For me, its Xena.
Few years back, height of covid epidemic, was living in homeless shelters. Overcrowded slums, everyone miserable, yelling, screaming, fights, abuse, rage. At one point, could feel the anger building in me. Powerless, a victim, desire for retribution. What good was trying to be better person, when all it meant was people walking over me.
Started rewatching xena, hadn’t in years. Big message of the show: when surrounded by hate, violence, it’s tempting to give in, to not be a victim. But you have a choice, to not continue the cycle, to make a better world. I so needed to hear that message at that time in my life.
What tv show helped you?
Basically any show on PBS Kids. I used to watch back when Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood aired regularly on it. Other shows I watched included Zoboomafoo (with the Kratt brothers!), Clifford, Arthur (was sad when I heard it’d aired its final new episode recently), Cyberchase, and Clifford’s Puppy Days. My parents didn’t have cable until I was a teenager, so I was pretty much raised on nothing but PBS Kids (as far as TV shows I could watch).
Another show I used to watch when I was really young, though, was Disney’s House of Mouse on ABC Saturday Mornings. I was devastated when they stopped airing it. We didn’t have a TV guide or anything, so, when it simply didn’t come on one morning, it caught me by complete surprise. On a less sad note, I think I actually still have Snowed In at the House of Mouse on VHS.