News & Other Little-Known Facts -- Part 1

Nick Flicks In 2001 -- Too Much Of A Good Thing

In the Summer of 2001, Nick presented its third summer season of Nick Flicks -- 90 minute "movies" of various Nick shows. This year's emphasis was on Nicktoons. What was meant to only last only during the Summer ended up lasting through January 2002. For details on Nick's overdependence on the same Nick Flicks, click here.

Google Brings Newsgroup History Back To Life

Recently, the floodgates of old newsgroup articles opened wide, as Google, a newsgroup archive service, expanded their newsgroup archive library, which now goes way back to 1981, a time when home computers are new, and the internet was limited to universities and the government.

Thanks to this expansion, I've been able to uncover hidden facts about Rugrats and Nickelodeon.

For example, witness the very first known newsgroup article in alt.tv.nickelodeon, first posted on 2/3/1994:

From: (Jim Davis) Newsgroups: alt.tv.nickelodeon Subject: This week's Pete and Pete Date: 3 Feb 94 02:56:19 GMT For some reason, the local TV Guide has never listed episode information for Pete and Pete... but Nick is running an ad for this Sunday evening's show. It's "Apocalypse Pete", one of the half-hour specials Nick produced before P&P went weekly. If you like the series, you'll want to see this one too!

In that newsgroup, it's followed 2 days later with an article about Rocko:

From: (Jim McQuillan) Newsgroups: alt.tv.nickelodeon Subject: Rocko's Modern Life Date: 5 Feb 94 04:42:37 GMT Howdy! I am looking for any available information about Rocko's Modern Life such as episode lists, etc. Thanx, --Jim

Kind of says it all, doesn't it?

In the early 1990s, when more and more people are introduced to the internet, people post messages, looking for information.

I was one of them.

My first newsgroup message ever, on 1/8/1996, was as follows:

From: rugrats1@ix.netcom.com (Steve Mindykowski ) Subject: Re: Media Wanted Date: 1996/01/09 organization: Netcom x-netcom-date: Mon Jan 08 9:50:12 PM PST 1996 newsgroups: alt.tv.nickelodeon WANTED: I need .WAV's, .GIF's (or BMP's), and .AVI's of the following  programs: -- RUGRATS -- REAL MONSTERS -- SIMPSONS -- REN & STIMPY -- BEAVIS & BUTTHEAD -- LIQUID TELEVISION (and related MTV Cartoons) If you have any of these, let me know by e-mailing me at : rugrats1@ix.netcom.com Many thanks. Steve Mindykowski

Don't use the rugrats1@ix.netcom.com address anymore; it's now closed.

And many fine websites were launched with the help of newsgroups. Mine was no exception:

From: rugrats1@ix.netcom.com(Steve Mindykowski) Subject: New! Rugrats Online Date: 1996/10/05 organization: Netcom x-netcom-date: Sat Oct 05 1:31:42 PM CDT 1996 newsgroups: alt.tv.nickelodeon,rec.arts.animation Rugrats Online, my web site saluting America's favorite babies, is now online! On this site find a complete episode guide, descriptions of the main characters, and more facts you should know about "Rugrats". And, as a bonus, an extensive list of sites ("Rugrats" and non-"Rugrats") you should visit. Just point your browser to: http://www.concentric.net/~rugrats1/rugrats1.htm There's still a few rough spots here and there, but it should be resolved soon; keep in mind that this site is always under construction. To bolster my site more, I'm still looking for the following information. Anyone with this info, let me know. 1. Where and what time is "Rugrats" is seen worldwide (I already have info for Nick in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and the Middle East, plus YTV in Canada? Also, if other than English, what is the local title (with English translation)? 2. I also need a list of writers and directors for each episode. If someone can do this, it will be highly appreciated. 3. What is Paul Germain doing these days? 4. Also, does anyone have a complete list of what Klasky-Csupo did? I already made up a small ist of what I already know, but I'm not sure about some areas. Again, this info is highly appreciated. Many thanks in advance. Steve Mindykowski rugrats1@ix.netcom.com http://www.concentric.net/~rugrats1/home.htm

Don't bother going to the above URL, it's long gone. Also, I already know most of the answers.

Google has since become a treasure trove on information, and many people, like myself, will keep using it for a reference for years to come.

Is Rugrats Really Pop-ular?

Some people like Rugrats, because of the pop culture references that some episodes have. In an alt.tv.nickelodeon article from 11/12/1994 (via Google), Michael Neylon has this to say:

I don't how the rest of you feel about this, but I find that Rugrats is a very good show, with a lot of talented writers and artists that are throwing references to pop culture all over the place in the show. Considering that it is a Klasky-Csupo production (the same as Rocko, Real Monsters, and Duckman on the USA network), its not that surprising, but still, for a cartoon definitely aimed at younger children to have gags that only parents would get is incrediable (Only Rocko as well as Animaniacs have been able to do this as well).

