Rugrats (1991 series)

Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series premiered on August 11, 1991 and aired until its cancellation on May 22, 1994. It was then revived after two Jewish Holiday Specials on May 9, 1997 and ran for a longer period until its last episode on August 1, 2004. The show focuses on the little babies and their day-to-day lives, usually involving common life experiences that become adventures in the little babies' imaginations. It was aired on Nickelodeon, and before SpongeBob SquarePants overtook it, was the longest running show on Nickelodeon. It has been airing on NickRewind (formerly known as The 90's Are The All That, The Splat, and NickSplat) ever since its launch in 2011. Reruns also air on Nicktoons, but rarely nowadays. On January 10, 2022, Rugrats aired for the final time on the NickRewind block and the block got discontinued on January 31, 2022.

Plot
The show originally revolved around a group of the little babies, Tommy Pickles (whose family moved from Akron, Ohio to their current location in California), Chuckie, Phil, and Lil. Tommy's dog, Spike, was also a main character in the series. The little babies are able to communicate with each other through baby speak, although viewers can understand them, because it is 'translated'. The group is often reluctantly joined by Angelica, the older girl, she's three (Turned four in a later episode, but this was reversed through negative continuity), Angelica is able to communicate and understand language from both the little babies and the adults, which she often uses as an advantage when she wants to manipulate either party. She is usually very mean to the little babies. Susie, who lives across the street from the Pickles, is also able to communicate on the same level as Angelica, though she isn't manipulative. As a result, Angelica and Susie often clash and aren't friends (But in All Grown Up! they eventually have a better friendship).

When the show was revived, the plot was radically changed from the original, and in 1998, a new character was introduced. After The Rugrats Movie, in which Tommy's younger brother Dil is born, he was soon added as a character on the show. As a four month old baby, Dil is not able to communicate with anyone. Later in 2000, after Rugrats in Paris: The Movie was released, Kimi was added as a character. She is Chuckie's stepsister (Later real sister after they were adopted).

Episodes
See also: List of Rugrats (1991) episodes

Rugrats was first shown on Sunday, August 11, 1991 with the first episode, Tommy's First Birthday. The first three seasons aired between 1991-1994. The series returned with Jewish Holiday Specials in December 1995 and May 1996. During the 1997 to 2004 television seasons, the series aired regular episodes. Rugrats and Nickelodeon aired the Tenth Anniversary special All Growed Up on August 11, 2001, recognizing the day the series officially began as one of the original three Nicktoons. Rugrats ended on Tuesday June 8, 2004, along with fellow Nicktoon Hey Arnold!. As of June 2010, Rugrats still airs weekends 6am-7am on Nicktoons Network. A total of 173 episodes, three films, and two direct-to-DVD specials had been released as of September 9, 2006. Nickelodeon has plans to revive the show and bring it back for a tenth season, as Arlene Klasky stated that she would be happy to produce more episodes if Nickelodeon asked.

Films
''Main article: Rugrats Film Series

Due to the level of success that Rugrats had already achieved, a couple of Rugrats films were produced featuring the characters in hour long adventures. The first film that was produced was simply titled The Rugrats Movie.

Video Games
See main article: Rugrats video games

The Rugrats staff, seeing that it was a widely popular series, decided to release several video games that were based on the series where you were able to play as the series' main characters.

Comic Book Revival
On July 17, 2017, the official Rugrats Facebook page confirmed that a new set of comic books that will be released. Nickelodeon has partnered up with "BOOM! Studios" to bring us these new adventures. The first issue was released in October of 2017. The graphic novels will bring our carpet critter friends into new adventures! To find out more information, you can read the article about the new comics by clicking here.

The title of the the first issue is Rugrats #1, though this can just be place holder until release.

2021 Series Revival
In early September 2015, it was announced on Variety that Nickelodeon may "seek to experiment with retooled versions of classics" that could include Rugrats.

On August 8, 2016, two of Rugrats ' three creators stated that they agreed there was definitely a way to bring the baby adventures of Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, and Angelica back – although they differ on how. Co-creator Paul Germain says it's a possibility if Nickelodeon is so inclined. "It's completely up to them, but I think it could be interesting," he told EW. The hitch here is Germain, who was largely the creative voice of Rugrats once it went to series, left after the original order of 65 episodes. "A lot of the direction that they took the show in after I left in 1993 – the second 65 episodes and then the All Grown Up! series – I thought those episodes were poor. I thought they lost the spirit of it. I think the way to go [for a reboot] would be to take it back to where it was. I don't know if we could really do that, but that's what I would like to see. I think it's possible." Arlene Klasky, who co-created the show with Gabor Csupó and Germain, but left showrunning to the latter, said a revival is something she and Csupo "think about, 100 percent." But Klasky and Germain would disagree on one of the first fundamental questions that would face Rugrats, just as it faces every reboot: whether the show should acknowledge the passing of time and, in the case of this show, how technology has seeped its way into child-rearing. Germain says he'd rather keep a Rugrats reboot as a time capsule. "One of the things I think might be fun would be to just make the show a retro '90s show," he says. "I think that'd be cool. Cell phones can be interesting, but technology has a funny way of making it very difficult to write around because people are always in constant communication with each other in a way that works against drama. It takes a really fun writers' obstacle away and makes it too easy."

On July 16, 2018, Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures announced the revival with Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain returning as executive producers. Both the film and the TV series are slated for a 2020 release that will feature brand new adventures and characters. The movie, however, was moved to January 29, 2021 and was later pulled from the schedule on November 12, 2019.

On October 14, 2020, Nickelodeon unveiled the first look of the revival.

