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Rugrats and Courage the Cowardly Dog: Difference between pages From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Difference between pages) Jump to navigationJump to search Revision as of 21:23, 19 August 2007 (view source) 68.44.92.82 (talk) Revision as of 05:43, 18 August 2007 (edit) Kogsquinge (talk | contribs) (→‎Production) Line 1:	Line 1: +

−	 	+	{{infobox television | −	{{Infobox Television −	+	 | show_name = Courage the Cowardly Dog −	+	 | image = −	−	−	−	Gabor Csupo Paul Germain
 * show_name    = Rugrats
 * image        = [[Image:Rugrats - intertitle.jpg|250px|Rugrats]]
 * caption      = The Rugrats intertitle
 * format       = Children's television series
 * runtime      = 22 minutes approx
 * creator      = Arlene Klasky

−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	}} −	Rugrats is an animated television series that ran on Nickelodeon and it was one of the first three Nicktoons: after Doug and before Ren & Stimpy. −
 * voices       = Elizabeth Daily Christine Cavanaugh  Nancy Cartwright  Kath Soucie Cheryl Chase Tara Strong Cree Summer  Dionne Quan Melanie Chartoff Jack Riley Michael Bell Tress MacNeille  David Doyle Joe Alaskey Philip Proctor Julia Kato
 * country      = {{flagcountry|United States}}
 * network      = Nickelodeon
 * first_aired  = August 8, 1991
 * last_aired   = June 8, 2004
 * status       =
 * num_episodes = 172
 * imdb_id      = 0101188

Premise
−	The show revolves around four toddlers, Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster and the twins Phillip (Phil) and Lillian (Lil) DeVille, who are able to communicate to each other in baby speak (although viewers can understand them, because it is supposedly 'translated'). Often, they mispronounce words or use poor grammar. Despite the toddlers' inability and lack of desire to communicate with adults, they can understand their parents' speaking, although they often misunderstand what they hear, usually by taking metaphors literally and speaking in malapropisms. Angelica Pickles, at age three, is able to communicate and understand language from both the toddlers and the adults, which she often uses as an advantage when she wants to manipulate either party. +	 | caption = Courage −

Production
+	 | format = Animated television series −	It was the network's second Nicktoon. The series was in production from 1991 to 1994, and again from 1996 to 2004. It aired in Nickelodeon's Snick block from 1997-2000 and it also aired on Nick Jr's block. It is the longest lasting Nicktoon to date at thirteen years of longevity. Rugrats received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a ceremony on June 28, 2001. +	 | runtime = 22 minutes approx. 	+ | creator = John R. Dilworth +	 | director = John R. Dilworth +	 | voices = Marty Grabstein Thea White Lionel Wilson Arthur Anderson +	 | network = Cartoon Network +	 | first_aired = November 12, 1999 +	 | last_aired = November 22, 2002 +	 | music_by = Jody Gray +	 | num_episodes = 53 (102 individual segments) +	 | list_episodes = List of Courage the Cowardly Dog Episodes +	 | website = http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/courage/index.html +	 | tv_com_id = 6157 +	 | imdb_id = 0220880 +	 	+	Courage the Cowardly Dog is an American animated television series, created by John R. Dilworth, who directed each episode, about a dog named Courage and his owners Muriel Bagge, a kindly old Scottish woman, and Eustace Bagge, a grumpy old farmer, living together in a farmhouse in the middle of the town of Nowhere, Kansas (often described as The Middle of Nowhere). +
 * }}

Plot
−	The show airs in the UK on CITV and Nickelodeon UK as well as in Canada on YTV. In Australia, it can be seen on Nickelodeon Australia. +	Courage the Cowardly Dog revolves around the exploits of Courage, a small fuchsia dog who, despite his name, is afraid of the most mundane things. However, his fear is usually warranted: Eustace, Muriel, and Courage are constantly attacked by or run into various monsters, aliens, curses, natural disasters, and other forms of peril Courage must face. −	−	After the introduction of SpongeBob SquarePants, popularity for Rugrats declined. The Rugrats never had a rival this strong in popularity (many shows were produced during the Rugrats lifetime, but none were as successful as SpongeBob SquarePants). In order to keep its popularity, the studios released several movies and specials, such as the introduction of Dil Pickles and Kimi Finster. Ironically, after these introductions, fans determined that Rugrats jumped the shark. +	Every opening of the show documents Courage's past: "Abandoned as a pup, he was found by Muriel, who lives in the middle of Nowhere (Kansas) with her husband Eustace Bagge. But creepy stuff happens in Nowhere, it's up to Courage to save his new home." −	When Nickelodeon declined to renew any more new episodes of Rugrats and All Grown Up, Klasky-Csupo (the studios responsible for Rugrats) closed down most of its operations. At the time of their cancellation, those series were the only Klasky-Csupo series on the Nickelodeon schedule. +	 	+	In the series, when Courage wants to save his family, he sometimes faces off the villain in a game (instead of typical feats of strength, the methods by which he tries to defeat villains is usually something mundane like dodgeball or a staring contest, in which Courage always loses), convinces the villain to leave the life of crime, or tricks the villain.

Characters
−

+	−
 * Courage the Cowardly Dog (Character)

Episodes
+	−
 * Muriel Bagge

+	 	+	 	+	 	+	−
 * Eustace Bagge
 * List of Recurring Villians from the Courage the Cowardly Dog
 * List of Secondary Characters from Courage the Cowardly Dog
 * List of Episodic Characters from Courage the Cowardly Dog

Films
+

Production
−

−

−

+

−

Spinoffs
−	−

−	 	+	There is an obscure Dilworth animated short, Smart Talk with Raisin - Pulling a Malade out of a Hat, that appeared on MTV's Liquid Television in Season 3, episode 1. It features a proto-Courage character named Hamilton as well as what can be considered a proto-Muriel, the titular Raisin, and a proto-Eustace, named Malcolm (who in this case is Raisin's misanthropic brother). This may have influenced the development of Courage the Cowardly Dog. −
 * The Carmichaels was a spin-off planned to see Susie move away from California to Atlanta, where she apparently has relatives.

Broadcast history
−	−	−	−	 	+
 * USA
 * Nickelodeon (1991-2005) (Original Run), (2006-2007)
 * Nicktoons Network (2002-present) (Reruns)
 * Boomerang

−	−	−	−	−	 	+	Originally, Courage started out as a Canadian, one-episode cartoon, (titled The Chicken from Outer Space) which was featured in the Cartoon Network, What a Cartoon! Show. In the original cartoon, there was no dialogue, except for a line spoken by Courage (who was voiced by a different, authoritative voice in this short). An alien chicken was the villain in this short, and it would come back for its revenge in the American series. The Chicken From Outer Space was nominated for an Oscar. −	−	−	−	−	−	 	+	In 1999, Cartoon Network than gave Dilworth the "Okay" to turn the short into a series. It was originally supposed to be created at Hanna-Barbara Studios, but Dilworth wanted it at his Stretch Films Studios. The show had ran successfully until its cancellation in 2002. It had 4 seasons, with 13 episodes in each. The show stopped airing on November 22, 2002, until 2005, when Courage the Cowardly Dog began reruns on Cartoon Network's block, "Cartoon Cartoons" (featuring cartoons exclusive to Cartoon Network). In Britain, the show is currently broadcast on the "Cartoon Cartoons" hour block as well as in half-hour compilations on the UK-only Cartoon Network Too. Courage currently airs Monday-Thursday at 8:00/7:00 PM and 10:00/9:00 PM Central in the United States. The cancellation for Courage was a mystery to many fans of the show and is still a mystery today, due to the fact that Courage was such a popular show and therefore no one knew why the show was over. Whether Dilworth stopped or Cartoon Network just stopped the series, the cancellation has left many fans upset since. −	−	−	−	−	−	 	+	It has been announced that Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One, a two-disc DVD set featuring all 13 episodes from the show's first season, will be released in Australia (Region 4) on September 12, 2007, by Madman Entertainment. There are currently no plans for a US release. −	−	−	 	+
 * UK
 * Children's BBC (Including Live & Kicking) (1993-2004)
 * Nickelodeon (1994-Present)
 * Nicktoons (2002-Present)
 * CITV (2005-present)
 * Australia
 * Nickelodeon (1995-Present)
 * ABC TV
 * ABC2, a digital rerun channel of ABC TV
 * ABC Kids, a short lived digital channel containing the Kids programming from ABC TV
 * Network Ten
 * Ireland
 * RTÉ Two
 * Nickelodeon (1994-Present)
 * Nicktoons (2002-Present)
 * CITV (2005-present)
 * Children's BBC (Including Live & Kicking) (1993-2004)
 * Canada
 * Treehouse
 * YTV

Voices
−	−	−	 	+
 * Malaysia
 * Nickelodeon
 * TV3 (199?-2006)

−	 	+	−	 	+
 * Netherlands
 * Nickelodeon

Episodes
+

+	 	+

Video games
+	 	+	−
 * Courage and Muriel are playable characters in the Game Boy Advance game Cartoon Network Speedway.
 * Katz mansion was featured in the game Cartoon Network: Block Party, where Courage was a playable character.

Premise
+

Plot
+	Courage the Cowardly Dog revolves around the exploits of Courage, a small, fuchsia dog who, despite his name, is afraid of the most mundane things. His fears are normally justified, however, as Eustace, Muriel, and Courage are constantly attacked by (or running into) various monsters, aliens, villains, curses, experiments, natural disasters, and other forms of peril that Courage must face. −	The show originally revolved around a group of toddlers, Thomas (Tommy) Pickles, Charles (Chuckie) Finster, and the twins Phillip (Phil) and Lillian (Lil) DeVille. The toddlers are able to communicate with each other through baby speak, although viewers can understand them, because it is 'translated'. Often, they mispronounce words or use poor grammar and their speaking is full of malapropisms. The group is often reluctantly joined by Tommy's cousin, Angelica Pickles. At age three years old, Angelica is able to communicate and understand language from both the toddlers and the adults, which she often uses as an advantage when she wants to manipulate either party. Susie Carmichael, 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. +	Every opening of the show documents Courage's past: "Abandoned as a pup, he was found by Muriel, who lives in the middle of Nowhere with her husband Eustace Bagge. But creepy stuff happens in Nowhere; it's up to Courage to save his new home." −	In 1998, a new character was introduced. After The Rugrats Movie, in which Tommy's baby brother Dylan (Dil) Pickles is born, he is soon added as a character on the show. As a three month old baby, Dil is not able to communicate with anyone. Later, after Rugrats in Paris: The Movie is released, Kimi Finster is added as a character as Chuckie's step sister. +	In the series, when Courage wants to save his family from the villain, instead of typical feats of strength, the two engage in a game, normally something juvenile such as dodgeball or a staring contest, in which Courage usually, if not always, loses. The villain is then usually defeated in a variety of many other ways: Courage tricks the villain, he flees from them, makes amends with the villain, somehow convinces the villain to change, Muriel saves the day, or in some cases, the villain simply voluntarily moves on in favor of plotting another diabolical scheme. Ironically, Courage exhibits no courage whatsoever. Almost every single event that happens to him causes him to scream manically and usually shape-shift into some random object that portrays fear, sorrow, confusion, or some other random emotion. However, he overcomes his fear to save Muriel. −

Characters
−

+	−

Production
−	Rugrats was Nickelodeon's second Nicktoon. The series was in production from 1991 to 1994, and again from 1996 to 2004. It aired in Nickelodeon's Snick block from 1997-2000. It is the longest lasting Nicktoon to date, at over fourteen years longevity. The Rugrats received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a ceremony on June 28, 2001. +	A typical feature of the show is the spoofing or reference of various classic horror and cult films as the basis for many episodes. This is seen in episodes such as "The Demon in the Mattress", "The Precious, Wonderful, Adorable, Loveable Duckling", "Heads of Beef", "Klub Katz", "Night of the Weremole", "Journey to the Center of Nowhere", "The Great Fusilli", "Robot Randy", "1000 Years of Courage", "Invisible Muriel", "Human Habitrail", "Courage the Fly", "Mega Muriel the Magnificent", "The Transplant", "McPhearson Phantom", "The House of Discontent", "Courage vs. Mecha-Courage" and "Hard Drive Courage". −	The show airs in the UK on CITV and Nickelodeon UK as well as in Canada on YTV. In Australia, it can be seen on Nickelodeon Australia (and, for a period, ABC Television). +	In numerous episodes, especially the Pilot, Eustace would die in some (usually dark) way by the end of the episode, only to come back alive and unscathed by the next episode. In the Pilot, Eustace ate an alien chicken egg and turned into an alien chicken to be killed by a ray gun. In another episode, Courage in the Big Stinking City, Eustace was eaten(spare for bones) by Schwick's mysterious beast. −	On August 11, 2001, Rugrats celebrated its 10 year anniversary. The special "Rugrats: All Growed Up" was produced for the occasion. After the show, a special retrospective lookback aired, called "Rugrats: Still Babies After All These Years". It was narrated by Amanda Bynes. −

Movies
+

Production
+

Pre-Production
−	In 1998, the first Rugrats film was released, entitled "The Rugrats Movie", which introduced baby Dil, Tommy's little brother, onto the show. In 2000 the second movie, "Rugrats in Paris", was released, with two new characters introduced, Kimi and Kira. Kimi would become Chuckie's sister and Kira would become his new mother, after marrying his father. In 2003, the third movie, "Rugrats Go Wild!", was released. It was a crossover between the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys, characters from another popular Nickelodeon show. A TV movie was also made, in which the babies see the future, into the their young teen years. This spun off into the show All Grown Up, which takes place nine years into the future. +	There is an obscure Dilworth animated short, Smart Talk with Raisin - Pulling a Malade out of a Hat, that appeared on MTV's Liquid Television in Season 3, episode 1. It features a proto-Courage character named Hamilton as well as what can be considered a proto-Muriel, the titular Raisin, and a proto-Eustace, named Malcolm (who in this case is Raisin's misanthropic brother). This may have influenced the development of Courage the Cowardly Dog. −

Episodes
−

−

Other projects
+

Pilot
−	−

+	Originally, Courage started out as a one-episode cartoon, entitled The Chicken from Outer Space, which was featured in the Cartoon Network, What a Cartoon! Show. In the original cartoon, there was no dialogue, except for a line spoken by Courage, who was voiced by a different, authoritative voice in this short. An alien chicken was the villain in this short, and it would come back for its revenge in the series. The Chicken From Outer Space was nominated for an Emmy. −

Broadcast history
−	−	−	 	+
 * USA
 * Nickelodeon (1991-2007)
 * Nicktoons Network (2002-present)

The series
−	 	+	In 1999, Cartoon Network gave Dilworth the okay to turn the short into a series. It was originally supposed to be created at Hanna-Barbera Studios, but Dilworth wanted it at his Stretch Films Studios. The show had ran successfully until its cancellation in 2002. It had 4 seasons, with 13 episodes in each. The show stopped airing on November 22, 2002; however, the following year in 2003, when it was said a fifth season for the show was up for consideration, a large number of fans compiled an online petition, aimed directly at Cartoon Network for said possible fifth season, however, the petition was never sent in to the network, and the network decided not to renew the four-year contract for the series, thus marking the end of the cowardly dog. Also, the production team behind Courage had decided after an exhausting year where two full seasons were produced with no break, that they had finished with Courage for a while. They decided to concentrate their efforts on creating a new cartoon series for Cartoon Network which never went beyond pre-production. That same year, however, there had been talks about two new "Courage" projects: one of which was a CD soundtrack, produced by the series' composer Jody Gray, consisting of the popular songs, and music scores from the series. The second new Courage project that had been proposed was a possible feature-length movie (whether it would have been a made-for-TV movie, or a theatrical movie hadn't been discussed); though, neither of the two projects saw the light of day. −	−	−	−	−	 	+
 * UK
 * Children's BBC (Including Live & Kicking) (1993-2004)
 * Nickelodeon UK (1994-Present)
 * Nicktoons (2002-2008)
 * CITV (2005-2006)
 * Nicktoonsters (2008-Present)

Current status
−	−	−	−	 	+	It has been noted that on August 26, 2007 and again on October 7, 2007, a Courage marathon occurred in the US that consisted of 14 half hour segments running from 12PM-7PM, under the title of "Courage Monstervision Marathon". The most recent marathon was on April 27, 2008, starting at 10:00 AM and ending at 6:00 PM. Currently, the show has been airing in rerun fashion at random times on Cartoon Network, but most often airs every weekday at 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm. −	−	−	 	+
 * Australia
 * Nickelodeon Australia (1995-Present)
 * ABC Television
 * Network Ten
 * New Zealand
 * Nickelodeon NZ (199?-Present)
 * TV3 (199?-Present)

DVD
−	 	+	Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One, a two-disc DVD set featuring all 14 episodes from the show's first season, was released in Australia (Region 4) on September 12, 2007, by Madman Entertainment. −	 	+
 * Ireland
 * RTÉ Two

