Episodes for
1998
Episodes for
1998
These are the Rugrats' 7th season episodes. Unlike previous seasons, all episodes (except The Family Tree & the movie special) were televised first in Canada or Australia.
83 (98-01A) [N81A] [KC83A] -- Grandpa's Bad Bug
Original Video Street Date: 1/5/1998 (on "Dr. Tommy Pickles")
World TV Premiere Date: 4/3/1998 at 5PM ET on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/19/1998 at 8PM ET
| Click here for full transcript. |
Grandpa gets out of doing chores by faking a "bad bug", though the Rugrats thought that he actually eaten one. To take care of this, they find some "good bugs" for Grandpa to eat.
Notes:
1. In this episode, Grandpa mentions that he was an "Ensign in the Corps". Keep in mind that Ensigns exists only in the Navy and the Coast Guard; in the Army, Air Force and the Marine Corps, the equivalent to Ensign is Second Lieutenant.
(special thanks to Don Del Grande)
2. Here's the poem that Grandpa once said to Stu, and Stu used to remind Grandpa about keeping promises:
If a promise you don't keep,
May it haunt you in your sleep.
And as you lie beneath your quilt,
You will have a conscience full of guilt.
Grandpa, however, decides to break his promise of not going to a pinochle tournament by saying this rebuttal:
But if it's cards you like to play,
Play all night and sleep all day!
(98-01B) [N81B] [KC83B]
-- Lady Luck
World TV Premiere Date: 4/3/1998 after "Grandpa's Bad Bug" on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/19/1998 after "Grandpa's Bad Bug"
Grandpa takes Tommy & Chuckie to the new Seniors Center to play bingo. When Grandpa starts losing, however, Tommy & Chuckie look for "Lady Luck", who turned out to be Mrs. Holkin, the center's supervisor. While they look for her, however, they livened up the center, where "rest & relaxation is the key to happiness", especially since this is a place where aerobics and cha-chas are just as slow as Tai Chi, and where jumping over checkers is prohibited.
Notes:
1. The voice of the bingo caller is Ben Stein. A university professor and President Nixon's former speech writer, Ben Stein's best known for his constant monotone voice. His first claim to fame as a celebrity was in 1987, when he played a high school economics teacher in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off (his best-known lines from that film include "Bueller...Bueller...Bueller..." and "Anyone? Anyone?"); he later played a teacher on The Wonder Years. Currently, he hosts a game show on Comedy Central called Win Ben Stein's Money, where 3 contestants play for Ben Stein's $5000, the amount he's paid per episode to host the show; he also plays contestant in the 2nd and final rounds of that show to defend his money.
2. The role of Mrs. Holkin is played by Alice Ghostley, a veteran character actress who appeared in many TV shows and movies. Her roles include Esmerelda (1969-72) on Bewitched (ABC, 1964-72), Mrs. Nash on Captain Nice (NBC, 1967) (there's an interesting story about this show and CBS's Mr. Terrific that I may tell someday), regular panelist on Cross-Wits (syndicated game show, 1975-80), regular (1962-64) on The Jackie Gleason Show (CBS, 1952-70), regular (1968-69) on The Jonathan Winters Show (CBS, 1967-69), regular on The Julie Andrew Hour (ABC, 1972-73), Bertha in Nichols (NBC, 1971-72) (this show also has an interesting story), and Edwina Moffitt (Summer 1974) on Temperatures Rising (ABC, 1972-74). Now wouldn't it be great if they give William Schallert a role in a future Rugrats episode?
(Source, The Complete Directory To Prime-Time Network TV Shows, 1946-Present, 4th Edition, by Tim Brooks & Earle Marsh, Ballantine, 1988)
3. In this episode, Grandpa tells of his "Army days", which contradicts his "Ensign in the Corps" story in the previous story. On the other hand, the Air Force was part of the Army as the "Army Air Corps" in 1941; at the time, he might have been between 20 and 25 years old, old enough to serve.
