50 Best Kids Shows Of The 2000s Ranked

Even when we're kids, TV is usually a big part of all of our lives. After school, on Saturday mornings, and in the evenings we can put aside our schoolwork to enjoy our favorite shows, be it a live-action adventure, a family sitcom, or an exciting cartoon. For those of us who grew up at the turn of the millennium, there was more choice than ever when it came to TV, as cable began offering more channels just for kids: By the 2000s, Nickelodeon was joined by Cartoon Network and Disney Channel, and later came Disney XD, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, and more.

With a decade to cover and thousands of live-action and animated shows, we assembled a list based on our choices and some of viewers' favorites, according to forums on sites like Reddit. We consulted IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic scores to rank them. This included both reviews from professional critics and audience reviews. But one last criterion we felt was important in our ranking was a show's lasting legacy.

Whether they were aimed at little ones, pre-teens, or tweens, shows in the 2000s comprised some of the best-made programming ever — at least that's what millennials will tell you. Some of the most famous, long-running children's series' were churned out that decade, including a few that are still going today. Below we'll take a look back at the turn-of-the-millennium kids shows and see if we can rank the best ones, based on critical reviews, audience scores, and their cultural impact. Try and see how many you can remember watching, and see if you can guess our top picks.

The first of many live-action comedy series on our list, "Zoey 101" was a hit for the three years it was on the air. Series lead Jamie Lynn Spears got her start on the sketch comedy series "All That" before being given her own series in 2005. The Nickelodeon-produced project focuses on the day-to-day activities surrounding the character of Zoey Brooks and her experiences attending the fictional and prestigious Pacific Coast Academy boarding school. While the on-screen drama is balanced by plenty of comedic moments, it's since been alleged that behind the scenes, production on "Zoey 101" was much less lighthearted.

A solid teen comedy aimed at young girls, "Zoey 101" made Jamie Lynn Spears (sister of Britney) a brief teen star. And while it wasn't among the most influential shows of the 2000s, it did receive a revival in 2023, the original streaming movie "Zoey 102."

A live-action show about time-traveling teens might seem like the kind of goody concept you'd expect from the 1960s or '70s. But that's the premise of "Phil of the Future," a Disney Channel classic from 2004. In it, Ricky Ullman stars as Phil Diffy, a high schooler hailing from the 22nd century who, along with his family, is inadvertently stranded more than a hundred years in the past.

Perhaps more than any other live-action Disney Channel show of its era, "Phil of the Future" is like a cartoon come to life, with an eccentric, colorful cast of characters. This includes his conspiracy theory-obsessed father Lloyd (Craig Anton), his narcissistic sister Pim (Amy Bruckner), and caveman Curtis (J.P. Manoux) who snuck aboard the family's ship during their time-hopping travels. With most of the action taking place at H.G. Wells High School, we also meet aspiring journalist Keely (Alyson Michalka), a 21st-century native and Phil's eventual girlfriend.

The fish-out-of-water series might not be the best family sitcom, nor the best sci-fi series, but its unique blend of cartoonish live-action stories and unapologetic cheesiness earns it a place toward the bottom of our list.

In what probably became the ultimate fantasy for many young viewers, "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" stars the titular twins, played by Dylan and Cole Sprouse, as they go about their lives living in the upscale Tipton hotel. The series first aired on Disney Channel in 2005 and would continue until its conclusion in 2008.

Despite being identical twins, the duo are both pretty different when it comes to their personalities, with the immature Zack frequently butting heads with his slightly younger brother, Cody. Along the way, they regularly encounter the hotel employees, including their lounge singer mother, Carey (Kim Rhodes); the comically materialistic London (Brenda Song); and the straight-laced manager Marion Moseby (Phill Lewis). An absolute classic for kids of the 2000s, it's a good show made better by its charming cast, which includes Ashley Tisdale and Adrian R'Mante. The show received a pair of follow-ups, including the seafaring sequel series "The Suite Life on Deck" in 2008.

After beginning her career as a part of the cast of '90s sketch comedy series "All That," actress Amanda Bynes would go on to star in her spin-off series titled "The Amanda Show." Airing for three seasons between 1999 and 2002, it used much of the same style of sketch comedy that was popularized by its predecessor.

