My memory works in mysterious ways--I may not be able to remember the face of a guest I just rang up at work 20 minutes ago, but I can remember mysterious and oddly specific memories from my childhood, which includes the random TV shows I watched. Here are ten shows you may have forgotten about from the 2000s.
1. "Camp Lazlo" (2005-2008)
"Camp Lazlo" was a show on Cartoon Network about three boys who went to an innocent camp and "turned it upside down-o". Though it was never intentional, the three friends caused mischief wherever they went and were hated by everyone around them, the camp instructors included. The show was created by Joe Murray and lasted three seasons on Cartoon Network.
2. "Jackie Chan Adventures" (2000-2005)
Based on a fictionalized version of action film star Jackie Chan, "Jackie Chan Adventures" ran on The WB for five seasons and even had references to Jackie Chan's works in real life. "Jackie Chan Adventures" also ran on Cartoon Network in addition to The WB.
3. "Out of Jimmy's Head" (2007-2008)
Before the show, there was a movie where he gets into an accident at a theme park and recieves a brain transplant. The transplant was a huge success but because the brain belonged to a former cartoonist, it makes him see, hear, and interact with the cartoons made by the cartoonist. The half live-action and half cartoon spin-off follows the wacky antics of Jimmy, his astronaut mom, and his best friends as they deal with the cartoons that are, literally, out of Jimmy's head. This show didn't last very long on account of how weird it was, but it did win Best Young Ensemble Performance in a TV series in the Young Artists Awards in 2008!
4. "Catscratch" (2005-2007)
5. "Total Drama" series (2007- )
The Total Drama series has six seasons that mock competitive reality shows in cartoon form and has a a spin-off series that mocks popular reality series "The Amazing Race". After a two-year hiatus, the producers have announced there will be a new season set in an alternate universe called "Total Drama Daycare". The Total Drama series was a weird but hilarious stepping stone that led me to my addiction to competitive reality shows like "Big Brother".
6. "My Gym Partner's A Monkey" (2005-2008)
"My Gym Partner's A Monkey" follows the misfortune of Adam Lyon, who because of a misspell of his last name was believed he was a lion going to a human school. In a panic, they transfer him from his human school to the school for animals. He meets his new best friend Jake the Spidermonkey, who takes him on wacky adventures with his friends. The theme song is forever stuck in my head and I still think about this this game all the time.
I used to go to a human school where everyone was the same. BUT NOW I GO TO AN ANIMAL SCHOOL 'CAUSE LYON'S MY LAST NAME. MY GYM PARTNER'S A MONKEY.
(MONKEY MONKEY MONKEY MONKEY)
7. "The Replacements" (2006-2009)
"The Replacements" followed orphan siblings Todd and Riley who gain new parents, a British secret spy and a professional daredevil, through the use service Fleemco. With this newfound tool, they use it in attempt to better their lives by replacing they find unexciting, annoying or boring. Me too, Todd and Riley. Me too.
8. "ChalkZone" (2002-2008)
Originally aired in 1998 as part of Fred Seibert's "Oh Yeah! Cartoons" animated shorts, the series began on Nickelodeon in 2002 and followed the adventures of Rudy and his magical chalk. With his magical chalk, he was able to put himself into an alternate dimension where everything drawn and erased turned real.
9. "Codename: Kids Next Door" (2002-2008)
You gotta fight! *bum bum* For your right to paaarrtttyyy! do what adults don't want youuuuu to do!
"Codename: Kids Next Door" was about a group of friends who go on top secret missions in honor of kids all around the world who, like them, live for the day where they can live their lives without the authority of adults.
10. "Brandy & Mr. Whiskers" (2004-2006)
I think about this show ALL THE TIME. In this show, two very different pets from two very different backgrounds find each other on the same flight,meet, then they proceed to fall out of the plan and become stranded in the Amazon rainforest. They try to make the best of it and just try not to be eaten alive.
If you're anything like me, this trip down memory lane will probably make you fall into a deep, dark YouTube hole of cartoon clips. I wish I could show more forgotten cartoons, but for now...
