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This page features the Frequently Asked Questions many people want to know about Rugrats.
(The format of this FAQ is based on the FAQs used by Don Del Grande's Hey Arnold and As Told By Ginger sites.)
Rugrats is an animated series where a bunch of babies and toddlers go on imaginary adventures. The series also deals with the Rugrats' interpretation of everyday things and situations. On the side, the series also deals with the goings-on of their parents.
Depends on where you live, and the language you want. In the US, Rugrats airs on Nick, weekdays at 7AM, 3PM, 3:30PM and 7:30PM, weekends at 8AM & 8:30AM, and Sundays at 2PM & 2:30PM. All times Eastern. Nick also shows special episodes on some occasions. Rugrats also appears on the new Nicktoons TV channel, where it airs 4 to 6 times a day; check the schedule page and your local listings for details. And armed forces personnel overseas watch Rugrats everyday, via 2 of the AFRTS channels, AFN and Spectrum.
Rugrats was also seen in Spanish weekends on Telemundo, but in November 2001, Telemundo dropped all Nick programming (see 1.9).
In Canada, Rugrats airs in English almost everyday on YTV; in French, Vrak.Tv used to air the show, but it has not made the fall schedule (see 1.12a.1).
For complete details on times, as well as other channels showing Rugrats, see the Rugrats Around The World page.
While this site has a chock full of information and pictures, there are some things this site does not have. Video clips and sounds are not included, due to space and copyright issues. Also, no games -- I don't use other peoples; again, copyright and space. And I don't make my own -- I'm not that computer literate. And of course, there's forums and listbots. The catch to those is that I rarely used the listbot, and when I established my own forum, hardly anybody used it. And when it finally started getting SOME use, someone posted X-rated messages about the characters, prompting me to pull the forum.
When I first established this website in 1996, I called it The UNOFFICIAL Rugrats Online, to stave off legal troubles that I might've encountered with Viacom. At the time, there were some reports of Rocko websites getting warning letters from lawyers, as people confuse it with the official sites. These days, Viacom has backed off on cracking down fan sites, as long as they aren't obscene or used to make a profit. But still, I kept the "UNOFFICIAL" in, as I occasionally get e-mail for the producers or Nickelodeon. But even with the "UNOFFICIAL", I still get such e-mail.
This website is revised only once a week, usually on Mondays. Anything that happens since the last revision, or anything you submit to me very recently, will not be included on my site until the next revision, at least. This is because, in addition to working on other stuff on my site, I have a personal life that is more important than this website. So please, be patient.
If you've submitted a story, I need to look at it and, maybe, edit it, before it is included on my site. In some cases, it'll not be included on my site at all, as it doesn't quite fit the quality level for my website.
In the case of new episodes not listed in my guide (as I've experienced lately with a rash of new Taffy episodes), I will be adding them to my website. But, as I mentioned before, it won't be on my site until the next revision.
For Nicktoons, there's a difference between a production season and a broadcast season. Broadcast seasons are usually made up of 13 episodes. Production seasons are usually made up of 20 episodes (sometimes more). Foreign markets usually buy the shows by the production season and show them the same way. Because of this, there are some shows that are seen first outside the US. In Rugrats' case, most shows were seen first in Canada on YTV, as little as a few days before Nick US, and as long as 3.5 years (though it probably won't be the case with season 11 -- see 1.11). There were only a few shows that were seen first in the US.
These days, many people are griping over Rugrats because there are no new episodes coming up. As a matter of fact, new episodes are in production, but it isn't a matter of asking for new shows one day and seeing them on your screen the next.
On Nick US, new episodes are often seen 13 episodes to a season, which is a standard for a weekly children's series for US television. These episodes are usually seen once a week, with a few repeat showings tossed in. Once the supply of 13 shows have been exhausted, they start showing nothing but repeats until the next season starts, usually several months later. That is, unless the show does poorly in the ratings, which, then, the show gets cancelled (as long as Rugrats' ratings remain strong, that will never happen).
And of course, it usually takes several months to make an episode -- the story has to get written, then approved. Then, voice recording, storyboarding, preliminating animation, overseas production & delivery, editing and polishing. All that has to happen even before Klasky-Csupo sends the master tapes to Nick. Fine animation takes time to make.