(special thanks to Don Del Grande)
4. During the bingo match, listen closely to the numbers; they aren't the same as the actual bingo formation, which is 1 to 15 under the B, 16 to 30 under O, etc. The announcer drew the numbers as "N-2", "O-2", etc. At first, I though this was one of the center's techniques to keep the patrons "quiet and relaxed" by not winning and yelling out "Bingo!", but I later found out that Grandpa later won with the erroneous numbers.
5. This was David Doyle's last episode as Grandpa, as he died of a heart attack on 2/26/1997 (the soundtrack for this episode was recorded shortly before his death). This episode was dedicated to him at the end with:
"In Loving Memory Of David Doyle"
In the 1997 season, in the Psycho Angelica episode, a similar dedication was given to Andy Houts, who died on the same day as Doyle.
(special thanks to Paul Melville)
84 (98-09A) [N76A] [KC84A] [RTS611A] -- Hiccups
World TV Premiere: Australia: 12/14/1997 (5:30PM Sydney Time, Nickelodeon)
Original U.S./Canada Video Street Date: 1/5/1998 (on "Dr. Tommy Pickles")
Original US Air Date: 9/12/1998, 8PM ET
| Click here for full transcript. |
Tommy gets hiccups. Angelica tries scaring the hiccups out of Tommy, but he's hard to scare.
(98-09B) [N76B] [KC84B] [RTS611B] -- Autumn Leaves
World TV Premiere: Australia: 12/14/1997 (After Hiccups, Nickelodeon)
Original U.S./Canada Video Street Date: 1/5/1998 (on "Dr. Tommy Pickles")
Original US Air Date: 9/12/1998, after Hiccups
| Click here for full transcript. |
Leaves change color and fall off the trees every Fall, but the Rugrats think the trees are sick.
Note:
In the US & Canada, these episodes were first released direct-to-video on the "Dr. Tommy Pickles" video.
84X -- The Rugrats Father's Day Special
First US Air Date: 6/16/1998 at 8PM ET
This episode is essentially 2 stories taken from episodes already in constant rotation on Nick -- Regarding Stuie & America's Wackiest Home Movies; see those for descriptions. This "special" is included, as Nick (US) shows this "special" every year. In episode counts, this "special" is not to be counted, as both stories already exist in previous episodes.
This "pre-fab" holiday special, cooked up so that the Rugrats' dads wouldn't be left out, is probably seen only on Nick in the US.
85 (98-02A) [N82A] [KC85A] -- Crime & Punishment
World TV Premiere: Australia: 5/3/1998 (5:30PM Sydney Time, Nickelodeon)
Original US Air Date: 8/20/1998 at 8PM ET
Chazz falls in love with Naomi, a traffic cop, but the Rugrats try to sour their relationship after Angelica's lie of cops stealing babies. Chazz's date with Naomi later becomes more bizarre after Chuckie accidentally breaks Chazz's glasses; after the breakage, Chazz went without his glasses, as he feared that the taped-up glasses would make him look like a geek.
(98-02B) [N82B] [KC85B]
-- Baby Maybe
World TV Premiere: Australia: 5/3/1998 (After Crime & Punishment, Nickelodeon)
Original US Air Date: 8/20/1998 after Crime & Punishment
The Rugrats' parents go out to see the opera after hiring Ben & Elaine, our newlyweds from Let Them Eat Cake, to babysit them. The couple is babysitting them to get a feel on what parenting feels like, as they plan to have kids in the future. However, the chore of babysitting babies does not go exactly as planned, in advance.
Notes:
1. In this episode, Jeff Bennett reprises his role as Ben, but the role of Elaine is played in this episode by Meagan Fay (Tress MacNeille was Elaine in "Let Them Eat Cake").
(special thanks to Paul Melville)
2. This is the first time we get to see Betty without her headband, as she's dressed up for the opera like all the other grown-ups.