Awards
−

Annie
−	−		 −
 * 1995 - Nominated - Best Individual Achievement for Writing in the Field of Animation

Artios
−	−		 −
 * 2000 to 2003 - Nominated - Best Casting for Animated Voice Over, Television

Daytime Emmy
−	−	−		 −
 * 1994, 2003 - Won - Outstanding Animated Children's Program
 * 2004 - Nominated - Outstanding Animated Children's Program

Emmy
−	−		 −
 * 1997, 1999 to 2002 - Nominated - Outstanding Children's Program

Genesis
−	−		 −
 * 1999 - Won - Television - Children's Programming

World Animation Celebration
−	−		 −
 * 1999 - Won - Best Director of Animation for a Daytime Series

Kids' Choice Awards
−	−		 −
 * 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 - Won - Favorite Cartoon

Games
−		 −	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−		 −
 * Rugrats: Search for Reptar (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Studio Tour (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt (Nintendo 64)
 * Rugrats in Paris - The Movie (Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, PC CD Rom, PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica (PlayStation, Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica Boredom Busters (PC-CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Go Wild (PC-CD Rom, Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: All Growed Up - Older and Bolder (PC-CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Castle Capers (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Royal Ransom (PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube)
 * Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: The Movie (Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats: Time Travellers (Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats Activity Challenge (PC-CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Adventure Game (PC-CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Food Fight (Mobile Phone)
 * Rugrats Muchin Land (PC-CD Rom)
 * The Rugrats Mystery Adventures (PC-CD Rom)
 * Nicktoons Racing (Tommy and Angelica playable)
 * Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots (Tommy and Angelica are seen, but are not playable characters.)
 * SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom (PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, Wii)

Overview
−	The show centers around four babies and their day-to-day lives, usually involving common life experiences that become adventures in the babies' imaginations. It was one of the first three Nicktoons and also aired on Nick Jr. in 1996. +	Courage the Cowardly Dog revolves around the exploits of Courage, a small, fuchsia dog who, despite his name, is ironically afraid of the most mundane things. His fears are normally justified, however, as Eustace, Muriel, and Courage are constantly attacked by (or running into) various monsters, aliens, villains, curses, experiments, natural disasters, and other forms of peril that Courage must face and do whatever it takes to keep Muriel, Eustace, and himself safe. +	Every opening of the show documents Courage's past: "Abandoned as a pup, he was found by Muriel, who lives in the middle of Nowhere with her husband Eustace Bagge. But creepy stuff happens in Nowhere; it's up to Courage to save his new home." −

Premise
−	The show originally revolved around a group of toddlers, Thomas "Tommy" Pickles (whose family moved from Akron, Ohio to their current location in California ), Charles "Chuckie" Finster, and the twins Phillip "Phil" and Lillian "Lil" DeVille. The toddlers are able to communicate with each other through baby speak, although viewers can understand them, because it is 'translated'. Often, they mispronounce words or use poor grammar and their speaking is full of malapropisms. An example of this is using the word "poopetrator" instead of "perpetrator." The group is often reluctantly joined by Tommy's cousin, Angelica Pickles. At age three years old, Angelica is able to communicate and understand language from both the toddlers and the adults, which she often uses as an advantage when she wants to manipulate either party. She is usually very mean to the babies. Susie Carmichael, 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. +	In the series, when Courage wants to save his family from the villain, instead of typical feats of strength, the two engage in a game, normally something juvenile such as dodgeball or a staring contest, in which Courage usually, if not always, loses. The villain is then usually defeated in a variety of many other ways: Courage tricks the villain, he flees from them, makes amends with the villain, somehow convinces the villain to change, Muriel saves the day, or in some cases, the villain simply voluntarily moves on in favor of scheming another diabolical plot. Almost every single event that happens to him causes him to scream maniacally and usually shape-shift into some object that portrays fear, sorrow, confusion, or some other related emotion. However, he always overcomes his fear to save Muriel. −	In 1998, a new character was introduced. After The Rugrats Movie, in which Tommy's baby brother Dylan "Dil" Pickles 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 Finster was added as a character. She is Chuckie's stepsister. +	A typical feature of the show is the spoofing or reference of various classic horror and cult films as the basis for many episodes. This is seen in episodes such as "The Demon in the Mattress", "The Precious, Wonderful, Adorable, Loveable Duckling", "Heads of Beef", "Klub Katz", "Night of the Weremole", "Journey to the Center of Nowhere", "The Great Fusilli", "Robot Randy", "1000 Years of Courage", "Invisible Muriel", "Human Habitrail", "A Night at the Katz Motel", "Courage the Fly", "Mega Muriel the Magnificent", "The Transplant", "McPhearson Phantom", "The House of Discontent", "Courage vs. Mecha-Courage" and "Hard Drive Courage". −

Characters
+	−

+	In numerous episodes- especially in the Pilot- Eustace would get hurt in some (usually dark) way by the end of the episode, only to come back alive and unscathed in the next episode. In the Pilot, Eustace ate an alien chicken egg and turned into an alien chicken to be shot by a ray gun. In another episode, "Courage in the Big Stinking City", Eustace was eaten (spare for bones) by Schwick's mysterious beast, however he became an animated skeleton instead of a truly dead person. −	−	The Pickles are a mixed Jewish-Christian family. There are two episodes that reflect the Pickles' Jewish heritage, one episode deals with the Passover holiday and the other with Hanukkah (in addition to episodes about Christmas, Easter, Kwanzaa, etc.). These episodes have been praised by Jewish groups and are re-run every year on Nick at the appropriate holiday times and can also be purchased on VHS or DVD.

Production
+

Pilot
−	Rugrats was Nickelodeon's second Nicktoon. The series was in production from 1991 to 1994, and again from 1996 to 2004. It aired in Nickelodeon's Snick block from 1997-2000. It is the longest lasting Nicktoon to date, at over fourteen years longevity. The Rugrats received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a ceremony on June 28, 2001. +	Originally, Courage started out as a one-episode cartoon, entitled "The Chicken from Outer Space", which was featured in the Cartoon Network, What a Cartoon! Show. In the original cartoon, there was no dialogue, except for a line spoken by Courage, who was voiced by a different, authoritative voice in this short. An alien chicken was the villain in this short, and it would come back for its revenge in the series. Then in a later episode, the single-bodied, triple-headed sons of the alien chicken tries their hand at revenge, but only because their mother won't let them in the house until they kill Courage, who planned with them to fake his death so the grandmother would let her sons in. "The Chicken from Outer Space" was nominated for an Emmy as well as an Academy Award. +

Series
−	The show airs in the UK on CBBC, CITV, Nicktoons, Nickelodeon UK and Nicktoonsters as well as in Canada on YTV. In Australia, it can be seen on Nickelodeon Australia (and, for a period, ABC Television). +	In 1999, Cartoon Network gave Dilworth the okay to turn the short into a series. It was originally supposed to be created at Hanna-Barbera Studios who financed the short, but Dilworth wanted it at his Stretch Films Studios. The show had run successfully until its cancellation in 2002. It had 4 seasons, with 13 episodes in each, with stories written by the show's head writer, David Steven Cohen, plus Irv Bauer, Craig Shemin, Lory Lazarus, Bill Marsili and Michelle Dilworth. The show stopped airing on November 22, 2002; however, the following year in 2003, when it was said a fifth season for the show was up for consideration, a large number of fans compiled an online petition, aimed directly at Cartoon Network for said possible fifth season, however, the petition was never sent in to the network, and the network decided not to renew the four-year contract for the series, thus marking the abrupt end of the cowardly dog. Also, the production team behind Courage had decided after an exhausting year where two full seasons were produced with no break, that they had finished with Courage for a while. They decided to concentrate their efforts on creating a new cartoon series for Cartoon Network which never went beyond pre-production. That same year, however, there had been talks about two new Courage projects: one of which was a CD soundtrack, produced by the series' composer Jody Gray, consisting of the popular songs, and music scores from the series. The second new Courage project that had been proposed was a possible feature-length movie (whether it would have been a made-for-TV movie, or a theatrical movie hadn't been discussed); though, neither of the two projects saw the light of day. +

Current status
−	On August 11, 2001, Rugrats celebrated its 10 year anniversary. The special/TV movie, "Rugrats: All Growed Up" was produced for the occasion. After the show, a special retrospective lookback aired, entitled Rugrats: Still Babies After All These Years. It was narrated by Amanda Bynes. +	On August 26, 2007 and again on October 7, 2007, a Courage marathon occurred in the US that consisted of 14 half hour segments running from 12PM-7PM, under the title of "Courage Monstervision Marathon". The most recent marathon was on August 13, 2009 on Cartoon Network. +	In Australia, Courage reruns air on Cartoon Network in multiple timeslots throughout the week. −	The show ended in 2004 then afterwards, two fairy tale themed direct-to-video films based on the original series under the title, "Rugrats: Tales from the Crib" were planned and then released separately in 2005 and in 2006. +	In the United Kingdom, the show also continues to air in a re-run fashion. Episodes are run continuously without commercials, not even for half-hour breaks; this is the only show on the UK version of this network aired in such a manner. −

Theatrical films
−	In 1998, the first Rugrats film was released, entitled The Rugrats Movie, which introduced baby Dil, Tommy's little brother, onto the show. In 2000 the second movie, Rugrats in Paris, was released, with two new characters introduced, Kimi and Kira. Kimi would become Chuckie's sister and Kira would become his new mother, after marrying his father. In 2003, the third movie, Rugrats Go Wild, was released. It was a crossover between the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. +	In Bulgaria, on March 31, 2009 Courage the Cowardly Dog started on Diema Family. −

Reception
−	In a 1995 interview Steven Spielberg referred to Rugrats as one of several shows that are the best children's programming at the time. Spielberg described Rugrats as "sort of a TV Peanuts of our time." It was named the 92nd best animated series by IGN. −

Episodes
+

References to Dilworth
+	Dilworth often references himself in episodes, putting Dil, a shortened version of his last name on most of the products used, such as tennis rackets, bug zappers, and Courage's computer. −

−

Other projects
+

Characters
+

−	−

−

DVD Release
+

Episodes
+

−	Nickelodeon and Amazon.com have struck a deal to produce DVDs of new and old Nickelodeon shows, through the CreateSpace service. Using a concept similar to print on demand, Amazon will be making the discs, cover art, and disc art itself. The first and second seasons of Rugrats are on sale. −		 −

Broadcast history
−	−	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−	−		 −
 * 🇺🇸 USA
 * Nickelodeon (1991-2007)
 * Nicktoons Network (2002-present)
 * UK
 * Children's BBC (Including Live & Kicking) (1993-2004)
 * Nickelodeon (1994-2009)
 * Nicktoons (2002-2008)
 * CITV (2005-2006)
 * Nicktoonsters (August 2008-July 2009)
 * 🇦🇷 Argentina
 * The Big Channel
 * Magic Kids
 * Nickelodeon
 * Canal 9
 * 🇦🇺 Australia
 * Nickelodeon Australia (1995-Present)
 * ABC Television
 * Network Ten
 * New Zealand
 * Nickelodeon NZ (199?-Present)
 * TV3 (199?-Present)
 * 🇵🇭 Philippines
 * TV5
 * Nickelodeon South East Asia
 * Studio 23
 * 🇮🇪 Ireland
 * RTÉ Two (199? - Present)
 * 🇨🇦 Canada
 * YTV
 * 🇲🇾 Malaysia
 * Nickelodeon South East Asia
 * TV3 (1992-1994)
 * MetroVision (1996-1998)
 * NTV7 (2001-2004)
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * Nickelodeon
 * 🇺🇦 Ukraine
 * ICTV (Ukraine)
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * Italia 1
 * 🇲🇽 Mexico'
 * Nickelodeon Latin America 1996 - 2006
 * XHGC-TV Canal 5 (1997 - 2001), repeats episodes sometimes.

Awards
−	−		 −

Video games
−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−		 −
 * Rugrats: Search for Reptar (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Studio Tour (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt (Nintendo 64)
 * Rugrats in Paris - The Movie (Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, PC CD Rom, PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica (PlayStation, Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica Boredom Busters (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Go Wild (PC CD Rom, Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: All Growed Up - Older and Bolder (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Castle Capers (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Royal Ransom (PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube)
 * Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: The Movie (Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats: Time Travelers (Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats Activity Challenge (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Adventure Game (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Food Fight (Mobile Phone)
 * Rugrats Muchin Land (PC CD Rom)
 * The Rugrats Mystery Adventures (PC CD Rom)
 * Rocket Power: Team Rocket Rescue (PlayStation) (Tommy & Angelica appear as guest characters)
 * Nicktoons Racing (PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows, Arcade) (Tommy and Angelica playable)
 * Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots (Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance) (Tommy and Angelica are seen, but are not playable characters.)
 * Nicktoons: The Videogame (possibly)

DVD
+	Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One, a two-disc DVD set featuring all 13 episodes from the show's first season, was released in Australia (Region 4) on September 12 2007, by Madman Entertainment. −

Overview
−	The show centers around four babies and their day-to-day lives, usually involving common life experiences that become adventures in the babies' imaginations. It was one of the first three Nicktoons and also aired on Nick Jr. in 1996. +	Courage the Cowardly Dog revolves around the exploits of Courage, a small, pink/purple (while in dark) dog who, despite his name, is ironically afraid of the most mundane things. His fears are normally justified, however, as Eustace, Muriel, and Courage are constantly attacked by (or running into) various monsters, aliens, villains, curses, experiments, natural disasters, and other forms of peril that Courage must face and do whatever it takes to keep Muriel, Eustace, and himself safe. +	Every opening of the show documents Courage's past: "Abandoned as a pup, he was found by Muriel, who lives in the middle of Nowhere with her husband Eustace Bagge. But creepy stuff happens in Nowhere; it's up to Courage to save his new home." −

Premise
−	The show originally revolved around a group of toddlers, Thomas "Tommy" Pickles (whose family moved from Akron, Ohio to their current location in California ), Charles "Chuckie" Finster, and the twins Phillip "Phil" and Lillian "Lil" DeVille. The toddlers are able to communicate with each other through baby speak, although viewers can understand them, because it is 'translated'. Often, they mispronounce words or use poor grammar and their speaking is full of malapropisms. An example of this is using the word "poopetrator" instead of "perpetrator." The group is often reluctantly joined by Tommy's cousin, Angelica Pickles. At age three years old, Angelica is able to communicate and understand language from both the toddlers and the adults, which she often uses as an advantage when she wants to manipulate either party. She is usually very mean to the babies. Susie Carmichael, 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. +	In the series, when Courage wants to save his family from the villains and monsters, instead of typical feats of strength, the two engage in a game, normally something juvenile such as dodgeball or a staring contest, in which Courage usually, if not always, loses. The villain is then usually defeated in a variety of many other ways: Courage tricks the villain, he flees from them, makes amends with the villain, somehow convinces the villain to change, Muriel saves the day, or in some cases, the villain simply voluntarily moves on in favor of scheming another diabolical plot. Almost every single event that happens to him causes him to scream maniacally and usually shape-shift into some object that portrays fear, sorrow, confusion, or some other related emotion. However, he always overcomes his fear to save Muriel. −	In 1998, a new character was introduced. After The Rugrats Movie, in which Tommy's baby brother Dylan "Dil" Pickles 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 Finster was added as a character. She is Chuckie's stepsister. +	A typical feature of the show is the spoofing or reference of various classic horror and cult films as the basis for many episodes. This is seen in episodes such as "The Demon in the Mattress", "The Precious, Wonderful, Adorable, Loveable Duckling", "Heads of Beef", "Klub Katz", "Night of the Weremole", "Journey to the Center of Nowhere", "The Great Fusilli", "Robot Randy", "1000 Years of Courage", "Invisible Muriel", "Human Habitrail", "A Night at the Katz Motel", "Courage the Fly", "Mega Muriel the Magnificent", "The Transplant", "McPhearson Phantom", "The House of Discontent", "Courage vs. Mecha-Courage" and "Hard Drive Courage". −

Characters
+	−

+	In numerous episodes- especially in the Pilot- Eustace would get hurt in some (usually dark) way by the end of the episode, only to come back alive and unscathed in the next episode. In the Pilot, Eustace ate an alien chicken egg and turned into an alien chicken to be shot by a ray gun. In another episode, "Courage in the Big Stinking City", Eustace was eaten (spare for bones) by Schwick's mysterious beast, however he became an animated skeleton instead of a truly dead person. −	−	The Pickles are a mixed Jewish-Christian family. There are two episodes that reflect the Pickles' Jewish heritage, one episode deals with the Passover holiday and the other with Hanukkah (in addition to episodes about Christmas, Easter, Kwanzaa, etc.). These episodes have been praised by Jewish groups and are re-run every year on Nick at the appropriate holiday times and can also be purchased on VHS or DVD.

