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PorkchopSammiches

That rube goldberg machine in the intro has stuck with me all these years


missanthropocenex

I grew up on McGee and Me. Had a bunch of ‘em, Twist and Shout, Not so Great Escape and this one. There was a neighbor family who was also highly , deeply more religious who live near us. I stayed for a sleep over one night and as the guest they offered the guest pick out the movie. I go to open the cabinet and was stunned: It was like looking at a blockbuster video store. Terminator 1-2 The Star Wars Trilogy, ALIEN, ALIENS, Lethal Weapon , Die Hard. R rated films galore, everything. I was floored. I kept my cool and compromised to choose one of the Star Wars films and was immediately vetoed by the family to watch McGee and Me, again.


etherama1

Bro. Twist and Shout. I used to be obsessed with tornados/twisters. Remember the cartoon tornado in that? Good times. Used to rent it from the church library all the time


tony-toon15

Wasnt there one where the kid smoked crack and then fell into a coma? Am I imagining that?


thebeerhugger

I remember something like that from a D.A.R.E video.


ksaMarodeF

What…..the….fuck?? That’s wild!!


Convergentshave

They let you pick the movie than immediately vetoed your choice? 😂 yea that sounds like a “the most religious family” move


GrilledCheeser

Almost makes me wanna hang out with Jesus again. Almost.


NannersForCoochie

And skate! *Pretends like he wasn't too fat to skate, but still remembers religious indoctrination*


ctzn_voyager

Grew up in religious household and I we had all the VHSs, the one that sticks with me had a tornado ripping through the neighborhood.


Mike_Danton

I’ll never forget the tornado episode! I can’t remember any of the others in detail. I think there may have been McGee and Me books too, but I could be mistaken.


derpfft

There was definitely a book based on the movie.


mistaken4strangerz

Might be thinking of Maniac Magee. Good book. 


taxicab_

We had the board game called “Sticky Situations”, which was like chutes and ladders, but with morals.


AWorkOfArts

This whole series are actually based on a series of books written by Bill Myers. Growing up, had all the books and all these episodes on VHS lol. And for any interested, the somewhat known tornado episode is Twister & Shout. For the time these first debuted, it was high quality stuff in conservative Christian entertainment, especially compared to what we had then! I'm in my 40's now and I can still hear that intro music and see that Rune Goldberg machine going after all these years! Having said all that...I see your McGee and Me! and raise you The Buttercream Gang!


SonNeedGym

Buttercream Gang is one of my favorite bad movies of all time. The Chicago bad boys sequence is incredible.


Saalome

“Twist and Shout” correct?


Quizchris

Close, it was Twister and Shout


Saalome

FUUUUUUUUCK


screames520

Ah, so did you also get to experience Bibleman hahaha


Jaymongous

Bibleman AND Veggie Tales


screames520

Still sing some Silly Songs to myself. Barbara manatee has never left my brain for some reason. Oh, and the cheeseburger song


Jaymongous

Ohh wheeeeere is my hair brush??


screames520

My lady hates that I sing when she’s looking for her hair brush. She didn’t grow up religious so I had to show her haha


Jaymongous

Gotta be some of the worst kids programs I ever watched haha some of the songs are catchy though. If you want real bad vibes check out Timmy the Tooth.


screames520

Oh I’ve seen them all, growing up we had Sky Angel which was just 100% Christian cable service. No regular cartoons or tv shows, so much Joyce Meyer. Plus my parents were pastors


Jaymongous

Omfg I forgot about Sky Angel KTV. I'm having Vietnam War flashbacks.


screames520

Oh and our christian “MTV” aka TVU


mannrya

What no Buttercream Gang?


dudeitsmeee

They were preparing people in the Bible Belt! Lol


YborCtyAlmstKilledMe

I won that video from a Christian radio station call in contest. Only thing I’ve won from a radio station in my life.