The Nickelodeon-produced series portrayed a world in which the show itself was being broadcast to audiences, with many gags playing off that premise. Additionally, several spoofs of pop culture giants at the time were frequently featured on the series. With a meta story that was well ahead of its time, "The Amanda Show" was both trendsetting and inventive, and while it may not have had the same impact as Bynes' previous series, it's nearly as good.

Some of the best animated shows of the 2000s have regrettably been forgotten by many, but we can't let them be lost to time. One such example is "Xiaolin Showdown," created by Chinese producer and director Christy Hui. The show capitalized on the growing presence of anime in the U.S., and some South Korean animation studios pitched in to bring the series to life.

It follows four young Xiaolin warriors named Omi (voiced by Tara Strong), Raimundo (Tom Kenny), Kimiko (Grey DeLisle), and Clay (Jeff Bennett), accompanied by a dragon named Dojo (Wayne Knight), and together they are tasked with tracking down and finding a set of ancient relics that can grant their wielders tremendous power. But the kids aren't seeking them for personal gain, but to stop them from falling into the wrong hands, as these magical artifacts are also sought by various evildoers who could use them to achieve total domination. Action, adventure, and a healthy dose of Eastern spirituality, the series ran for three seasons and was nominated for five Emmys.

Thanks in no small part to Hui, "Xioalin Showdown" has an Eastern authenticity that many shows of its type lacked. Meanwhile, its compelling stories, complex plotlines, and all-star voice cast made its high-quality adventures riveting week to week. It certainly wasn't the first show of its kind, but its mainstream success helped usher in a wave of shows including "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and even movies like "How to Train Your Dragon."

By and large, when Batman appears in a TV show or movie, it's typically something dark and brooding, even when aimed at kids. But "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" flipped the script, with a bright and colorful look and feel aimed squarely at young children who may never have seen the character before. On top of its goofy animation and fun-loving tone, the series is a team show of sorts, with the Caped Crusader (voiced by Diedrich Bader) being joined each episode by a different DC hero.

Throughout the show's run, kids got the chance to meet not just Superman (Roger Rose), Wonder Woman (Vicki Lewis), and Aquaman (John DiMaggio), but also more obscure characters like Metamorpho (Scott Menville), Plastic Man (Tom Kenny), and Huntress (Tara Strong), among countless others. Just because the show is pitched to the younger set doesn't mean it's not appealing to older audiences, who likely appreciate the deep-cut DC Comics characters. The show's whip-smart sense of humor and evergreen stories helped it transcend its intended demographic, proving itself as a timeless all-ages comic book adventure.

It may have only lasted one season, but 2005's "The Time Warp Trio" might be the best kid's cartoon to help teach history. Oftentimes, educational animation is fairly plain, but "The Time Warp Trio" is anything but boring. It's based on a series of books by John Scieszka with illustrations from Lane Smith and Adam McCauley, and every episode, it sends its cast of kid characters hurtling through time. In the process, they explore some of history's biggest events while meeting famous historical figures.

The series begins with Joe Arthur (voiced by Mark Rendall) discovering a magic book. With it, Joe and his friends Sam (Darren Frost) and Fred (Scott McCord) are pulled backward and forward in time, usually against their will, ending up in such far-flung settings as ancient Egypt, 19th-century New York, the Wild West, and even the Stone Age. During their adventures, the kids also team up with the likes of Plato and face off against historical giants like Napoleon — who gets his grubby little paws on their magic book. Later stories see the kids in the future meeting their own descendants while being chased by Joe's uncle, Mad Jack (Tony Daniels). "The Time Warp Trio" is educational TV at its very best.

In 2001, Cartoon Network came to the rescue and resurrected the short-lived 1999 UPN animated series "Home Movies," a crudely drawn family sitcom designed to appeal to more mature tweens and teens. The humor is edgy, and the show explores mature subject matter, but it managed to skirt the line between kids and adult fare at the time. Its stylistic animation, meanwhile, probably turned away some younger ones at the time, but most agree, then and now, that it's among the best shows of its kind.

Semi-biographical, "Home Movies" is about just that, the at-home movies filmed by 8-year-old Brendon Small, who is also the series' co-creator. While working on his films, Brendon also grapples with all manner of problems, mostly the kinds of things kids deal with during puberty: emerging hormones, dealing with obnoxious parents, and trying to get by in school.