Case in point: yesterday's 6:30 episode included 'Toy Palace', the one where they get stuck in a huge toy store, and with the time machine. Anyway, at one point, they are showing the contents of the shelves, and I swear that some artist had put Dalek toys (from Doctor Who) in there. Considering that there is also a time machine involved in this episode, its not all that surprising, but still...

"Lorenzo Music" disagrees, however, and has this rebuttal:

I have to disagree. I've found Rugrats to be too cute and tedious for my tastes. Also, you bring up another argument I've been wanting to discuss. Nowadays, it's cool for cartoons for kids to have enough details and inside jokes (ala the Daleks) for adults to watch it too. However, after a while it just seems to be who can throw the most pop culture references into a kids show so we can get an adult audience, too. Even if Barney [the purple dinosaur] would eat Fruit Brute cereal on the air every day or play Rock 'em Sock 'em robots with those hellion kids, I still wouldn't watch it because the writing's lame. That's what counts the most. After a while, it just seems that the writers of this show are screaming 'look at me, I can drop pop culture references at the top of the hat. I'm so clever.' Anybody can write a crappy show and put little nostalgia references for the Gap Generation. Not everyone can do it AND write a decent show.

The Episode That Will Live In Infamy

September 11, 2001, will be remembered as the worst day in world history, as 19 terrorists hijacked 4 planes and used them as missiles against the United States, sending that country into an official, actual war against terrorism. At 8:45AM ET, Nickelodeon was showing the Rugrats episode, Ruthless Tommy / Moose Country, to its viewers when, suddenly, an American Airlines jet, bound from Boston to Los Angeles, crashed purposely into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. 18 minutes later, United's Boston to LA flight was sent to an untimely, ultra-brutal demise when it crashed into the other WTC tower. Soon after, both towers collapsed, making the tragedy the worst terrorist attack in ALL of civilsation.

These are the Rugrats episodes that were scheduled on Nickelodeon US on that fateful day:

8:30AM: Ruthless Tommy / Moose Country 4PM: The Baby Vanishes / Farewell My Friend 7:30PM: Reptar 2010 / Stu Gets a Job

It is unclear if the 7:30PM episode was televised, as that episode featured Reptar destroying a city; many channels, since the attack, had altered their schedules to not include anything about destruction of cities, or, in some cases, New York.

It should be noted that in Canada, YTV has also shown Ruthless Tommy / Moose Country to their own audiences at 8AM ET -- 30 minutes before Nick's telecast, and 45 minutes before "the shot" (you know what I mean). Vrak.TV, the Francophone kids channel in Canada, showed Les Razmoket at 8:30AM ET, the same time as the English telecast on Nick; unfortunately, I don't know what episode they played at that time.

The Comic Crowd Chooses Their Toons

In the October 2001 issue of Wizard Magazine, a leading magazine for comic book fans, they released the results of the 100 Greatest Toons Ever, as selected by their readers. Of the 100 animated programs listed, 4 are Nicktoons:

# 76 -- Invader Zim

# 35 -- Rugrats

# 20 -- SpongeBob SquarePants

# 12 -- Ren & Stimpy

It should be known that # 62 is Danger Mouse, which is not a Nicktoon, but was a British cartoon seen on Nick during the 1980s. And the # 1 cartoon is The Simpsons, which, of course, Klasky-Csupo worked on in its early days.

Creator Of Nicktoons Concept Sues For Piece Of The Action

Is Viacom really "Via-Con"? Vanessa Coffey thinks so. The week of June 2, 2001, according to http://www.comicgeek.ca/, Vanessa Coffey, the creator of the Nicktoons concept, former Executive Producer for many of Nickelodeon's shows (including the first 65 episodes of Rugrats), and currently, the Vice President of Animation for the MTV music channel, has sued Viacom for not paying her enough money for her involvement in Viacom's TV shows and films, citing their "alleged self-dealing and sweetheart deals among the Viacom entities, which includes MTV." According to Coffey, she is due "1 percent of the adjusted gross receipts" of Viacom's profits involving the Rugrats' TV shows, films and merchandising, especially since she brought the babies, along with Doug and Ren & Stimpy, to Nickelodeon to launch the new line of animated programs called Nicktoons.

A Timeless Holiday Classic, Because TV Guide Said So...