Why are the same episodes seen over and over again? In the US, Rugrats is seen on Nick 3 times a day, and there are 141 different episodes to choose from. Despite the vast playing field, a Rugrats episode is usually seen about once or twice a month.
Where ratings are concerned, full results for cable channels aren't made public, unlike the US counterparts.
As for why the bad time slots -- YTV isn't owned by Viacom, which means that it gets their programming from a wider range of sources, including Canadian sources. Speaking of which, per Canadian law, they have to have a certain percentage of programming produced in Canada. Because of this, along with the popularity of other foreign, non-Nick shows on YTV (such as Sailor Moon and Pokemon), they have to move some shows to less-desireable time slots, regardless of popularity. This is why you see only one episode of Rugrats on everyday (except Saturday), at 8AM ET. In contrast, foreign versions of Nick usually show Rugrats twice a day everyday, with different episodes, and with non-Nick children's channels, such as Canal J in France, doing likewise.
Telemundo, one of the major Spanish-language networks in the US, has discontinued its Nickelodeon block after 3 years; its last telecast on Telemundo was on 10/28/2001. The following weekend, a new kids block, featuring Spanish versions of Anglophone favorites such as Jackie Chan's Adventures and Dragon Tales, replaced the Nick block.
For now, we do not know when, or if, the Spanish Nick shows would surface. Don't bother looking for it on the new Telefutura channel -- they'll be using Nelvana's programming for their daily block of children's shows. For now, Nick's return to hispanic television in the US is out of the question.
If they do return, the earliest would probably be the fall of 2002; and as for where -- my best guess would be that they would be seen weekends on Univision, which is Telemundo's competitor. Other good choices would be the 2 other channels owned by Univision -- Galavision (available only on cable or satellite; not the Mexico City version (XEQ)) and Telefutura (if they decide to dump Nelvana). A longshot would be the new Azteca America network, which, for now, is seen only in a few markets.
For now, the only place to find the Spanish Rugrats would be on video; click here for details.
First of all, is your TV or VCR equiped with an SAP (separate audio program) function? If not, you will need one in order to receive the decriptions.
If you do have an SAP-equipped TV or VCR, see if it has an indicator that indicates SAP programming (usually as an on-screen display or an indicator light). Turn on Nick. If the SAP indicator lights up, or is indicated on screen, then you should get the audio feed. If it doesn't light up, then, unfortunately, you're cable system doesn't offer Nick with the SAP feed.
If you're TV or VCR has no SAP indicator, but does have an SAP function, check your owner's manual to see how to turn the feature on. If you're able to get it, congratulations. If not, sorry.
The "Descriptive Video Service", a service of WGBH Boston, provides these special audio feeds to Nick as a federally-funded public service, so that the blind and the visually-impaired can get more out of their "viewing" experience. Since Rugrats is the very first Nick program to have an SAP feed, not all cable systems are aware of this special feature. If your cable system doesn't offer Nick with an SAP feed, call them, and request that they carry the feed. Make sure you mention why.
For satellite viewers, whether C-Band or small-dish, the SAP feed may be encoded in the satellite's signal, requiring adjustment at your satellite receiver. For analog C-Band, this may mean adjusting the audio frequency of Nick's transponder. For digital C-Band, and small-dish viewers, look for an "alternate audio" feature (or something like that) on your receiver. Check your owner's manual for more details.
For viewers outside the US, whether or not the feed will be carried will be up to the channel that offers Rugrats in your country.
Christine Cavanaugh retired from voice acting sometime in 2001, for reasons unknown. In her place, Klasky Csupo hired Nancy Cartwright, who's more well-known as the voice of Bart Simpson on the hit TV series, The Simpsons.
Nancy Cartwright's version of Chuckie is more heavier on the nasal congestion and lighter on the scratchy voice. In my opinion, Nancy Cartwright would make a good Angelica voice, as that voice, and that of Bart Simpson's, sounds similar. I trust that Klasky Csupo has made the best choice in selecting the new voice. The voice change will take a little getting used to, for both Cartwright and regular Rugrats viewers. Cartwright is trying her best to make her Chuckie voice sound like the Cavanaugh original. On the same token, regular viewers are more used to what Chuckie used to sound like.