3. Also in this episode, we learn that Cynthia has her own catalog, where clothing and other Cynthia goodies can be ordered. In that catalog, we see more pictures of the pre-Angelica Cynthia.
86 (98-03A)
[N83A] [KC86A] -- The Word Of The Day
World TV Premiere Date: 4/7/1998 at 5PM ET on YTV (Canada)
Original Video Street Date: 6/199/1998 on Angelica Knows Best (direct to video)
Original US Air Date: 8/18/1998 at 8PM ET
Angelica auditions for a part on a Romper Room-style TV program, "Miss Carol's Happy House". However, things get nasty after the audition when Angelica overhears the 74 year-old Miss Carol say nasty things about her viewers backstage; among these nasty things included a cuss word, which Angelica learns and says to her parents.
Notes:
1. This is reminiscent of the 1940's, when Uncle Don, at the end of his radio show, said "That'll hold those little b******s", without knowing that he was still on the air, according to Urban Legend.
2. Animation Error: On the "Happy House" set, the letters "U" and "W" are switched in the alphabet. Also, while Miss Carol gets the postcards, the "Y" was missing, but reappears when Angelica is auditioned. And you think Mr. Garrison's alphabet on South Park is goofy?
3. What cuss word did Miss Carol and Angelica say? Nobody knows, but we did know that each time they cussed, their conversations were abruptly, but briefly, interrupted with a floor cleaner, a jack hammer, Charotte's screaming or the test pattern.
(special thanks to Don Del Grande and Paul Melville)
(98-03B) [N83B] [KC86B] -- Jonathan Babysits
World TV Premiere Date: 4/7/1998 after The Word Of The Day on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/18/1998 after The Word Of The Day
Jonathan babysits the Rugrats at Charlotte's house while she's on assignment, but uses this opportunity to look for Charlotte's tape so he could "dig up dirt" on Charlotte for blackmailing purposes. However, he has to do this while humoring Angelica, as per Charlotte's orders. Meanwhile, the Rugrats dig up dirt (the one used to make mudpies, that is).
Notes:
1. The part of Jonathan is played by Dan Castellaneta, who's more famous in his role as Homer Simpson on The Simpsons. In Jonathan's first appearance in Mommy's Little Assets, he was voiced by Rene Auberjonois.
(special thanks to Paul Melville)
2. In this episode, Jonathan is colored tannish-brown, while in Mommy's Little Assets, he was purple.
3. While snooping around, Jonathan found Charlotte's baby pictures, though
the "smoking gun" was a video of what Charlotte looks like first thing in
the morning.
87 (98-04A)
[N84A] [KC87A] -- He Saw, She Saw
World TV Premiere Date: 4/8/1998 at 5PM ET on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/21/1998 at 8PM ET
At a local park, where Stu & Didi took the Rugrats, Chuckie falls in love again, this time for a girl named Emma, and this time, something else gets in the way of their romance -- her big, 3-year-old brother, "Big Binky", who wants to distance Chuckie as far aways as possible from Emma. Knowing the problem, the Rugrats help Chuckie out by pestering Big Binky.
Note:
At the end of this episode, Didi hums "Red River Valley" to Stu, who accidentally got beaned in the eye with a ball. This is the 3rd time "Red River" is heard; previously, Tommy was humming it in Momma Trauma, and Didi was humming it in Aunt Miriam.
(98-04B) [N84B] [KC87B] -- Piggy's Pizza Place
World TV Premiere Date: 4/8/1998 after He Saw, She Saw on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/21/1998 after He Saw, She Saw
The Rugrats wander around a "Chuck E. Cheese"-type pizza restaurant after Piggy inadvertently stolen the game tickets that Angelica had won. Meanwhile, Stu & Drew try to outwit each other playing a Reptar pinball game.