Production
+

Plot
−	Rugrats was Nickelodeon's second Nicktoon. The series was in production from 1991 to 1994, and again from 1996 to 2004. It aired in Nickelodeon's Snick block from 1997-2000. It is the longest lasting Nicktoon to date, at over fourteen years longevity. The Rugrats received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a ceremony on June 28, 2001. +	Originally, Courage started out as a one-episode cartoon, entitled "The Chicken from Outer Space", which was featured in the Cartoon Network, What a Cartoon! Show. In the original cartoon, there was no dialogue, except for a line spoken by Courage, who was voiced by a different, authoritative voice in this short. An alien chicken was the villain in this short, and it would come back for its revenge in the series. Then in a later episode, the single-bodied, triple-headed sons of the alien chicken tries their hand at revenge, but only because their mother won't let them in the house until they kill Courage, who planned with them to fake his death so their mother would let her sons in. "The Chicken from Outer Space" was nominated for an Emmy as well as an Academy Award. +

Series
−	The show airs in the UK on CBBC, CITV, Nicktoons, Nickelodeon UK and Nicktoonsters as well as in Canada on YTV. In Australia, it can be seen on Nickelodeon Australia (and, for a period, ABC Television). +	In 1999, Cartoon Network gave Dilworth the okay to turn the short into a series. It was originally supposed to be created at Hanna-Barbera Studios who financed the short, but Dilworth wanted it at his Stretch Films Studios. The show had run successfully until its cancellation in 2002. It had 4 seasons, with 13 episodes in each, with stories written by the show's head writer, David Steven Cohen, plus Irv Bauer, Craig Shemin, Lory Lazarus, Bill Marsili and Michelle Dilworth. The show stopped airing on November 22, 2002; however, the following year in 2003, when it was said a fifth season for the show was up for consideration, a large number of fans compiled an online petition, aimed directly at Cartoon Network for said possible fifth season, however, the petition was never sent in to the network, and the network decided not to renew the four-year contract for the series, thus marking the abrupt end of the cowardly dog. Also, the production team behind Courage had decided after an exhausting year where two full seasons were produced with no break, that they had finished with Courage for a while. They decided to concentrate their efforts on creating a new cartoon series for Cartoon Network which never went beyond pre-production. That same year, however, there had been talks about two new Courage projects: one of which was a CD soundtrack, produced by the series' composer Jody Gray, consisting of the popular songs, and music scores from the series. The second new Courage project that had been proposed was a possible feature-length movie (whether it would have been a made-for-TV movie, or a theatrical movie hadn't been discussed); though, neither of the two projects saw the light of day. +

Current status
−	On August 11, 2001, Rugrats celebrated its 10 year anniversary. The special/TV movie, "Rugrats: All Growed Up" was produced for the occasion. After the show, a special retrospective lookback aired, entitled Rugrats: Still Babies After All These Years. It was narrated by Amanda Bynes. +	On August 26, 2007 and again on October 7, 2007, a Courage marathon occurred in the US that consisted of 14 half hour segments running from 12PM-7PM, under the title of "Courage Monstervision Marathon". The most recent marathon was on August 13, 2009 on Cartoon Network. +	In Australia, Courage reruns air on Cartoon Network in multiple timeslots throughout the week. −	The show ended in 2004 then afterwards, two fairy tale themed direct-to-video films based on the original series under the title, "Rugrats: Tales from the Crib" were planned and then released separately in 2005 and in 2006. +	In India, Courage reruns air on Cartoon Network at 11 AM in the morning. −

Theatrical films
−	In 1998, the first Rugrats film was released, entitled The Rugrats Movie, which introduced baby Dil, Tommy's little brother, onto the show. In 2000 the second movie, Rugrats in Paris, was released, with two new characters introduced, Kimi and Kira. Kimi would become Chuckie's sister and Kira would become his new mother, after marrying his father. In 2003, the third movie, Rugrats Go Wild, was released. It was a crossover between the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. +	In the United Kingdom, the show also continues to air in reruns. Episodes are aired without commercials, not even for half-hour breaks; this is the only show on the UK version of this network aired in such a manner. −

Reception
−	In a 1995 interview Steven Spielberg referred to Rugrats as one of several shows that are the best children's programming at the time. Spielberg described Rugrats as "sort of a TV Peanuts of our time." It was named the 92nd best animated series by IGN. +	In Bulgaria, on March 31, 2009 Courage the Cowardly Dog started on Diema Family. −

Episodes
−

+	In Italy, Courage the Cowardly Dog is broadcast from 7 August 2009 on the satellite channel Boing. Before, it was also broadcast by La7 and Cartoon Network. Soon, also will air on Boomerang. −

Other projects
−	−

+	In Brazil, the show is broadcast by Tooncast throughout the week at 11:30 AM and PM. The show is also often broadcast by Cartoon Network. −

DVD Release
−	 	+

References to Dilworth
−	Nickelodeon and Amazon.com have struck a deal to produce DVDs of new and old Nickelodeon shows, through the CreateSpace service. Using a concept similar to print on demand, Amazon will be making the discs, cover art, and disc art itself. The first and second seasons of Rugrats are on sale. +	Dilworth often references himself in episodes, putting Dil, a shortened version of his last name on most of the products used, such as tennis rackets, bug zappers, and Courage's computer. −

Broadcast history
+

Characters
+

−	−	−	 	+
 * 🇺🇸 USA
 * Nickelodeon (1991-2007)
 * Nicktoons Network (2002-present)

Episodes
−	 	+
 * 🇨🇦 Canada

−	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−	−		 −
 * Nickelodeon (2009-present)
 * YTV
 * UK
 * Children's BBC (Including Live & Kicking and Smile) (1993-2004)
 * Nickelodeon (1994-2009)
 * Nicktoons (2002-2008, September 2009-present)
 * CITV (2005-2006)
 * Nicktoonsters (August 2008-July 2009)
 * 🇦🇷 Argentina
 * The Big Channel
 * Magic Kids
 * Nickelodeon
 * Canal 9
 * 🇦🇺 Australia
 * Nickelodeon Australia (1995-present)
 * ABC Television
 * Network Ten
 * New Zealand
 * Nickelodeon NZ (199?-present)
 * TV3 (199?-present)
 * 🇵🇭 Philippines
 * TV5
 * Nickelodeon South East Asia
 * Studio 23
 * 🇮🇪 Ireland
 * RTÉ Two (199?-present)
 * 🇲🇾 Malaysia
 * Nickelodeon South East Asia
 * TV3 (1992-1994)
 * MetroVision (1996-1998)
 * NTV7 (2001-2004)
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * Nickelodeon
 * 🇺🇦 Ukraine
 * ICTV (Ukraine)
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * Italia 1
 * 🇲🇽 Mexico'
 * Nickelodeon Latin America 1996 - 2006
 * XHGC-TV Canal 5 (1997 - 2001), repeats episodes sometimes.

Awards
−	−		 −

Video games
−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−		 −
 * Rugrats: Search for Reptar (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Studio Tour (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt (Nintendo 64)
 * Rugrats in Paris - The Movie (Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, PC CD Rom, PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica (PlayStation, Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica Boredom Busters (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Go Wild (PC CD Rom, Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: All Growed Up - Older and Bolder (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Castle Capers (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Royal Ransom (PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube)
 * Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: The Movie (Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats: Time Travelers (Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats Activity Challenge (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Adventure Game (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Food Fight (Mobile Phone)
 * Rugrats Muchin Land (PC CD Rom)
 * The Rugrats Mystery Adventures (PC CD Rom)
 * Rocket Power: Team Rocket Rescue (PlayStation) (Tommy & Angelica appear as guest characters)
 * Nicktoons Racing (PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows, Arcade) (Tommy and Angelica playable)
 * Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots (Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance) (Tommy and Angelica are seen, but are not playable characters.)
 * Nicktoons: The Videogame (possibly)

DVD
+	Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One, a two-disc DVD set featuring all 13 episodes from the show's first season, was released in Australia (Region 4) on September 12 2007, by Madman Entertainment. −

Overview
−	The show focuses on four babies and their day-to-day lives, usually involving common life experiences that become adventures in the babies' imaginations. It was one of the first three Nicktoons and also aired on Nick Jr. in 1995. +	Courage the Cowardly Dog revolves around Courage, a small, pink/purple dog, who despite his name is afraid of the most mundane things. His fears are justified as Eustace, Muriel, and Courage constantly run into monsters, aliens, villains, curses, experiments, natural disasters, and other perils that Courage must face and overcome to save his owners and himself. +	The show starts, "We interrupt this program to bring you: Courage, The Cowardly dog! show." It then tells of the set-up for the series: "Abandoned as a pup, he was found by Muriel, who lives in the middle of Nowhere with her husband Eustace Bagge. But creepy stuff happens in Nowhere; it's up to Courage to save his new home." When the announcer says, "But creepy stuff happens in Nowhere:", it shows the season's villains. −

Premise
−	The show originally revolved around a group of children, including infant Thomas "Tommy" Pickles (whose family moved from Akron, Ohio to their current location in California ), toddler Charles "Chuckie" Finster, and the twin-infants Phillip "Phil" and Lillian "Lil" DeVille. The toddlers are able to communicate with each other through baby speak, although viewers can understand them, because it is 'translated'. Often, they mispronounce words or use poor grammar and their speaking is full of malapropisms. An example of this is using the word "poopetrator" instead of "perpetrator." The group is often reluctantly joined by Tommy's cousin, Angelica Pickles. At age three years old, Angelica is able to communicate and understand language from both the toddlers and the adults, which she often uses as an advantage when she wants to manipulate either party. She is usually very mean to the babies. Susie Carmichael, 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. +	The program often alludes to or spoofs horror, cult, and classic films. This is seen in some episode titles: "The Demon in the Mattress", "The Precious, Wonderful, Adorable, Loveable Duckling", "Heads of Beef", "Klub Katz", "Night of the Weremole", "Journey to the Center of Nowhere", "The Great Fusilli", "Robot Randy", "1000 Years of Courage", "Invisible Muriel", "Human Habitrail", "A Night at the Katz Motel", "Courage the Fly", "Mega Muriel the Magnificent", "The Transplant", "McPhearson Phantom", "The House of Discontent", "Courage vs. Mecha-Courage" and "Hard Drive Courage". −	In 1998, a new character was introduced. After The Rugrats Movie, in which Tommy's baby brother Dylan "Dil" Pickles 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 Finster was added as a character. She is Chuckie's stepsister. −

Characters
+

Production
+

The Original Short Cartoon
−

+	Courage began as a seven minute short cartoon, "The Chicken from Outer Space". Shown in one of the episodes of the Cartoon Network What a Cartoon! Show, a Hanna-Barbera Cartoons innovation by then president Fred Seibert, the short served as a de facto pilot for a future series. The original cartoon had no dialogue except for a line spoken by Courage, who had a more authoritative voice than in the series. An alien chicken was the villain in this short, and would come back for its revenge in the series. (In a still-later episode, the single-bodied, triple-headed sons of the alien chicken attempt revenge, but only because their mother won't let them in the house until they kill Courage.) "The Chicken from Outer Space" was nominated for an Emmy as well as an Academy Award (the only nomination in Hanna-Barbera's long history). −	−	The Pickles are a mixed Jewish-Christian family. There are two episodes that reflect the Pickles' Jewish heritage, one episode deals with the Passover holiday and the other with Hanukkah (in addition to episodes about Christmas, Easter, Kwanzaa, etc.). These episodes have been praised by Jewish groups and are re-run every year on Nick at the appropriate holiday times and can also be purchased on VHS or DVD. −

Production
+

Series
+	Cartoon Network gave Dilworth the okay to turn the short into a series in 1996. Hanna-Barbera Studios had financed the short, and was supposed to create the series; but Dilworth instead took production to his Stretch Films Studios. Stories were written by the show's head writer, David Steven Cohen, plus Irv Bauer, Craig Shemin, Lory Lazarus, Bill Marsili and Michelle Dilworth. The studio produced 4 seasons with 13 episodes in each season until the last original airing on November 22, 2002. In 2003 it was rumored that the network was considering a fifth season for the show, and many fans compiled an online petition for Cartoon Network to run that fifth season. However, the petition was never sent to the network, which decided not to renew their four-year contract. There would probably not have been a fifth season at any rate: the production team had finished an exhausting year at the end of two full unbroken seasons, and felt that they were finished with Courage for a while. They decided to work on a new series for Cartoon Network -- though this never went beyond pre-production. That same year, there were talks about two new Courage projects, neither of which came to fruition. The first was a CD soundtrack produced by the series' composer Jody Gray, having music scores from the series and popular songs. The second was a possible feature-length movie; they did not discuss whether it would have been a made-for-TV movie or a theatrical release. −	Rugrats was Nickelodeon's second Nicktoon. The series was in production from 1991 to 2004. It aired in Nickelodeon's Snick block from 1997-2000. It is the longest lasting Nicktoon to date, at over fourteen years longevity. The Rugrats received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a ceremony on June 28, 2001. +

Current status
−	The show airs in the UK on CBBC, CITV, Nicktoons, Nickelodeon UK and Nicktoonsters as well as in Canada on YTV. In Australia, it can be seen on Nickelodeon Australia (and, for a period, ABC Television). +	On August 26, 2007 and again on October 7, 2007, a Courage marathon occurred in the US that consisted of 14 half hour segments running from 12PM-7PM, under the title of "Courage Monstervision Marathon". The most recent marathon was on August 13, 2009 on Cartoon Network. Boomerang, Cartoon Network's other network, decided to show Courage reruns every night. +	In Australia, Courage reruns air on Cartoon Network in multiple timeslots throughout the week. −	On August 11, 2001, Rugrats celebrated its 10 year anniversary. The special/TV movie, Rugrats: All Growed Up was produced for the occasion. After the show, a special retrospective lookback aired, entitled Rugrats: Still Babies After All These Years. It was narrated by Amanda Bynes. +	In India,Pakistan and Bangladesh Courage reruns air on Cartoon Network at 11 AM in the morning. −	The show ended in 2004. Two fairy-tale themed direct-to-video films based on the original series under the title, Rugrats: Tales from the Crib were planned and then released separately in 2005 and in 2006. On August 11, 2011 the Rugrats will be celebrating its 20 year anniversary to celebrate its 20th birthday. +	In the United Kingdom, the show also continues to air in reruns. Episodes are aired without commercials, not even for half-hour breaks. This is the only show on the UK version of this network aired in such a manner. −

Theatrical films
−	In 1998, the first Rugrats film was released, entitled The Rugrats Movie, which introduced baby Dil, Tommy's little brother, onto the show. In 2000 the second movie, Rugrats in Paris, was released, with two new characters introduced, Kimi and Kira. Kimi would become Chuckie's sister and Kira would become his new mother, after marrying his father. In 2003, the third movie, Rugrats Go Wild, was released. It was a crossover between the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. +	In Bulgaria, on March 31, 2009 Courage the Cowardly Dog started on Diema Family. −

Reception
−	In a 1995 interview, Steven Spielberg referred to Rugrats as one of several shows that are the best children's programming at the time. Spielberg described Rugrats as "sort of a TV Peanuts of our time." It was named the 92nd best animated series by IGN. +	In Italy, Courage the Cowardly Dog is broadcast from 7 August 2009 on the satellite channel Boing. Before, it was also broadcast by La7 and Cartoon Network. Soon, also will air on Boomerang. −

Episodes
−

+	In Brazil, the show is broadcast by Tooncast throughout the week at 11:30 AM and PM. The show is also often broadcast by Cartoon Network. −

Other projects
−	−

+

References to Dilworth
−

DVD release
+	Dilworth often references himself in episodes, putting Dil, a shortened version of his last name on most of the products used, such as tennis rackets, bug zappers, and Courage's computer. He also has a store named, "Dil's General Store", which references to him. −	 	+

Characters
−	Nickelodeon and Amazon.com have struck a deal to produce DVDs of new and old Nickelodeon shows, through the CreateSpace service. Using a concept similar to print on demand, Amazon will be making the discs, cover art, and disc art itself. The first and second seasons of Rugrats are on sale. +

−

Broadcast history
+

Episodes
+

−	−	−	 	+
 * 🇺🇸 USA
 * Nickelodeon (1991–2007)
 * Nicktoons Network (2002–present)

DVD release
−	 	+	Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One, a two-disc DVD set featuring all 13 episodes from the show's first season, was released in Australia (Region 4) on September 12, 2007, by Madman Entertainment., On January 13, 2010 the complete second season was released. −	−	 	+
 * 🇨🇦 Canada
 * Nickelodeon (2009–present)
 * YTV

