Meet The
Meet The |
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Family |
Above is a "family picture" of every Nicktoon that aired between August 1991 and January 2001 (The Brothers Flub and Butt Ugly Martians doesn't count). For those who may not know all the Nicktoons, the key below will tell you who they are:
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1. The "Oh Yeah!" Blimp 2. Otto Rocket, Rocket Power 3. Ren & Stimpy 4. Henry, one of the co-hosts of Kablam! 5. The Flesh of "Action League Now!", one of the segments of Kablam! 6. "Chalk Zone", a cartoon featured on Oh Yeah! 7. Oblina, Real Monsters 8. (Hey) Arnold 9. Pelswick Eggert, Pelswick 10. Eliza Thornberry, The Wild Thornberrys 11. "Jelly's Day", a cartoon featured on Oh Yeah! 12. The Angry Beavers Daggett & Norbert 13. Ginger Foutley, As Told By Ginger 14. Krumm, Real Monsters 15. CatDog 16. Gerald, Hey Arnold 17. Dil Pickles, Rugrats 18. June, one of the co-hosts of Kablam! 19. Debbie Thornberry, The Wild Thornberrys 20. Doug Funnie & Porkchop, Doug 21. Spunky, Rocko's dog, Rocko's Modern Life 22. Helga Pataki, Hey Arnold 23. Donnie Thornberry, The Wild Thornberrys 24. Chuckie, Tommy, Spike & Angelica, Rugrats 25. Rocko, Rocko's Modern Life 26. SpongeBob SquarePants |
(The background is Arnold's boarding house from the Nick-O-Matic CD-Rom; the characters from graphic files that I saved up in the past 5 years. All characters © 2001 Viacom, except for Pelswick, © 2001 Nelvana; and the new Doug, © 2001 Disney.)
(Above: Pictures from a bootleg t-shirt that features the Nicktoons that were formally cancelled by Nick over the years. This shirt was drawn and produced by Sena Sopoci (?), and was offered on sale at eBay. From eBay; ©2002 Viacom.)
While we watch the Nicktoons that are currently gracing our TV screens, we shouldn't forget the Nicktoons that have left Nick's schedule and moved to the new "retirement home" for obsolete Nicktoons -- Nicktoons TV. Many of these shows were not renewed beyond their initial order (usually 52 episodes), but some were cancelled after a long life; some had shortened lives. Nicktoons that are out of production, but still on Nick are marked with a " * ". Nicktoons that are off Nick's schedule are marked with a " ** " (this goes only for Nick US).
Here is a list of all the Nicktoons that appeared on Nick, arranged by the date they debuted, along with a brief description.
This series dealt with the life and daydreams of Doug Funnie and his humanoid dog companion, Porkchop. It's these dreams that help Doug find solutions to problems or gain ambition to carry on complex projects.
Doug was the very first Nicktoon to be seen on Nick on August 11, 1991 -- it debuted at 10AM ET, followed by Rugrats at 10:30AM ET, then Ren & Stimpy at 11AM ET.
Doug went out of production after 52 episodes in 1994, but returned to production as Brand Spanking New Doug in 1996. But the new Doug wasn't produced for Nick, but for ABC, which, at the time, was recently acquired by Disney, which also acquired creator Jim Jinkins' production company, Jumbo Pictures. The reason why Doug is now in Disney's hands is due to the show's contract with Nickelodeon -- if the series end production before producing 65 episodes, the rights to the characters are returned to the creators (Nick keeps the episodes produced for them). Because Doug closed up shop after 52 episodes, Jumbo once again owns the characters. Then, shortly afterward, Disney bought Jumbo, effectively buying Doug in the process.
In 1997, Doug was part of the first season of ABC's new Saturday morning block, One Saturday Morning, which also featured Recess (created by two Rugrats men, creator Paul Germain and writer Joe Ansolabehere) and Pepper Ann (created by Sue Rose).
Under Disney, Doug had his first movie in 1999, called, of course, Doug's First Movie.
As for the nagging question, "Who owns Doug?" Actually, 3 companies lay claim to Doug -- the most obvious being Disney for all episodes produced since 1996, and Nickelodeon for all episodes produced for that channel, 1991 to 1994. However, Nickelodeon does not own all the rights to their version of Doug -- they only have the rights of distribution for North and South America only. Groupe Ellipse, the co-producer of the Nick version, has distribution rights for other parts of the world.
