First of all, tell me you never once thought it would be cool to be the one drawing the mouse ears and saying, “You’re watching Disney Channel!” It’s iconic. Disney Channel delivered when it comes to drama and theme songs that never leave your head. And of course, Disney Channel brought us Jessie, Austin and Ally, Good Luck Charlie, Phineas and Ferb and so many more.… The variety is definitely there. Disney Channel was also great at creating nostalgia–or maybe it was the cheesiness that made it so memorable (watch one episode of Girl Meets World and you’ll know what I mean).
Did you know that there’s a type of lizard that can run on water? I do, and all thanks to Wild Kratts. Wild Kratts made science and animals interesting and memorable, which isn’t always easy. Unlike Disney Channel, PBS Kids tried to teach us a few important things, whether those were basic life lessons from Super Why or science facts from Sid the Science Kid. And who could forget Sesame Street? As far as quality goes, PBS is definitely number one. However, when comparing how much nostalgia it creates, it just doesn’t hold the same place in my heart as Disney Channel.
Coming in at the bottom of the list is Discovery Channel and the Hub Network, home to MythBusters, My Little Pony, and Pound Puppies, to name a few. While Discovery’s options were good for some mild entertainment, I don’t exactly look back on watching MythBusters and think, wow, that made my childhood. Did it make science look interesting? Maybe—I mean, I did specifically pick out a MythBusters DIY book from the book fair one year in elementary school. But did Discovery or Hub Network have the likable characters, the interesting stories, or the cheesy punchlines that Disney Channel and PBS Kids have? No hate for this channel, but not exactly.