My theory as a kid was that all TV shows were real - they were just taking place on other planets. Cartoons took place on a relatively distant planet, but live-action shows (like 3-2-1 Contact), being more life-like, were from a planet between us and the cartoon planet.
A childhood belief about tv shows

others believed things like this
- I used to think God was Captain Planet.Anon
- I used to think each country was it's own planet.— erin clements
- i used to believe that spain was on a different planet
— shannon cannan - i used to believe that every country was a different planet!— bianca
- I used to believe that the United States were a planet, since I'm from another country.Anon
- I used to believe that the United States covered almost the entire planet.— RAB