| Rugrats | |
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| Created by | |
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| Theme music composer | Mark Mothersbaugh |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 9 |
| No. of episodes | 172 (327 segments) (list of episodes) |
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| Running time | 23 minutes |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Nickelodeon |
| Release | August 11, 1991 – August 1, 2004 |
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Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series focuses on a group of toddlers, most prominently Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil, and their day-to-day lives, usually involving life experiences that become much greater adventures in the imaginations of the main characters.[2][3]
The series premiered on August 11, 1991. It is the second of the original three Nickelodeon animated series known as "Nicktoons", after Doug and before The Ren & Stimpy Show. The series initially lasted for 65 episodes spanning three seasons. Production was then halted in 1993 and Germain left the series, with the last episode airing on November 12, 1994. In 1995 and 1996, two Jewish-themed specials premiered, "A Rugrats Passover" and "A Rugrats Chanukah", respectively, both of which received critical acclaim. During this time, after the end of the series production run, Rugrats began to receive a boost in ratings and popularity due to constant reruns on Nickelodeon.
In 1996, Klasky Csupo Inc. began producing new episodes with a new writing staff, and the series' fourth season began airing in 1997. As a result of its popularity, a series of theatrical films were released over the next five years: The Rugrats Movie, which introduced Tommy's younger brother Dil, was released in 1998, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, which introduced Chuckie's stepmother Kira, his stepsister Kimi, and a poodle named Fifi, was released in 2000, and Rugrats Go Wild, a crossover film with another Klasky Csupo series, The Wild Thornberrys, was released in 2003. The final episode aired on August 1, 2004, bringing the series to a total of 172 episodes over nine seasons. The 13-year run ties Rugrats with King of the Hill as the eighth-longest-running American animated television series. Rugrats is Nickelodeon's third longest-running animated series, behind SpongeBob SquarePants and The Fairly OddParents, and one of the longest-running animated series of all time.
On July 21, 2001, Nickelodeon broadcast the TV special All Growed Up to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the series. The special was a pilot for the Rugrats sequel series All Grown Up!, which aired from 2003 to 2008. It chronicles the lives of the characters after they age 10 years. A spin-off series, Rugrats Pre-School Daze, aired four episodes in 2008. Two direct-to-video specials were released in 2005 and 2006 under the title Rugrats: Tales from the Crib. Tie-in media for the series include video games, comics, toys, and various other merchandise.
Rugrats gained over 20 awards during its 13-year run, including four Daytime Emmy Awards, six Kids' Choice Awards, and its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The series became a hit, garnering high ratings, and anchored Nickelodeon as the network's top-rated series from 1995 to 2001. Until SpongeBob SquarePants aired its 173rd episode in 2012, Rugrats was Nickelodeon's longest-running cartoon.
A reboot of the series executive-produced by the original creative team of Klasky, Csupó, and Germain premiered on Paramount+ on May 27, 2021.
- ^ Known as Games Animation for the first four seasons.
- ^ Brownfield, Paul (August 16, 1998). "Talk About a Baby Boom". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ Heffley, Lynne (July 21, 1996). "View from the Rug Up: 'Rugrats,' Nickelodeon's Animated Hit, Looks at World Through Eyes of a Toddler". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 22, 2022.