Just about now, everybody knows about Rugrats, which mainly deals with the lives of the babies and toddlers from their perspective. It's this simple formula that has placed Klasky-Csupo (and of course, Pickles Toys) on the map, though not right away. The original 65 episodes were seen in a modest fashion, with their popularity overshadowed by Ren & Stimpy. But in 1994, after production of Rugrats closed up, Ren & Stimpy was starting to become old hat, while Nick began showing Rugrats repeats everyday. More and more people began to take notice of the show, with ratings for Rugrats and Nick rising. Knowing that they're on to something big, Nick and Klasky-Csupo brought Rugrats back into production in 1996, with 3 specials at first, before resuming production as a series in 1997. Then along came The Rugrats Movie, the first foray onto the big screen for both the Rugrats and Nicktoons -- that film not only introduced Dil to the world, it also made about US$120 million domestically, the largest gross ever made by a non-Disney animated feature. In 2000 came Rugrats In Paris, where our loveable tots went to Paris, and brought home 2 unforgettable souvenirs -- Kimi and Kira, with Kimi being the new Rugrat, and Kira being Chuckie's new mother.
Rugrats also presented Nick's first comic strip in 1998, and the first Nicktoon crossover, with Real Monsters, on the Rugrats TV series in 1999.
The Rugrats train keeps rolling along with high ratings for Nick and cable TV, while a 3rd movie feature is in the works.
This is the series that has put Spumco ("The Danes Call It 'Quality'") on the map, along with Nicktoons. This series also practically introduced tastelessness into children's animation, winning adult audiences over. The series is about Ren the chihuahua and Stimpy the cat, and their comic adventures guaranteed to gross out and / or offend everyone. The series also featured brief intersititials featuring "Powdered Toast Man" and fake commercials for "Log". This was the only Nicktoon where the stories and segments were interchangeable -- the first story in one episode may be seen in another episode as the second story. This is due to the fact that not enough episodes were made the first season, with demand outpacing the supply. Because of this, Nick had to "stretch" the episodes by showing the same stories again, in different arrangements.
How controversial was Ren & Stimpy? Here's a sample dialogue (from their appearance on a Simpsons episode):
Ren: "This meatball soup is delicious, Stimpy!"Stimpy: "That's not meatball soup. That's my collection of furballs and stomach acid!"
Ren: "You idiot! You tried to kill me man!..."
The series was so gross and offensive (the late Frank Zappa played the Pope in one episode), Nick had to edit episodes, even ban one from broadcast ("Man's Best Friend"). What Nick didn't show, MTV did (except "Man's Best Friend", which was never shown at all), as it picked the series up for weeknight showings at 10PM ET.
While the series' qualities helped prove their popularity, it also helped lead to their downfall. In 1992, Nick fired Spumco from Ren & Stimpy, due to irreconcilable creative differences. After that, Nick decided to get into the animation game themselves by creating Games Animation. Since then, the quality of the show diminished while they overkilled on Ren & Stimpy's strongpoints -- grossouts and slapstick.
In 1995, after 52 episodes (though one report I found mentioned 80), Ren & Stimpy ended production, though since then, the series was edited and reedited, so no one would be offended. In 1998, Ren & Stimpy was quietly taken off of Nick, but in the summer of 2000, its repeats (mainly Games stock) resurfaced, before fading away again. And at the end of Movember 2001, Ren & Stimpy repeats returned yet again, this time on the VH1 music channel, in a special collection of episodes hosted by Billy West, the first voice of Stimpy and the second voice of Ren.
And in June 2003, Ren & Stimpy moved again -- this time, to Spike TV (formerly TNN), as part of that channel's new animation block. However, for the first time in about 9 years, new episodes will be produced -- 6 have been ordered for their first season with Spike TV, produced by John Kricfalusi and Spumco. With that, Ren & Stimpy will be the only Nicktoon to have been seen on more than 3 channels in the US, as it was seen previously on 5 channels -- Nick, MTV, syndication, VH1 and, currently, Nicktoons TV. Spike TV will be Ren & Stimpy's sixth home in the US.