Other releases
−	 	+	Additionally, select episodes from the series have been featured on various Cartoon Network DVDs. −	−	−	−	−	 	+	−	 	+	−	 	+	−	 	+	−	 	+
 * UK
 * Children's BBC (Including Live & Kicking and Smile) (1993–2004)
 * Nickelodeon (1994–2009)
 * Nicktoons (2002–2008, September 2009–present)
 * CITV (2005–2006)
 * Nicktoonsters (August 2008-July 2009)
 * Cartoon Network Halloween Volume 1: 9 Creepy Capers - The Demon in the Mattress / Courage Meets Bigfoot
 * 🇹🇷 Turkey
 * Cartoon Network Halloween Volume 2: Grossest Halloween Ever - Courage Meets the Mummy / Night of the Weremole
 * CNBC-E
 * Cartoon Network Christmas Volume 1: Yuletide Follies - The Nutcracker
 * Nickelodeon Turkey
 * Cartoon Network Christmas Volume 2: Christmas Rocks - The Snowman Cometh
 * TRT

Awards
−	−	−		 −

Video games
−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−		 −
 * Rugrats: Search for Reptar (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Studio Tour (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt (Nintendo 64)
 * Rugrats in Paris - The Movie (Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, PC CD Rom, PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica (PlayStation, Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica Boredom Busters (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Go Wild (PC CD Rom, Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: All Growed Up - Older and Bolder (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Castle Capers (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Royal Ransom (PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube)
 * Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: The Movie (Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats: Time Travelers (Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats Activity Challenge (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Adventure Game (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Food Fight (Mobile Phone)
 * Rugrats Muchin Land (PC CD Rom)
 * The Rugrats Mystery Adventures (PC CD Rom)
 * Rocket Power: Team Rocket Rescue (PlayStation) (Tommy & Angelica appear as guest characters)
 * Nicktoons Racing (PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows, Arcade) (Tommy and Angelica playable)
 * Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots (Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance) (Tommy and Angelica are seen, but are not playable characters.)
 * Nicktoons: The Videogame (possibly)

Premise
−	The show originally revolved around a group of children (three boys and one girl), including infant Thomas "Tommy" Pickles, toddler Charles "Chuckie" Finster, and the twin-infants Phillip "Phil" and Lillian "Lil" DeVille. The toddlers are able to communicate with each other through baby speak, although viewers can understand them, because it is 'translated'. Often, they mispronounce words or use poor grammar and their speaking is full of malapropisms. An example of this is using the word "poopetrator" instead of "perpetrator." The group is often reluctantly joined by Tommy's cousin, Angelica Pickles. At three years old, Angelica is able to communicate and understand language from both the toddlers and the adults, which she often uses as an advantage when she wants to manipulate either party. She is usually very mean to the babies. Susie Carmichael, 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. +

Plot
−	In 1998, a new character was introduced. After The Rugrats Movie, in which Tommy's baby brother Dylan "Dil" Pickles 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 Finster was added as a character. She is Chuckie's stepsister. +	 	+	Courage the Cowardly Dog revolves around Courage, a small pink dog who, despite his name, is afraid of even the most mundane things. Abandoned as a puppy, Courage was adopted by Muriel Bagge, a sweet-natured Scottish woman, and her husband Eustace, a grumpy farmer who hates Courage. Courage, Eustace, and Muriel constantly run into monsters, aliens, demons, mad scientists, and other perils that Courage must face to save his owners. −

Characters
+

Production
+	Originally, Courage the Cowardly Dog began as a seven minute short cartoon, "The Chicken from Outer Space". It was shown in one of the episodes of the Cartoon Network's World Premiere Toons in 1995, a Hanna-Barbera Cartoons innovation by then president Fred Seibert, the short served as a de facto pilot for a future series. The original cartoon had no dialogue except for a line spoken by Courage, who had a more authoritative voice than in the series. An alien chicken was the villain in this short, and would come back for its revenge in the series. (In a still-later episode, the single-bodied, triple-headed sons of the alien chicken attempt revenge, but only because their mother won't let them in the house until they kill Courage. ) The short was nominated for an Academy Award. −

−	−	The Pickles are a mixed Jewish-Christian family. There are two episodes that reflect the Pickles' Jewish heritage, one episode deals with the Passover holiday and the other with Hanukkah (in addition to episodes about Christmas, Easter, Kwanzaa, etc.). These episodes have been praised by Jewish groups and are re-run every year on Nick at the appropriate holiday times and can also be purchased on VHS or DVD. +	In 1998, Cartoon Network gave Dilworth the okay to turn the short into a series. Because they were responsible for the What-a-Cartoon anthology and thus financed the short, Hanna-Barbera was supposed to develop the series; but Dilworth instead took production to his Stretch Films Studios. Stories were written by the show's head writer, David Steven Cohen, plus Irv Bauer, Craig Shemin, Lory Lazarus, Bill Marsili and Michelle Dilworth. Courage the Cowardly Dog was premiered on November 12, 1999, and the series became the highest-rated premiere in Cartoon Network history. The studio produced 4 seasons with 13 episodes in each season until the last original airing on November 22, 2002. −

Production
−	Rugrats was Nickelodeon's second Nicktoon, debuting on the same day as Doug (which premiered before it) and The Ren and Stimpy Show (which debuted after). The first run of the series was produced from 1991 to 1993 before production went on a hiatus (episodes that had not yet been released at that point continued to be released through 1994). Between 1994 and 1995, only two Jewish-themed specials were produced, and the rest of the series aired in reruns. New episode production resumed in 1997, and the show aired in Nickelodeon's Snick block from 1997-2000. In terms of years on air, it is the longest lasting Nicktoon to date, at over fourteen years longevity, and did not cease production of new episodes until 2004. In terms of number of episodes, it is still in first, but by 2011 it will be surpassed by SpongeBob SquarePants, which will have 178 episodes by the end of its ninth season, barring a Rugrats revival or a SpongeBob cancellation. The Rugrats received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a ceremony on June 28, 2001. +

Current status
−	The show airs in the UK on CBBC, CITV, Nicktoons, Nickelodeon UK and Nicktoonsters as well as in Canada on YTV. In Australia, it can be seen on Nickelodeon Australia (and, for a period, ABC Television). +	On August 26, 2007 and again on October 7, 2007, a marathon occurred in the US that consisted of 14 half hour segments running from 12PM-7PM, under the title of "Monstervision Marathon". The most recent marathon was on August 13, 2009 on Cartoon Network. Boomerang, Cartoon Network's other network, decided to show reruns every night. On July 7, 2010, Cartoon Network in the United States decided to re-air the show. +	In Australia, reruns air on Cartoon Network in multiple timeslots throughout the week. −	On August 11, 2001, Rugrats celebrated its 10 year anniversary. The special/TV movie, Rugrats: All Growed Up was produced for the occasion. After the show, a special retrospective lookback aired, entitled Rugrats: Still Babies After All These Years. It was narrated by Amanda Bynes. +	In India, Pakistan and Bangladesh reruns air on Cartoon Network at 12:30 A.M.(Season 1-2) and 3:00 A.M. (Season 4). −	The show ended in 2004. Two fairy-tale themed direct-to-video films based on the original series under the title, Rugrats: Tales from the Crib were planned and then released separately in 2005 and in 2006. +	In the United Kingdom, the show also continues to air in reruns. Episodes are aired without commercials, not even for half-hour breaks. This is the only show on the UK version of this network aired in such a manner. −	Individual episodes are now available for purchase on Amazon Video On Demand for 99 cents per episode and on the PlayStation Store for $1.99 for two episodes. +	In Bulgaria, on March 31, 2009 Courage the Cowardly Dog started on Diema Family. −

Theatrical films
−	In 1998, the first Rugrats film was released, entitled The Rugrats Movie, which introduced baby Dil, Tommy's little brother, onto the show. In 2000 the second movie, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, was released, with two new characters introduced, Kimi and Kira. Kimi would become Chuckie's sister and Kira would become his new mother, after marrying his father. In 2003, the third movie, Rugrats Go Wild, was released. It was a crossover between the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. +	In Italy, Leone il Cane Fifone is broadcast from 7 August 2009 on the satellite channel Boing. Before, it was also broadcast by BBC, La7 and Cartoon Network. Saturday 3 April 2010 Cartoon Network Italy to celebrate Easter sent a marathon, with the cartoons that the channel does not transmit for a long time, which has Courage the Cowardly Dog (not transmitted for very long by Cartoon Network Italy), transmitting the following the first three episodes of the series: "Una Notte al Motel Gatti" (A Night at the Katz Motel), "Lo Stufato Della Nonna" (Cajun Granny Stew) and "Leone e l'Ombra Malefica" (The Shadow of Courage). From May 2010 Courage The Cowardly Dog back on Cartoon Network Italy, from Monday to Friday at 7:00 AM, at 2:30 PM and 5:00 PM instead of Saturday and Sunday at 9:35 AM and at 4:05 PM. In Italy Courage The Cowardly Dog unlike that of the United States after being removed from Cartoon Network's programming is not airing on Boomerang, but is broadcast from March 30, 2009 on free channel Boing. −

Reception
−	In a 1995 interview, Steven Spielberg referred to Rugrats as one of several shows that are the best children's programming at the time. Spielberg described Rugrats as "sort of a TV Peanuts of our time." It was named the 92nd best animated series by IGN. Jewish and Christian religion groups have given Rugrats high praises for their special holiday episodes. Rugrats were also considered a strongpoint in Nickelodeon's rise in the 1990s. +	In Brazil, the show is broadcast by Tooncast throughout the week at 11:30 AM and PM. The show is also often broadcast by Cartoon Network. −

Episodes
−

−

Other projects
+

Characters
+

−	−

−

DVD releases
+

Episodes
+

−	 	+

References to Dilworth
−	Nickelodeon and Amazon.com have struck a deal to produce DVDs of new and old Nickelodeon shows, through the CreateSpace service. Using a concept similar to print on demand, Amazon will be making the discs, cover art, and disc art itself. The complete first and second seasons of Rugrats are on sale. +	Dilworth often references himself in episodes, putting Dil — a shortened version of his last name — on most of the products used, such as tennis rackets, bug zappers, eye drops, a jackhammer, a delivery truck, and Courage's computer. He also has a store named, "Dil's General Store", which references to him. +

DVD Releases
−

Broadcast history
+	Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One, a two-disc DVD set featuring all 13 episodes from the show's first season, was released in Australia (Region 4) on September 12, 2007, by Madman Entertainment. On January 13, 2010, the complete second season was released. During the Warner Video conference on April 5, 2010, it was said that there will be a DVD set release following up to the Johnny Bravo Season One DVD set which will be released June 15, 2010. A Region 1 release of the first season was released on July 20, 2010. The release is the second in an official release of several Cartoon Cartoons on DVD, under the "Cartoon Network Hall of Fame" name. −

−	−	−	 	+
 * 🇺🇸 USA
 * Nickelodeon (1991–2007)
 * Nicktoons Network (2002–present)

Region 1
−	 	+	 	+
 * 🇨🇦 Canada

Region 4
−	 	+	{| class="wikitable" style="width:90%;" −	−	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−	−	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−		 −	−	−		 −
 * UK
 * Children's BBC (Including Live & Kicking and Smile) (1993–2004)
 * Nickelodeon (1994–2009)
 * Nicktoons (2002–2008, September 2009–present)
 * CITV (2005–2006)
 * Nicktoonsters (August 2008-July 2009)
 * 🇦🇺 Australia
 * Nickelodeon (January 1995–present)
 * ABC Television (December 1991–present)
 * Network Ten (1999–2002)
 * 🇪🇸 Spain
 * La 2
 * 🇹🇷 Turkey
 * CNBC-E
 * Nickelodeon Turkey
 * TRT
 * 🇦🇷 Argentina
 * The Big Channel
 * Magic Kids
 * Nickelodeon
 * Canal 9
 * New Zealand
 * Nickelodeon NZ (199?-present)
 * TV2 (2003–present)
 * 🇵🇭 Philippines
 * TV5
 * Nickelodeon South East Asia
 * Studio 23
 * 🇮🇱 Israel
 * Channel 1 (1995)
 * Channel 2 (2000)
 * Nickelodeon Israel (2003–2008)
 * 🇮🇪 Ireland
 * RTÉ Two (199?-present)
 * 🇲🇾 Malaysia
 * Nickelodeon South East Asia
 * TV3 (1992–1994)
 * MetroVision (1996–1998)
 * NTV7 (2001–2004)
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * Nickelodeon
 * 🇺🇦 Ukraine
 * ICTV (Ukraine)
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * Italia 1
 * 🇲🇽, 🇨🇴, 🇻🇪, 🇦🇷, Latin America
 * Nickelodeon Latin America 1996 - 2006
 * XHGC-TV Canal 5 (1997–2001), repeats episodes sometimes.
 * 🇵🇰 Pakistan
 * Nickelodeon (Pakistan) (2006–present)
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden
 * Nickelodeon (Sweden)
 * 🇯🇵 Japan
 * Nickelodeon (Japan) (1998–2008)
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * Channel 9
 * 🇫🇷 France
 * Nickelodeon (France) (2005–2008)
 * Nicktoons (France) (2003–2005)
 * 🇭🇷 Croatia
 * Nickelodeon (Croatia) (1997–2008)
 * 🇨🇳 China
 * Nickelodeon (China)
 * 🇷🇺 Russia
 * Nickelodeon (CIS)
 * Nickelodeon on TNT
 * 🇿🇦 South Africa
 * Nickelodeon (Africa) (1999–present)
 * 🇦🇪 Arabia
 * Nickelodeon (Arab World) (2008–2010)
 * 🇧🇷 Brazil
 * Nickelodeon (Brazil)
 * 🇮🇳 India
 * Nick (India)

Awards
−	−	 	+
 * }

Other releases
−

Video games
+	−	 	+	−	 	+	−	 	+	−	 	+	−	 	+	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−
 * The Powerpuff Girls: Down 'n' Dirty - "Journey to the Center of Nowhere" - November 7, 2000
 * Rugrats: Search for Reptar (PlayStation)
 * Scooby-Doo and the Toon Tour of Mysteries - "The Mask" - June 2004
 * Rugrats: Studio Tour (PlayStation)
 * Cartoon Network Halloween Volume 1: 9 Creepy Capers - "The Demon in the Mattress / Courage Meets Bigfoot" - August 10, 2004
 * Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt (Nintendo 64)
 * Cartoon Network Christmas Volume 1: Yuletide Follies - "The Nutcracker" - October 5, 2004
 * Rugrats in Paris - The Movie (Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, PC CD Rom, PlayStation)
 * Cartoon Network Halloween Volume 2: Grossest Halloween Ever - "Courage Meets the Mummy / Night of the Weremole" - August 9, 2004
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica (PlayStation, Game Boy Color)
 * Cartoon Network Christmas Volume 2: Christmas Rocks - "The Snowman Cometh" - October 4, 2005
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica Boredom Busters (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Go Wild (PC CD Rom, Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: All Growed Up - Older and Bolder (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Castle Capers (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Royal Ransom (PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube)
 * Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: The Movie (Game Boy, Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats: Time Travelers (Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats Activity Challenge (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Adventure Game (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Food Fight (Mobile Phone)
 * Rugrats Muchin Land (PC CD Rom)
 * The Rugrats Mystery Adventures (PC CD Rom)
 * Rocket Power: Team Rocket Rescue (PlayStation) (Tommy & Angelica appear as guest characters)
 * Nicktoons Racing (PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows, Arcade) (Tommy and Angelica playable)
 * Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots (Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance) (Tommy and Angelica are seen, but are not playable characters.)

