Some of the greatest kids TV shows, enjoying immense popularity among children worldwide is the Simpsons, rating the highest and followed by such productions as the Muppet Show, Dangermouse, Grange Hill, and Mr. Benn. With 367 episodes and 17 seasons, the Simpsons maintains the reputation of the longest running American animated series, created by Matt Groening and introduced in December 1989, on FOX.
Recognized by many critics as one of the greatest kids TV shows, the Simpsons series was named the best television project of the XX century according to TIME magazine, and it ranked with the top ten for kids shows on the list of the Greatest Shows of All Time in 2002. Seen as highly satirical, the show discloses some aspects of human nature, parodying primarily American society, culture and the Middle American lifestyle. Exerting significant influence on the post Cold War culture, the Simpsons was one of the pioneering productions, aimed at changing cartoons to a more adult standard. Since the Simpsons debuted as a series, it has received dozens of awards, including a Peabody, 21 Annie Awards, 22 Emmy Awards and many others. In January 2000 the Simpsons series was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Beginning with Season 4, the show has been criticized by many for losing much of its comedic structure and introducing new character personalities without explanation.
Rating with the most popular kids TV shows, the Muppet Show features a cast of diverse puppets with large moving mouths and oversized mouths, produced during the period of 1976-1981, by Jim Henson. Featured in the show is Kermit the Frog, one of the major characters of Sesame Street. The Muppet Show is famous for using its characters to create humorous parodies. Throughout its history the diverse list of celebrities attending the show included Julie Andrews, Twiggy, Steve Martin, Ethel Merman, Alice Cooper, Paul Simon and characters from Star Wars, who were eager to perform with Muppets in films and on television. Regarded as the cornerstone of the extremely popular productions of Jim Henson, the Muppets were also featured in such films as Labyrinth, Follow That Bird, and the Dark Crystal, as well as a wide range of television specials, video children's releases and TV movies. Over the course of the show, Muppet performers included Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt, Louise Gold, Eren Ozker, John Lovelady and Kathy Mullen.
One of the most prominent kids TV shows, Danger Mouse is an animated series, produced by British Cosgrove Hall and seen as a parody of British spy fiction and the Danger Man and James Bond in particular. Introduced on Nickelodeon in the late 1980s, Danger Mouse was the first British show to break into the American TV market. It was also the first British cartoon aired on Australian Network Ten. Based on the main character, there appeared a series of video games, the first of them being Danger Mouse in the Black Forest Chateau and Danger Mouse in Double Trouble, both issued in 1984 and followed by Danger Mouse in Making Whoopee in 1985. Though all the characters of Danger Mouse series are animals, major adventures take place in the human world.