But of course, the new Spike TV episodes, entitled Ren & Stimpy's Adult Cartoon Party, are definitely not for children -- the jokes presented in the new series are practically adult in nature, and it's loaded with loads of crude humor, enough to make South Park seem more like Rugrats. Because of this, Spike TV has rated the series TV-MA, the harshest TV rating in the industry. By contrast, the harshest Ren & Stimpy's got on Nick was a TV-Y7.
As a result from the series going in a whole new direction, many fans of the original show felt that the new series was very sick and disgusting -- in a bad way.
Though of course, that first new episode, Onwards and Upwards, was produced solely to help John K. blow off some steam about Nick. The next new episode, Ren Seeks Help, was more warmly received by longtime fans, though it's still rated out of reach for children, with TV-14. Those working for the new show ensures its fans that many series won't be completely tasteless like the first new show.
In addition to the new shows, 52 episodes of the original Nick run will also be seen, including restored versions of the Spumco episodes, now including most footage that was cut by Nick. The reason why I said "most" is that the classic episodes continue to be cut and time-compressed, just so Spike TV can fit in a few more commercials, which now consists of roughly 1/3 of each half-hour show. The commercial slots have also been rearranged as well.
Also included is "Man's Best Friend", which will finally see the light of day on Spike TV. According to Billy West, "It's one of the most violent and hilarious things ever done... now that the show's on a channel not aimed at kids, it may finally be seen."
The Nicktoons TV channel currently includes 2 episodes of Ren & Stimpy a day (not including possible repeats), though of course, these are the episodes that were cut up by Nick, and will remain so, with the uncut version accompanying the newer, cruder version on Spike TV. And due to the subject matter of the new series, you can count on those episodes NOT appearing in any form on Nick or Nicktoons TV.
Rocko is a man who works at a comic book store, while his friend, Filburt, works at the DMV, and his other friend, Heffer, just sits around doing nothing. This could be any sitcom on TV; but it isn't -- Rocko is a wallably, Filburt is a turtle, and Heffer is a steer, raised by wolves. On Rocko's Modern Life, no humans are allowed -- just anamorphic animals. Like Ren & Stimpy, Rocko is cutting-edge, with a sizeable adult audience. But unlike Ren & Stimpy, it's nowhere as controversial, though there are a few references that are purely adult (such as "Chokey Chicken"). The show went out of production in 1996, after creator Joe Murray decided to spend more time with his family; he promised to return soon with a whole new series -- we're still waiting. While Rocko remained a cult hit among older viewers, Nick had different plans, and eventually took Rocko off the air during 2000.
The second Nicktoon from Klasky-Csupo, this Nicktoon goes behind-the-scenes at the Monster Academy, where we find out why monsters scare and why humans are very afraid of them. The series focuses on our monsterly trio, Ickis, Krumm and Oblina. Ickis is a small, purple monster with ears like a rabbit -- he scares by growing into a giant monster; though of course, he easily gets scared himself. Krumm is, practically, a walking blob of human-like flesh, with long armpit hair and eyes that he carries in his hands; the eyes and his body odor are his means to scare. Oblina is practically a lady-like, walking, black-and-white candy cane, with a difference -- she scares by disembowelling herself by reaching in through her mouth and pulling out her guts. Other characters include The Gromble, the academy's headmaster (also, probably, the first regular transvestite cartoon character -- he has painted nails and wears ladies pumps); The Snorch, the academy's purveyor of punishment; and Simon the Monster Hunter, one of very few humans who's not afraid of monsters. The series lasted 52 episodes, and was off Nick by 1999 (though it still appears occasionally on Nicktoons TV and U-Picks). The last time we saw our monsterly trio was in an episode of Rugrats, in 1999.
Kablam! is Nick's first animation anthology series, "where cartoons and comics combine". The hosts for this series are Henry and June, two badly-drawn cartoon characters (created by famed alternative cartoonist Mark Marek) who get into various messes between shorts, and introduces these shorts simply by "turning the pages". The shorts feature recurring characters that appear just about every week, as well as some characters that only appeared once or twice in the series. The shorts you'll find regularly on Kablam! include:
Action League Now -- Various action figures fighting crime.