Notes:
1. One of the rules at Piggy's Pizza Place is "No Cow Tipping". I guess that leaves Beavis & Butthead out in the cold.
2. Closed-captioning error: there was a scene where the Rugrats look at the costumes hanging in a closet. When Lil looks at the pig costume, she says "Oinkity, oinkity", but according to the closed-captions, she said "Oh, kitty, oh kitty", even though there were no cat costumes hung up.
88 (98-05A)
[N85A] [KC88A] -- Fugitive Tommy
World TV Premiere Date: 4/199/1998 at 5PM ET on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/22/1998 at 8PM ET
Gabriel Lasky, a.k.a. "The One-Toothed Baby", pops one of the McNulty kids' balls by biting it; however, the McNultys placed the blame on another baby with one-tooth -- Tommy. As they cart Tommy up a hill for Tommy's punishment, Tommy escapes, leading to a manhunt, with the McNultys finding Tommy, and Tommy finding Gabriel. But will the McNultys learn the real story? And will they believe Tommy? While all this happens, Gabriel's grandpa cheats while playing chess with Tommy's grandpa. Not a Quinn-Martin production.
Notes:
1. The premise of this episode was based on ABC's popular TV series, The Fugitive (1963-67), starring David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble, who was sentenced to death for a murder of his wife, who was actually murdered by Fred Johnson, a.k.a. "The One-Armed Man". En route to prison for his execution, the train derailed, providing an opportunity for Kimble to escape and go on the lam for 4 years. In 1967, Kimble and Johnson were caught, with Kimble's pursuer, Lt. Philip Gerard, beleving Kimble, and killing Johnson in the end. The final episode on 8/29/67 was the most watched TV program in US TV history until 11/21/80, when America found out who shot J.R. on CBS' Dallas (that was surpassed by the final episode of M*A*S*H on 2/28/83). The Fugitive was later made into a 1995 motion picture, starring Harrison Ford as Kimble and Tommy Lee Jones; the pipe slide sequence in this episode was based on the dam sequence in the movie.
2. In the scene where Tommy is carted up the hill to be punished, Tommy escapes by pushing his cart down the hill and crashing into the sandbox while trying to remove his "handcuffs" (actually, a Chinese finger trap).
3. During the above scene, "The Death March Of Saul", written in 1738 by German composer George Frideric Handel, is played in the background. If you never knew the title, most likely, you know how it goes (dum-dum-de-dum, dum-de-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum).
4. Speaking of the McNultys, Timmy has acquired an extra brother, Daniel, since we saw them last in The 'Lympics.
5. Also making his first appearance in this series is the McNulty's grandpa, which will be named Conan during the 1999 episodes.
6. Also, Timmy's skin color is slightly darker than in The 'Lympics.
7. Listen closely to Grandpa (Joe Alaskey) in this episode; does he sound alot like Daffy Duck to you? Joe Alaskey, who also plays Daffy in newer Looney Tunes shorts, is still trying to get used to the voice of Grandpa. Hopefully by the end of the season, he'll sound more like David Doyle's "Grandpa", rather than Daffy's "Grandpa".
8. Why did Gabriel pop McNulty's ball (as well as every other ball he can find, including a tether ball)? He was suffering from teething pain, which, according to him, was "much worse than diaper rash". Animal crackers and his grandpa's chess queen also provided some relief.
(special thanks to Paul Melville & Emily Daily)
(98-05B) [N85B] [KC88B]
-- Visiting Aunt Miriam
World TV Premiere Date: 4/199/1998 after Fugitive Tommy on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/22/1998 after Fugitive Tommy
Aunt Miriam is back; this time, we're visiting her place, as she, Grandpa, and her friends play poker. The Rugrats become scared of the old ladies when one of them jokingly commented that Chuckie was good enough to eat, and when Miriam recruited Chuckie to become her "helper" (which was genuine, but the Rugrats felt different).