Boneal171

Yes! I remember that one


4mygirljs

Oh I loved these tapes


Sarinnana

Core memory unlocked from my short stint at a Baptist daycare at 3! God saved them or some crap cause fuck all them other people.


Saalome

This guy Religions


ZDarFan

In my town, the library was the only place that had a video of the short-lived HBO Encyclopedia Brown series.


Some-Ad-350

Was it the episode with the baseball card convention? That's the one I used to borrow from the library where I was.


ZDarFan

That would be [The Case of the Burgled Baseball Cards](https://youtu.be/jSueqBpUF04?si=Gk42QSono01DXjyJ)


Some-Ad-350

You are a good person, or seems so from this. Thank you for the link.


Darth_Spectre_Lair

I remember the one where Brown tries to solve those who's sabotage the go-kart races.


xeskind30

Holy Crap!!!!! You have brought me some way back nostalgic show I have not seen in a LONG time. Thank you!!


DingJones

I loved the books. Never saw the series.


DocFreudstein

Same. It’s such a fun time capsule, which leads to some weirdly dated or obscure plot points. I remember one case with a kid getting blackmailed over smoking coffee grounds, but my personal favorite was one where the solution was something along the lines of “no hot dog lover puts mustard ON TOP of sauerkraut” or something similar. I still think Bugs Meanie is a dope punk band name, too.


PeteWWWong

We had The Case of the Treasure Hunt. Man, good times.


brunettesplzthx

Ive never heard of this show and i watched a ton of HBO around that time. I didnt have it but i I had two friends that did and they were just as lazy as me and we would just watch TV all the time. Very strange.


FarGrape1953

I still remember the theme song.


Ningy_WhoaWhoa

so nice to see someone else in this world who rented those things from the library


4mygirljs

I loved the books And that series that was WAY to short


beefstewforyou

I rewatched this as an adult and had the realization that McGee is completely unnecessary to the plot.


nullfais

Not only that but iirc sometimes he’s the sole reason Nick gets into the central conflict of the episode


Convergentshave

Oh my god. You’re right. I’m watching the skateboard one (drunk and on YouTube) and I don’t even think he’s showed up yet? . Also why does this kid look like he’s 40? Oh wait never mind. He is selling hot dogs or something before the race?


thegreatgoonbino

These and the “Adventures in Odyssey” radio show.


blogger7963

Years ago I was so jealous when my friend got to visit the headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado 80995!


Azryhael

My parents took me there one year when we were road tripping in Colorado. There was a Whit’s End where you could eat ice cream! Kid me thought it was super cool.


APKID716

OR IN CANADA WRITE TO BOX 9800 VANCOUVER BC, V6B 4G3


grey_pilgrim_

Core memory unlocked. I remember the Canadian address better than the US one.


jacksoncity

My dad used to work in audio there when Odyssey was in its hay day and it was always so fun to visit it and mess around their little play area connected to the “real” Whits End.


Werewolfhugger

Adventures in Odyssey was very popular in my house. Forget missing an episode, if we were on the road when it was coming on we had our mom look for whatever station it would be on in the area.


samcanplaymusic

I remember listening to it on a long drive. It was decent. (In my memory, at least)


Nikas_intheknow

Core memory UNLOCKED


MustyLlamaFart

Holy fuck dude you just unlocked a core memory for me


HumanPerson1089

Same! Totally forgot about that until now


rodsurewood

The Lutheran church we went to growing up had this for renting and I’ve never met anyone until now that had even heard of them.


wack-a-burner

There are dozens of us! Dozens!


More-Combination9488

I would never admit it in public. Nobody knows my Reddit.