Prometheous & Bob -- Space alien Prometheus is teaching caveman Bob about various things that his kind will be doing hundreds of thousands of years from now, such as fishing, painting, bowling, etc.
Life With Loopy -- Little girl Loopy does things that often throws her family out of whack, such as changing the climate, crossing paths with aliens, etc.
Sniz & Fondue -- A series of shorts featuring a family of cats; at the center -- the conniving Sniz and the high-hat wearing Fondue.
The Offbeats -- A group of kids that rather do their things their own way, and not be like their enemy, "The Populars".
Of the shorts that appear only once or twice, the most notable is Angela Anaconda, which appeared during Kablam!'s first season in 1996; created by Sue Rose (Pepper Ann), it's a computer-animated short about Angela Anaconda, a girl who's always trying to be ahead of her game at home and at school. Three years later, Angela Anaconda got her own regular series on Fox-ABC Family. Another Kablam! short that got its own series somewhere else was Untalkative Bunny; the series that it's based on is not seen anywhere in the US, but it can be seen in Canada on Teletoon.
Henry & June also appeared as hosts of U-Pick.
Information for The Angry Beavers is located on a separate page. Click here.
This Klasky-Csupo series is about a mom and a dad taking their kids to work. But this isn't a day at the office or the factory -- their parents' workplace is the entire world. Nigel Thornberry is a host of a TV show, "Nigel Thornberry's Animal World", with the camerawork done by his wife, Marianne. Always in tow is their teenage daughter, Debbie, who yearns to live the normal life; their adopted 4 year old son, Donnie, who acts more like a hyperactive animal than a normal human; and, most importantly, their 12-year old daughter, Eliza, who can talk to animals -- a talent that she can never share with the humans. And always alongside Eliza is her pet chimp, Darwin, who's not too thrilled of the wild.
The Wild Thornberrys have 2 feature films coming up -- one of these a crossover with the Rugrats.
Oh Yeah! is Nick's second cartoon anthology series, but unlike Kablam!, Oh Yeah! had no regular recurring shorts, and, for the first season, had no host. Kids from off the street introduced the shorts for the first season, while the second season had Kel Mitchell as host.
Two Nicktoon series, Chalk Zone and The Fairly Oddparents, were originally shorts on Oh Yeah!. A third short, My Neighbor is a Teenage Robot, is slated to become a series this fall. Also, Oh Yeah! was, on many occasions, used to present pilots of prospective Nicktoons (see "Possible Future Nicktoons" below).
Cats and dogs are always mortal enemies of each other. So, for a thrill, what if a cat and a dog share the same body? The end result is CatDog, Peter Hannan's Nicktoon hit about a cat and a dog living in the same body. As a result, they learn to cope with each other and share their interests, even if the other disapproves of it. And of course, they learn to keep away from the biker gang, The Greasers.
CatDog was the first Nicktoon to have first-run episodes 5 days a week, rather than once or twice a week.
Like Angry Beavers, CatDog also is out of production, and has a season (in this case, 5 episodes) that was seen everywhere but the US. However, its withholdment was probably due to low ratings and lack of interest, rather than something that angered Nick. And of course, it's not off the air completely -- it's still seen on weekends, as well as everyday on the Nicktoons TV channel. But, whether these episodes will ever be seen in the states is still unclear.
The episodes that remain unseen to Americans are:
"Harraslin' Match": Winslow's niece and nephew take over
CatDog's house
"Dog the Not So Mighty": For he "Mighty Dog Day",
Cat- wants to be -Dog's sidekick, but -Dog chose someone else.
"Cat Gone Bad": Cat- tries to become a beat poet, like the
other "cool cats".
"The Old CatDog and the Sea": CatDog appears on a talk show
to talk about their fishing adventure, but they tend to stretch the truth out
as far as possible.
"Cone Dog": After suffering an ear injury, -Dog wears a cone,
to keep himself from scratching. But, it has its benefits -- he's able to listen
in to all the townspeople's secrets.
"The Ballad of Ole' 159": CatDog finds a way to save an old
garbage truck.
"Mean Bob, We Hardly Knew Ya": At "Mean Bob's Theater"
play, -Dog causes the actor being Mean Bob to lose his memory.