On February 24, 2021, it was slated to premiere on Paramount+ in around this Spring. A sneak peek was also uploaded to social media platforms. An all-new cast for the parents were later revealed on March 18, 2021.

It premiered on Paramount+ on May 27, 2021 and Nickelodeon in Summer of this year.

Trivia

 * All the babies have female voice actors despite four of them (Tommy, Chuckie, Phil and Dil) are males.
 * Rugrats is the only Nicktoon to be featured on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
 * Christine Cavanaugh and E.G. Daily both voiced Bamm-Bamm in Cave Kids (with Cavanaugh doing the speaking and Daily doing the singing).
 * Also, they respectively did the voice for Babe in the two movies of the same name, with Cavanaugh doing Babe's voice in the first film and Daily doing it in the sequel.
 * E.G. Daily and Tara Strong also both did voices in The Powerpuff Girls as Buttercup and Bubbles, respectively.
 * Also, in one episode, "Twisted Sister," Christine Cavanaugh would appear as the fourth PPG, Bunny.
 * Tara Strong also did voices in The Fairly OddParents as Timmy Turner, Poof and other characters.
 * Nancy Cartwright does voices in The Simpsons as Bart Simpson, Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders, Kearney, and other characters.
 * Kath Soucie, Pamela Adlon, and Christine Cavanaugh would also do voices in The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald as the red-feathered McNugget (not to mention one of the Fry Kids), the blue-feathered McNugget, and Birdie, respectively.
 * E.G. Daily, Pamela Adlon, Kath Soucie, and Christine Cavanaugh would also do voices in Recess (Adlon as Spinelli and Soucie [using her Phil voice] as Butch, to be specific).
 * Pamela Adlon, Christine Cavanaugh, Tara Strong, and Kath Soucie also did voices in 101 Dalmatians: The Series. Adlon was Lucky, Cavanaugh was the Mayor Pig's daughter Dumpling and Whizzer, Strong was Spot and Two-Tone, and Soucie voiced Rolly (using her Phil voice) and Cadpig (using her Lil voice).
 * Adlon and Soucie also voiced Zach Nichols and Annie Redfeather (and Aurora the Hawk) respectively in Adventures from the Book of Virtues. In it, Kevin Michael Richardson was Plato, and Frank Welker (the wolf in the first movie) was Sock. Also, in the "Friendship" episode, Soucie also voiced Snake-Child (using her Lil voice) with Cavanaugh as Frog-Child (using her Chuckie voice).
 * Tress MacNeille, Kath Soucie, and Cree Summer also did voices on Tiny Toon Adventures, most notably Babs Bunny (MacNeille), Fifi La Fume (Soucie), Sneezer (Soucie, using her Lil voice), Elmyra (Summer, using her Susie voice), and Mary Melody (Summer, using her All Grown Up! Susie voice).
 * Also, Kath Soucie, Grey DeLisle, and Cree Summer would do voices in Clifford the Big Red Dog as Jetta, Emily Elizabeth, and Cleo, respectively.
 * Plus, while Grey DeLisle reprised her role in the prequel Clifford's Puppy Days, Kath Soucie would voice the rabbit named Daffodil, and Dionne Quan would voice minor character Jenny (who is blind like Quan herself). Also, Lauren Tom (who had something to do with All Grown Up!) voiced Shun in said prequel series, and Jess Harnell (who appeared only in "Vacation") was the voice of Jorge.
 * E.G. Daily and Kath Soucie would also do voices in Baby Blues (with Daily as the vocal effects of Zoe and Soucie as both Rodney and Megan, using her Phil and Lil voices, respectively).
 * Jason Marsden, Grey DeLisle, and Kath Soucie voiced three of the main characters in the Disney series The Weekenders as Tino, Lor, and Tish (in her Lil voice), respectively.
 * Among Rugrats voice actors who appeared in Danger Rangers are Grey DeLisle (primarily Ranger Kitty), Kevin Michael Richardson (primarily Ranger Burble), Charlie Adler (primarily SAVO, for the most part), Pamela Adlon (who voiced Martin in the episode "Safe & Sound"), Cree Summer (Alisha and her mother in "Wet & Wild"), E.G. Daily (Sparky in "The Great Race"), Tara Strong (Juan & Timmy in "Wild Wheels"), Jason Marsden (Rusty Ringtail in "Wild Wheels," Lucky Curl & Alex in "Mission 547: Safety Rules!", Kevin Masker and Jack in "Where the Fun Never Stops"), and Kath Soucie (Mrs. Barkster in "Be Prepared") to name a few of them.
 * Tara Strong (Dil) and Cree Summer (Susie) also did voices in Hello Kitty's Furry Tail Theatre in their teenage years, with Strong (then last-named Charendoff) as Hello Kitty, and Summer as her enemy Catnip.
 * Cree Summer and Tara Strong both voiced Penny in the cartoon “Inspector Gadget” with Summer voicing her in the original series and Strong voicing her in the Netflix revival.
 * The show was originally animated with celluloids until "Acorn Nuts & Diapey Butts", when it was completely switched to digital ink-and-paint.
 * Despite common belief, the background music composed by Mark Mothersbaugh was done on a synthesizer that can mimic human vocals.
 * According to Arlene Klasky in the 2016 interview with Hector Navarro, Arlene and Gabor had to apply around 90 fixes for the pilot or one of the other episodes (as she could not remember) saying that the work they saw was "awful".
 * NickRewind has been uploading episode clips from the Rugrats series onto their YouTube channel.

Theme Song
The original series has two opening theme songs, the original that aired from 1991 until it was changed in 2000 with the introduction of Kimi and having her along with Dil and Susie appear in the intro sequence. The second opening also has a change in the xylophone rhythm. Rugrats