A more left-field pick for our list of best kids shows of the 2000s, "Home Movies" is perhaps the most under-appreciated cartoon of the decade. And that's exactly why it's here: Its cult following of fans is still raving about the show decades later, and for those fans, it left as big an impression as "SpongeBob SquarePants" did on everyone else.

Remembered fondly for its fusion of 2D animation and real-life game show antics, "Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman" has become a nostalgic classic for those who grew up on it. First airing on PBS in 2006 and with a respectable 100-episode run at the time of its conclusion, the series was known for incorporating several pop culture references that likely went over the heads of its target audiences.

The half-animated, half-live action series featured a number of child contestants each season. Each episode consisted of challenges for its guests to complete, interspersed with animated segments of the comically sarcastic canine host.

In what is likely one of the strangest picks on our list, everything about this 2007 cartoon "Chowder" defies the norm. The distinct animation style is only outdone by the series' surreal cast of culinary characters, each named after a particular dish. At the heart of everything is the lead, Chowder, whose determination to become a legendary chef is at odds with his erratic and zany personality.

Airing for three seasons, the series reveled in its insanity. While there are occasional lessons to some of Chowder's hilarious exploits, episodes typically conclude as they began, with a rising crescendo of absurdity and over-the-top gags. Taking the weirdness of the more popular "SpongeBob SquarePants" to new levels, "Chowder" became an instant cult classic while winning an Emmy Award in 2009.

Another series that played with the premise of its main characters producing their own programming for eager audiences, "iCarly" would go down as one of the most popular live-action series to air on Nickelodeon in the 2000s. In fact, Variety notes that the show has remained a hit on streaming platforms almost a decade after its last episode aired. As a result, the series was brought back in 2021 with the original cast, which itself received three seasons.

Spanning six seasons and nearly 100 episodes, it was the culmination of child actress Miranda Cosgrove's accomplished career by 2007, after making her television debut guest starring on episodes of "Drake & Josh" and later appearing on "Zoey 101." The quirky series stars Cosgrove as Carly Shay, who creates a popular web series known as "iCarly." Joining her are Sam (Jennette McCurdy), Freddie (Nathan Kress), Spencer (Jerry Trainor), and Gibby (Noah Munck), all participating in the day-to-day hijinks surrounding the titular web series.

A few years after co-creating "The Fairly OddParents," creator Butch Hartman drew inspiration from the paranormal to produce a children's action-adventure series. The result was "Danny Phantom," a series that lasted for three solid seasons.

The Nickelodeon series also was distinct from its counterparts at the time for placing importance on its story, with many characters having varied plotlines across multiple episodes alongside a typical ghost-of-the-week format. The show revolves around the 14-year-old Danny Fenton (voiced by David Kaufman), who receives otherworldly powers after meddling with his parents' supernatural technology, he's forced to fight several enemies while shifting between the world of the living and the dead and, naturally, dealing with high school at the same time. Though it didn't quite match "The Fairly OddParents," it comes close, with its greater emphasis on character and story not only elevating it but helping it remain rewatchable nearly two decades later.

In the early 1990s, "X-Men: The Animated Series" set the bar high for Marvel's mighty mutants on television, proving so popular that it was revived in 2024. But just a few years after it came to a close, Marvel struck again with "X-Men: Evolution," a spiritual successor that aged down the cast of superheroes, set its stories at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, and shook up its primary roster.

This time, the team of X-Men are all adolescents, with Cyclops (voiced by Kirby Morrow), Jean Grey (Venus Terzo), Nightcrawler (Brad Swaile), Shadowcat (Maggie Blue O'Hara), and Rogue (Meghan Black) all of school age, with the new addition of Spyke (Neil Denis), created especially for the series, joining the team too. Professor X (David Kaye), Wolverine (Scott McNeil), Beast (Michael Kopsa), and Storm (Kirsten Williamson) are the group's mentors and teachers. The animation and tone are more playful than before, and the stories are somewhat less complex than its predecessor, but in many ways, it's just as good, with a simplicity that makes it easy to dive into even for the uninitiated.

"Evolution" isn't just a good superhero cartoon — it's a great one. It surprised even comic book audiences who may have been thrown off by its more kid-friendly vibe. Ultimately the show ran four seasons and has remained a favorite among Marvel fans for its unique take on the characters.