89 (98-06A)
[N86A] [KC89A] -- The First Cut
World TV Premiere Date: 4/6/1998 at 5PM ET on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/16/1998 at 8PM ET
Tommy gets hurt while rescuing a baby bird. To help his cut heal, Didi placed a Reptar bandage over it. After Phil & Lil noticed this, they try to get hurt too, so they can get Reptar wrapped around their fingers. Meanwhile, Angelica steps in, telling Tommy that he'll have to go to the hospital to sew him up so he won't get a "reflection" (infection) and get "tangerine" (gangrene). After that, Tommy refuses to have any fun, so he won't get hurt.
Notes:
1. According to Nickelodeon, this episode was to have been about Tommy's first haircut. But according to Klasky-Csupo (with a picture to back it up), this is not the case.
2. This is also the first time on any Nicktoon (perhaps, any Nick program) that we get to see blood being drawn, something that Ren & Stimpy wasn't even allowed to do.
(98-06B) [N86B] [KC89B]
-- Chuckie Grows
World TV Premiere Date: 4/3/1998 after The First Cut on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/16/1998 after The First Cut
It seems like it when Grandpa accidentally shrinks Chuckie's clothes in the wash, after Chuckie got dirty. Afterwards, Angelica decides to play off Chuckie by thinking that he's a giant and that he'll squash Angelica, the Rugrats and the grown-ups. In the end, this action costs Cynthia her right to have cappuccino; her miniature cappuccino machine was brought over so Stu can fix it.
90 (98-07A)
[N87A] [KC90A] -- Uneasy Rider
World TV Premiere Date: 4/14/1998 at 5PM ET on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/29/1998 at 8PM ET
Chuckie learns how to ride a bicycle, with a little help from Angelica. Once he learns, he is befriended by other big kids with bikes. But who are his real friends -- the big bike kids, or the Rugrats?
Notes:
1. This is as per Klasky-Csupo. Nickelodeon said that Angelica was trying to ride a bike.
2. In this episode, Angelica was riding a bike and her bike helmet has holes for her pigtails, but in The Wild Wild West, her helmet had no holes and she was on a trike again.
3. The voice of Spokes, the leader of the "big bike kids", is voiced by Mary Kay Bergman, who's also the official voice of Snow White for Disney; her other voices include Mrs. Butterworth in those syrup commercials and Daphne in the new (1990s) Scooby Doo movies, among others. Her most famous role was on South Park (not for children), where she, under the name "Shannen Cassidy", provided the voices for all but one female character in that program. Unfortunately, her brilliant carrer came to a tragic end on November 12, 1999, when she commited suicide by gunfire.
(98-07B) [N87B] [KC90B]
-- Where's Grandpa?
World TV Premiere Date: 4/14/1998 after Uneasy Rider on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/29/1998 after Uneasy Rider
The adults accidentally left Grandpa behind at a gas station while trying to take home an easily-perishable banana tree they purchased from a nursery about 3 hours from home. Grandpa unwittingly hitches a ride with strangers, but everyone ends up at a cheesy, Canadian-themed tourist stop called "North Of The Border" ("Where You Can Go To Canada Without Crossing The Border"). Tommy & Chuckie try to reunite Grandpa with Stu & Didi, but there's one slight problem -- Grandpa thinks he's in Canada -- with no ID (Tommy threw his wallet out the car window).
Notes:
1. "North Of The Border" is a take-off on "South Of The Border", a popular, Mexican-themed tourist stop on I-95 at US301 near Dillon, SC, immediately on the south side of the NC-SC border. NOTB's mascot, Jacques, is, more or less, the French counterpart to Pedro, the mascot of SOTB. One thing NOTB doesn't have is a liquor store, which was SOTB's main intent when it first opened in the 1950s (at the time, North Carolina's liquor laws were more restrictive than that of South Carolina's).
2. "North Of The Border" is mainly a stereotypical theme park, as there's mountains, Mounties, maple leaves, Niagara Falls, Eskimos and hockey everywhere. Where's the French-Canadians? Or the Maritime culture? Or the Gold Rush? Or even oil & wheat (which there's a lot of in Alberta & Sasketchewan, respecively)? There's more to Canadian culture that what's just represented "North Of The Border".