In the 11/27/1999 issue of TV Guide, the Rugrats' Chanukah episode was ranked # 5 in a list of top 10 best classic family holiday specials. Here's the complete list:

1. Dr Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
2. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
3. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer  (1964)
4. Winnie The Pooh & Christmas Too (1991)
5. Rugrats Chanukah (1996) (TVG gave a 1997 premiere date)
6. A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
7. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol  (1962)
8. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town (1970)
9. Frosty The Snowman (1969)
10. A Garfield Christmas Special (1987)

In the 4/15/2000 issue, TVG made the Passover episode a "classic" as well, as it was listed in the "Close-Up On A Classic" column for Monday, 4/17/2000 in most editions. And in the 12/16/2000 issue, Chanukah was given a similar distinction.

...As Well As Blockbuster

On 12/12/2000, Blockbuster Video released a list of the top 25 holiday videos that were rented at Blockbuster. Here's that list, arranged in alphabetical order:

1. Annabel's Wish
2. [Disney's] Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
3. A Christmas Story
4. [National Lampoon's] Christmas Vacation
5. Frosty the Snowman
6. Home Alone
7. Home Alone 2 - Lost in New York
8. Home Alone 3
9. Home for the Holidays (1995)
10. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
11. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
12. Jingle All the Way
13. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
14. Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
15. Nightmare Before Christmas
16. Prancer
17. Richie Rich's Christmas Wish
18. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)
19. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer [The Movie] (1998)
20. Rugrats: Santa Experience
21. Scrooged
22. The Muppet Christmas Carol
23. The Santa Clause
24. White Christmas
25. Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too

The Rugrats Are Forever Young

In the past 10 years that Rugrats have aired, there have been 4 birthdays, 8 holidays, 3 marriages, one birth, 2 deaths, several new characters, a slew of Stu's inventions, and enough adventures to keep children entertained for weeks on end. But with all this going on, why hadn't the Rugrats age a bit? From the alt.tv.nickelodeon newsgroup, mmartin2x has this to say:

Nickelodeon has to age the characters sometime. In one year in Rugrats time, Tommy turned one, Dil was born, and Kiki
became the new Rugrat. For this to be possible, about maybe a week after Tommy's first birthday, [Didi would have to get
pregnant right away, and four weeks later, the Rugrats would get lost in the woods].  And a week after that, they would
have to go to Europe. Pretty busy people, those Pickles.

The Mother of All Non-Realistic TV Sitcoms In the July 2000 issue of Working Mother magazine, Charlotte and Angelica are both featured on the cover, but they weren't there to present Charlotte's business strategies -- they were there for an article on how TV mothers are starting to become less and less realistic. Rugrats was among many other shows since the 1990s that picture an unrealistic look at working motherhood. While it didn't mention other working mothers (such as Didi and Lucy) or possibly-working mothers (like Betty), it singled out Charlotte, as she is pictured as "an abrasive, overachieving businesswoman whose daughter, Anjelica (sic), is an intractable brat. Charlotte's cell phone seems permanently attached to her hand. And of course, her husband (investment banker Drew) is a wimp." To see a larger image of the cover, click here. (Left: Coner from the July 2000 issue of Working Mother magazine, drawn by Sharon Ross. ©2000 by Viacom.)

Nick Reinvents Itself

The fall of 2000 means new TV shows. And in Nick's case, it means a whole new look. For details, click here.

Heads Will Roll, or rather, Float

The head of Tommy Pickles is floating somewhere in the waters of the Pacific Northwest. Actually, over a thousand of them. These heads, originally destined for Tommy dolls from Mattel, were accidentally spilled from a cargo ship in the northern Pacific Ocean. For details, read this article.

More Rugrats... On Another Network As most people know, E.G. Daily & Kath Soucie can be heard as some of the Rugrats on Rugrats. But now, they're also voice of an entirely-different group of Rugrats, but you'll won't find them on Rugrats, or even Nick. You'll find them on Baby Blues, an animated series that started Friday, 7/28/2000, on the WB network. In this series, E.G. Daily is the voice of Zoe, one of the Daryl & Wanda MacPherson's babies (on the TV series, only Zoe will appear; apparently, the series takes place before their second child, a son named Hammie, was born), and Kath Soucie is the 8-year-old Rodney, 5-year-old Megan and 4-year old Shelby Bitterman, the children of Daryl & Wanda's neighbors, Carl & Melinda. Baby Blues is based on a popular comic strip about a young married couple and their babies. Baby Blues has left the air in September 2000. It never aired again, though it wasn't officially cancelled by the WB until September 2001. About 19 remaining episodes are in the can, but will never be shown on the WB. These remaining episodes, plus repeats of the shows that aired on the WB, will be seen instead on Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" block at 10PM ET, beginning 1/6/2002. (Left: Zoe, Rodney & Megan; Right: Baby Blues cast; all from Baby Blues and The WB websites; ©2000 Baby Blues Partnership.)

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