For those of you who's still a little skeptical on the new voice, give it some time -- it'll get better. We've been this way before in 1997, when David Doyle, the original voice of Grandpa, died, and was replaced with Joe Alaskey. At first, the new Grandpa sounded like Daffy Duck with a head cold, but he eventually sounded more like Doyle's Grandpa.
It has already begun -- It began Sunday, 9/8 at 8AM ET on YTV, starting with the Preschool Daze pilot. Apparently, YTV plans on showing all-new episodes on Sunday mornings, with earlier episodes seen during the week.
If you want to know the latest scheduling info for the new shows, keep checking the schedules and YTV's website.
Usually, YTV has first dibs on the new shows, with Nick US showing them later, but starting this season, it appears that Nick US will be the first with the new shows, at first, at least. Of course, with Nick taking their own sweet time with the new episodes, there's a chance that YTV will beat Nick to the punch again with the rest, and it looks like they're doing so, starting with Preschool Daze. This is commonplace with many episodes of most of the Nicktoons, like Hey Arnold, Ginger, Real Monsters and Angry Beavers.
For Francophone fans, It's very likely that viewers of Vrak.TV will have to wait awhile for the new shows. In previous years, Les Razmoket returned to the Vrak.TV schedule in late August or early September; however, for this fall, the show has not made the schedule. There is a chance that it will be added to the schedule later on, either later in 2002, or sometime in 2003.
I don't know the actual status of the show, but for now, I will consider the show being temporarily off the air on Vrak.TV.
As for the reason why it's not on the schedule, such as delays in getting the show dubbed, low ratings, programming backlog, Canadian or Quebecois content, or a combination of any of these factors -- I have no idea.
1.12b When will the new episodes
start in [your country here]? Outside of the countries listed below, I haven't the slightest idea. it's best to stay tuned to Nickelodeon or your local channel for information. Also, regularly consult your local listings and websites for information. New episodes outside of the US & Canada usually begin anywhere from a few weeks to a few months after their initial telecast in the US or Canada.
Currently, the 11th season has aired only in the US, Australia, Britain, France and Latin America, plus in Canada in English only.
Nicktoons TV is currently available in the US, Britain and Ireland.
In the US, Nicktoons TV is available on the digital tiers of Charter, Cablevision, AT&T, and selected Adelphia & Comcast systems. It is curreently not available on the small-dish satellite systems, though this may change later.
In Britain, Nicktoons TV is available on the Sky satellite service, along with some digital cable systems in Britain and Ireland (NTL is one of the participants).
If your cable or satellite company doesn't offer Nicktoons TV, have a parent call them, and request that it is added to the line-up.
First and foremost, these non-Nicktoons are those that Nick has already bought for the main channel. However, Nick calls all cartoons that appear on their channels "Nicktoons". Technically, a "Nicktoon" is an animated program that Nick has commisioned, and owns the rights to -- lock, stock and barrel. But currently, Nick has started considering toons that they do not own as "Nicktoons", just because they appear on Nick. In this case, Nick owns only the broadcasting rights to these so-called Nicktoons -- the producers or distributors still own everything else.
Here is a list of animated programs that Nick US & Nick UK considers as
"Nicktoons", but are actually aren't:
| Nick US: | Nick UK: |
|
Animaniacs |
Animal Crackers Mona The Vampire |
* -- "The Brothers Flub" is no longer on Nick in the US, but it was promoed as a Nicktoon when it was on.
The US Nicktoons TV offers every Nicktoon ever created. However, the British version does not. Actual reasons are known only by the people that draw up the schedule, though it's perhaps due to the popularity and/or demand of the other Nicktoons; they probably wanted to promote those more than the rest.
Nicktoons currently not on the British Nicktoons TV are Ren & Stimpy, Kablam!, Oh Yeah!, Rocket Power, OddParents, Invader Zim, ChalkZone (which hasn't debuted yet in Britain) and Pelswick.