"CatDog in Winslowland": Winslow leaves the door to his house
open, giving CatDog an opportunity to snoop inside.
"Vexed of Kin": Cat- thinks that his parents love -Dog more
than him.
"Meat, Dog's Friends": After finding out that meat comes from
animals, -Dog has trouble deciding whether or not to eat meat, as all his friends
are animals. Another must-watch series-ender that Americans will have to miss.
What do sea sponges do for a living? Pratically nothing, unless you're SpongeBob SquarePants; he's a sea sponge who remarkably looks like a kitchen sponge (any similarity to David Letterman is coincidental). He lives under the sea, along side his starfish buddy, his cantankerous octopus neighbor, and a female squirrel, who lives in a bubble and goes around in a spacesuit, so she won't drown.
SpongeBob is a cult hit among adults -- it had a brief run on MTV, and also, according to a Wall Street Journal report, it is especially popular among the gay community.
SpongeBob is the first TV series to successfully top Pokemon on Saturday mornings. Production was cancelled in October 2001 after its creator, Steve Hillenberg, decided to take a break and concentrate on the threatrical movie version, slated to premiere in 2004. The door is always open for his return; but on the other hand, that's what we said about Joe Murray, who quit under the same circumstances.
In this Klasky-Csupo series, a group of kids do what they do best -- extreme sports. Otto Rocket is an expert skateboarder; his sister, Reggie, publishes her own "zine"; Twister is the group's videographer; and Sam, the "squid", is the group's science and safety expert. Otto and Reggie's dad, Ray Rocket, owns a diner at the Ocean Shores pier. There's lessons to be learned and records (and maybe arms) to be broken in this action-packed Nicktoon, Rocket Power.
John Callahan is a famous cartoonist from Portland, Oregon, whose panels are seen once a week in better Sunday newspaper magazines and alternative weeklies, as well as magazines ranging from The New Yorker to Hustler. He is also a quadriplegic, spending his life in a wheelchair. Nelvana is a legendary animation house from Canada, which made fine animated programs ranging from The Raccoons to Bob & Margaret. And the CBC is Canada's greatest public broadcaster, whose programs even top those from the states. What would be finer than all those people, and Nick, getting together to produce a Nicktoon? What they got was Pelswick, a Nicktoon about a 13-year old teenager who's relegated to a wheelchair. But forget about those sappy "Afterschool Specials" about the handicapped -- the stories are the usual cartoon / sitcom stock, such as rock concerts, censorship, running for school president, going to camp, etc., and they treat Pelswick Eggert like any other ordinary character. Pelswick's a kid in a wheelchair with an unusual first name, but he doesn't act like one. The series also features David Arquette as the voice of Mr. Jimmy, a God-like figure who pops by and gives Pelswick some advice, advice that is so vague, Pelswick often doesn't get it until near the end of each episode.
This Klasky-Csupo Nicktoon is about Lucky Junior High student Ginger Foutley and her geeky friends, Dodie and Macie, as they strive to be as popular as rich girl Courtney Gripling, with success. One person who doesn't like Ginger and her friends is Courtney's friend, Miranda, who always go out of her way to keep Ginger out of Courtney's life, even as far as having Ginger arrested; though of course, Ginger and Courtney always has the last laugh. Around for comic relief is Ginger's brother, Carl, and his best friend, Hoodsey; they do stuff that's so conniving, when they try to borrow Ginger's stuff, the reason they always give is "classified". In most cases, their secret work is designed to make fun of Courtney's younger brother, Blake, who acts more blue-blooded than Courtney.
It should be noted that Melissa Disney, the voice of Ginger, is related to Walt Disney -- she's his distant cousin.
