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Okay, that headline may be a little over dramatic. My actual childhood heroes would be my parents, or maybe even my older siblings (no one tell them!)
But if I had to pick a fictional character? Kimberly Ann Possible from Disney Channel’s animated series “Kim Possible” would have to be it.
Kim Possible quite literally could do anything — it was her catch phrase after all!
Now, for those who are wondering what I’m babbling about, let me break it down for you: “Kim Possible” was an animated TV series on Disney Channel that ran from 2002 to 2007 and featured two full-length movies — one of which my coworker reviewed — “So the Drama” and “A Stitch in Time.”
The TV show follows Kim Possible (Christy Carlson Romano) and her sidekick/best friend Ron Stoppable (Will Friedle) as she battles bad guys while balancing her daily life at Middleton High School.
Kim didn’t necessarily wake up one day and decide to become a crimefighter. Prior to high school, she created a website to pick up odd jobs. She expected to find dog walking jobs and maybe do some babysitting. Instead, thanks to Ron placing the slogan “She can do anything” on the site she instead is stopping supervillains — such as Dr. Drakken (John DiMaggio) and his super smart, super cool sidekick Shego (Nicole Sullivan) –and busting up crime all throughout the world.
But it isn’t always easy. Kim, a member of the cheer squad, still faces your everyday teen drama like pining over crushes and going head-to-head with fellow cheerleader and classic mean girl Bonnie Rockwaller (Kirsten Storms).
Show creators Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle set out to create a series that would feature a super cool, empowering female lead with comedy, action and major James Bond energy. All while offering a dash of humor for the parents sitting at home and sending out a good message for kids: You can do anything if you set your mind to it.
That message is exactly why I loved “Kim Possible” so much. Not only am I a big fan of action packed, comedic filled, fun stories — I also love a good female empowerment story. And Kim Possible was peak female empowerment in the 2000s. Especially during a time when there was very little female led shows for kids. (That’s exactly why Disney greenlit this project.)
“Kim Possible” was my favorite cartoon growing up, and I still like to rewatch it every now and again. Kim truly served as a role model for myself and a lot of other kids in our childhood.
Not to mention, Kim wasn’t the only powerful woman in the show. Shego, who was supposed to simply be Dr. Drakken’s superpowered sidekick, took on a far more three dimensional role as Kim’s main adversary. Their fight scenes were always super cool and filled with banter that I found enjoyable. Truly, after Kim and Ron, Shego and Kim’s dynamic was definitely my favorite in the show.
Honestly, “Kim Possible” is still relevant today, although the fashion and some phrases are a bit outdated. (But who didn’t love Kim’s crop top, cargo pants combo?)
Overall, I’d recommend “Kim Possible” to both kids and adults. It has pretty amazing messages sprinkled throughout its storyline and is fast paced enough to never feel slow during each episode’s run time.
And if you’re interested in more Kim Possible, don’t worry, there’s also a live action movie that released in 2019 (not as good as the show, but still great!) along with video games too.
Also of importance: it’s opening song “Call me, Beep Me” by Christina Milian is one of the best songs to come out of the 2000s. If you don’t agree… I’m sorry but you’re wrong.
If you’re looking for a great TV show with a bit of a lighter tone (because we all know TV today can be a little more dramatic/dark) I’d suggest giving “Kim Possible” a try. It may be for kids, but I feel most everyone can find something enjoyable about this Disney Channel Original series.
“Kim Possible” is rated G and may be watched on Disney+.
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Laura Jameson is Managing Editor of The Express.
