops all of them. The story is simple: a group of space adventurers pilot five mechanical lions that form together to become Voltorn, a giant robot that defends the universe from evil. I don’t really care about the crummy dialogue, the convoluted plot, or that the animation is ridiculously dated by now. It’s mutha-effing VOLTRON, people!

Pinky and The Brain, Vol. 1

“Pinky and The Brain. Yes, Pinky and The Brain. One is a genius, the other’s insane.” Admittedly, their spin-off series was never as good as their shorts on Animaniacs, but Pinky and The Brain was another Spielberg creation that was funny and didn’t take it’s youthful audience for granted. Oh, yeah – and it reintroduced Orson Welles and the Napoleon Complex to a whole new generation.

Zoobilee Zooo!!!!

I have yet to find the box set, or any episodes of it all….my five year old mind thought it was an incredible show? Especially, the dancing PINK KANGAROO. I had a doll and everything. ::Sigh:: the world used to be such a better place with Zoobilee Zoo :(

Greatest American Hero

I remember loving this show because the guy could take off and fly OK, but he would always crash land, usually into a pile of garbage cans… Not since James Caan’s epic performance in The Godfather where he beats his brother in law to a pulp has the garbage can been used with such cinemagic effectiveness.

Quid pro quo Matt, thanks.

I’m pretty sure I spent over $30 for this VHS…impossible to find at the time! Does anyone remember this wonderful wonderful movie from childhood? There are life lessons in there!

Married... With Children

It was the low-brow sitcom that made no apologies at all… and we all loved every second of it. Married… With Children was what would close out every Sunday night in my house. Right after The Simpsons and what ever other shows no one else remembers, it was Al, Peg, Bud, and… Kelly, oh Kelly.

The Simpsons, Season Four to Seven

I started watching this show when I was seven and was pretty faithful for about ten to fifteen seasons. Before The Simpsons got too wacky (which, in retrospect, would be nothing compared to later seasons or Family Guy) and after they were done being moralist, the show was a smart, quick-witted, hilarious cartoon about the mid-’90s American family. My favorite era of The Simpsons. Of course, the one where Homer smokes pot is pretty amazing, too.

Animaniacs, Vol. 1

Thank you, Spielberg, for finally getting around to releasing the FOX-era Animaniacs on DVD. Was this show often ridiculous? Yes. Was it also surprisingly well-written and topical? Double yes. Do you really know any other kid’s programs that have been able to frame episodes around The Geneva Convention, Les Miserables, and Amadeus, alongside a dozen other pop culture references? Yeah, I didn’t think so, either. Thank you Animaniacs for at least making my hours of lost youth in front of a TV educational.

The Dukes of Hazzard, seasons 1 through 7

My brother and I were waaaay into the Dukes of Hazzard as kids: him for the car and Daisy Duke, me for Bo and Luke. I was always highly annoyed by Uncle Jesse, however.

Confused Kartoons

Ah, a fellow enthusiast. We have much to talk about my friend…

Fraggle Rock

Who didn’t love Fraggle Rock as a kid? Actually, I never watched it via HBO, rather on the tons of tapes my dad recorded before the cable company cut our line (true story). It was fun, it was hilarious, and I loved the chemistry between Gobo and Wimbley. Is it just me, or did this show set the template for FRIENDS? Think about it…

Family Matters

We can all act as if we watched this show for other reasons. But let’s just be honest here: all we ever wanted to see was Urkel get on Carl’s nerves, Urkel blow something up, and Carl almost throttle him. It was your classic American sitcom formula, and I’ll be damned if it didn’t keep me way more interested in TGIF than Full House.