The Nightmare Begins

"The Nightmare Begins"
Invader Zim episode
Ms. Bitters introduces Zim to the class.
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 1
Directed by	Steve Ressel
Written by	Jhonen Vasquez Rob Hummel
Production code	101
Original air date	March 30, 2001 (2001-03-30)
Guest appearances
Brad Abrell as Announcer Mo Collins as Robo-Mom and Zita Phil LaMarr as The Letter M Michael McDonald as Robo-Dad Jhonen Vasquez as Computer Voice, Old Kid and Brain
Episode chronology
← Previous "Pilot" Next → "Bestest Friend"
List of episodes

"The Nightmare Begins" is the series premiere of the American animated television series Invader Zim. It originally aired in the United States on Nickelodeon on March 30, 2001.^[1]

This is the first official episode to feature Richard Steven Horvitz as Zim. In the pilot episode, he was originally voiced by Mark Hamill, and then Billy West. Shortly after the cancellation of The Angry Beavers, Horvitz was brought in as a potential voice of Zim, and was asked to record over certain lines for the pilot. Though neither his nor Hamill's cuts made to an official release, he voiced Zim for the remainder of the series.