3. At an igloo-shaped restaurant at the park, almost all of the items are
either cooked with or covered in maple syrup. Also, one of the items on the
menu is "maple, maple, maple, eggs and maple"; that is a hidden homage to
Monty Python's Flying Circus, which, in one of the sketches, features
a restaurant that serves plenty of Spam ("Spam, Spam, Spam, eggs and
Spam"). There are other truly Canadian foods that aren't on the menu
-- for example, poutine, which is french fries covered with gravy and cheese
-- that is served at just about every restaurant, including McDonald's and
Burger Kings, in Canada.
|
4. Also in that episode, Grandpa falls off a bridge that crosses a fake river
going through a fake Niagara Falls. In actuality, the falls, and the way
the bridge is placed, resembles more like the Chutes de Montmorency
(Montmorency Falls), which is located about 7 miles east of Quebec
City on Routes 138 (the bottom) and 360 (the top), on the
north side of the St. Laurence River. The falls, where the Montmorency River
drains into the St. Laurence, is 270 feet high, about 98 feet higher than
the more well-known Niagara Falls, which is located on the Ontario-New York
border, near Buffalo (there, the nearest bridge is the Rainbow Bridge,
which crosses near the falls' bottom, not the top). Montmorency
Falls is also home to a fort built by General James Wolfe's army
in July 1759, and Le Manoir Montmorency, or Kent House, which was the
home of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, from 1791 to 1794. The falls also served
as a landmark for pilgrims heading to the Basilica of Ste. Anne-de-Beaupre
along the Rue Royale (about 25 miles east of Quebec City and 18 miles
east of the falls, that town is essentially a modern incarnation of
shrines erected as early as the 16th century to thank St. Anne for sparing
mariners from the hazards of nearby Cap Tourmente; the current such dates
from 1926, essentially a rebuild of the version destroyed by fire two years
prior).
(Right: Photo of Montmorency Falls, taken April 2001 by the webmaster, Steve Mindykowski, while vacationing in Quebec. Special thanks to Larry Ellis Reed.) |
|
91(98-10A)
[N88A] [KC91A] -- The Wild Wild West
World TV Premiere Date: 4/15/1998 at 5PM ET on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/17/1998 at 8PM ET
The Rugrats play "Cowboys & Indians", with Angelica playing ice cream thief after stealing coupons for free ice cream from an ice cream man.
Note:
The author of the book Susie was reading, "Bonsai Trees", was Kurt Vanzo, who, in reality, is sound editor for the show.
(98-10B) [N88B] [KC91B]
-- Angelica For A Day
World TV Premiere Date: 4/15/1998 after The Wild Wild West on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/17/1998 after The Wild Wild West
In his dream, Chuckie becomes mean and brave after putting on Angelica's shoes. In converse, Angelica becomes nice and scared after wearing Chuckie's shoes.
Note:
Evidentally, Chuckie and Angelica have the same shoe size, as their shoes fit each other's feet. Though, on the other hand, it's only a dream.
92 (98-11A)
[N89A] [KC92A] [RTS711A] -- Babysitting Fluffy
World TV Premiere Date: 4/16/1998 at 5PM ET on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/15/1998 at 8PM ET
Angelica and her family go on vacation, but Fluffy stays behind at Chuckie's house. But there are 2 problems: Fluffy hates Chuckie, and Chazz is allergic to cats. Eventually, the other Rugrats help out in babysitting Fluffy. Meanwhile, Chazz, Stu and Betty pave Chazz's driveway, without success.
(98-11B) [N89B] [KC92B]
[RTS711B] -- Sleep Trouble
World TV Premiere Date: 4/16/1998 after Babysitting Fluffy on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 8/15/1998 after Babysitting Fluffy
At a sleepover during a windstorm, Tommy & Chuckie try to catch the "Sandman" after hearing Stu's impromptu story about him. They eventually catch Chazz, who came home early from a party.