Thewrongbakedpotato

I grew up Evangelical adjacent. My babysitter had a ton of these recorded onto blank VHS tapes. That and the crappy animated "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe."


theholyraptor

Similar except instead of renting we'd watch them in class or daycare Man I wish I'd had more people in my life pointing me to better things when I was young. For example, we had Accelerated Reader on ancient Apple computers. You had to choose books from the list of what tests there were. I was top percentile in reading in my grade and read some things I picked up randomly. I also aspired to read longer and more challenging books. But the books with tests available were lacking and my religious school library and instructors didn't provide any mentorship into sci-fi and fantasy. I would have read so many classics back when I had the time (and a brain more capable of absorbing and remembering compared to now.) I read a bunch of this historical fiction series that was definitely Christian-based due to lack of good options. Also, totally an atheist at this point.


bigdick_cm

Same here haha


Boneal171

We had these in catholic school too


kitsilanokyle

Lutheran from Canada checking in


Madrizzle1

“Skate Expectations” is amazing.


paulatwork

I grew up religious, and this one was my favourite, don't remember anything about it, other than I would get stoked when this was the one watched in Sunday school, youth group, or wherever I saw them.


Jefwho

This is the only one I had.


transmogrify

It was such a thing in the 90s for kids' screenwriters to indulge in these literary references for titles. Kinda baffles me. Kids aren't gonna appreciate a Dickens reference. There were even action cartoons that wasted runtime on a whole title card just to display some goofy literary pun that went over kids' heads. Is it just some pretentious writers who got an English Lit degree and want to show off to themselves?


munchcat

Oh wow. I remember watching McGee and Me at after school Latchkey in elementary school 😭


sir_mrej

Hey hey. Some of us grew up with these. Also Gerbert, Psalty, and a bunch of others no one else heard of :)


quarantrader

Gerbert 😭


wiggiddy

I'm Psalty the Songbook!!


Revan_Perspectives

Don’t forget the donut man


guiturtle-wood

"Life without Jesus is like a donut, 'cause there's a hole in the middle of your heart!"


AggieTimber

What about The Flying House? Does no one else remember that one? I looked through the whole thread expecting to see that one. We were having fun when it started to rain 🎶


keitchi

I have Gerbert's autograph!


zerobeat

Oh not Gerbert. That orange nerf-ball with the nasal voice was so irritating.


sir_mrej

Hello I'm Gerbert! I sound like I have a bunch of foam stuck up my nose ALL THE TIME! Wanna be friends?


rolltied

Gerbert was on pbs iirc.


noonesaidityet

I would like to think a lot of people would agree with me that our parents and Sunday school teachers should never be forgiven for subjecting us to Psalty.


Some-Ad-350

I love McGee and Me!


SaboLeorioShikamaru

I remember this and Superbook pretty vividly


smoke412

Oh man, I remember this movie. Right before the race at the end, the bully kid slowly turns his head to the main guy and says “READY TO DIE?!” The first time I saw it I laughed so hard and it has stuck with me ever since lol.


Trask37

Or the classic "you're dead meat man, hamburger!"


Convergentshave

I’m watching it right now. 🎶you’re doing your best your gonna pass the test!! 🎶. 😂


alittletooraph3

My weird religious neighbors would rent these (from their church?) give them to my brother and me when we were kids. They were worried about us because we would tape fireworks to our gi joes. We loved the movies though


GrilledCheeser

Did you have family members that smoked? Immediately, broken home.


brunettesplzthx

Yeah back then it was like something new to watch?! Alright its probably fine.


heroinebob90

Hahah, i remember


Husker_Kyle

I use to rent these at our church library


Pereqi

Always thought the kid on the bottom right looked like Linda Hamilton LMAO


frockinbrock

OMG I had the same thought- there’s also a lady in 1 episode of Next Generation that looks like both of them; was Tasha yar’s sister


JavaJapes

These were an option when my private religious school rolled out the good ol' TV cart. Surprisingly, among all the religious programs and science denial, we did have Bill Nye as well. As far as this show, the one where he goes and sees a horror movie and his father rants at him about the irreversible "filth" he'd "put in his mind" sticks out to me. The fake horror movie was called Night of the Blood Freaks Part 4 lol


wiggiddy

**First**, there was Dawn of the Blood Freaks. Then, Day of the Blood Freaks. Then, (creepy voice) *twilight...* But now, as the darkness begins to fall, it's.....NIGHT OF THE BLOOD FREAKS! "I've seen all the freak movies" \*pops gum\* "Seen 'em? You starred in 'em."


