50 kids TV shows you'll remember if you grew up in Ireland in the 1990s

We've trawled our brains and the archives to dig out the 50 throwback childrens' TV shows that we grew up watching in the 1990s. 

From the Den on RTE to the Cartoon Network, we've found some gems that we're not furiously re-watching to relive our childhood.

2025 marks a quarter of a century since the 1990s ended and animation has moved on quite a lot but you can't beat the oldies.

Check out our full list below:

1. Morbegs

One of our Irish favourites, the Morbegs ran from 1996 to 1998 but wash shown in RTE reruns right up until 2008. Molly and Rossa were a big part of our childhood and taught us the cúpla focal. 

2. The Den

The Den actually started life as Dempsey's Den in the 1980s but was a big part of the TV schedule in the 1990s with Ray D'Arcy and later Damien McCaul at the helm. The Den introduced us to the likes of Dustin and Socky and Zig and Zag.

3. Rosie and Jim

In hindsight, Rosie and Jim were a little bit creepy. Their puppet adventures delighted our childhoods but looking back on YouTube now, they're haunting our dreams.

4. Hey Arnold

A legendary cartoon with the yellow-haired Arnold and his friend Gerald. We've been recently reminded Arnold's surname in the show was Shortman - there's a useless piece of information for you!

5. The Animals of Farthing Wood

A classic and for some reason reminds us of days off school as it was on very early in the morning. The theme tune springs us back.

6. Rugrats

Tommy, Chucky, Angelica and Co hits our screens all the way back in 1991 and remained on the air until 2004. It was re-run long after that and is still a classic. It's hard to believe Tommy's beleaguered parents were in their early thirties on the show. We feel very old.

7. Animaniacs

Can anyone name the individual characters in the Animaniacs? I'm guessing not (they are Wakko, Yakko and Dot) but you can definitely sing the theme tune, at least the first word, note perfect. 

8. Pinky and the Brain

Their adventures trying to take over the world kept us entertained from 1995 to 1998.

9. Dexter's Laboratory

The unhinged Dexter and his sister, whose named you've also forgotten, were a big hit. Her name was Dee Dee.

10. CatDog

A conjoined cat and dog is as ridiculous as it sounds but we loved it. It first hit our screens in 1998.

11. Noah's Island

This was made by the same people as the Animals of Farthing Wood and was about a community of animals and their adventures on a floating island. Noah was the main character who wants to make the island safe for all its animals.

12. Babar

The author of Babar (Laurent de Brunhoff), the aristocratic elephant actually died in 2024 and the character dates back to Laurent's father in 1931. It's been made into many books, TV shows and movies but one of the series, Babar: King of the Elephants was released in 1999.

13. Bananas in Pyjamas

B1 and B2 were iconic for kids in the 90s and were exactly as the name describes; banana shaped characters in blue and white striped pyjamas. Can anyone remember what they ever did in any episode? There were over 300 episodes made.

14. Doug

Doug was an American import following the 12-year-old title character and his hijinks, particularly around school. It hit our screens in 1991.

15. Recess

Another schoolyard classic with a group of school friends. Remember TJ, Mikey, Gretchen, Ashley and Gus?

16. Art Attack

Another classic that got our imaginations running wild. It was apparently about making art from things just lying around the house but we never had the 50 empty toilet roll holders and 60 packs of Pritt Stick required!

17. Gargoyles

The Gargoyles were crime-fighting creatures that came alive at night and turned to stone on top of buildings in New York by day. 

18. Casper

The friendly ghost we all loved!

19. Powerpuff girls

Another classic that ran for a long time and became movies, pencil cases and everything else you could imagine in the 1990s and early 2000s. We'll never forget Bubbles, Blossom and Buttercup. 

20. Cow and Chicken

Somehow this somewhat dim cow and cynical chicken were biological siblings and we lapped up their misadventures. 

21. Rupert

Made his first appearance in a comic strip in the Daily Express newspaper in 1920 and was made into many TV shows, including a series in the 1990s.