Note:
This is not the first time Tommy & Chuckie heard of the Sandman. In Beach Blanket Babies, Angelica tells them that the Sandman lives at the beach, with Tommy commenting, "You mean the the guy who comes when you can't get to sleep?". With that in mind, at least Tommy knew of the Sandman way, way before this episode.
(Special thanks to Iain Flynn)
93 (98-12A) [N90A] [KC93A] [RTS712A] -- Journey To The Center Of The Basement
Alternate Title: "Journey To The Center..." (used in Nick's & YTV's episode guides)
World TV Premiere Date: 4/17/1998 at 5PM ET on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 9/19/1998 at 8PM ET
When Chazz accidentallty took Chuckie's "Reptar Jr." into the basement, the Rugrats go there to find it, with the scenario similar to Jules Verne's classic, Journey To The Center Of The Earth. Meanwhile, Chazz tries to fix some leaky plumbing himself, in order to beat the plumber's bill.
Notes:
1. Sometimes Nick gives false or incomplete titles in their episode guides. According to them, this episode is called "Journey To The Center...".
2. "Here's A Story...": When Chazz contacted the plumber, he called "Eve's Plumbing". This is a homage of sorts to Eve Plumb, who played Jan on ABC's The Brady Bunch (1969-74).
(98-12B) [N90B] [KC93B] [RTS712B] -- A Very McNulty Birthday
World TV Premiere Date: 4/17/1998 after Journey To The Center Of The Basement on YTV (Canada)
Original US Air Date: 9/19/1998 after Journey To The Center Of The Basement
At his birthday party, Timmy McNulty bans the girls from playing because they have cooties. However, the girls get back at them by thinking that they actually have a contagious form of cooties.
Notes:
1. Colleen, the McNulty boy's mother with the Irish accent, makes her first appearance.
2. We also know the first names of 2 other McNulty boys -- Teddy and Terry. However, we don't know who is whom; as Tommy & Chuckie were wearing their trap-door pajamas with their names on them.
94 (98-13)
[N91] [KC94] -- The Family Tree
World TV Premiere Date: 9/21/1998 at 8PM ET
Writers: Rick Gitelson, Vinny Montello & Steve Ochs, based on a story by Rick Gitelson, Jill Gorey, Barbara Herndon, Vinny Montello, Steve Ochs & Monica Piper
Director: Jim Duffy
Chazz makes the Finster family tree, while Tommy & Chuckie decide that
they're brothers, since they like the same things. When Tommy was looking
for a ball that Angelica tossed in the bushes, Chazz and his parents took
notice, and pamper him. However, Angelica teaches Chuckie to be bad, so he
can draw their attention from Tommy and back to Chuckie. Meanwhile, Stu and
Didi celebrate their 5th anniversary by going on a cruise to Mexico, but
things start to turn sour when Didi frequently became seasick. Things, however,
improved when the ship's doctor found out the source of her seasickness --
her pregnancy.
Notes:
1. This is a 30-minute episode.
2. The title card sequence is used twice in this episode -- once after the opening credits, where the title card says, "The Family Tree Part I", and again after the first commercial break, where it says "The Family Tree Part II". Also, the music in the second title card is different than the regular fanfare used in the first title.
3. Shirley and Marvin, Chuckie's grandparents (and, of course, Chazz's parents), have their first appearance in this episode. They're here to help Chazz make the family tree.
4. As you can tell from the writer's credits, there's a total of 8 people involved with writing the story and the script. This is probably the most people involved in the creation of a Rugrats story.
5. This episode will also serve as a sort of prologue to the new Rugrats movie, scheduled for release 11/20/1998. However, the only link between this episode and the movie is at the very end, when it's revealed that Didi is pregnant. Other than that, it's, more or less, a normal Rugrats episode.