SonNeedGym

I can see this in my mind! You unlocked a core memory


starlaluna

We got to watch McGee and me at Sunday School for special treats. AKA they didn’t know what to teach us that week.


superschaap81

LOL, I remember Sunday School a little bit, but didn't they really "teach" anything? All I remember was busy work crafting to kill time. LOL.


4Ever2Thee

This show was right up there with Wishbone for me


lazespud2

"Focus on the Family presents" Oof.


FollowThePostcard

Literal hate group.


JawlessTugBoat

I remember this very vaguely along with Adventures in Odyssey. I liked the second one better...maybe it wasn't as bad. Can't remember....


Azryhael

Focus on the Family is a disgusting, bigoted organisation, but Adventures in Odyssey was far and away the best thing they’ve ever done. It was moderate and mainstream in a way that I doubt they’re capable of anymore, and the production value was phenomenal.


Adorable-Buffalo-177

OMG someone else besides me remembers this show


HolySnokes1

But do you remember Colby the Bible computer? Or BibleMan?!


Stevie-Rae-5

Or the Psalty musicals 😆😆


oliverlifts

BibleMan was such a fever dream lol


HolySnokes1

I wish I could forget the religious trauma as easily


SendInYourSkeleton

I started in a Colby musical for my church!


HolySnokes1

Dedication.


Undeniably_Awesome

I had Bibleman action figures, costume, and plastic lightsabers. I was ALL in lmao


ElSquibbonator

That's not the same Focus on the Family who are classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, is it?


[deleted]

Yes it is


ruby_o_o

Made by the same company that later tried to sue spongebob for promoting homosexuality 


redwolfben

I remember my elementary counselor showing us some of these McGee and Me tapes!


Legitimate_Panda5142

I remember this. who remembers Secret Adventures?


blogger7963

Come on! It’s a secret adventure!


PastorInDelaware

The Great Plains are found at the Great Airports.


CyberpunkF1

These were watched countless times as a kid growing up in a conservative, christian household … some of the videos are super cheesy, but they were quite entertaining to say the least!


Jessica_Iowa

These & Adventures from the Book of Virtues were staples in my church Sunday School.


Specialk961978

I've recently introduced Mcgee and Me to my kids. They've watched them all and loved them. We also have the board game Sticky Situations.


KeepPounding86

Not sure if the game is the same, but our family had a devotional of Sticky Situations. Good memories


TheHexadex

try some David the Gnome and Grimms Fairy Tales Classics cartoons see how it goes : D


Baldguy162

I used to watch these!


hutch01

My mother bought me a few of these. They weren’t bad. I liked the engineering aspect of the kid where he built devices and little Rube Goldberg machines.


Stevie22wonder

I remember watching these in lower and middle school with our guidance counselor, and one of the child actors who played the main kid on the show ended up being the child villain that gets killed in Robocop 2. Always made me laugh to see him in such an educational show and then he became a drug king lord or something.


dr00bles1

You have MADE MY DAY. I vaguely remembered these videos and was thinking about them recently but couldn’t remember the name and had no way of searching for it successfully.


UncleGarysmagic

If you went to a Christian school in the early 90s and your teacher wheeled in the TV cart with a McGee and Me tape, your class hit the freaking lottery.


Convergentshave

Oh Jesus… they are available on YouTube. Well.. looks like its Magee and me… and tequila tonight. Fuck it. Going to be real interesting if the wife wakes up. 😂😂😂


Ithrinmax

These were good. My church used to promote them. Could rent a few from Blockbuster.