Reception
+	Courage the Cowardly Dog won the Annie Awards in 2000 in the categories "Best Animated Television Production Produced for Children" for episode "A Night at the Katz Motel". It was also nominated for the Golden Reel Award in 2000. In 2001, it also won the Golden Reel Award along with Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants. After the show ended, it was nominated for the Golden Reel Award again in 2003 in category Best Sound Editing in Television Animation, but lost out to SpongeBob SquarePants. Courage the Cowardly Dog was given generally positive reviews from the television critics. John G. Nettles of PopMatters reviewed the show and called it, "a fascinating and textured mixture of cartoon and horror-movie conventions, and a joy to watch." −

−	−
 * Klasky-Csupo

Characters
+

Plot
+	−

−	−	The show originally revolved around four children (three boys and one girl) and a dog. The fearless brave leader Thomas "Tommy" Pickles (whose family moved from Akron, Ohio to their current location in California), the cautious toddler Charles "Chuckie" Finster who reluctantly agreed to venture out into the open, unsafe areas of the house, the twin-infants Phillip "Phil" and Lillian "Lil" DeVille who were ready for a new challenge, and Spike, Tommy's dog. The toddlers are able to communicate with each other through baby speak, although viewers can understand them, because it is 'translated'. A running gag in the show is that they mispronounce words or use poor grammar and their speaking is full of malapropisms. An example of this is using the word "poopetrator" instead of "perpetrator" in "The Trial" episode. The group is often reluctantly joined by Tommy's cousin, Angelica Pickles. At three years old, Angelica is able to communicate and understand language from both the toddlers and the adults, which she often uses as an advantage when she wants to manipulate either party. She is usually very mean to the babies. Susie Carmichael, who lives across the street from the Pickles, is also able to communicate on the same level as Angelica, though she is not manipulative. As a result of this, as well as being favored by the babies, she often clashes with Angelica. +	Courage the Cowardly Dog follows a dog named Courage, an easily frightened canine who lives in a farmhouse with Muriel and Eustace Bagge near the fictional town of Nowhere, Kansas. Abandoned as a puppy, Courage was adopted by Muriel Bagge (a sweet-natured Scottish woman), and her husband Eustace (a grumpy, greedy farmer who enjoys scaring Courage with a large, bright green, bug-eyed mask). Courage, Eustace, and Muriel frequently run into monsters, aliens, demons, mad scientists, zombies, and other perils that Courage must fend off to save his owners. Most of the creatures that the three face are scary or creepy, but they also can be sweet or in distress. −	After The Rugrats Movie (1998), in which Tommy's baby brother Dylan "Dil" Pickles is born, he was soon added as a character on the show. As a 1 year old baby, Dil is not able to communicate with anyone. Later after Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000) was released, Kimi Finster was added as a character. She is Chuckie's stepsister. +

Production
−	Leaving the safety of their own playpen, the children would explore their surroundings and try to make sense out of what the adults are doing. The babies often manage to get away with meandering off and going on escapades, for the reason that Tommy’s daddy, Stu, is more often than not trying to create toys downstairs in the basement. Tommy's mother, Didi, is normally reading the most modern good-parenting guide too actively to take any kind of notice, and his paternal grandfather, Lou, is customarily sleeping in front of the television, oblivious to their antics. While most of the time, the babies are in their playpen, they always manage to get out using a plastic screwdriver Tommy keeps in his diaper (unbeknownst to any of the adults). When they create any kind of mess or visible damage, they are almost never seen as the instigators, due to them being babies. If an older person is in the vicinity of the mess (usually Angelica), that individual is held accountable. The most treacherous escapade the babies embarked occured in The Rugrats Movie where they got lost in the forest going against a man-eating wolf and a pack of circus monkeys determined to steal their baby food. +

The animated short
+	Originally, Courage the Cowardly Dog was created as a seven-minute animated short, "The Chicken from Outer Space". Dilworth started the animated short with Hanna-Barbera when Cartoon Network sponsored the short and introduced Courage, after Dilworth graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1985 while he attended the School of Visual Arts in New York when Dilworth became an art director, and founded his own animation studio Stretch Films in 1991 and incorporated in 1994. It was shown in one of the episodes of the Cartoon Network's World Premiere Toons in 1995, a Hanna-Barbera Cartoons innovation by then-president Fred Seibert. The short served as a de facto pilot for the future series. The original animated short had no dialogue except for one line spoken by Courage, who had a more authoritative voice than in the series. An alien chicken was the villain in this short, and it would later reappear in the series to seek its revenge. The short was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 68th Academy Awards. +

Sound effects and theme music
−	The Pickles are a mixed Jewish-Christian family. There are two episodes that reflect the Pickles' Jewish heritage, one episode deals with the Passover holiday and the other with Hanukkah (in addition to episodes about Christmas, Easter, Kwanzaa, etc.). +	As the series comes to sound effects, Dilworth tried to avoid stock sounds in favor of the fresh material. Dilworth contributed a lot of sound when it came to sound designer Michael Geisler, and Dilworth looked for any sounds that made him laugh, expect for music and that really depended upon what they were trying to portray, either suspense or comedy, action, and even then, Dilworth wanted nothing that was common and they gave him an example. That night the production crew was working with musicians in trying to come up for the series and they had written a lot of material. There were a few bars on this one piece that Dilworth really liked. The production crew isolated that and were able to expand it and create a bigger theme. Dilworth further complicated the matter and was inspired to think that the series of layering the theme with virtually any funny sound that Dilworth want and the theme would play a little bit and have its own little tempo and would stop for a crazy laugh and then continue, or over that would be a person singing or a funny sound. +	The theme of the series could be endless and virtually, the theme would just run and just encourage anybody to put anything that Dilworth wanted into it, and thus change it to make the sound funner. Dilworth can imagine when the CD comes out, it would be thirty minutes long as just the bizarre ingredients added to the theme, and Dilworth felt that it was lot of fun. −

Origins
−	Rugrats was formed by the then husband-and-wife duo of Gabor Csupo and Arlene Klasky, along with Paul Germain in 1989. Klasky-Csupo had a major animation firm at the time which also provided services for commercials and music videos. Klasky, Csupo, and Germain were also animating The Simpsons at the time, which they would continue to do until 1992. The trio decided to create their own series in reaction to a proclamation by the children's cable network Nickelodeon that they were to launch their own line of animated shows, which would be later called Nicktoons. With the comedic stimulation branching from the antics of Klasky and Csupo's infant children, the 6$1/2$–minute pilot episode, "Tommy Pickles & the Great White Thing" (never to be aired), went into production. +	Original music featured in Courage the Cowardly Dog was composed by Jody Gray and Andy Ezrin. Classical music can be heard at times, which pays homage to classic Warner Bros. animation and the scores of Carl Stalling. In several episodes, Gray arrange famous classical pieces wrote up to 15 songs, such as Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries". −	Peter Chung, along with Klasky and Csupo, co-designed the characters and directed the series pilot, "Tommy Pickles And The Great White Thing," as well as the opening sequence. The production was completed in 1990 and they submitted it to Nickelodeon, who tested it with an audience of children. The feedback for the pilot episode was primarily positive. With that, the series went into production. Chuckie and Angelica were added as characters. +

The television series
−	Paul Germain felt that the series needed a bully. Angelica was based on a bully in Germain's childhood, who was a girl. In addition to that, it was Germain who decided that Angelica would be a spoiled brat. Arlene Klasky, one of the show's creators initially did not like Angelica Pickles. Klasky also protested Angelica's actions in episodes like "Barbecue Story" (where she threw Tommy's ball over the fence). +	In 1999, Cartoon Network gave Dilworth the okay to turn the short into a series. Because they were responsible for the What a Cartoon anthology and thus worked on the short, Hanna-Barbera was intended to develop the series; however, Dilworth instead took production to his Stretch Films Studios. Stories were written by the show's head writer, David Steven Cohen, in addition to Irv Bauer, Craig Shemin, Lory Lazarus, Bill Marsilii, and Michelle Dilworth. Courage the Cowardly Dog premiered on November 12, 1999 and it became the highest-rated premiere in Cartoon Network history at the time, until it last aired on November 22, 2002 with 52 episodes produced in four seasons. Dilworth felt that producing the series was very stressful at the same time and the only satisfaction of the artists of collaborating with artists and writers that contributing much of the show. Dilworth states that "In the western definition, I’ve only had one success - Courage. It has been extremely difficult obtaining patronage throughout my career and remains so today. Art is not something one does with an economic model to follow." Dilworth felt that humans have a tremendous capacity of hope and have written so often this, and there is no corporate economic model to make new episodes and Dilworth have read that there are petitions singed by many fans and never gotten to Cartoon Network. However, Dilworth felt that the lack of courage by merchandisers still remains, and pink and fuchsia dogs will not sell a boy in a dominated marketplace, and Dilworth felt that is rather complex and the undercurrent conservatism in America is strong and easy intolerance. +

Broadcast history
−	In a New Yorker article, Klasky said, "I think she's a bully. I never liked Angelica." Klasky never fully approved of her character development. Her bullying caused Arlene to disdain her. Angelica started to become a problem for the some of the Rugrats staff. In some instances, her voice, Cheryl Chase, had trouble portraying a mean Angelica. To help Chase out, Steve Viksen, one of the writers, would mention that Angelica was the series's J.R. Ewing. +	On August 26, 2007 and again on October 7, 2007, a marathon occurred in the US that consisted of 14 half hour segments running from 12PM-7PM, under the title of "Monstervision Marathon". The most recent marathon was on August 13, 2009 on Cartoon Network. Boomerang, Cartoon Network's other network, decided to show reruns every night. On June 7, 2010, Cartoon Network in the United States decided to re-air the show until July 10, 2011. +	In Spain, the show is broadcast everyday in Boing. −	After the episode "The Trial," Klasky complained that the Rugrats were starting to act too old for their age. Csupo often acted as a mediator in arguments between Klasky and the writers, with the writers often winning. Some of the offscreen tensions ultimately found their way into the scripts and, naturally, into the show. In 1993, shortly before Nick premiered the last of the original 65, production of new episodes ceased, and most of the Rugrats writing team left Klasky-Csupo. After the first run days were over, Nick had enough episodes to show every day, and did just that in 1994, scheduling the show in the early evening, when both kids and parents will be watching. After 3 years of repeats, the show went back into production. However, the tensions between Klasky-Csupo and their former writers still existed. +	In the Netherlands and in Denmark, the show still airs on Cartoon Network. In the Danish version, the series and the protagonist is called Frygtløs (literally: Fearless). −	After The Rugrats Movie and seeing the "new" Angelica in the film, Klasky changed her tune: "I think she's great for the show; I love Angelica." +	In Australia, reruns air on Cartoon Network in multiple timeslots throughout the week. −

Production
−	Rugrats was Nickelodeon's second Nicktoon, debuting on the same day as Doug (which premiered before it) and The Ren and Stimpy Show (which debuted after). The first run of the series was produced from 1991 to 1993 before production went on a hiatus (episodes that had not yet been released at that point continued to be released through 1994). Between 1995 and 1996, only two Jewish-themed specials were aired, and the rest of the series aired in reruns. Production on new episodes began 1997, and the show aired in Nickelodeon's Snick block from 1997 to 2000. As of 2011, it is the longest-lasting Nicktoon to date, at over fourteen years longevity, and did not cease production of new episodes until 2004. In terms of number of episodes, it is still in first, but by 2011 it will be surpassed by SpongeBob SquarePants, which will have 178 episodes by the end of its eighth season, barring a Rugrats revival or a SpongeBob cancellation; SpongeBob will reach Rugrats in terms of years on air in 2013. +	In India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, reruns air on Cartoon Network at 12:30 A.M.(Season 1-2) and 3:00 A.M. (Season 4). −	On August 11, 2001, Rugrats celebrated its 10-year anniversary. The special/TV movie, Rugrats: All Growed Up was produced for the occasion. After the show, a special retrospective lookback aired, entitled "Rugrats: Still Babies After All These Years." It was narrated by Amanda Bynes. Nickelodeon approved of its ratings and popularity so much (about 70% of viewers with cable tuned in), they eventually commissioned a full series, All Grown Up, which ran from 2003 to 2008. +	In the United Kingdom, the show premiered on Cartoon Network in January 2000 and all seasons of the show were broadcast up to 2003, when towards the mid-to-late 2000's had random episodes shown infrequently during Halloween each year, this way of broadcasting the show lasted an unknown amount of time. During the mid-to-late 2000's, they continued to air the show in reruns as part of a 2 hour block featuring various other Cartoon Cartoon shows alongside it, which aired each evening from 11pm-1am. Episodes were aired without commercials, not even for half-hour breaks. This was the only show on the UK version of this network aired in such a manner, until the Cartoon Cartoon block was dramatically changed by the beginning of the 2010's with more recent shows like Chowder and Ben 10 replacing the older Cartoon Cartoon shows. Since then, the show no longer been on air. −	Rugrats ended on June 8, 2004, along with fellow Nicktoon, Hey Arnold. After the run, two fairy-tale themed direct-to-video films based on the original series under the title, Rugrats: Tales from the Crib were produced and then released separately in 2005 and in 2006. +	In Bulgaria, on March 31, 2009 Courage the Cowardly Dog started on Diema Family. −

Voice actors
+	In Italy, Leone il Cane Fifone is broadcast from 7 August 2009 on the digital terrestrial channel Boing. Before, it was also transmitted by BBC, La7 and Cartoon Network. On Sunday, April 4, 2010, Cartoon Network Italy celebrated Easter by airing a marathon featuring rarely shown cartoons, including Courage the Cowardly Dog's first three episodes: "Una Notte al Motel Gatti" (A Night at the Katz Motel), "Lo Stufato Della Nonna" (Cajun Granny Stew) and "Leone e l'Ombra Malefica" (The Shadow of Courage). Since May 2010 Courage The Cowardly Dog is back on Cartoon Network Italy, from Monday to Friday at 7:00 AM, at 2:30 PM and 5:00 PM instead of Saturday and Sunday at 9:35 AM and at 4:05 PM. In Italy Courage The Cowardly Dog, after being removed from Cartoon Network's programming, is not airing on Boomerang, but is broadcast from March 30, 2009 on free channel Boing. −	Through its full run, Rugrats, occupied several main voice actors. E.G. Daily provided the voice of Tommy Pickles, except in the unaired pilot where Tami Holbrook provided the voice; Christine Cavanaugh was the original voice of Chuckie Finster, but left after 2001 for personal reasons and was subsequently replaced by Nancy Cartwright in 2002. The fraternal twins, Phil and Lil (as well as their mother, Betty) were voiced by Kath Soucie; Dil Pickles (and Timmy McNulty) were voiced by Tara Strong. Cheryl Chase initially auditioned for the role of Tommy, but was passed up. When the show came to series, she was brought on board to be cast as the voice of Angelica Pickles. Dionne Quan was the voice of Kimi Finster, however as she is legally blind, in order to do the voice, the producers had to interpret the scripts into Braille, so she could read them by sensing the bumps with her fingers. Susie was primarily voiced by Cree Summer, though in two episodes where she could not be in attendance E.G. Daily filled in. Other regular voice actors included Melanie Chartoff as Didi Pickles, Jack Riley as Stu Pickles, Tress MacNeille as Charlotte Pickles, and Michael Bell as Drew Pickles and Chaz Finster. David Doyle provided the voice of Grandpa Lou Pickles until his death in 1997, where Joe Alaskey took over till the end of the series. In 2000, Debbie Reynolds joined the cast as Lulu Pickles, Lou's second wife, and remained until the series' end. +	In Brazil, the show is broadcast by Tooncast throughout the week at 11:30 AM and PM. The show is also often broadcast by Cartoon Network. −

Writing style
−	With Rugrats it usually took a few months to make an episode, for the story has to get written, and then approved. The next process consisted of voice recording, storyboarding, pre-eliminating animation, overseas production & delivery, editing and polishing. All of that had to happen even before Klasky-Csupo sent the master tapes to Nick. In addition, fine animation took time to make. During the first six seasons of Rugrats it was, primarily divided into two eleven-minute episodes. After the second movie, during season 7, Rugrats made a change with a different format that consisted of three episodes per show, though it returned to its original two-episode-per-show format in the final two seasons. −

Episodes
+

Characters
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+

+	As depicted in every opening sequence of every episode, it starts with a TV anchorman announcing, "We interrupt this program to bring you... Courage the Cowardly Dog show, starring Courage, the cowardly dog! Abandoned as a pup, he was found by Muriel, and lives in the middle of Nowhere with her husband Eustace Bagge..." −

Other projects
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DVD releases
+

Episodes
+

−	 	+

References to Dilworth
−	Nickelodeon and Amazon.com have struck a deal to produce DVDs of new and old Nickelodeon shows, through the CreateSpace service. Using a concept similar to print on demand, Amazon made the discs, cover art, and disc art itself. The complete first and second seasons of Rugrats were released on June 2, 2009 along with The Fairly OddParents first and second seasons. +	Dilworth often references himself in episodes, putting Dil — a shortened version of his last name — on most of the products used, such as tennis rackets, bug zappers, eye drops, a chainsaw, a jackhammer, a delivery truck, and Courage's computer. He also has a store named, "Dil's General Store", which references to him. He also has a character named after him: Di Lung, a Chinese inventor. Often a caricature of himself (named "Dilly") can be seen in the background, e.g. a portrait of himself hangs on the Bagges' wall by the stairs and on a milk container with the missing person's question "Have you seen me?" written underneath. +

Home media releases
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Nick Picks DVDs
+	A VHS tape of Courage the Cowardly Dog was released along with Mike, Lu & Og in 2000. The VHS is tape now out of print. −	These 2 Rugrats episodes were released on the Nick Picks DVDs. +	Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One, a two-disc DVD set featuring all 13 episodes from the show's first season, was released in Australia (Region 4) on September 12, 2007, by Madman Entertainment. On January 13, 2010, the complete second season was released by Madman Entertainment in Australia. −	−	 	+	A Region 1 release of the first season was released on July 20, 2010. The release is the second in an official release of several Cartoon Cartoons on DVD, under the "Cartoon Network Hall of Fame" name. −
 * Nick Picks Volume 1: Finsterella
 * Nick Picks Volume 2: All Growed Up

