Do you ever hear a song that reminds you of a certain TV show from your childhood? Or see a celebrity and swear you’ve seen them in something else but can’t put your finger on what it is? Do you ever think, did I dream that? 

Some of our writers discuss underrated TV shows from the good old days in hopes that someone remembers them too!

‘Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium’

This movie was seminal to my childhood and hearing the soundtrack today still brings tears to my eyes. Released in 2007 by Zach Helm and starring Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman and Jason Bateman, the beautiful children’s movie features a magical toy store run by 243-year-old Mr Magorium and his team of misfits. This film is filled to the brim with childlike wonder and joy as a young hat collector with only the store’s workers for friends, a cynical accountant who doesn’t believe in magic, a magical toymaker with a penchant for shoes and a musical manager who learn to trust and believe in their imaginations.

Despite being a children’s film, it speaks to the human and somewhat adult fear of mortality as the group grapple with the fact that their hero, mentor and boss will be leaving them. Before he does he intends to impart all of his carefully curated wisdom about joy, life and toys so as to leave the world and his found family a better place. Despite its outstanding performances, a beautifully composed soundtrack and a hauntingly beautiful story of love and loss, I rarely hear people talk about this beloved children’s classic, and its wistful optimism and magical setting lend it to the ilk of dreamland leaving many to question if they had simply made it up! Thankfully this film is very much real and a joy for all ages although be warned… it may make you cry.

Holly Allwright

‘H20: Just add Water’

As a child, I had an obsession with mermaids and the idea of magic. I give full responsibility to ‘H20: Just Add Water’ which is an Australian TV series that debuted on Nickelodeon in 2006. It was about three teenage girls who turn into mermaids whenever they touch water. As you can imagine, this makes for a very challenging life when you could pop a tail at any moment. Yet equally pretty damn cool that you can chill in the ocean for as long as you like!

The charm of the show was that we got to see these girls living our dreams swimming in the sea with a beautiful mermaid tail. Not only could they swim underwater for hours, they each had powers in their hands. Emma could turn water to ice, Ricky could control the heat in water and Cleo could manipulate it into any shape she liked. 

You may be thinking, “Wow, what a life!” But no, being a mermaid came with its challenges. Drama occurred regularly when the girl’s secret was nearly revealed. This of course happened in every episode and after every couple we’d get a ‘full moon’ storyline where they’d be hypnotised, forcing them to act strange. Also guys, can we just imagine for a moment how frustrating it would be to not be able to touch water? I had and still have many questions, like what happens if it’s raining? How do they wash their hands? 

This is one of those shows that 9 times out of 10 someone my age will remember it when it could very well be mistaken as a fever dream! I love how the series has grown in popularity thanks to TikTok trends re-enacting scenes and doing impressions. Now, new generations have been encouraged to watch the show and are loving it just as we did!

If you haven’t thought of the quote once since reading this, I applaud you.

“Cleo!! *tail flapping* Emma!”

 Rosie Spurrier

‘Charmed’ (1998)

‘Charmed’ follows three sisters who discover that they are powerful witches. Each sister has their gift: Prue (and later, Paige) can move things with her mind, Piper can freeze people, and Phoebe can see the future. With their magic now free to use after being magically bound as children, they take on the role of the ‘Charmed Ones’; the witches destined to protect innocents and fight off evil.

With any great show, comes its flaws. Evil only exists in San Francisco, the three witches ARE the most powerful in the world, and obviously, they always win. Or do they? There’s an interesting departure after controversy behind the scenes when one of the sisters die and is replaced, proving that even the main characters can die.

However, as a 1997 baby (yeah, I know), it was my first glimpse of witches who weren’t green, had warts on their noses, or ate children. So naturally, being interested in witchcraft and the like I ate it all up. The three main women are strong, independent, and navigate life on their terms. Yes, they might be witches, and yes, they might have people literally popping in to kill them, but they also manage a household, a nightclub, full-time jobs, marriage, demon boyfriends, and eventually motherhood.

’Charmed’ is one of those shows that you watch if it’s on, even though you’ve already seen it. It was good for its time and still shines brightly. If you’re looking for something witchy and whimsical to binge, I’d recommend ‘Charmed’. But please remember, it was the 1990s, and the CGI wasn’t good.

By Lottie James