Top 10 Cartoons of the ’00s

There is no greater icon from the noughties than the yellow sponge from Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob SquarePants changed television humor forever with its absurd optimism. The Dutch voice of Lex Passchier gave the character a laugh that anyone can immediately imitate. Together with Patrick Ster he experienced adventures that often made no sense, but were therefore brilliant. The series survived several generations and is now the source of millions of internet memes. It is the undisputed leader of Dutch animation history in the 21st century. The Dutch dubbing in this period was of an exceptionally high level. Voice actors such as Lottie Hellingman and Dieter Jansen gave these American and international characters a real Dutch heart.

The late noughties were dominated by the two brothers who built something impossible every summer day. The series was extremely intelligently written with layered jokes for both children and adults. Each episode also featured an original song. The side plot with Perry the platypus and the clumsy Dr. Doofenshmirtz was often even funnier than the main story. The predictable structure became a running gag that the audience couldn't get enough of.

Avatar was a revolution on Nickelodeon. It was not a separate series of episodes, but an epic story with a beginning and an end. Aang's journey to master the four elements and stop the Fire Nation gripped an entire generation.

Sam, Alex and Clover were the queens of the Jetix afternoon. The three Beverly Hills spies worked for WOOHP and always got their gadgets packaged as makeup or fashion accessories. The combination of shopping and catching villains turned out to be a golden formula. Jerry, their British boss, sent them to their missions through the most impossible places (such as a trash can or a locker).

No series summarized the Dutch skate culture of the early noughties as well as Rocket Power. Otto, Reggie, Twister and the 'Sam-man' were constantly involved in extreme sports. Whether it was skating, surfing or hockey; it was all about action and the “woogity woogity woogity” vibe.

Timmy Turner and his fairy godparents Cosmo and Wanda turned Nickelodeon into a ratings success. The rapid-fire jokes and constant frustration of teacher Mr. Crocker formed the basis for countless episodes. Of course, Timmy's wishes always got completely out of hand.

“Hey, what's the situation?” Kim Possible was the heroine who combined espionage with her life as a cheerleader. Together with Ron Stoppable and the naked mole rat Rufus, she fought against villains such as Dr. Drakken. It was one of the flagship shows of Disney Channel and Jetix.

This Italian production became a huge commercial success in the Netherlands. Bloom and her friends at the elf academy Alfea created a huge wave of merchandise. The battle against the Trix witches provided a continuous story that kept children hooked for weeks.

With his bare-butt dance and cheeky comments he drove his mother 'Mootje' crazy. Parents were often not happy with it, but that actually made the series more attractive for children. The Dutch dubbing gave the series its own character. The humor was sharp and often balanced on the edge of what was acceptable for a children's series.

Sharon Spitz was the teenager that almost every Dutch girl identified with. Her brace, which picked up radio signals and caused constant chaos, was the central theme of the series. It dealt with adolescent issues in a way that was both funny and relatable. The series was a regular part of the programming on Fox Kids and later Jetix. It was the perfect mix of teen drama and the absurd humor that was typical of the time.