Underrated Kids Shows From The 2000s You Need To Watch

Educational kids shows and PBS have always gone hand in hand, with classics like "Sesame Street" and "Arthur" reaching across multiple generations. But the introduction of "WordGirl" brought the superhero genre to PBS Kids through a series of shorts in 2006, before becoming a proper series that ran from 2007 to 2015.

The educational animated series puts seemingly ordinary elementary school student Becky Botsford, AKA WordGirl in the limelight as she secretly protects Fair City from a myriad of villains. Becky is secretly from the vocabulary-oriented planet Lexicon and has a range of superpowers including flight and super-strength. As the purveyor of expanding one's vocab, WordGirl battles a rogues' gallery of themed villains, including the Butcher (who constantly butchers his grammar), Granny May, and the Whammer. The villains are all standouts in the show, and of course, WordGirl enjoys educating both the audience and the baddies at the same time. 

Becky's everyday life doesn't lack interesting side characters either, with the likes of shy best friend Violet Heaslip and Becky's quirky father Tim adding another layer to the young superheroine's world. While intended for younger children, adults can definitely get in on the fun thanks to a never-ending stream of clever and hilarious writing. The show employs satirical wit and silliness, playing on classics like the 1960s "Batman" series, and it even features major guest stars like Nick Kroll and Jane Lynch, whose run in the four-part episode "The Rise of Miss Power" is a particular highlight.