Reception and achievements
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Critical reception
+	In addition, all four seasons of the series are also available for download on iTunes. −	Since its debut in 1991, Rugrats generally received positive reviews from critics and fans. In a 1995 interview, Steven Spielberg referred to the show as one of several shows that are the best children's programming at the time. Spielberg described Rugrats as "sort of a TV Peanuts of our time." It was named the 92nd-best animated series by IGN. Rugrats was also considered a strong point in Nickelodeon's rise in the 1990s. In a press release celebrating the show's 10th anniversary, Cyma Zarghami stated, "During the past decade, 'Rugrats' has evolved from a ratings powerhouse, being the number one children's show on TV, to pop icon status. It has secured a place in the hearts of both kids and adults, who see it from their own point of view". According to Nickelodeon producers, this show made them the number-one channel in the 1990s. Jeff Jarvis reviewed Rugrats and stated, "When the Simpsons was a segment on The Tracey Ullman Show, it was just a belch joke with hip pretensions. As a series, it grew flesh and guts. It was my favorite cartoon...until I discovered Nickelodeon's Rugrats, a sardonic, sly, kid's eye view of the world that skewers thirty-something parents and (The) Cosby (Show) kids." +	{| class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" −

Popularity, appeal, and controversy
+	−

+	!Title !! Release date !! Episodes !! Region !! Description +	 	+	!Season 1 +	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	!Season 2 +	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	!Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One +	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	Select episodes from the series were also featured on several Cartoon Network compilation DVDs: −	When Rugrats débuted in 1991, it was not as hugely popular as it would later become. When production went on a hiatus from 1994, Nick began showing Rugrats repeats everyday. More and more people began to take notice of the show, with ratings and popularity for Rugrats and Nick rising. From 1995 to 2000, it was the highest-rated show on Nickelodeon and the highest rated kids' show. The show experienced a wide diverse audience consisting of kids, teenagers and adults alike. Rugrats was successful in receiving an average of 26.7 million viewers every week: 14.7 million kids (2-11), 3.2 million teens (12-17), and 8.8 million adults (18 and over). In addition, Rugrats was seen internationally in over 76 countries. It was the only one of the three original Nicktoons that continued in the 2000s, and had its own spin-off. It is the most successful of the three original Nicktoons. While the other Nicktoons were popular during their run, Doug would later slip out of Nick's hands and into Disney's; and Ren and Stimpy would crash and burn in a creative rights dispute (only to return several years later in a much raunchier version on another network). During its run, Rugrats was enjoyed by a number of famous stars including Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Amanda Bynes, Aaron Carter, Ray Romano, Nivea and Bow Wow. +	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+
 * - colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"
 * September 12, 2007
 * 1-13
 * 4
 * This two-disc release includes all thirteen episodes from the first season.
 * - colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"
 * January 13, 2010
 * 14-26
 * 4
 * This two-disc release includes all thirteen episodes from the second season including the pilot episode "The Chicken from Outer Space".
 * - colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"
 * July 20, 2010
 * 1-13
 * 1
 * This two-disc release includes all thirteen episodes from the first season.
 * }
 * The Powerpuff Girls: Down 'n' Dirty - "Journey to the Center of Nowhere" - November 7, 2000
 * Scooby-Doo and the Toon Tour of Mysteries - "The Mask" and "The Tower of Dr. Zalost" - June 2004
 * Cartoon Network Halloween Volume 1: 9 Creepy Capers - "The Demon in the Mattress / Courage Meets Bigfoot" - August 10, 2004
 * Cartoon Network Christmas Volume 1: Yuletide Follies - "The Nutcracker" - October 5, 2004
 * Cartoon Network Halloween Volume 2: Grossest Halloween Ever - "Courage Meets the Mummy / Night of the Weremole" - August 9, 2004
 * Cartoon Network Christmas Volume 2: Christmas Rocks - "The Snowman Cometh" - October 4, 2005

Reception
−	With 172 episodes produced over the course of nearly 13 years, Rugrats remains the longest-running Nicktoon to date. SpongeBob SquarePants will surpass both benchmarks when it airs its 173rd episode on February 27, 2012. +

Reviews
+	Courage the Cowardly Dog received generally positive reviews from the television critics. John G. Nettles of PopMatters reviewed the show and called it, "a fascinating and textured mixture of cartoon and horror-movie conventions, and a joy to watch." +	Alex Mastas of Lights Out Films reviewed the show gave it a grade "A-" and called it, "The backgrounds are rich and imaginative—they composite lot of the show over real photos and occasionally integrate CGI into cartoon. The look is weird and ethereal, just like the show itself." −	Rugrats was one of very few shows that pictured observant, identifiably Jewish families. Jewish and Christian religion groups gave the show high praises for their special holiday episodes. Nonetheless, at one point the Anti-Defamation League and the Washington Post editorial page castigated the series for its depiction of the Pickles grandparents, who purportedly looked like Nazi caricatures. +	 	+	KJ Dell Antonia of Common Sense Media posted a review and gave three stars out of five and describes as "Cult fave 'toon plays over-the-top violence for laughs." Antonia warned parents that the series contains graphic animated violence, including exploding organs, growing extra limbs, turning inside out. Antonia gave a positive response that the series has very little, although Courage always fights for his cowardice, and comes through his owner, and another main character tires to harm Courage, and all characters except two are prone to cruel remarks and behavior towards one another. +	 	+	Randy Miller of DVD Talk considered that the show is not fairly consistent, and they haven't aged much during the last decade. Miller states that the show and believes: "It's obvious—especially in retrospect, if you were younger when the series first premiered—that Courage takes a very cinematic approach to its art, storytelling and characters, especially the horror genre." Miller concurs that "usually don't go for thrills and chills, so it's good to see a genuinely surreal and slanted series develop a decent following." Miller felt that Warner Bros. had the DVD treatment that doesn't offer much support and stated that the technical reasons is only passable that have lack of bonus features certainly doesn't help matters, and overall, fans of the series should be glad to have the first season on DVD and a relatively ticket of low price that ease the pain. +	 	+	Jeff Swindoll of Monsters and Critics reviewed the first season DVD and felt a bit disappointed about the DVD having not included the short in disc-set. Swindoll felt that the lack of special features still should not deter fans from buying the season since the other episodes have appeared on other releases of the series.

Awards and nominations
−	−		 −

Honors
−	−	On June 28, 2001, in commemoration of their tenth anniversary, Rugrats received a star on the fabled Hollywood Walk of Fame, making it Nickelodeon’s first (and to date, only) series to receive a star. It was placed at 6600 W. Hollywood Bl., near Cherokee Ave. outside a toy and costume shop. −		 −	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, Rugrats ranked at #35. Three other Nicktoons—SpongeBob SquarePants, Invader Zim, and Ren and Stimpy—also placed on the list. −		 −	In a list of TV Land’s The 2000 Best Things About Television, ranking the all-time TV shows, channels, commercials, people, catch phrases, etc., Rugrats is ranked #699. −		 −	Angelica Pickles placed 7th in TV Guide's list of “Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time” in 2002. −		 −

Rugrats in other media
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Films
−	In 1998, The Rugrats Movie was released, which introduced baby Dil, Tommy's little brother, onto the show. It grossed in worldwide results, $140,894,675, making it a very large box office success, considering its modest $24 million budget. Not only was the movie a commercial success, the film earned mixed to positive reviews from critics. As of 2011, it remains the highest grossing Rugrats film to date. In 2000 a sequel, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, was released, with two new characters introduced, Kimi and Kira. Kimi would become Chuckie's sister and Kira would become his new mother, after marrying his father. While it received a positive reception, it did not gross as high as the first film. −	In 2003, Rugrats Go Wild was released. It was a crossover between the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. It is the lowest grossing Rugrats film to date. −		 −

Comics
−	From 1998 to 2003, Nick produced a Rugrats comic strip, which was distributed through Creator's Syndicate. Initially written by show-writer Scott Gray and drawn by comic book artist Steve Crespo, with Rob Armstrong as editor. Will Blyberg came on board shortly after as inker. By the end of '98, Lee Nordling, who had joined as a contributing gag writer, took over as editor. Nordling hired extra writers, including Gordon Kent, Scott Roberts, Chuck Kim, J. Torres, Marc Bilgrey, and John Zakour, as well new artists including Gary Fields, Tim Harkins, Vince Giaranno, and Scott Roberts. Stu Chaifetz colored the Sunday strips. The Rugrats strip started out in many papers, but as often happens with spin-off strips, soon slowed down. It's still seen in some papers in re-runs. Two paperback collections were published by Andrews McMeel It's A Jungle-Gym Out There and A Baby's Work Is Never Done. −		 −	During this time, Nickelodeon also published 30 issues of an all Rugrats comic magazine. Most of these were edited by Frank Pittarese and Dave Roman, and featured stories and art by the comic strip creators and others. The last nine issues featured cover art by Scott Roberts, who wrote and drew many of the stories. Other writers included Roman, Chris Duffy, Patrick M. O'Connell & Joyce Mann, and Jim Spivey. Other artists included Joe Staton and Ernie Colón. The magazine also included short stories, many by Pittarese, and games, as well as reprints from an earlier, UK produced Rugrats comic. −		 −	Finally, Nick produced a special, 50 page comic magazine retelling of the film Rugrats In Paris, edited by Pittarese and Roman, with script by Scott Gray, pencils by Scott Roberts, and inks by Adam DeKraker. −		 −

Video games
−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−		 −
 * Rugrats: Search for Reptar (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Studio Tour (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt (Nintendo 64)
 * Rugrats in Paris - The Movie (Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, PC CD Rom, PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica (PlayStation, Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica Boredom Busters (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Go Wild (PC CD Rom, Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: All Growed Up - Older and Bolder (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Castle Capers (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Royal Ransom (PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube)
 * Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Time Travelers (Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats Activity Challenge (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Adventure Game (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Food Fight (Mobile Phone)
 * Rugrats Munchin Land (PC CD Rom)
 * The Rugrats Movie (Game Boy Color)
 * The Rugrats Mystery Adventures (PC CD Rom)
 * Rocket Power: Team Rocket Rescue (PlayStation) (Tommy & Angelica appear as guest characters)
 * Nickelodeon Party Blast (Gamecube), Xbox (Tommy and Angelica are playable)
 * Nicktoons Racing (PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows, Arcade) (Tommy and Angelica playable)
 * Nicktoons Basketball (PC CD Rom) (Tommy appears in All Grown Up! appearance)
 * Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots (Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance) (Tommy and Angelica are seen, but are not playable characters.)

Live performances
−		 −	Rugrats—A Live Adventure was a show about Angelica's constant attempts to scare Chuckie. To help Chuckie combat his wide range of fears, Tommy invents a magic wand called the "People-ator" to make Chuckie brave. Angelica, however, wants Chuckie to stay scared, so she steals Tommy's wand. The Rugrats try to get it back, but to no avail. Angelica becomes Princess of the World. Eventually, Chuckie becomes brave thanks to the help of Susie, Mr. Flashlight and the audience. Many songs were included in the play, including the theme song. The music was met with a rather mixed reception, which applause was tepid at best. However, the dancing was much better received. In addition, as soon as a character approached the stage to engage the crowd, the response from the kids was wild. Chuckie's pleas help from the audience to stop Angelica's megalomaniacal march toward world domination elicited much excitement and response. Overall, despite the criticism, the show was well received. The show had two 40-minute acts, with a 20-minute intermission (or a commercial break). −		 −

Merchandise
−		 −	Merchandise that was based on Rugrats varied from video games toothpaste, Kellogg’s cereal to slippers, puzzles, pajamas, jewelry, wrapping paper, Fruit Snacks, Inflatable balls, watches,  pens, pencils, markers, cookie jars, key rings,  action figures,  and bubblegum. −	The show also managed to spawn a popular merchandise line at Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, EBay, Hot Topic, JCPenney, Toys "R" Us, Mattel, Barnes & Noble and Basic Fun, just to name a few. −		 −	The Rugrats had their own cereal made by Post called Reptar Crunch Cereal. The Rugrats and Reptar were predominantly featured on the front, there's a board game on the back, and a special $3 rebate for Runaway Reptar on the side. This cereal was released for a limited time only, sold at US supermarkets 8/1/99 to 9/15/99 only, and not all supermarkets carried the cereal. To memorialize the movie, Rugrats in Paris, another Rugrats-based cereal came out in October 2000. Simply called the Rugrats in Paris Cereal, it has a similar appearance to Trix; it's a sweetened, multi-grain cereal with small-round bits in plain, red, purple and green. Small Eiffel Towers could also be seen. −	Rugrats made fast-food appearances as well with the most appearances being on − Burger King. Their first fast food appearance was in 1994, when the Hardee's fast food chain offered a collection of Nicktoons toys as premiums that were included with kids' meals at Hardee's. All 4 Nicktoons at that time were featured—Ren & Stimpy, Rocko’s Modern Life, Doug and Rugrats. Other food items that feature Rugrats were Fruit Snacks, Macaroni and Cheese, Bubble Gum and Campbell's Rugrats Pasta with Chicken and Broth. −		 −	In their first tie-in with Burger King, 5 Rugrats toys were offered with their Kids Club meals, a different one with each meal. Each toy came with a 12-page (including covers) miniature version of Nickelodeon Magazine, which featured the toy's instructions, word search, picture puzzle, "Say What?”,a scrambled word puzzle, a coupon for Oral-B Rugrats toothpaste & toothbrush, and entry blanks to subscribe to Rugrats Comic Adventures, Nick Magazine and the Kids Club. From 1998 till 2003, "Rugrats" based-products included watches and various toys. −		 −

Characters
+

Plot
+	−

−	−	The show originally revolved around four children (three boys and one girl) and a dog. The fearless brave leader Thomas "Tommy" Pickles (whose family moved from Akron, Ohio to their current location in California), the cautious toddler Charles "Chuckie" Finster who reluctantly agreed to venture out into the open, unsafe areas of the house, the twin-infants Phillip "Phil" and Lillian "Lil" DeVille who were ready for a new challenge, and Spike, Tommy's dog. The toddlers are able to communicate with each other through baby speak, although viewers can understand them, because it is 'translated'. A running gag in the show is that they mispronounce words or use poor grammar and their speaking is full of malapropisms. An example of this is using the word "poopetrator" instead of "perpetrator" in "The Trial" episode. The group is often reluctantly joined by Tommy's cousin, Angelica Pickles. At three years old, Angelica is able to communicate and understand language from both the toddlers and the adults, which she often uses as an advantage when she wants to manipulate either party. She is usually very mean to the babies. Susie Carmichael, who lives across the street from the Pickles, is also able to communicate on the same level as Angelica, though she is not manipulative. As a result of this, as well as being favored by the babies, she often clashes with Angelica. +	Courage the Cowardly Dog follows a dog named Courage, an easily frightened canine who lives in a farmhouse with Muriel and Eustace Bagge near the fictional town of Nowhere, Kansas. Abandoned as a puppy, Courage was adopted by Muriel Bagge (a sweet-natured Scottish woman), and her husband Eustace (a grumpy, greedy farmer who enjoys scaring Courage with a large, bright green, bug-eyed mask). Courage, Eustace, and Muriel frequently run into monsters, aliens, demons, mad scientists, zombies, and other perils that Courage must fend off to save his owners. Most of the creatures that the three face are scary or creepy, but they also can be sweet or in distress. −	After The Rugrats Movie (1998), in which Tommy's baby brother Dylan "Dil" Pickles is born, he was soon added as a character on the show. As a 1 year old baby, Dil is not able to communicate with anyone. Later after Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000) was released, Kimi Finster was added as a character. She is Chuckie's stepsister. +

Production
−	Leaving the safety of their own playpen, the children would explore their surroundings and try to make sense out of what the adults are doing. The babies often manage to get away with meandering off and going on escapades, for the reason that Tommy’s daddy, Stu, is more often than not trying to create toys downstairs in the basement. Tommy's mother, Didi, is normally reading the most modern good-parenting guide too actively to take any kind of notice, and his paternal grandfather, Lou, is customarily sleeping in front of the television, oblivious to their antics. While most of the time, the babies are in their playpen, they always manage to get out using a plastic screwdriver Tommy keeps in his diaper (unbeknownst to any of the adults). When they create any kind of mess or visible damage, they are almost never seen as the instigators, due to them being babies. If an older person is in the vicinity of the mess (usually Angelica), that individual is held accountable. The most treacherous escapade the babies embarked occured in The Rugrats Movie where they got lost in the forest going against a man-eating wolf and a pack of circus monkeys determined to steal their baby food. +

The animated short
+	Originally, Courage the Cowardly Dog was created as a seven-minute animated short, "The Chicken from Outer Space". Dilworth started the animated short with Hanna-Barbera when Cartoon Network sponsored the short and introduced Courage, after Dilworth graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1985 while he attended the School of Visual Arts in New York when Dilworth became an art director, and founded his own animation studio Stretch Films in 1991 and incorporated in 1994. It was shown in one of the episodes of the Cartoon Network's World Premiere Toons in 1995, a Hanna-Barbera Cartoons innovation by then-president Fred Seibert. The short served as a de facto pilot for the future series. The original animated short had no dialogue except for one line spoken by Courage, who had a more authoritative voice than in the series. An alien chicken was the villain in this short, and it would later reappear in the series to seek its revenge. The short was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 68th Academy Awards. +