First airing in 2003, "That's So Raven" would be just one of several different sitcoms aimed at young adults to air in the 2000s. It set itself apart, however, through its incorporation of supernatural power in its main character Raven, played by actress Raven-Symoné.

Set in a present-day high school, the character of Raven Baxter discovers that she possesses limited psychic abilities, which express themselves as premonitions of the future. While the premise is serious enough, the series plays it for laughs, with Raven and her friends frequently finding themselves in trouble as a result of misunderstanding her visions. Twice nominated for an Emmy, "That's So Raven" was one of those early 2000s shows that helped put Disney Channel on the map as the go-to place for the best live-action kids television.

While it was far from Shia LaBeouf's first acting gig, the 2000 sitcom "Even Stevens" became the first major role in his career, paving the way for his appearances in many big-budget films. The series stars LaBeouf as one of the three Stevens siblings and the youngest member of the family.

The series is a fairly typical but utterly hilarious look at adolescence and suburban life as told through the eyes of its titular family. Although children were the target audience for "Even Stevens," it still managed to maintain a mature tone across its 65-episode run, leaving many adult fans with something to appreciate while rewatching one of the best Disney Channel live-action shows of all time.

With some great action scenes and tons of inventive alien designs on full display, "Ben 10" always kept viewers guessing after its 2005 release. The series begins with the story of the aptly named 10-year-old Ben Tennyson (Tara Strong) who, after finding a piece of alien technology deep in the woods, is given the ability to shapeshift into 10 different alien forms.

While the science-fiction plot mixed in with some moments of comedy kept the original run of the show going for four seasons, it didn't stop there. Between continuations of the main story and entire franchise reboots, there's a total of 22 seasons and nearly 400 episodes and specials of "Ben 10" to sift through for the most dedicated fans. A comic book-like tale of a super-powered teen, "Ben 10" was every bit the equal of concurrent "Batman" and "Spider-Man" cartoons and brought a new superhero teen to the scene.

The classic fish out of water premise would define most episodes of "My Life as a Teenage Robot" for the three seasons it was on the air. Set in the fictional town of Tremorton, the series is focused on a robotic girl named XJ-9, or Jenny (voiced by Janice Kawaye). In most episodes, Jenny finds herself forced to balance her primary task of defending mankind with a typical high school experience along with her two friends, Brad (Chad Doreck) and Tuck (Audrey Wasilewski).

The series made use of a unique animation style reminiscent of classic '40s cartoons, with its retro-futuristic scenery and distinct color palettes. It doesn't just reference the past in its art direction, however, with many layered jokes and references to classic media that might slip past most younger viewers. Developed by the world-famous Frederator Studios, the show's blend of sci-fi tropes and zany 2000s humor make it one of the best of the decade.

Before he would go on to create the much-adored and off-the-wall series "Regular Show," J.G. Quintel worked as a writer on the 2008 show "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack." It's hard not to see the parallels between "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack" and Quintel's later work, with both projects maintaining the oddball and bizarre vibes that have made them enduring favorites over the years.

Set on the island of Stormalong Harbor and the waters surrounding it, the series follows a trio of characters and the zany misadventures they embark on. With a few adult themes and some unexpectedly creepy visuals, "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack" managed to blossom into a show with universal appeal.

The Dark Knight and his many appearances over the years are another property with almost too many different movies, comics, games, and television series to count. It can leave even the most dedicated fans with the daunting challenge of trying to sort the good from the bad, with an entire lifetime of media to go through.

While it may not be the very best animated depiction of Batman, here voiced by Rino Romano, this series still provided a unique spin on his exploits. With a distinctive art style and totally new imaginings of some of Batman's most iconic villains, "The Batman" is worth taking a look back at if you haven't already. Its fast-paced stories, colorful characters, and striking superhero drama made it far better than fans may have expected from the successor to "Batman: The Animated Series."

Full of black comedy and starring the Grim Reaper himself as one of the main characters, "The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy" is fondly remembered by those who grew up watching it. First airing in 2001 and continuing for an impressive six seasons, the show became a perfect example of some of the more macabre children's media that trended in the 2000s.