I don't know the exact reason, but there are two theories. In Britain, Nicktoons TV's target audience are children aged 4 to 9, which means that may of them will be in bed after 7PM (they don't care if adults or older kids are the fans); the age group is also the reason why some Nicktoons don't appear on this channel. Second, the transponder space on their satellite may be limited, but since the service went to an all-digital service, that doesn't seem to be much of a problem anymore.
For the Rugrats, Dil is the youngest, at 4 months. Tommy and Kimi are both one year old; Phil & Lil are both 15 months, Chuckie is 2 years and both Susie and Angelica are 3 years. To be honest, they act twice as old as they are.
The adults' ages were never really given, though it often takes deductive reasoning to figure them out. Because of this, Stu is about 35, Didi is about 40, and Grandpa's about 76. Spike is about 4 years of age.
Former Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh, who composed the opening and did all the music for the entire series. The theme was based on a Japanese album that he did in the late-1980s, Musik For Insomniacs.
Depends on when the episodes are made. For all episodes prior to 2001, Tommy plays around with the mechanical cat, while Phil & Lil dance around, Angelica dresses up in grown-up clothes and Chuckie rides the vacuum cleaner (the canister type), towed by Spike. Grandpa sleeps, oblivious to the whole thing. When Stu & Didi get home, Didi picks up Tommy and the other Rugrats gather round, before Tommy squirts the "camera" with his bottle, revealing the Rugrats logo.
In the post-2001 opening, Tommy & Dil play on the floor as a remote-controlled plane, "piloted" by Cynthia, flies around. Grandpa, sleeping, doesn't notice this. In the bathroom, Chuckie plays with the toilet paper and slips on one of the balls. Angelica, running the Cynthia plane, topples a toy Reptar before heading outdoors. Phil & Lil was playing with bugs, Kimi was in the sandbox and Susie was skipping rope, before they all went to Didi for cookies. As Angelica went for the cookies, Spike got a hold of the RC unit for Cynthia's plane. As Angelica reaches for a cookie, the plane crashed into her, knocking her into the big pile of cookies, which spilled all over the place, revealing the Rugrats logo.
A specific location was never revealed, though clues early on reveal that the series takes place somewhere in California. The closest to being specific was revealed in 2 places -- in Naked Tommy, the gang lives in Winnecut (or Winterhaven) County. And in V.3 #10 of Rugrats Comic Adventures, the Rocket Power gang came to babysit the Rugrats, which meant that Rugrats takes place near Ocean Shores.
In the early days of the Nicktoons, it was okay to say "dead", but, sometime in the mid-1990s, Nick started cracking down on such usage, for real reasons unknown. New episodes produced since then are forbidden from uttering the word "dead", or anything related to it, such as "die", "death", or "dying". Beacuse of this, producers had to use other words for "dead", but not necessarily imply death, such as "expiration". The ban is especially hard work when death is the central issue. In Mother's Day, Didi interupted Chazz just before saying that his wife was dead; later on, while talking to Chuckie, he said that she was in the hospital. Then, in Acorn Nuts and Diapey Butts, Chazz & Chuckie visited Melinda's grave at a cemetary, an obvious sign of death. But still, he could not say the word.
Precisely, because they wanted to. Nick US chose to show the episodes in random order, mostly, just for kicks, but sometimes, for special marathons or promotions surrounding a particular character or subject. Most kids won't know the difference, but Rugrats purists do care, as it ruins the continuity. Yes, most of the episodes are self-contained, but the scheduling of episodes is key -- for example, you know something's wrong when Cooking With Susie is scheduled before Meet The Carmichaels, or if Dil We Meet Again is scheduled before The Family Tree. Most other Rugrats broadcasters, including foreign Nicks, Telemundo, AFRTS, YTV and Vrak.TV, show the episodes in production order.
Once again, beacuse they chose to show the original episodes according to their original pairing, even if it has nothing to do with the subject at hand. For example, lets say that Nick is presenting a special Nicktoon marathon on the subject of hair. For the Rugrats episodes, they chosen the following.
2PM: Chuckie's First Haircut / Cool Hand Angelica
4PM: Chuckie's Red Hair / Spike Runs Away
5PM: Baking Dil / Hair!