Sound effects and theme music
−	The Pickles are a mixed Jewish-Christian family. There are two episodes that reflect the Pickles' Jewish heritage, one episode deals with the Passover holiday and the other with Hanukkah (in addition to episodes about Christmas, Easter, Kwanzaa, etc.). +	As the series comes to sound effects, Dilworth tried to avoid stock sounds in favor of the fresh material. Dilworth contributed a lot of sound when it came to sound designer Michael Geisler, and Dilworth looked for any sounds that made him laugh. The composition of the series' music depended upon what they were trying to portray, either suspense or comedy, action. Dilworth wanted nothing that was common and they gave him an example. That night the production crew was working with musicians in trying to come up for the series and they had written a lot of material. There were a few bars on this one piece that Dilworth really liked. The production crew isolated that and were able to expand it and create a bigger theme. Dilworth further complicated the matter and was inspired to think that the series of layering the theme with virtually any funny sound that Dilworth want and the theme would play a little bit and have its own little tempo and would stop for a crazy laugh and then continue, or over that would be a person singing or a funny sound. +	The theme of the series could be endless and virtually, the theme would just run and just encourage anybody to put anything that Dilworth wanted into it, and thus change it to make the sound funnier. Dilworth can imagine when the CD comes out, it would be thirty minutes long as just the bizarre ingredients added to the theme, and Dilworth felt that it was lot of fun. −

Origins
−	Rugrats was formed by the then husband-and-wife duo of Gabor Csupo and Arlene Klasky, along with Paul Germain in 1989. Klasky-Csupo had a major animation firm at the time which also provided services for commercials and music videos. Klasky, Csupo, and Germain were also animating The Simpsons at the time, which they would continue to do until 1992. The trio decided to create their own series in reaction to a proclamation by the children's cable network Nickelodeon that they were to launch their own line of animated shows, which would be later called Nicktoons. With the comedic stimulation branching from the antics of Klasky and Csupo's infant children, the 6$1/2$–minute pilot episode, "Tommy Pickles & the Great White Thing" (never to be aired), went into production. +	Original music featured in Courage the Cowardly Dog was composed by Jody Gray and Andy Ezrin. Classical music can be heard at times, which pays homage to classic Warner Bros. animation and the scores of Carl Stalling. In several episodes, Gray arrange famous classical pieces wrote up to 15 songs, such as Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries". −	Peter Chung, along with Klasky and Csupo, co-designed the characters and directed the series pilot, "Tommy Pickles And The Great White Thing," as well as the opening sequence. The production was completed in 1990 and they submitted it to Nickelodeon, who tested it with an audience of children. The feedback for the pilot episode was primarily positive. With that, the series went into production. Chuckie and Angelica were added as characters. +

The television series
−	Paul Germain felt that the series needed a bully. Angelica was based on a bully in Germain's childhood, who was a girl. In addition to that, it was Germain who decided that Angelica would be a spoiled brat. Arlene Klasky, one of the show's creators initially did not like Angelica Pickles. Klasky also protested Angelica's actions in episodes like "Barbecue Story" (where she threw Tommy's ball over the fence). +	In 1999, Cartoon Network gave Dilworth the okay to turn the short into a series. Because they were responsible for the What a Cartoon anthology and thus worked on the short, Hanna-Barbera was intended to develop the series; however, Dilworth instead took production to his Stretch Films Studios. Stories were written by the show's head writer, David Steven Cohen, in addition to Irv Bauer, Craig Shemin, Lory Lazarus, Bill Marsilii, and Michelle Dilworth. Courage the Cowardly Dog premiered on November 12, 1999 and it became the highest-rated premiere in Cartoon Network history at the time, until it last aired on November 22, 2002 with 52 episodes produced in four seasons. Dilworth felt that producing the series was very stressful at the same time and the only satisfaction of the artists of collaborating with artists and writers that contributing much of the show. Dilworth states that "In the western definition, I’ve only had one success - Courage. It has been extremely difficult obtaining patronage throughout my career and remains so today. Art is not something one does with an economic model to follow." Dilworth felt that humans have a tremendous capacity of hope and have written so often this, and there is no corporate economic model to make new episodes and Dilworth have read that there are petitions signed by many fans and never gotten to Cartoon Network. However, Dilworth felt that the lack of courage by merchandisers still remains, and pink and fuchsia dogs will not sell a boy in a dominated marketplace, and Dilworth felt that is rather complex and the undercurrent conservatism in America is strong and easy intolerance. +

Broadcast history
−	In a New Yorker article, Klasky said, "I think she's a bully. I never liked Angelica." Klasky never fully approved of her character development. Her bullying caused Arlene to disdain her. Angelica started to become a problem for the some of the Rugrats staff. In some instances, her voice, Cheryl Chase, had trouble portraying a mean Angelica. To help Chase out, Steve Viksen, one of the writers, would mention that Angelica was the series's J.R. Ewing. +	On August 26, 2007 and again on October 7, 2007, a marathon occurred in the US that consisted of 14 half hour segments running from 12PM-7PM, under the title of "Monstervision Marathon". The most recent marathon was on August 13, 2009 on Cartoon Network. Boomerang, Cartoon Network's other network, decided to show reruns every night. On June 7, 2010, Cartoon Network in the United States decided to re-air the show until July 10, 2011. +	In Spain, the show is broadcast everyday in Boing. −	After the episode "The Trial," Klasky complained that the Rugrats were starting to act too old for their age. Csupo often acted as a mediator in arguments between Klasky and the writers, with the writers often winning. Some of the offscreen tensions ultimately found their way into the scripts and, naturally, into the show. In 1993, shortly before Nick premiered the last of the original 65, production of new episodes ceased, and most of the Rugrats writing team left Klasky-Csupo. After the first run days were over, Nick had enough episodes to show every day, and did just that in 1994, scheduling the show in the early evening, when both kids and parents will be watching. After 3 years of repeats, the show went back into production. However, the tensions between Klasky-Csupo and their former writers still existed. +	In the Netherlands and in Denmark, the show still airs on Cartoon Network. In the Danish version, the series and the protagonist is called Frygtløs (literally: Fearless). −	After The Rugrats Movie and seeing the "new" Angelica in the film, Klasky changed her tune: "I think she's great for the show; I love Angelica." +	In Australia, reruns air on Cartoon Network in multiple timeslots throughout the week. −

Production
−	Rugrats was Nickelodeon's second Nicktoon, debuting on the same day as Doug (which premiered before it) and The Ren and Stimpy Show (which debuted after). The first run of the series was produced from 1991 to 1993 before production went on a hiatus (episodes that had not yet been released at that point continued to be released through 1994). Between 1995 and 1996, only two Jewish-themed specials were aired, and the rest of the series aired in reruns. Production on new episodes began 1997, and the show aired in Nickelodeon's Snick block from 1997 to 2000. As of 2011, it is the longest-lasting Nicktoon to date, at over fourteen years longevity, and did not cease production of new episodes until 2004. In terms of number of episodes, it is still in first, but by 2011 it will be surpassed by SpongeBob SquarePants, which will have 178 episodes by the end of its eighth season, barring a Rugrats revival or a SpongeBob cancellation; SpongeBob will reach Rugrats in terms of years on air in 2013. +	In India,Srilanka and ,Nepal  reruns air on Cartoon Network at 12:30 A.M.(Season 1-2) and 3:00 A.M. (Season 4). −	On August 11, 2001, Rugrats celebrated its 10-year anniversary. The special/TV movie, Rugrats: All Growed Up was produced for the occasion. After the show, a special retrospective lookback aired, entitled "Rugrats: Still Babies After All These Years." It was narrated by Amanda Bynes. Nickelodeon approved of its ratings and popularity so much (about 70% of viewers with cable tuned in), they eventually commissioned a full series, All Grown Up, which ran from 2003 to 2008. +	In Pakistan,Bangladesh and Afghanistan,reruns continue to air on Cartoon Network,and is also aired on Wikkid Plus(Pakistan Only). −	Rugrats ended on June 8, 2004, along with fellow Nicktoon, Hey Arnold. After the run, two fairy-tale themed direct-to-video films based on the original series under the title, Rugrats: Tales from the Crib were produced and then released separately in 2005 and in 2006. +	In the United Kingdom, the show premiered on Cartoon Network in January 2000 and all seasons of the show were broadcast up to 2003, when towards the mid-to-late 2000's had random episodes shown infrequently during Halloween each year, this way of broadcasting the show lasted an unknown amount of time. During the mid-to-late 2000's, they continued to air the show in reruns as part of a 2 hour block featuring various other Cartoon Cartoon shows alongside it, which aired each evening from 11pm-1am. Episodes were aired without commercials, not even for half-hour breaks. This was the only show on the UK version of this network aired in such a manner, until the Cartoon Cartoon block was dramatically changed by the beginning of the 2010's with more recent shows like Chowder and Ben 10 replacing the older Cartoon Cartoon shows. Since then, the show no longer been on air. −

Voice actors
+	In Bulgaria, on March 31, 2009 Courage the Cowardly Dog started on Diema Family. −	Through its full run, Rugrats, occupied several main voice actors. E.G. Daily provided the voice of Tommy Pickles, except in the unaired pilot where Tami Holbrook provided the voice; Christine Cavanaugh was the original voice of Chuckie Finster, but left after 2001 for personal reasons and was subsequently replaced by Nancy Cartwright in 2002. The fraternal twins, Phil and Lil (as well as their mother, Betty) were voiced by Kath Soucie; Dil Pickles (and Timmy McNulty) were voiced by Tara Strong. Cheryl Chase initially auditioned for the role of Tommy, but was passed up. When the show came to series, she was brought on board to be cast as the voice of Angelica Pickles. Dionne Quan was the voice of Kimi Finster, however as she is legally blind, in order to do the voice, the producers had to interpret the scripts into Braille, so she could read them by sensing the bumps with her fingers. Susie was primarily voiced by Cree Summer, though in two episodes where she could not be in attendance E.G. Daily filled in. Other regular voice actors included Melanie Chartoff as Didi Pickles, Jack Riley as Stu Pickles, Tress MacNeille as Charlotte Pickles, and Michael Bell as Drew Pickles and Chaz Finster. David Doyle provided the voice of Grandpa Lou Pickles until his death in 1997, where Joe Alaskey took over till the end of the series. In 2000, Debbie Reynolds joined the cast as Lulu Pickles, Lou's second wife, and remained until the series' end. +	In Italy, Leone il Cane Fifone is broadcast from 7 August 2009 on the digital terrestrial channel Boing. Before, it was also transmitted by BBC, La7 and Cartoon Network. On Sunday, April 4, 2010, Cartoon Network Italy celebrated Easter by airing a marathon featuring rarely shown cartoons, including Courage the Cowardly Dog's first three episodes: "Una Notte al Motel Gatti" (A Night at the Katz Motel), "Lo Stufato Della Nonna" (Cajun Granny Stew) and "Leone e l'Ombra Malefica" (The Shadow of Courage). Since May 2010 Courage The Cowardly Dog is back on Cartoon Network Italy, from Monday to Friday at 7:00 AM, at 2:30 PM and 5:00 PM instead of Saturday and Sunday at 9:35 AM and at 4:05 PM. In Italy Courage The Cowardly Dog, after being removed from Cartoon Network's programming, is not airing on Boomerang, but is broadcast from March 30, 2009 on free channel Boing. −

Writing style
−	With Rugrats it usually took a few months to make an episode, for the story has to get written, and then approved. The next process consisted of voice recording, storyboarding, pre-eliminating animation, overseas production & delivery, editing and polishing. All of that had to happen even before Klasky-Csupo sent the master tapes to Nick. In addition, fine animation took time to make. During the first six seasons of Rugrats it was, primarily divided into two eleven-minute episodes. After the second movie, during season 7, Rugrats made a change with a different format that consisted of three episodes per show, though it returned to its original two-episode-per-show format in the final two seasons. +	In Brazil, the show is broadcast by Tooncast throughout the week at 11:30 AM and PM. The show is also often broadcast by Cartoon Network. −

Episodes
−

−

Other projects
+

Characters
+

−

−

+	As depicted in every opening sequence of every episode, it starts with a TV anchorman announcing, "We interrupt this program to bring you... Courage the Cowardly Dog show, starring Courage, the cowardly dog! Abandoned as a pup, he was found by Muriel, and lives in the middle of Nowhere with her husband Eustace Bagge..." −

DVD releases
−	 	+

Episodes
−	Nickelodeon and Amazon.com have struck a deal to produce DVDs of new and old Nickelodeon shows, through the CreateSpace service. Using a concept similar to print on demand, Amazon made the discs, cover art, and disc art itself. The complete first and second seasons of Rugrats were released on June 2, 2009 along with The Fairly OddParents first and second seasons. +

+	In total, there were 52 episodes in four seasons produced. The series originally ran from November 12, 1999 and ended on November 22, 2002. +

Home media releases
−

Nick Picks DVDs
+	A VHS tape of Courage the Cowardly Dog was released along with Mike, Lu & Og in 2000. The VHS is tape now out of print. −	These 2 Rugrats episodes were released on the Nick Picks DVDs. +	Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One, a two-disc DVD set featuring all 13 episodes from the show's first season, was released in Australia (Region 4) on September 12, 2007, by Madman Entertainment. On January 13, 2010, the complete second season was released by Madman Entertainment in Australia. −	−	 	+	A Region 1 release of the first season was released by Warner Home Video on July 20, 2010. The release is the second in an official release of several Cartoon Cartoons on DVD, under the "Cartoon Network Hall of Fame" name. −
 * Nick Picks Volume 1: Finsterella
 * Nick Picks Volume 2: All Growed Up

Reception and achievements
−

Critical reception
+	In addition, all four seasons of the series are also available for download on iTunes. −	Since its debut in 1991, Rugrats generally received positive reviews from critics and fans. In a 1995 interview, Steven Spielberg referred to the show as one of several shows that are the best children's programming at the time. Spielberg described Rugrats as "sort of a TV Peanuts of our time." It was named the 92nd-best animated series by IGN. Rugrats was also considered a strong point in Nickelodeon's rise in the 1990s. In a press release celebrating the show's 10th anniversary, Cyma Zarghami stated, "During the past decade, 'Rugrats' has evolved from a ratings powerhouse, being the number one children's show on TV, to pop icon status. It has secured a place in the hearts of both kids and adults, who see it from their own point of view". According to Nickelodeon producers, this show made them the number-one channel in the 1990s. Jeff Jarvis reviewed Rugrats and stated, "When the Simpsons was a segment on The Tracey Ullman Show, it was just a belch joke with hip pretensions. As a series, it grew flesh and guts. It was my favorite cartoon...until I discovered Nickelodeon's Rugrats, a sardonic, sly, kid's eye view of the world that skewers thirty-something parents and (The) Cosby (Show) kids." +	{| class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" −

Popularity, appeal, and controversy
+	−

+	!Title !! Release date !! Episodes !! Region !! Description +	 	+	!Season 1 +	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	!Season 2 +	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	!Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One +	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	Select episodes from the series were also featured on several Cartoon Network compilation DVDs: −	When Rugrats débuted in 1991, it was not as hugely popular as it would later become. When production went on a hiatus from 1994, Nick began showing Rugrats repeats everyday. More and more people began to take notice of the show, with ratings and popularity for Rugrats and Nick rising. From 1995 to 2000, it was the highest-rated show on Nickelodeon and the highest rated kids' show. The show experienced a wide diverse audience consisting of kids, teenagers and adults alike. Rugrats was successful in receiving an average of 26.7 million viewers every week: 14.7 million kids (2-11), 3.2 million teens (12-17), and 8.8 million adults (18 and over). In addition, Rugrats was seen internationally in over 76 countries. It was the only one of the three original Nicktoons that continued in the 2000s, and had its own spin-off. It is the most successful of the three original Nicktoons. While the other Nicktoons were popular during their run, Doug would later slip out of Nick's hands and into Disney's; and Ren and Stimpy would crash and burn in a creative rights dispute (only to return several years later in a much raunchier version on another network). During its run, Rugrats was enjoyed by a number of famous stars including Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Amanda Bynes, Aaron Carter, Ray Romano, Nivea and Bow Wow. +	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+
 * - colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"
 * September 12, 2007
 * 1-13
 * 4
 * This two-disc release includes all thirteen episodes from the first season.
 * - colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"
 * January 13, 2010
 * 14-26
 * 4
 * This two-disc release includes all thirteen episodes from the second season including the pilot episode "The Chicken from Outer Space".
 * - colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"
 * July 20, 2010
 * 1-13
 * 1
 * This two-disc release includes all thirteen episodes from the first season.
 * }
 * The Powerpuff Girls: Down 'n' Dirty - "Journey to the Center of Nowhere" - November 7, 2000
 * Scooby-Doo and the Toon Tour of Mysteries - "The Mask" and "The Tower of Dr. Zalost" - June 2004
 * Cartoon Network Halloween Volume 1: 9 Creepy Capers - "The Demon in the Mattress / Courage Meets Bigfoot" - August 10, 2004
 * Cartoon Network Christmas Volume 1: Yuletide Follies - "The Nutcracker" - October 5, 2004
 * Cartoon Network Halloween Volume 2: Grossest Halloween Ever - "Courage Meets the Mummy / Night of the Weremole" - August 9, 2004
 * Cartoon Network Christmas Volume 2: Christmas Rocks - "The Snowman Cometh" - October 4, 2005

