Why We Need More DCOM Reruns STAT

I'm a huge television fan today, and that's probably because I never stopped being one. Like many Millennials, I grew up on a healthy diet of Disney Channel, and while Lizzie McGuire, Even Stevens, and That's So Raven were totally my jam, my absolute favorite part of this kids' channel was the original movies. Disney Channel Original Movies (or DCOMs, the hippest of acronyms) were so fun that I can safely say that most kids would consider skipping a laser tag birthday party in order to marathon them. That's how important they were to the youth of America — and probably everywhere else that aired these kids' movies, too.

If you grew up on DCOMs, the you know that there's a super special place in your heart for flicks like Halloweentown, Zenon: Girl Of The 21st Century, and Brink. It's no wonder these movies held a place in our hearts almost a decade after they first aired: where else could your eight-year-old self go on epic, magical, or even intergalactic adventures if not within the realm of television?

Unfortunately, kids these days do not experience all of the awesomeness of DCOMs, simply because Disney Channel doesn't play these movies nearly as often as they used to — and that's something we need to change. Here are all the reasons why we need to bring DCOM movies back:

1. Because "Supernova Girl" Still Holds Up

Seriously, why hasn't One Direction covered the iconic song from Zenon yet? Total missed opportunity.

2. As Does Literally Every Song From Pixel Perfect

Loretta Modern's dance moves? Less so.

3. Because The Message Of Brink! Is Still So Important

That message is that you should online inline skate for fun and not for money.

4. Because Smart House Shows What Happens If Siri Becomes Self-Aware

Yeah, Pat may have tried to trap the family in the house for eternity, but at least she also vacuumed up all of the party mess.

5. Because You Secretly Hoped That There Was A Halloweentown To Escape To

In the words of Marnie, "Halloween is cool!"

6. Because There Are Plenty Of Random Famous Faces In Them

Umm, who remembered that Saturday Night Live's Taran Killam played a pop star in Stuck In The Suburbs?

7. Because Sometimes They Got Real

DCOMs weren't all kidnapping pop stars and fighting between rival inline skating gangs. OK, so it was mostly that, but The Color Of Friendship also schooled us in South African apartheid and the Civil Rights Movement.

8. And Sometimes, They Were Really, Really Creepy

Consider movies like Don't Look Under The Bed (above!) and The Tower Of Terror pre-cursors to legit horror flicks.

9. Because They Challenged Sexism Brilliantly...

At least, they did in Motocrossed, which was a reminder that girls can do anything that guys can... even though sexist notions sometimes force them to dress up like a dude in order to prove that.

10. ...Especially When They Proved That Guys Could Be Mermaids

It seems like a totally unfair advantage for Cody to still have a spot on the swim team when he's clearly a merman.

11. Because They United The Lawrence Brothers

Joey and Andrew Lawrence came together for Horse Sense, a pretty standard movie about a cousins hanging out on a horse farm, only to follow it up with Jumping Ship, a flick about outrunning modern-day pirates. Matthew Lawrence appeared in the sequel, so no complaints.

12. Because They Taught You To Be Yourself

If if "yourself" is a Leprechaun, as evidenced by The Luck Of The Irish.

13. Because Cadet Kelly Made Military School Seem Like The Coolest

Go ahead, parents, just try to threaten your misbehaving teens with it after they've already seen Cadet Kelly.

Seriously, Disney Channel: it's time you introduced a whole new crop of kids with these ridiculously influential flicks. High School Musical can't be all we get in reruns.

Images: Disney Channel (screenshot); Giphy (5)