Cool Hand Angelica, Spike Runs Away and Baking Dil have nothing to do with hair, but they are shown anyway, beacuse they came with the episode.
Sometimes, they actually split the episodes up, so they would deal only with the subject at hand. For example, Nick puts on a Nicktoon marathon on vacations. Their Rugrats episodes are:
2PM: Vacation
5PM:Graham Canyon / Where's Grandpa?
Vacation is a half-hour episode, so it's a no-brainer. But for this marathon, they elected to show Graham Canyon and Where's Grandpa? together as a single half-hour episode, rather than showing them separately with their original pairings, Stu-Maker's Elves and Uneasy Rider, respectively.
By the way, the examples above are from Nick's actual TV schedules.
On the last page of the listings portion of TV Guide, there's a disclaimer that says, "Channels and networks reserve the right to make last-minute changes." Where Nick is concerned, this isn't just a disclaimer, it's the law. Most likely, Nick's schedule in printed TV listings are obsolete by the time they hit the stands, as Nick, most of the time, makes programming changes. Online listing services are a better place, as any listings changes are made as soon as possible. However, for online listings to be effective, it's a good idea to check again close to air time, to make sure that that show's still on.
Once again, this is something that Nick has chosen to do. And the credits are especially hard to read squished up, as the closing credits use the same style of font as the WMD credits.
Closed captioning is used not only for the deaf (its intended audience), but it has also gotten use by those learning to read, those watching TV in noisy places and, of course, those wanting to watch TV while the other person is sleeping, studying, or doing another activity where quietness is required. In a 525-line NTSC picture, the closed captions are transmitted on line 21. When the picture is squeezed, the captions in line 21 has been destroyed, causing them to disappear from your set. Nick used to practise picture-squeezing to run special text during special promotions, usually as part of the U-Picks (and the shows preceeding it), as well as the Big Help-A-Thon. In 2000, Nick halted this practice and just placed a ticker or text onto the picture; this way, not only is the picture's shape kept as intended, but line 21 is not altered. Nick still squeezes the picture during the closing credits, though the only captions at that point is the funding notice and the people who captioned the program.
This is the TV content rating assigned for Rugrats. US stations use "TV-Y"; in Canada, English stations use "C", while French stations use "G". For complete details on these ratings, click here.
This is Nick US's way of identifying all-new episodes of a series. In my opinion, it's just nothing more than more on-screen clutter, as Nick probably thinks that kids may not know whether or not it's a new episode, and they may not know the difference. I think Nick is the only channel that identifies new episodes with an on-screen logo -- I haven't seen any other channel implement this practice. Usually, online schedules will identify new episodes of a series, and Nick will usually run promos of new episodes before they air.
Just about everywhere. For details, click here.
Not every episode is available on video. And some key episodes, such as Tommy's First Birthday, were never released on video. But as for videos, there are plenty of those on the market, as well as versions in Spanish and French. For details, click here. Keep in mind that most videos are recorded in the EP / SLP format -- the slowest speed. It uses less tape, but the picture quality isn't as good, and the tape doesn't last as long. Both movie videos, as well as the most recent episode videos, are recorded in SP, the fastest speed, which uses more tape and has a better picture. If you like a complete collection of Rugrats episodes, and picture quality, commercials and squished credits doesn't matter to you, a good idea is to "roll your own" -- copy Rugrats episodes on your VCR. Make sure you use an online schedule as a guide.
As for DVDs, Nickelodeon is warming up to the concept, but at a slow pace. The first Nicktoon to be available on DVD is SpongeBob, who will have a total of 3 DVDs on the market by November 5 in the US & Canada. Other Nicktoon DVDs on the market included a DVD sampler premium issued by Best Buy in June 2002 to tie in with the DVD release of the Jimmy Neutron film, and a Nick Jr. Holiday DVD sampler, which features an all-new Rugrats episode.
Where the all-Rugrats DVDs are concerned (besides the samplers and the movies), Decade In Diapers was the first all-Rugrats DVD, which was released on 9/24/2002, over a year after its VHS release. The next DVD will be the Rugrats Mysteries, due in stores 1/28/2002.
Sending a script isn't as easy as just mailing your script to Klasky-Csupo -- it's much more involved than that.