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** Invader ZimFrom comic book creator Jhonen Vasquez comes an alien named Zim, who believes that he's a leader in a galactic conquest. But there's one problem -- Zim is a little paranoid. However, it's very unlikely that Zim will ever conquer Earth -- in January 2002, Nick cancelled the series after less than a year on the air, and after 6 episodes were produced for the second season. This is despite the show's solid fan base and respectable ratings. The series will end with 26 episodes, with the remaining new shows to be seen, starting in March 2002. Immediately after its cancellation, Nick has pulled Zim entirely from the schedule, replacing it with extra reruns of Oddparents on Fridays and CatDog on Sundays. Zim was part of Nick's Slam action block, which aired on Sundays from September 2002 to March 2003, but only on repeats, while other series in that block got new shows. That block was cancelled in March 2003, due to frequent pre-emptions and constant apathy from Nick. Currently, it is seen only on the Nicktoons TV channel, where Zim is seen on weekends (though its timeslot will be lousy). The series is now out of production, and all but several episodes have been seen repeatedly. There are some unseen episodes, but who knows when and if Nick US will show them. (Left: Zim and GIR, from the April 2001 Nickelodeon Magazine; ©2001 Viacom.) |
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The Fairly OddparentsThe second spinoff from Oh Yeah! (Chalk Zone was the first, but the series was delayed until 2002), this series features about a couple of fairies that grant wishes to 10-year old Timmy Turner, frequently with errant results. (Left: Timmy Turner, from the April 2001 Nickelodeon Magazine. Right: The Fairly Oddparents, from Nick.Com. Both ©2001 Viacom.) |
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* ChalkZoneIn this first Oh Yeah! spinoff, Rudy Tabootie, a shy, little boy, discovers a whole new world behind the chalkboard in his classroom. The chalk drawings he draws comes to life in another dimension called "ChalkZone". Along for the ride is Rudy's best friend, Penny, and his ChalkZone friend, Snap. Even though regular episodes of this series debuted about a year after Oddparents, this is considered to be the first spinoff from Oh Yeah! -- the pilot for the ChalkZone series debuted on 12/31/1999, but was never seen again until the series started on 3/22/2002. The series' debut was the highest-rated debut for a Nick program in the history of the channel, with a 8.6 rating / 27 share, and 2.8 million viewers watching. However, its record was broken 6 months later with Jimmy Neutron. And while Nick is still 100% behind ChalkZone, the series has been plagued by constant repeats, due to the fact that only 6 episodes were produced in the series' first season. (Left: ChalkZone's Snap, Rudy & Penny, from the Animation World Network; ©2002 Viacom.) |
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 (Left: Jimmy Neutron and his friends, from the Jimmy Neutron movie video. From Amazon.Com; Above: Jimmy Neutron in When Pants Attack, from Nick.Com. ©2001-2002 Viacom.) |
This series involves brainiac Jimmy Neutron, who tries to save earth from the dreaded aliens, the Yolkians. Jimmy Neutron was seen on Nick as a series of shorts; later, a theatrical feature film was released 12/21/2001, and finally, the regular TV series starting September 6. Twenty episodes are slated, at least.
Jimmy Neutron's road to success was more difficult, as it was an entirely new Nicktoon that will start with a movie, followed by a TV series, rather than the other way around. Because of this, Nick pulled all the stops for Jimmy, with his own website, several shorts, and a regular strip in Nick Magazine. He even snuck into Nick's TV shows, where, with a special contraption, he could change the channel at will, make the characters sound different, have them appear in a different medium, etc., all in special scenes produced in association with the producers of the shows he's invading.
Speaking of invading, he already had his own balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. And a person in a Jimmy Neutron costume popped up at the New York Stock Exchange, as well as the front of the window-view audience during all 3 hours of a Today Show episode. Apparently, it's gotten to a point where you can't avoid Jimmy Neutron, no matter how hard you try.
Apparently, Nick's tactics are working -- Jimmy Neutron is already a popular
Nicktoon character, and he didn't have his own show yet. The big payoff for
Jimmy came on the series' debut on 9/6/2002 -- its Nielsen ratings were a 9.3
rating / 33 share, with 2.9 million viewers watching. That premiere was the
highest-rated debut of a Nick program in the history of the channel, breaking
a record last broken by ChalkZone earlier in 2002.