22. Budgie the Little Helicopter

The shenanigans of a helicopter with a face kept us entertained for hours.  

23. Power Rangers

Everyone I know dressed up as Power Ranger for a fancy dress in school or Halloween in the 1990s - always the red one! They hit our screens in 1993 and is still going today.

24. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

These lads started life in the 80s but we like to think they hit their stride with the TV series in the 1990s. Still going strong with a new live action film hitting the screens in the last few months.

25. Noddy

Feels like it's been around forever but the show we all remember only ran from 1998 to 1999. Always wanted a full size version of Noddy's red and yellow car.

26. Bosco

An Irish institution dating back further than the 1990s but still a big part of RTE's TV shows then. Re-runs on the then kept us going until 1996 when his spot was taken by the Morbegs. There are 386 episodes of Bosco out there somewhere!

27. Bear in the Big Blue House

Bear in the Big Blue House was released in 1997 and followed the adventures of the lazily named Bear and his little furry friends. He taught us things like how to share and solve problems as kids - apparently. 

28. Barney

Another one dating back to the 1980s but a staple of the 1990s too. The likes of Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato started their careers in entertainment alongside the big purple dinosaur. Who remembers BJ and Baby Bop?

29. Teletubbies

Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po hits our screens in 1997. There have been a few reboots since too.

30. Fireman Sam

This Welsh fireman and his heroic antics around Pontypandy were class. The theme tune is also a banger!

31. Johnny Bravo

Johnny Bravo was essentially about a grown man acting like Elvis, thinking he was ultra cool, failing to get women. It sounds like a bad rom-com but we loved it as a cartoon from 1997 to 2004.

32. Arthur

A cartoon about a family of bears that ran for more than 25 years on television. 

33. Denis The Menace

Another old comic made into numerous TV shows and movies. Denis and his dog Gnasher were the mischievous double act we loved to watch in the 1990s.

34. The Mask 

The cartoon version of this was made after the live action film version starring Jim Carrey. 

35. Tom and Jerry Kids Show

Another series remade and rebooted for years and actually dating back to 1940.

36. Draw with Don

Another Irish classic from The Den. Don Conroy even made it out to most of our schools to teach us how to draw an owl back in the day. What a legend!

37. Ren and Stimpy

Another unlikely tale of a cat and dog double act and their many misadventures

38. Are You Afraid of the Dark?

This one was for when you got a little older and reconstructed old ghost stories being told by a group of kids around a camp fire. I can still remember the end of every episode when water was poured on the fire.

39. Taz-Mania

The manic adventures of the famed Tazmanian devil from the Looney Tunes series was a great watch.

40. Watership Down 

There was a rebooted series of this made in the 1990s and it was a staple of our weekend mornings.

41. Tugs

Cartoons of modes of transport with faces knew no bounds in the 90s. Honking his way hot on the heels of Thomas the Tank Engine and Budgie The Little Helicopter was a community of helpful tugboats. 

42. Thomas The Tank Engine

This classic dates back to the 1940s but we remember him well from the 1990s.

43. Yogi Bear

Another old character redrawn in a 1991 animated series. Yogi and Boo-Boo gave us plenty of entertainment trying to steal picnic baskets in the park.

44. The Disney Club with Mary Kingston

A weekend classic on RTE. Mary Kingston's voice still brings me back to Sunday mornings back in the day. 

45. Darkwing Duck

A crime-fighting superhero duck - what's not to love?

46. The Angry Beavers

This series followed two beaver brothers - Norb and Dag - finding their way in the big bad forest was peak 1990s!

47. Blinky Bill

Another lovable bear character, cheeky koala Blinky Bill was ahead of his time teaching us about conservation. 

48. Pepper Ann

Pepper Ann started life in a comic strip in YM magazine before making our screen debut in this animated 1990s series.

49. Postman Pat

This one started in the 80s but Pat and Jessie, his black and white cat, was still doing the rounds in the 1990s and 2000s.

50. Creature Feature

Éanna ni Lamhna presented Creature Feature on The Den and taught us about all things great and small about nature, the environment and the animal kingdom.