For starters, you'll need to be registered with a literary agent -- for legal and technical reasons, the producers return all unsolicited scripts, unopened. In other words, if you send the script yourself, and you have no agent, expect it to be "Returned To Sender". This is especially due to the fact that they may have thought of the idea first during the production process.
For those who truly want to get their foot in the door, I suggest you start with a trip to the library or bookstore -- they usually have books that deal with the scriptmaking process, and what it takes to actually sell your script.
There are also various websites out there that would assist you with the information you need to sell your script -- one such site, recommended by Klasky-Csupo, is http://www.pitchfactory.com/.
For those who don't want to go through all the hassle of submitting a script, the best way is taking a "fan fiction" route, where your dream Rugrats episode can be read by a lot of people on the internet. And in fan fiction, the sky's the limit, with some reservations, of course. And if you're lucky, maybe the producers will be calling you for your script.
I take fan fiction stories, click here for details. Also, Fanfiction.Net is a good place to send your fan fiction stories, but be careful, as some stories there may be for mature readers.
Don't ask me for any addresses or e-mail; they are personal, not to be revealed to the public.
The best way to reach the stars or the staff is to write to them in care of the studio:
Klasky-Csupo, Inc.
6353 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
For questions regarding Nickelodeon programming, click here for the address in your region. But if it has to do with Rugrats, write Nick only if it has to do with the schedule, programming, or promotions. For technical Rugrats questions, or letters to the voices or staff, it is best to write Klasky Csupo direct.
You can also e-mail your Rugrats questions directly, at:
The following questions come from the FAQs of Nick UK and the old Nick US AOL site. © Viacom.
Well Rugrats is a really old word used for kids who are still so little that they spend a lot of time crawling about on the floor.
Dil is the newest and youngest rugrat, he isn't really old enough to take part in any of the other babies adventures yet. Then there is Tommy he may only be one-years-old but he is the bravest baby ever! The twins, Phil and Lil are 15-months old and then comes Chuckie, he is two (and can use a potty) and Angelica's the oldest at three-years-old.
That would have to be his star ball - it's a big bouncy ball, almost as big as he is, with a star on it.
Lil has a pink bow on her hair. Sometimes she takes it off, and when she does, everyone thinks she's Phil instead! Also if you look very closely, Lil wears pink shoes while Phil's are normally blue!
Goober is a new toy invented by the Lipschitz foundation. They were worried that Reptar was a bad influence. Goober is happy and smiley and would never think of smashing down buildings - not like Reptar! At the moment, Tommy likes Reptar the most, while Dil prefers Goober. Goober's catchphrase is "Can I have a hug?"
When you're a baby, the world can seem pretty scary. Everyone gets scared now and again - it's just that Chuckie lets everyone know about it! As Chuckie himself puts it: "Of course I'm scared. I'm always scared and I'm always gonna be scared."
Lipschitz is a child psychologist, which basically means he thinks he knows everything about the best way to bring up babies. Didi and Chaz seem to believe everything he says even if sometimes it doesn't really make any sense!
Susie's family moved in across the street from Tommy's house. Since then, she's been sort of a role model for Tommy. It's nice for him to know a three-year-old he can trust. Also Susie's daddy created the cartoon series the Dummi Bears.
Being three, means that Angelica is in between being a baby and being a bigger kid, so she can talk baby talk and grown-ups talk!
Well, Tommy's daddy, Stu is normally trying to invent toys downstairs in the basement. Didi's usually too busy reading the latest good-parenting guide to notice and Grandpa's more often than not asleep in front of the TV.
Yes! Amazingly enough it was called The Rugrats Movie. It was the first time that audiences around the world met Dil, Tommy's little brother. The Rugrats [returned with] Rugrats in Paris. It's Chuckie's turn to ask the other babies for help when he decides it's time he found himself a Mommy!
It's not always clear if Reptar's a real monster or a bloke in a suit, but this big green reptile is the idol of Rugrats everywhere! They watch him on his TV shows, play with Reptar toys and even eat Reptar Bars, which taste scrummy, but turn your tongue green. Tommy, Chuckie and Phil are Reptar's BIGGEST fans.
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