Top 10 Worst Educational Kids Show Cliches

There's a reason why educational shows like Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood and Sesame Street were so successful. The main thing is that they didn't follow these clichés.

The Top Ten

  1. Constant Fourth Wall Breaks

    Let's face it. This is kind of unnecessary, considering that it's impossible to interact with a television show. All it really does is slow down the pacing by just waiting for the kids to perform some action, assuming they even do.

    Yeah fine, I'll admit sometimes you have to grab the viewers' attention. But if a kids' show does this every other scene, then the viewers will just be confused.

    The Backyardigans, but Austin is so cute!

  2. Annoying Voices

  3. Learning ABCs

    Because people think television should always be educational, not entertaining.

  4. Learning Numbers

  5. Only Female Characters Have Eyelashes

  6. Annoying Theme Song

    I can at least tolerate Sesame Street for having a catchy theme. But some others have annoying, repetitive theme songs that make you want to cut your ears off.

  7. Overly Bright Colors

  8. Puppets

    I considered puppet shows creepy when I was very young. I was very scared of puppets.

  9. Every Episode is Structured the Same

    Too many preschool shows are formulaic. Dora, Super Why, Barney, and many more follow the exact same plotline every episode.

    Seriously, like I said, Sesame Street is incredibly successful because they have variety.

    Take Bo on the Go and the Bubble Guppies stories for example. Even Masha's Spooky Stories. No matter how different they seem, they're all the same.

  10. Pointless Obstacles

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Creepy Characters

  12. ?

    Character Says the Name of the Title of the Episode

    13. The Contenders

  13. Talking to Screen for Help

    *Begins to stare at the viewer* "Hey kids, where's Scratch Cat? I need your help!"

  14. Singing Nursery Rhymes

  15. Cringeworthy Dialogue

    Seriously, some shows (Oobi) just have the absolute worst dialogue.

    If you watch Daniel Tiger, there are so many cringey and cheesy lines.

  16. Mary Sue/Gary-Stu Protagonists

    These protagonists are the smartest, coolest, and kindest people in their worlds. They have tons of superpowers and abilities, can solve every problem, always win everything, always get to be the hero, and everyone loves them. They also NEVER make mistakes and if they do, everyone forgets about it in 2 seconds.

    Examples:

    Dora (Dora the Explorer)

    Blaze (Blaze and the Monster Machines)

    Mickey Mouse (Clubhouse/Roadster Racers)

    Captain Jake (Jake and the Neverland Pirates)

    Sofia (Sofia the First)

    Milli, Geo, and Bot (Team Umizoomi)

    Barney (Barney and Friends)

  17. Repetitive Messages of Friendship

    Some preschool shows suck for being too campy and preachy with their messages.

    Friendship is Magic is in the title.

  18. Slow Pacing

    At least Mister Rogers did well with its gentle, slow pacing. But others are TOO slow.

  19. Whiny Kids

    Simon (Ben 10 Reboot)

    WildBrain version of Caillou

  20. Stupid Villains

    For example: the villains from Bubble Guppies, Swiper the Fox, and many more. They get instantly reformed by having a talking to, which is very unrealistic. The only preschool villain that is good is Robbie Rotten.

    Never have I seen an educational kids' show talk about taking action when things get bad (other than Lazy Town).

  21. Musicals

    While some shows like Wonder Pets actually managed to make this work, for the most part this is one of the most frustrating for me. We want to see what happens next, and they just sit there and sing for about 5 minutes.

    Some shows just have maybe one or even no songs in an episode. Others just keep going on with songs.

    I'm thinking of Wonder Pets here. There's no need to cram 20 songs into an 11-minute episode.

  22. "Smile With Me!"

    Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows all day? I don't think so.

  23. Too Many Side Characters

  24. Weak Writing

  25. Kid Characters Without Adult Supervision

    A ten-year-old boy travels with two teens to catch and battle. It's one of the longest-running animes. If you watched, know, and enjoyed the original 90s version the most, you are labeled a genwunner. Not forgetting the songs, I heard kids had seizures once?

    The Backyardigans, but we never see their parents.

  26. Talking to the Audience

    They CAN see and hear you through that screen. They just need to know the right time to... leave...

    You mean kids 3-5 years of age have never talked to the television? It's also been a long time since you were that age.

  27. Lame Villains

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