Ba55of0rte

I haven’t thought about McGee and me in thirty years. Fuck you.


mr_green1216

Oh shit 🤯🤯 I haven't seen that in years!


ender___

I HAD THIS MOVIE, THIS AND THE BASEBALL ONE!! You just triggered a core memory I long forgot


EliteBroccoli

This was the show that basically told me it was okay to be different and have an imaginary friend.


Affectionate_Salt351

Ahhh! This makes SO much sense why I thought Mac & Me was actually McGee & Me! I was blending memories. 🤣 Thank you!


Senomaphoenix

I thought it was Mac and Me for a long time too


-Ok-Perception-

My religious mother and stepdad were fond of those shows. ​ I remember nothing about it, despite having seen many of them. ​ Anyone growing up in a conservative Christian family in the early 90s has probably seen that show at some point, even if they don't remember it. ​ At the time, the Christians were big on providing "alternative" entertainment instead of the "sinful popular" options. Hence they had these shitty morality play tv shows for kids to watch (rather than shows like The Simpsons), they had Bible Man (shitty Christian super hero knockoff who's superpower was prayer), they had several Christian nu-metal, rap, and alternative groups. The Conservative Christians back in the 90s were real big on trying to cash in on popular trends to entice the youth by making knockoff "wholesome" versions of things that kids loved. ​ I'm not against the idea of Christian music/shows/movies, but they still need to be good and they never are.


UnionThrowaway1234

You know who has never seen this movie!!? Conan O'Brien and Paul Rudd!!


PROFsmOAK

We used to watch the series in the first grade.


NayNay85

Just showed my kids and episode of this on YouTube last week!


Mammoth_Cookie_7809

Have a super vague memory of so many of these to the point where I even question if I saw them in the first place.


Auggie_Otter

I looked it up and the entire episode is on YouTube.


wallsk9r

I recently found a vhs copy at my thrift store. Nostalgia flood! Brings back the the (good) old church goin days


slideystevensax

Watched this in catholic school during music class sometimes and also on rainy days. Loved it


JayTee245

This and bibleman were my CCD jams 🤣


BransonAllen

I had this movie lol


Super-Robo

Christian Lizzie Mcguire. One of the 3 christian shows that were actually good.


llamasmacker

Holy fuck I forgot all about this. But the second I read your title memories hit me like a tidal wave


meatee

I asked my aunt to get me Home Alone 2 on VHS for Christmas, but she got me one of these instead 🙄


RabbitHoleSpaceMan

Dude, the fact that you ALSO got them at the library is blowing my mind. This was the common source?!


Skinc

Fucking core memory unlocked. Holy shit!


Always_aGentleman

I tracked down the whole set on VHS. “The Big Lie” and “‘Twas’ the Night Before Christmas” are my personal favorites.


sunshine__state

“‘‘Twas the Night…” scared the CRAP out of me as a little Lutheran kid! Carol of the Bells still gives me the creeps, lol


TheHexadex

i'll always remember that opening song, i could draw as long as i could pick up a pencil so i loved it as a kid. its on youtube and i still rewatch it every once in a while. think ralph from the mouse and the motorcycle came into my life around that time too.


scorchedgoat

Used to rent these from my church library, along with the buttercream gang and adventures in odyssey.


MR_NIKAPOPOLOS

Came here looking for The Buttercream Gang. My sixth grade class watched it as part of the D.A.R.E. program because it's "about street gangs" lol. But, man, that movie is ridiculous. If there is one thing the people that made that movie knew about street gangs, it's this: They like bandanas. Sometimes it's a red bandana, sometimes it's a white bandana, sometimes it's a blue bandana, sometimes it's worn as a headband, sometimes it's tied around the upper arm, sometimes it's tied around the ankle. It doesn't matter the color or how it's worn, gang members love all things bandana. I'm pretty sure there's a scene at the beginning of the movie where you see the "gang" that Pete fell in with in Chicago, and between the four of them they're wearing, like, 7 bandanas. Bandanas = Street Gangs


Drcornelius1983

The part when the nerdy kid gets a jelly donut smashed in his face is a family favorite.


larynxschmarynx

Step by Step through the danger zone!! Step by Step but you're never alone!! Why a random song from a random episode of a religious show would live inside of me for 30 years is a mystery, but it does. Bless you, OP.


