I don't like Series 2 of Scream Street, because it's too unsettling and relationships vary in each episode. I prefer watching Series 1 because it's like a comfort blanket to watch in times of depression and anxiety, and this series is from a time when CBBC was watchable and something to look forward to after a long day at school or work. It was from a time when the street wasn't all about battling monsters and instead was all about typical issues such as school, embarrassing parents and first crushes, and aired all year long, even on Christmas when they aired 'The Grumpus'. This, along with the following shows, is a comfort show that reassures me in desperate times, and these will help you too.
Bluey. Bluey is one of the biggest cartoons ever to air in Australia, an award-winning and playful romp through Australia through the eyes of a Blue Heeler puppy and her family. Each episode is a flight of fantasy made by Bluey and her sister Bingo, and they drag their Dad into every single game they play, and even their friends get involved. Gentle and funny, this heartwarming series demonstrates the power of play and spending time with family and friends, and the most relatable issues demonstrated from being a parent are provided by Bandit and Chilli, Bluey and Bingo's parents, who join in with the girls' games and just smile over the stresses and strains of looking after kids.
Zenimation. This series will make you want to move other Disney+ originals like Be Our Chef, Disney Family Sundays and even WandaVision aside, because it's a calming and tranquil series featuring characters from films from the Walt Disney Animation Studios exploring their world to only a range of calming background noises. The series is basically a less scary Disney version of Adult Swim's terrifying psychedelic series Off The Air, more suited to wind-down time and mindfulness. There are lots of moments to like here, for example in 'Nature', there's a clip from The Jungle Book of Bagheera walking by the river, followed by a clip from The Lion King of Simba and Nala sharing a romantic moment by a jungle pool without the crooning vocals of 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight', and in 'Water Realms' and 'Rain' there's a shocking appearance of Christopher Robin and Winnie The Pooh, plus characters Tigger, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo. What'll make the series even better is if you synch it with various non-Disney pop songs, ala 'Dark Side Of The Rainbow' - for example, the episode 'Serenity' synchs with 'To Build A Home' by the Cinematic Orchestra, while 'Step Out For A While' synchs with 'Rain', going faster as the rain pours in each clip. If you've ever been traumatised by the events of a stressful day, then this series is all you need to play in the background while you're meditating. Try not to open your eyes whilst doing that, though, because Disney characters are eye-catching.
. Other National Geographic series on Disney+ are gritty and off-the-edge, trying to persuade us to look into the darker side of human nature. This one doesn't. It's a peaceful series which sees various images of different parts of the world set to a chilled-out, dream-like musical score. 'Tropical Serenity' shows images of dolphins, fish, manta rays and islands to tropical and reggae rhythms, while the city episode showcases a rare glimpse of Sydney Opera House in Australia. When it shows a raging sea in 'Frozen Calm' and we hear sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks, what sounds like a piece of the score from 'The Mission', Gabriel's Oboe, plays. The music is great for lounging to, and the earthly images are beautiful to look at. What else could you ask for?
Star Wars: Galaxy Of Sounds. A Star Wars reference was made in the Scream Street episode 'Tutan Kutie' when Luke and Resus were playing at a lightsaber battle. This series came out one week after Star Wars: Visions, and is a mindfulness journey through the galaxy far far away, with clips from familiar Star Wars properties, including The Mandalorian. There is no dialogue, just sounds of the galaxy and hidden lessons in kindness, patience and friendship. However, all the episodes are appropriate for watching before bed except 'Dark Side', which includes terrifying imagery of Darth Vader and his minions terrorizing the inhabitants of the galaxy, including Darth Maul frightening a group of children and Darth Vader using the force upon his peers. It's too dark and may keep you up at night, especially if you're terrified of Darth Vader's breathing. Like with Zenimation, various pop songs can be suited to the imagery shown in each episode, such as 'Live With Lonesome' by Little Big Town, which synchs with the episode 'Connections' as well as the lyrics, and 'Dissolve Me' by Alt-J, which synchs well with the episode 'Wonder', especially when the ships fly past at the beginning. You will give up all other Star Wars things on Disney+ only for this and this alone!
Watch Scream Street series 1 (just series 1, not series 2) on iPlayer:
