Secret Episode Facts

Here are some items from existing Rugrats episodes that never made the final draft, as well as some stuff that exists today, but almost didn't make it:

27 -- The Santa Experience

1. Early title -- "Christmas".


28B -- The Case Of The Missing Rugrat

1. Early title -- "Grey Gardens".


30A -- Rebel Without A Teddy Bear

1. Early title -- "Rebel Without A Blanket".


30B -- Angelica The Magnificent

1. In the early draft, Nick requested that the scenes featuring the shed must be removed from the script. Nevertheless, it remained.


32B -- Let Them Eat Cake

1. Early title -- "The Wedding".

2. Nick originally wanted Ben to call Stu "Stu", not "Mr. Pickles". Eventually, "Mr. Pickles" stayed.

3. The original script was also to have revealed Boris & Minka's last name. In the original script, it was "Krapopkin". This last-name issue was later dropped from the script.

4. Nick also wanted Boris & Minka's mother tongue to sound genuine.

5. Nick also had qualms about the wedding cake, as it was intact after going under a table. It remained intact in the final script.


33A -- The Seven Voyages of Cynthia

1. There was originally a line where Angelica commented "Sick little monkeys!" Nick ordered that line cut, as it's too much like Ren & Stimpy.

2. Nick thought that the kids would'nt get the part where Angelica says, "Cynthia, we hardly knew ye." Nevertheless, it remained in the script.

3. Nick also didn't want this episode to be paired with Down The Drain, as both episodes had Cynthia going into the sewer syatem.


33B -- My Friend Barney

1. Early title -- "Chuckie's Imaginary Friend".

2. In one scene, Chazz commented abut his fish: "Wow! My fish! Your mother never liked this fish; but, now she's gone, I guess we can put it back up, now." Nick originally wanted it cut, as his wife has been gone for quite awhile; as it is, the line implied that she left yesterday. Nevertheless, it remained in the final draft.

3. In another scene, folloing the 10K marathon, Didi commented to Betty: "You didn't tell me what a 'K' is!" Originally, the script had Betty saying that it was a 10K race, with Didi saying that she didn't know that it was 6 miles. That was replaced with the present punchline, as Nick felt it was funnier than the fact that 10 kilometers equals 6 miles.

4. Near the ending, Chuckie told the Rugrats that Barney's not real, and at the ending, he's outside, still talking to Barney after he closes the door. Nick originally felt that it can't be done both ways, and the episode should end when Chuckie mentions that Barney's not real. Nevertheless, the original version remained.


34A -- Feeding Hubert

1. The original script had the crowd laugh when seeing the big mound of trash near the end. That was changed to the crowd being a little surprised and appalled, as Nick felt that a joyous audience was too confusing.

2. Nick also didn't understand the "Baby Huberts" reference at the end, where the recycling trucks followed the garbage truck.

3. There was originally characters called "Supermarket Kid A" and "Supermarket Kid B", which Nick deemed confusing. References to the supermarket were later removed in later drafts.

4. Hubert was once referenced as "our very own monster", but was ordered changed by Nick to just "a monster", especially as neither the Rugrats nor the Pickles own a monster themselves, or a garbage truck.


34B -- Spike The Wonder Dog

1. Early title -- "Spike Can Talk".

2. In the "Oodles" portion, Nick thought that the kids' comments of not having an Uncle Lyle or a barn was out of place, yet it stuck in the final draft.

3. Nick wanted some PUs when the twins open Phil & Lil's mouth, as a way to make it funnier.

4. A line that Tommy refers to Spike being a "wonder poodle" was removed, as Nick felt that such confusion would be weird.


35A -- The Slide

1. Nick complained that the part where Chuckie being pushed in an office chair down a hill was too dangerous; Nick told the writers to change it to something that kids wouldn't do at home.

2. Also in this episode was a line where Chuckie commented "Now I'm every slide in the whole universal". Nick wondered if that was a typo. Nevertheless, the line was eventually cut altogether.

3. Due to "Standards & Practices" concerns, Susie was not allowed to push Chuckie. Also, greater care had to be taken around skateboards.

4. There was to have been another vertigo shot near the end, before Chuckie goes down the slide successfully; the vertigo was later removed in the final draft.

5. Nick originally thought that no narration during Chuckie's slide story, apart from the set-up, would be better. Of course, the narration remained.


35B -- The Big Flush

1. Was to have been "Swimming Lessons".

2. Nick wanted to have the Rugrats wear life jackets when they're near the pool unattended, but they don't want them to wear them in the swimming lesson, where the parents are at the shallow end of the pool, holding them.

3. Nick originally requested that someone calls the fire department when Stu is too terrified to get back down.

4. And when the Rugrats got on the low board, there was to have been a line-up of other kids at the board. This line was later cut, as Nick felt it was confusing.

5. Also, in the original scripts, Didi and Betty weren't in the sauna, but at the pool with the other adults. There was a line where Didi comments that she has to help Stu, and Betty was to have Chazz & Howard come down, after they went up themselves.

6. In the early script, there were judges near the deep end for a diving contest of some sort. The judges were later removed.


36A -- King Ten Pin

1. Nick didn't get the part about the leaf blower, which was one of the methods used for cheating. It stuck.

2. In an earlier script, Ed (the pin guy?) said "I'm a patsy!". Instead, Nick insisted on himsaying "I've been framed!".

3. Nick originally wanted the flashback seen in its entirety, but it never happened, apart from the "teasers".

4. In the scene where Angelica goes into a trance after the Dummi Bears was switched on, it originally called for Angelica telling the babies who's in charge. Nick, however, did not want two jokes in one, so it was changed to Angelica telling the babysitter what she wants.

5. There was also a line where "Halcyon days" were discussed, but Nick wanted it cut out, as they felt that "halcyon" refers to drugs.


36B -- Runaway Angelica

1. Nick wanted Charlotte to act more motherly in this episode; apparently, the writers obliged. They also wanted her to appear at the end of the episode; that they did not do.

2. In one scene, the Rugrats realise that they can't talk. Nick said that they can't recognise that fact themselves.

3. Nick suggested that in the doghouse scene, Angelica was to lure Spike out with a dog biscuit, then spray the interior with perfume (originally, it was to have been her mother's perfume, then changed to kiddie perfume). That suggestion didn't materialise in the final draft.

4. When Angelica runs away to Tommy's house, there were concerns from Nick that she lived too far from Tommy's house. Apparently, in the final product, it was implied that Angelica's parents not close neighbors with Tommy's parents, yet she lives close enough to get there by herself, if necessary.

5. In the preliminary outline, apparently, Tommy's the only other Rugrat in this episode, besides Angelica. When that was the case, Nick wanted Angelica not to speak to him, and just act bratty. Eventually, later on, Chuckie, Phil & Lil became involved, and Angelica was allowed to speak to all the Rugrats, provided, of course, that their parents don't know that she's here.


37A -- Game Show Didi

1. Title also given early on as "Quiz Show Didi" and "Game Show".

2. Nick wanted Stu and Grandpa to take their time in finding the Rugrats; the early draft had them find the Rugrats quickly.

3. There was also a character in the episode who was a "pompous jerk", who was ordered removed by Nick.

4. The original ending was to have Didi win cash, which she would give to charity. At the suggestion of Nick, the ending was redone so that Didi would choose the Dalmatian statuary instead. While the final draft ended with Didi kissing Tommy at the studio, this early ending was to have also returned back to the Pickle's house, where the statue would sit in the living room; Spike would've growled at it, while Grandpa stares at it and sighs.


37B -- Toys In The Attic

1. Early titles -- "The Spirit of Fluff",  then "Boris and Minka", then "At Boris and Minka's".

2. Originally, Fluffy was to have a central role in this episode. Also, the trip was to have been an anniversary gift for Stu and Didi, and Grandpa was to have gone on a trip of his own. Later on, references to the anniversary, to Grandpa and to Fluffy were dropped, because Stu and Didi's trip wasn't interesting, and Grandpa's trip was pointless. As for Fluffy being dropped, no reason was given in these notes. The final product now has Stu & Didi & Drew & Charlotte going on a trip together to some southern destination, just for kicks, with Grandpa apparently staying home and Fluffy in a kennel somewhere.

3. An early script has Boris saying to Tommy and Angelica, "Kids, your age need time to be alone for kissing and the hugging and the...". Nick had that line removed, as it gives them an idea that the parents are on a second honeymoon, rather than being gone for the day.

4. Stu said, "C'mon guys; we got a plane to catch! If we're late, we're not gonna get any nuts!" Nick didn't get the nut joke, though it stayed in the final draft.

5. Minka mentioned something about rubber nipples, something that Nick didn't want, so it was removed.

6. So is "Dingus", when uttered by Minka and Tommy.

7. Didi was to have given Minka a Lipschitz book, which she later ignores. References to Lipschitz were later removed.

8. While antiques were a good idea, Nick didn't want Boris or Minka to have a VCR or any modern toys.

9. There was also some comments from Stu to Didi about growing up, but was later removed from the script, as Nick disapproved it.


38A -- Driving Miss Angelica

1. The episode's title was to have been "Indentured Chuckie".

2. The delivery man's line (when he delivered the candy to Drew) was considered "too adult" by Nick.

3. Nick complained that Drew was being too nice to Angelica, after stealing the candy without getting caught. They wanted Drew to catch her and mention that she was to have no candy before dinner.

4. Nick felt that having Angelica & Chuckie trapped in a closet was too awkward; however, it stayed in the final draft.

5. There was a reference to "Kojak", which was a police series starring Telly Savalas on CBS (1973-78); Nick had it removed, as they felt that such a reference was too old.

6. Nick said that Chuckie can't start using "Miss Angelica" right away; he has to be corrected first when he uses "Angelica". He should also ask why he should call her that, and if, later on, he can quit, to which Angelica would answer, "no".

7. An early script had the episode NOT feature Tommy who, as a rule, usually appears in every story of the series.

8. To spice up the subplot, Nick wanted Drew to havea career that adult viewers can relate to, such as an auditor ot IRS agent. While we actually did get to see some of his work at home in this episode, we knew early on, in Tommy's First Birthday, that he's an Investment Banker.

9. There was also an early scene that had Chuckie eat a crayon; Nick, however, commented that it wasn't something that Chuckie would usually do. It remained in the final script.


38B -- Susie vs. Angelica

1. There was a scene where the Rugrats apparently was looking at a video tape, with Susie commenting "The videotape doesn't lie". This was changed to "The videotape wouldn't lie", before that scene was removed altogether.

2. Near the beginning of the episode, Chuckie was to have asked, "Aren't we all equal in the eyes of the Lord?" Nick had that line removed, as Nick policy mandates that religion be kept to a minimum.

3. In the "Chutes & Ladders" scene, Susie was to have said "chutes, chutes, ladders", but, as per Nick, it was changed to Angelica saying "chutes, chutes, chutes" and Susie saying "ladders, ladders, ladders", as, according to game rules, chutes help you lose, and ladders help you win.


39A -- Tooth or Dare

1. Tommy mentioned in an early script that he had no teeth. Nick wanted them to change that part, as Tommy actually had one tooth, as per Grandpa's Teeth.

2. Also in the early scripts, Angelica called Edwin a "poindexter", which is what you call a nerd or a smart geek.

3. "Standards & Practices" said no to having Angelica tie a string to Chuckie's teeth to pull them out. Apparently, in the final draft, it was alright for her to visually imagine it.


39B -- Party Animals

1. Early title -- "The Party".

2. The conversation among the adults at the party didn't go well with the Nick's editors, as it was not very funny and lacked direction. I don't know if there were any changes as a result, though there was some banter among adults in the final draft.

3. Also disapproved was the fact that Drew locked Stu out of the house; instead, Nick recommended having a contest to see who's the real "King of the Jungle" -- Tarzan (Stu) or King Kong (Drew). Eventually, locking out Stu was the real winner. Nick also had reservations about having Stu climed to the 2nd story window, which also stayed in the final draft.

4. There were references to Pere Goriot and The Courier in the original script. Nick OK'd them, but felt that nobody was going to get the inside jokes. To be honest, I don't know if they were in the final draft or not, as I'm not very familar with French literature, apart from the common classics.

5. In one scene, Didi asked, "Are you sure it's okay for kids?", and, "Alright, as long as it's not too scary." Those lines were nixed, as they thought were too creepy and wimpy for her to say.

6. There was also a "chocolate dog" joke, which was commended as quirky, but not very funny. The joke was later deleted.

7. Nick recommended that after the Rugrats made their wish (which, of course, didn't come true at first), Tommy should say "no moose, no spacemen, no pirates, etc.", not just "no moose". In the final draft, all tommy said was "no moose".

8. Nick questioned why Bucky didn't want to show Didi his baby costume. In the final, Bucky mentioned that it was a surprise for the Rugrats, and that he'll be showing it later.

9. In the early drafts, there was also references to real products such as "Ball Park Franks" and "Reader's Digest". Such inclusions are against Nick's programming guidelines.

10. There was also a character named "Mr. Smiley", though Nick has doubts about anyone liking him at first, as too little was known about him. I don't know if he's the same person as Bucky, or if he was an entirely different character who was removed later on.

11. Not understanding the original ending, Nick wanted the ending to feature Charlotte and Mr. Smiley, which, of course, wasn't to be.


43B -- Grandpa Moves Out

1. Originally to have been called "Unwanted Grandpa".

2. Originally rejected by Nick, but later accepted for the 4th season when they had the Rugrats involved in the plot.


47A -- The Last Babysitter

1. Was originally rejected by Nick in 1992, but later approved for the 4th season in 1993. It was originally rejected, as the characters are either not yet well-known, or not known at all.


49A -- Give & Take

1. Early title -- probably "The Toy".


51B -- The Blizzard

1. Early title -- "First Snow".

2. Was originally rejected for the 1992-93 season, as the subject matter, snow, is already covered in The Santa Experience for that season. It was later produced for the 4th season in 1993.


64A -- Cradle Attraction

1. Early titles -- "Natal Attraction" and "Chuckie's Love Affair".

2. Arlene Klasky originally vetoed this episode, as she felt that the subject matter was too mature for 2 year olds. While it was rejected for the 3rd season in 1993, it passed muster for the 5th season in 1994.

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