The series is centered around the dim-witted Billy, his sardonic sister, Mandy, and the Grim Reaper, who inadvertently finds himself forced to become their lifelong friend. While the two never truly become the best of pals, with Grim repeatedly scheming ways to kill off his two companions, he nonetheless winds up caught up in their weekly misadventures. Filled with lighthearted gallows humor, "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy" was somehow still endlessly delightful, making it perhaps the best and funniest kids cartoon about death.

Set in the comically named city of Townsville, three young girls, all the product of genetic experimentation, fight weekly villains with an assortment of powers. The vibrant and over-the-top color palette present in the original series helped "The Powerpuff Girls" earn its place in a generation of audience's hearts.

After its solid six-season run, "The Powerpuff Girls" seemed to have reached a natural conclusion in 2005. While most fans were eager for this classic 2000s cartoon to be revisited in a 2016 reboot, the series was largely ignored by critics and received, at best, a lukewarm reception from audiences, proving that sometimes it's best not to mess with perfection. And perfect is what the original series was: "The Powerpuff Girls" remains the gold standard when it comes to whimsical superhero adventure aimed at tweens.

Sitting as the top-rated live-action series on our list and held dearly in many viewers' hearts, "Drake & Josh" transcended the sitcom's intended audience, finding widespread appeal among kids and adults alike. The series is also known for (sort of) being a spin-off of a spin-off, with "Drake & Josh" being released just over a year after the conclusion of "The Amanda Show," a series that was built off the success of "All That."

Despite being siblings, brothers Drake (Drake Bell) and Josh (Josh Peck) couldn't be less similar. Between their polar-opposite personalities and the struggles of adjusting to the minefield that is high school life, the comical events that repeatedly befall the duo have made this one stand out against Nickelodeon's other sitcoms of the time.

"X-Men: Evolution" wasn't the end of the journey for Marvel's mutants on Saturday mornings, and at the tail end of the decade, the team returned in "Wolverine and the X-Men." Going back to its source material, the series wasn't a continuation but a reboot of sorts that stuck even closer to the classic comics. But this time, they embraced Wolverine (voiced by Steve Blum) as the team's most popular character and gave him top billing.

Less aimed at children than its predecessors, the show opens with the X-Men disbanding after Professor X (Jim Ward) and Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale) are apparently killed. A year later, the likes of Cyclops (Nolan North), Storm (Susan Dalian), and Rogue (Kieren van den Blink) have all gone their separate ways when Wolverine returns. He has hopes of reuniting the team after public sentiment toward their kind begins to shift and a government program to register mutants is enacted.

Highly polished stories, often pulled directly from the page combined with stylish animation and top-notch voice work, help put "Wolverine and the X-Men" among the best Marvel cartoons ever made. Despite positive reviews from critics and audiences and impressive ratings to boot, the show only managed a year. While some speculated that the cancelation was due to disputes with Fox after Disney's acquisition of Marvel, the company itself blamed it on financial issues (per Comics Continuum).

Putting DC Comics' most iconic characters together on-screen in each episode, "Justice League" truly assembled an ensemble cast of characters. While it was only on the air for two seasons back in 2001, the series left its mark. Featuring an assortment of some of the greatest and most powerful superheroes in the DC universe, the series is respected for its depiction of the comic book heroes it portrays, staying true to the tone of its comic book source material. After its conclusion in 2004, another series titled "Justice League Unlimited" was released, serving as a successor and greatly expanding the number of onscreen heroes that the series explored.

One of the best superhero cartoons of all time, "Justice League" was dramatic enough to attract an audience of adults and older teens who grew up in the '90s, while still being fun and accessible to kids of the 2000s.

At the top spot on our list, "Avatar: The Last Airbender" is a masterclass in fantastic worldbuilding, anime-inspired animation, and incredibly well-written characters and storylines. Set in a fictional fantasy world in which certain people are gifted with the ability to manipulate the elements, "Avatar: The Last Airbender" follows Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), a young boy tasked with bringing balance to the war-torn world and uniting the four elemental nations.

Since the original series' conclusion in 2008, the franchise has expanded with a live-action film, "The Last Airbender," as well as a spin-off series, "The Legend of Korra," and a new live-action series on Netflix. If you've waited this long without ever giving "Avatar: The Last Airbender" a try, now's the time. The top spot can be debated all day long, but we're staking a claim on "Avatar" because it's not just one of the best kid's shows of the 2000s, but one of the best shows that decade, period.