5 2000s Cartoons That ’90s Kids Still Remember, But Are Impossible to Watch in 2026

People born in the ’90s tend to have major nostalgia for what they grew up with, especially when it comes to TV shows. Millennials had some incredible cartoons throughout the ’90s and even into the 2000s that they loved. They are the kind of shows they would likely rewatch over and over as adults. For example, cartoons like Dexter’s Laboratory, Animaniacs, X-Men: The Animated Series, and Hey Arnold! still get watched by longtime fans to this day. Unfortunately, one of the most annoying things to run into today is the inaccessibility of some of the best shows from that era.

Theoretically, streaming services mean that we should be able to watch whatever we want, whenever we want. However, streaming rights get complicated and so many shows end up swapping services or not being available at all. While platforms like Tubi have an incredible array of classic cartoons and Paramount+ is home to Nickelodeon shows, some of the best that we grew up with simply aren’t available. It becomes frustrating for millennials when we can’t find our favorite hidden gems. These shows fit the bill as they are underrated and, as much as we may remember them, they are impossible to stream right now.

5) Squirrel Boy

Cartoon Network has an impressive history of solid shows that are hidden gems. Squirrel Boy fits that bill, as the underrated series only ran from 2006 through 2007, yet features some great episodes. The show follows the titular anthropomorphic squirrel and his best friend Andy Johnson. Squirrel Boy often comes up with wacky schemes to try and get rich, allowing Andy to be the more chill character who levels him out, making for a classic comedy duo.

Squirrel Boy benefits from quality voice acting led by Pamela Adlon, Kurtwood Smith, and Richard Steven Horvitz. The series, which came from Duckman creator Everett Peck, was never made available for anyone to watch outside of its initial run. It isn’t on a streaming service, nor did it receive any DVD releases and it was never placed online for anyone to stream. That makes Squirrel Boy one of the few shows from that era to not be accessible to anyone in any format.

4) The Mummy

People tend to forget just how big The Mummy franchise was after its revival in 1999. Along with the sequels it produced, and the upcoming installment, The Mummy also arrived as an animated series in 2001. Loosely based on the films and set in 1938, the series follows the O’Connell family as they journey around the world while being pursued by the High Priest Imhotep, who fans remember from the live-action films. The show was even created by Stephen Sommers, who directed the Brendan Fraser-led movies.

A lot of the focus was on Alex, the son of Rick and Evie, which allowed it to appeal more to younger audience members. Since he wasn’t as experienced as his parents, the danger felt more palpable. The Mummy lasted two seasons and 28 episodes before it was canceled. It received a home video release as The Mummy: Quest of the Lost Scrolls, which combined the first and final two episodes of Season 1 as one long adventure. A DVD release came later, but without those, there’s no way to watch it.

3) The Legend of Tarzan

The inability to stream The Legend of Tarzan feels like an oversight. Disney+ is home to basically every animated series involving its major characters, from Big Hero 6: The Series to Stitch! to The Emperor’s New School. However, The Legend of Tarzan, which is an expansion of 1999’s hit movie Tarzan, is nowhere to be found. Picking up where the film left off, the series follows Tarzan as the new leader of the gorillas, while Jane and her father adjust to their new lives in the jungle.

Many Disney animated classics received straight-to-video sequels, yet The Legend of Tarzan got to explore that concept more across 39 episodes from 2001 through 2003. Although not as good as the film, the show was a critical success that even scored some Emmy nominations. It’s not on Disney+ due to complicated legal agreements over the rights and it never received a physical media release. However, a few episodes were spliced together to form Tarzan & Jane, which is a film that’s available on Disney+.

2) Buzz Lightyear of Star Command

In the same vein as The Legend of Tarzan, there’s Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. Airing from October 2000 through January 2001, this had one of the shortest runs of any Disney animated series, yet it still consisted of an impressive 62 episodes. The premise followed Buzz Lightyear on his adventures in space as he went up against the evil Emperor Zurg. It was basically the show that Andy watched in Toy Story that made him a fan of Buzz Lightyear.

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command felt like a Star Wars show for kids and it was pretty great. Alas, there are rumors of Pixar disagreeing with Walt Disney Television Animation over the direction of the character and the 2D animation style that was unlike what Pixar produced. Whether or not that’s the specific reason, the show isn’t on Disney+ and is nearly impossible to find. You can likely grab a DVD release of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, a film spin-off, online, but that’s about it.

1) As Told By Ginger

Of all the shows included here, As Told by Ginger is the one that became somewhat relevant again over the past decade or so. That’s because there was a lot of talk about a modern revival for the Nickelodeon series, though that has since been put on the shelf. The show stood out when it premiered in 2000 for delivering serialized storytelling that took place over several years and actually saw the characters grow and age.

NickToons often had characters stay the same age, whether it was babies on Rugrats or the kids on Hey Arnold!. In As Told by Ginger, we followed the titular character and her friends as they navigated adolescence in middle school and eventually into high school. It felt unique and was perfect for kids of the same age. It would also be a great show for kids that age today to watch. Unfortunately, As Told by Ginger was one of the victims of Paramount’s cost-cutting measures as they purged the show from Paramount+. The DVDs of the series are also incredibly hard to find.

Are there any classic cartoons that you’re frustrated you can’t find today? Let us know in the comments section!