Television has provided education and entertainment to children for nearly a century, creating many lovable and iconic characters along the way. This list of the 20 best children’s television characters of all time consists only of the most recognizable, inspiring, and fun-to-watch characters from kids’ TV. Only one character per show is included on the list. Characters are listed chronologically. The year included is the year the television show was released – not necessarily the year the character was introduced.
16SpongeBob SquarePants: SpongeBob SquarePants, May 1999
Still making new episodes after nearly 20 years, SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the longest-running children’s shows – and one of the most controversial. One episode features SpongeBob and his best friend Patrick delivering a slew of (censored) curse words. Another features the pair acting as adoptive parents to an abandoned baby scallop. Both episodes received backlash from the Parents Television Council, and SpongeBob has continued to push boundaries with increasingly disgusting scenes. Still, this is an immensely popular show to this day and there are no signs of it going anywhere anytime soon.