6. In addition, this episode will serve as a prologue to the new episodes of Rugrats, scheduled to premiere on Nick in mid-January 1999. Nick plans to repeat this episode, followed by selected clips from The Rugrats Movie, which would help bridge this episode with the 1999 ones.
7. Have you noticed that we never actually see Didi throw up? In these newer episodes, the scene shifts to something else when someone throws up. In the classic episodes, there were 2 instances that we actually get to see barfing in action -- when Tommy threw up on Angelica in Slumber Party, and when Angelica threw up on Drew in Chuckie Loses His Glasses. Apparently, tastefullness is not the issue here, as Nick continues to show those 2 episodes, uncensored. On the other hand, one of the creators, Arlene Klasky, doesn't go for that sort of thing, according to a recent article in The New Yorker.
8. One of Angelica's "bad" tactics was to have Chuckie spray water from a gardening hose onto Tommy. However, water was sprayed everywhere in the room that Tommy was in, and in that room was the computer that held the family tree. For some reason, the computer escaped the watery mess.
95 -- The Making Of "The Rugrats Movie" Special
World TV Premiere Date: 11/14/1998 at 7:30PM ET on Showtime (pay channel)
Nick Premiere Date: 11/25/1998 at 9PM ET on Nick-At-Nite
Not an actual Rugrats episode per se, but this special will give the behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film.
Note:
This special was originally to have been telecasted on Nick on 11/16/1998 at 8PM ET, then 11/18/1998 at 8:30PM ET (as per the 11/1998 issue of Nickelodeon Magazine, which was incorrect before in advance programming details). Instead, for some unknown reason, the documentary was moved to the Showtime pay channel, and made part of the Showtime Movie News series. Like Nick and Paramount, Showtime is owned by Viacom.
Nickelodeon, then, scheduled the special to be seen Sunday, 11/29/1998 at 7:30AM ET, preceeding the Rugrats marathon during the Nonstop Nicktoon Weekend. However, after the week's schedules were released, Nick made a last-minute change before the Thanksgiving weekend by dropping the scheduled Sunday morning telecast and, instead, showing the documentary on Nick-At-Nite on Wednesday 11/25/1998 and Friday 11/27/1998 (10PM ET). This special was also seen Thanksgiving day (11/26/1998) at 6PM ET on Nick's sister channel, TV Land.
95X -- VH1's Hollywood & Vinyl: The Rugrats Movie
World TV Premiere Date: 11/14/1998 at 11:30AM ET on VH1
Also not an actual episode, but worth mentioning here. The animated Stu Pickles and the live-action Lisa Loeb host this special, which previews the film, but gives more emphasis to the soundtrack. Here's how VH1 described it:
Stu Pickles (yes, Tommy's Dad) and Lisa Loeb ham it up for a Hollywood and Vinyl premiere special of The Rugrats Movie. Now, if you're under ten years old or don't have a sometimes cute seven year old you might not know the importance of the Rugrats' debut on the big screen this November 20.
Rugrats, an Emmy award winning animated children's series on Nickelodeon has taken the kids by storm. Every Saturday children everywhere religiously watch their favorite [Rugrats] and their parents, one of which is Tommy's heroic dad, Stu Pickles, an inventor and artist in his own right.
VH1 will bring you a sneak preview of the cast and characters with a Hollywood and Vinyl special, hosted by Stu and Lisa Loeb on VH1. Stu and Lisa are also stars in the movie. Lisa Loeb... professes to be a fan of the show herself.
Of course, the movie always has a soundtrack. The soundtrack to this film was composed by Devo founder Mark Mothersbaugh, produced by Elvis Costello, and appeals to kids of all ages.
It is safe to say that Nickelodeon knows its audience, and this movie will undoubtedly deliver the same clever entertainment of the popular TV show to kids between 6 and 56. So, get ready for these little tykes to bring you action packed fun that Harrison Ford would even envy.
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