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Some people say that Jimmy Neutron looks and sounds a little like Speedy Alka-Seltzer, the mascot for Alka-Seltzer that was used in ads through the mid-1960s. Are they related to each other? You be the judge. (Left: Speedy Alka-Seltzer, from the Chicago Advertising Federation website. © Bayer Corporation.) |
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My Life As A Teenage Robot (Coming August 1)A Nicktoon about a Jenny, teenage female robot, and her human friends. Jenny not only saves the world on a daily basis, she also goes to high school. This is the third spinoff from Oh Yeah! 13 episodes, minimum. The original name of the series was "My Neighbor Is A Teenage Robot", but it was changed in October 2002, before the series' debuted. (Left & Right: Pictures from a scene in "My Life As A Teenage Robot", from the Nickdisk Forum; © 2002-2003 Viacom.) |
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And coming soon to Nick:
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Danny Phantom (Fall)From the creator of Oddparents, a Nicktoon about 14-year old danny Fenton, who has an ability to turn into a superhero, when the need arises. His mission -- battle ghosts. 13 episodes have been ordered for this series. (Left & Right: "Danny Phantom", from the Cable TV Advertising Bureau website & the Nickdisk Forum; © 2002-2003 Viacom.) |
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All Grown Up (November 29)The first Rugrats spinoff, it'll feature the tweenage versions of America's favorite babies. 13 episodes have been ordered. The series was to have had the same name as its pilot -- "All Growed Up", but was changed to the more gramatically-correct version in November 2002. (Left & Right: The tweenage Rugrats. From the August 2001 Nick Magazine (left) and the Nickdisk Forum (right); ©2001, 2003 Viacom.)
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This animated series will be seen on Nick-At-Nite, but, considering that Nick-At-Nite is technically the same channel as Nick, it is listed here. (But Nick Jr. animated series like Blue's Clues, Dora The Explorer, and, of course, Little Bill are not listed. Go figure.)
This 7-episode miniseries, based on Bill Cosby's 1986 bestselling book, will star David Alan Grier (formerly of In Living Color) as the central character of Dr. Bindlebeep, a high school teacher and father of three.
Information about this new Nicktoon is unknown, other than it'll be by Butch
Hartman, creator of Oddparents and Danny Phantom.
Information about this new Nicktoon is unknown, other than it'll be by Butch Hartman, creator of Oddparents and Danny Phantom. Apparently, it'll be an homage to those mutant animal comics from the 1980s, with the title character being, well, a kung fu spy troll.
This Klasky-Csupo Nicktoon will feature a boy, whose grandparents run a delicatessen. But, he later finds out that the deli was merely a cover for their real occupation -- operatives for the CIA.
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** Preschool DazeWhat was to have been the first Rugrats spinoff, it will focus on Angelica & Susie and their day at pre-school. 13 episodes have been originally ordered. This series was originally slated to begin in fall 2002, but has been actually delayed until 2003 (maybe later), due to complications involving the new animation designs for the characters, plus the on-going work for All Growed Up (below). Also, originally, School Daze was to have been top priority, but apparently, only 4 specials will be produced at first, while they concentrate on All Grown Up. Also, there were plans to change the name of this series to Angelica & Susie's School Daze, but, they changed it back to the original name, as the new name would confuse this series with a Spike Lee "joint". (Left: A picture from a scene in Preschool Daze, the lead-in Rugrats episode for the series of the same name, from the Cooltoons Newsletter; © 2002 Viacom.) |
Nick is continuing to search for new cartoons and animated series that would
be worthy of the "Nicktoons" name. Some of these pilots won't be aired,
while some will either air as specials or as part of an anthology series (mainly
Oh Yeah!). And if they're good enough, they'll become a regular Nicktoon
series. Some of these shows include:
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Baxter and Bananas -- This pilot, by creator Zak Moncrief, is about a boy and his sock monkey doll, along the same lines as the old Calvin & Hobbes comic strip. Baxter Anderson, a 10-year old boy who recently moved to a new town, was looking for a new friend, which was, at the time, difficult to find. That's when he found Bananas, an old sock monkey, while his parents unpacked. Voice talent in this pilot includes Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame -- he'll be the voice of Bananas and Baxter's dad. The pilot debuted as a stand-alone short (taking out the first half of Invader Zim) on 7/12/2002 at 9:30PM ET on Nick, following Oddparents at 9PM ET. For more on Baxter & Bananas, click here. (Left: A picture from Baxter & Bananas, from their website; © 2002 Zak Moncrief.) |
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