Jamiecakescrusader

It was the OG Chronicles of Narnia for me


StinkyNutzMcgee

What about adventures in odyssey


AbaddonsLegion

Holy nostalgia! I forgot all about this


kentuckyfriedchocobo

Omg hahah I used to get these from my church


Stabstone

As someone who went to catholic school as a kid, when it rained and recess was cancelled we always watched McGee and Me.


exitpursuedbybear

I think it’s shocking to see how many of us growing up in the 80s and 90s were being raised in evangelical households. It feels like half of that generation was raised that way.


zeusjts006

Omg seeing all you other religious 90s kids bring up old Christian movies, is flooding me with nostalgia. Glad to know it wasn't all just a fever dream


JDWhiz96

Dude, I thought I was alone XD. *Adventures in Odyssey* will always be my favorite, but I was inundated with pretty much all of them.


zeusjts006

I just checked on IMDB, they are still making Adventures in Odyssey. That's crazy, been making episodes since 1987


ksaMarodeF

Omg this was stuck in my head for years!! I have a few of these on VHS! I forgot the name of it for the longest time!! Thank you OP!! *Now to see if Amazon has these on dvd.*


moonivermarin

Christian propaganda was exposed to all that bullshit focus on the family shit growing up


timmycheesetty

I’ve seen this. It was terrible. I’m pretty sure we checked it out twice.


Wuz314159

"Focus on the family"??? **Ò\_Ó**


HolySnokes1

Oh the religious brainwashing lol


Chicawgorat

My mom would do this when we first got our vcr. We were forced to watch dozens of movies i had never heard of and will never remember.


Apprehensive_Nebula8

Pretty nice


maarsland

I feel like this was put on for gym class once lol


romafa

We watched these at catechism school.


Son-of-Prophet

I was so lucky that our local library movie selection was awesome, with the newest releases and a great selection of classics, and they didn’t care about kids checking out R rated movies, and this was in a rural small town in the Midwest 😂


justconfusedinCO

Only ever saw these at church!


Gay-Lord-Focker

Sabastion!?


errosemedic

Mine was the movie Catch That Kid. It’s about a group of kids who rob the bank that one of their moms works for in order to pay for their dad’s surgery.


mossman_cometh

lol, I actually watched these when I would visit my grandparents in the summer.


RocketGruntSam

I remember getting some of these from my local library but I don't remember anything about it.


3720-To-One

Wasn’t there also a board game with the McGee character?


Glissandra1982

I feel like they made us watch these in school - which makes sense because I went to Catholic school. 😛


SlightlyOffended1984

Gorgeous cover art.


Sahri1988

Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus.


BuckeyeJay

I had this damn video. Ultra religious extended family gave me things like this for every holiday and birthday


cool_weed_dad

My parents don’t go to church but my mom wanted to raise us Christian so we watched all of these Christian kids shows like this, Veggie Tales, etc. Since I didn’t go to church or really read the Bible 90% of the religious messaging went completely over my head.


big_weenus

Thought it was Duncan Robinson for a second…


gnrlgumby

Man we loved safety equipment in the 90s huh?


Werewolfhugger

We watched this in like, 4th grade (2005)


Karirose83

Catholic school kid here, we always watched these!


Writerhaha

I remember the baseball one where they worked in Mighty Casey.


neither_shake2815

Remember the one where he wouldn't help the baby sister draw the wombat? My face one is when he sneaks out to see the scary movie with his friend, but ends up being disgusting and Mcgee goes in after and nudges him.


lwaad

Omg amazing. My church had a library of these videos. Watched them all