Reception
−	With 172 episodes produced over the course of nearly 13 years, Rugrats remains the longest-running Nicktoon to date. SpongeBob SquarePants will surpass both benchmarks when it airs its 173rd episode on February 27, 2012. +

Reviews
+	Courage the Cowardly Dog received generally positive reviews from the television critics. John G. Nettles of PopMatters reviewed the show and called it, "a fascinating and textured mixture of cartoon and horror-movie conventions, and a joy to watch." +	Alex Mastas of Lights Out Films reviewed the show gave it a grade "A-" and described it, "The backgrounds are rich and imaginative—they composite lot of the show over real photos and occasionally integrate CGI into cartoon. The look is weird and ethereal, just like the show itself." −	Rugrats was one of very few shows that pictured observant, identifiably Jewish families. Jewish and Christian religion groups gave the show high praises for their special holiday episodes. Nonetheless, at one point the Anti-Defamation League and the Washington Post editorial page castigated the series for its depiction of the Pickles grandparents, who purportedly looked like Nazi caricatures. +	 	+	KJ Dell Antonia of Common Sense Media posted a review and gave three stars out of five and describes as "Cult fave 'toon plays over-the-top violence for laughs." Antonia warned parents that the series contains graphic animated violence, including exploding organs, growing extra limbs, turning inside out. Antonia gave a positive response that the series has very little, although Courage always fights for his cowardice, and comes through his owner, and another main character tires to harm Courage, and all characters except two are prone to cruel remarks and behavior towards one another. +	 	+	Randy Miller of DVD Talk considered that the show is not fairly consistent, and they haven't aged much during the last decade. Miller states that the show and believes: "It's obvious—especially in retrospect, if you were younger when the series first premiered—that Courage takes a very cinematic approach to its art, storytelling and characters, especially the horror genre." Miller concurs that "usually don't go for thrills and chills, so it's good to see a genuinely surreal and slanted series develop a decent following." Miller felt that Warner Bros. had the DVD treatment that doesn't offer much support and stated that the technical reasons is only passable that have lack of bonus features certainly doesn't help matters, and overall, fans of the series should be glad to have the first season on DVD and a relatively ticket of low price that ease the pain. +	 	+	Jeff Swindoll of Monsters and Critics reviewed the first season DVD and felt a bit disappointed about the DVD having not included the short in disc-set. Swindoll felt that the lack of special features still should not deter fans from buying the season since the other episodes have appeared on other releases of the series.

Awards and nominations
−	−		 −

Honors
−	−	On June 28, 2001, in commemoration of their tenth anniversary, Rugrats received a star on the fabled Hollywood Walk of Fame, making it Nickelodeon’s first (and to date, only) series to receive a star. It was placed at 6600 W. Hollywood Bl., near Cherokee Ave. outside a toy and costume shop. −		 −	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, Rugrats ranked at #35. Three other Nicktoons—SpongeBob SquarePants, Invader Zim, and Ren and Stimpy—also placed on the list. −		 −	In a list of TV Land’s The 2000 Best Things About Television, ranking the all-time TV shows, channels, commercials, people, catch phrases, etc., Rugrats is ranked #699. −		 −	Angelica Pickles placed 7th in TV Guide's list of “Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time” in 2002. −		 −

Rugrats in other media
−

Films
−	In 1998, The Rugrats Movie was released, which introduced baby Dil, Tommy's little brother, onto the show. It grossed in worldwide results, $140,894,675, making it a very large box office success, considering its modest $24 million budget. Not only was the movie a commercial success, the film earned mixed to positive reviews from critics. As of 2011, it remains the highest grossing Rugrats film to date. In 2000 a sequel, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, was released, with two new characters introduced, Kimi and Kira. Kimi would become Chuckie's sister and Kira would become his new mother, after marrying his father. While it received a positive reception, it did not gross as high as the first film. −	In 2003, Rugrats Go Wild was released. It was a crossover between the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. It is the lowest grossing Rugrats film to date. −		 −

Comics
−	From 1998 to 2003, Nick produced a Rugrats comic strip, which was distributed through Creator's Syndicate. Initially written by show-writer Scott Gray and drawn by comic book artist Steve Crespo, with Rob Armstrong as editor. Will Blyberg came on board shortly after as inker. By the end of '98, Lee Nordling, who had joined as a contributing gag writer, took over as editor. Nordling hired extra writers, including Gordon Kent, Scott Roberts, Chuck Kim, J. Torres, Marc Bilgrey, and John Zakour, as well new artists including Gary Fields, Tim Harkins, Vince Giaranno, and Scott Roberts. Stu Chaifetz colored the Sunday strips. The Rugrats strip started out in many papers, but as often happens with spin-off strips, soon slowed down. It's still seen in some papers in re-runs. Two paperback collections were published by Andrews McMeel It's A Jungle-Gym Out There and A Baby's Work Is Never Done. −		 −	During this time, Nickelodeon also published 30 issues of an all Rugrats comic magazine. Most of these were edited by Frank Pittarese and Dave Roman, and featured stories and art by the comic strip creators and others. The last nine issues featured cover art by Scott Roberts, who wrote and drew many of the stories. Other writers included Roman, Chris Duffy, Patrick M. O'Connell & Joyce Mann, and Jim Spivey. Other artists included Joe Staton and Ernie Colón. The magazine also included short stories, many by Pittarese, and games, as well as reprints from an earlier, UK produced Rugrats comic. −		 −	Finally, Nick produced a special, 50 page comic magazine retelling of the film Rugrats In Paris, edited by Pittarese and Roman, with script by Scott Gray, pencils by Scott Roberts, and inks by Adam DeKraker. −		 −

Video games
−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−		 −
 * Rugrats: Search for Reptar (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Studio Tour (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt (Nintendo 64)
 * Rugrats in Paris - The Movie (Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, PC CD Rom, PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica (PlayStation, Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica Boredom Busters (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Go Wild (PC CD Rom, Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: All Growed Up - Older and Bolder (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Castle Capers (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Royal Ransom (PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube)
 * Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Time Travelers (Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats Activity Challenge (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Adventure Game (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Food Fight (Mobile Phone)
 * Rugrats Munchin Land (PC CD Rom)
 * The Rugrats Movie (Game Boy Color)
 * The Rugrats Mystery Adventures (PC CD Rom)
 * Rocket Power: Team Rocket Rescue (PlayStation) (Tommy & Angelica appear as guest characters)
 * Nickelodeon Party Blast (Gamecube), Xbox (Tommy and Angelica are playable)
 * Nicktoons Racing (PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows, Arcade) (Tommy and Angelica playable)
 * Nicktoons Basketball (PC CD Rom) (Tommy appears in All Grown Up! appearance)
 * Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots (Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance) (Tommy and Angelica are seen, but are not playable characters.)

Live performances
−		 −	Rugrats—A Live Adventure was a show about Angelica's constant attempts to scare Chuckie. To help Chuckie combat his wide range of fears, Tommy invents a magic wand called the "People-ator" to make Chuckie brave. Angelica, however, wants Chuckie to stay scared, so she steals Tommy's wand. The Rugrats try to get it back, but to no avail. Angelica becomes Princess of the World. Eventually, Chuckie becomes brave thanks to the help of Susie, Mr. Flashlight and the audience. Many songs were included in the play, including the theme song. The music was met with a rather mixed reception, which applause was tepid at best. However, the dancing was much better received. In addition, as soon as a character approached the stage to engage the crowd, the response from the kids was wild. Chuckie's pleas help from the audience to stop Angelica's megalomaniacal march toward world domination elicited much excitement and response. Overall, despite the criticism, the show was well received. The show had two 40-minute acts, with a 20-minute intermission (or a commercial break). −		 −

Merchandise
−		 −	Merchandise that was based on Rugrats varied from video games toothpaste, Kellogg’s cereal to slippers, puzzles, pajamas, jewelry, wrapping paper, Fruit Snacks, Inflatable balls, watches,  pens, pencils, markers, cookie jars, key rings,  action figures,  and bubblegum. −	The show also managed to spawn a popular merchandise line at Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, EBay, Hot Topic, JCPenney, Toys "R" Us, Mattel, Barnes & Noble and Basic Fun, just to name a few. −		 −	The Rugrats had their own cereal made by Post called Reptar Crunch Cereal. The Rugrats and Reptar were predominantly featured on the front, there's a board game on the back, and a special $3 rebate for Runaway Reptar on the side. This cereal was released for a limited time only, sold at US supermarkets 8/1/99 to 9/15/99 only, and not all supermarkets carried the cereal. To memorialize the movie, Rugrats in Paris, another Rugrats-based cereal came out in October 2000. Simply called the Rugrats in Paris Cereal, it has a similar appearance to Trix; it's a sweetened, multi-grain cereal with small-round bits in plain, red, purple and green. Small Eiffel Towers could also be seen. −	Rugrats made fast-food appearances as well with the most appearances being on − Burger King. Their first fast food appearance was in 1994, when the Hardee's fast food chain offered a collection of Nicktoons toys as premiums that were included with kids' meals at Hardee's. All 4 Nicktoons at that time were featured—Ren & Stimpy, Rocko’s Modern Life, Doug and Rugrats. Other food items that feature Rugrats were Fruit Snacks, Macaroni and Cheese, Bubble Gum and Campbell's Rugrats Pasta with Chicken and Broth. −		 −	In their first tie-in with Burger King, 5 Rugrats toys were offered with their Kids Club meals, a different one with each meal. Each toy came with a 12-page (including covers) miniature version of Nickelodeon Magazine, which featured the toy's instructions, word search, picture puzzle, "Say What?”,a scrambled word puzzle, a coupon for Oral-B Rugrats toothpaste & toothbrush, and entry blanks to subscribe to Rugrats Comic Adventures, Nick Magazine and the Kids Club. From 1998 till 2003, "Rugrats" based-products included watches and various toys. −		 −

Characters
+

Plot
+	−

−	−	The show originally revolved around four children (three boys and one girl) and a dog. The fearless brave leader Thomas "Tommy" Pickles (whose family moved from Akron, Ohio to their current location in California), the cautious toddler Charles "Chuckie" Finster who reluctantly agreed to venture out into the open, unsafe areas of the house, the twin-infants Phillip "Phil" and Lillian "Lil" DeVille who were ready for a new challenge, and Spike, Tommy's dog. The toddlers are able to communicate with each other through baby speak, although viewers can understand them, because it is 'translated'. A running gag in the show is that they mispronounce words or use poor grammar and their speaking is full of malapropisms. An example of this is using the word "poopetrator" instead of "perpetrator" in "The Trial" episode. The group is often reluctantly joined by Tommy's cousin, Angelica Pickles. At three years old, Angelica is able to communicate and understand language from both the toddlers and the adults, which she often uses as an advantage when she wants to manipulate either party. She is usually very mean to the babies. Susie Carmichael, who lives across the street from the Pickles, is also able to communicate on the same level as Angelica, though she is not manipulative. As a result of this, as well as being favored by the babies, she often clashes with Angelica. +	Courage the Cowardly Dog follows a dog named Courage, an easily frightened canine who lives in a farmhouse with Muriel and Eustace Bagge near the fictional town of Nowhere, Kansas. Abandoned as a puppy, Courage was adopted by Muriel Bagge (a sweet-natured Scottish woman), and her husband Eustace (a grumpy, greedy farmer who enjoys scaring Courage with a large, bright green, bug-eyed mask). Courage, Eustace, and Muriel frequently run into monsters, aliens, demons, mad scientists, zombies, and other perils that Courage must fend off to save his owners. Although most of the creatures that the three face are frightening or disturbing, some turn out to be sweet or simply in distress. −	After The Rugrats Movie (1998), in which Tommy's baby brother Dylan "Dil" Pickles is born, he was soon added as a character on the show. As a 1 year old baby, Dil is not able to communicate with anyone. Later after Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000) was released, Kimi Finster was added as a character. She is Chuckie's stepsister. +

Production
−	Leaving the safety of their own playpen, the children would explore their surroundings and try to make sense out of what the adults are doing. The babies often manage to get away with meandering off and going on escapades, for the reason that Tommy’s daddy, Stu, is more often than not trying to create toys downstairs in the basement. Tommy's mother, Didi, is normally reading the most modern good-parenting guide too actively to take any kind of notice, and his paternal grandfather, Lou, is customarily sleeping in front of the television, oblivious to their antics. While most of the time, the babies are in their playpen, they always manage to get out using a plastic screwdriver Tommy keeps in his diaper (unbeknownst to any of the adults). When they create any kind of mess or visible damage, they are almost never seen as the instigators, due to them being babies. If an older person is in the vicinity of the mess (usually Angelica), that individual is held accountable. The most treacherous escapade the babies embarked occured in The Rugrats Movie where they got lost in the forest going against a man-eating wolf and a pack of circus monkeys determined to steal their baby food. +

The animated short
+	Originally, Courage the Cowardly Dog was created as a seven-minute animated short, "The Chicken from Outer Space". Dilworth started the animated short with Hanna-Barbera, sponsored by Cartoon Network and introduced Courage. Teletoon +	Dilworth graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York in 1985. He became an art director and founded his own animation studio, Stretch Films in 1991, and incorporated in 1994. The animated short was shown as one of the episodes of Cartoon Network's World Premiere Toons in 1995, a Hanna-Barbera Cartoons innovation by then-president Fred Seibert. The short served as a de facto pilot for the future series. The original animated short had no dialogue except for one line spoken by Courage, who had a more authoritative voice than in the series. An alien chicken was the villain in this short, and it would later reappear in the series to seek its revenge. The short was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 68th Academy Awards. +

Sound effects and theme music
−	The Pickles are a mixed Jewish-Christian family. There are two episodes that reflect the Pickles' Jewish heritage, one episode deals with the Passover holiday and the other with Hanukkah (in addition to episodes about Christmas, Easter, Kwanzaa, etc.). +	When deciding on sound effects, Dilworth tried to avoid pre-made stock sounds. He contributed a substantial amount of new material to sound designer Michael Geisler, and only looked for sounds that made him laugh. The composition of the series' music relied on what was being portrayed: suspense, comedy, or action. The production crew worked together to come up with new music for the series that had not previous been used. There were a few bars on one particular piece that Dilworth exceptionally liked. The production crew was able to isolate these bars and expand them into a usable theme. Dilworth further complicated the crew's job by suggesting layering the theme with a variety of funny sounds, a strange tempo and a voice over of a crazed laugh or person singing to give the music and sound effects their own personality beyond anything else out there. +	Original music featured in Courage the Cowardly Dog was composed by Jody Gray and Andy Ezrin. Classical music can be heard at times, which pays homage to classic Warner Bros. animation and the scores of Carl Stalling. In several episodes, Gray arranged various famous classical pieces and wrote up to 15 songs, such as Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries". −

Origins
−	Rugrats was formed by the then husband-and-wife duo of Gabor Csupo and Arlene Klasky, along with Paul Germain in 1989. Klasky-Csupo had a major animation firm at the time which also provided services for commercials and music videos. Klasky, Csupo, and Germain were also animating The Simpsons at the time, which they would continue to do until 1992. The trio decided to create their own series in reaction to a proclamation by the children's cable network Nickelodeon that they were to launch their own line of animated shows, which would be later called Nicktoons. With the comedic stimulation branching from the antics of Klasky and Csupo's infant children, the 6$1/2$–minute pilot episode, "Tommy Pickles & the Great White Thing" (never to be aired), went into production. +	Howard Hoffman provided all of the voices for the short. −	Peter Chung, along with Klasky and Csupo, co-designed the characters and directed the series pilot, "Tommy Pickles And The Great White Thing," as well as the opening sequence. The production was completed in 1990 and they submitted it to Nickelodeon, who tested it with an audience of children. The feedback for the pilot episode was primarily positive. With that, the series went into production. Chuckie and Angelica were added as characters. +

The television series
−	Paul Germain felt that the series needed a bully. Angelica was based on a bully in Germain's childhood, who was a girl. In addition to that, it was Germain who decided that Angelica would be a spoiled brat. Arlene Klasky, one of the show's creators initially did not like Angelica Pickles. Klasky also protested Angelica's actions in episodes like "Barbecue Story" (where she threw Tommy's ball over the fence). +	In 1999, Cartoon Network gave Dilworth permission to turn the short into an animated series. Hanna-Barbera was responsible for the What a Cartoon anthology and intended on developing the series. However, Dilworth insisted on taking the production to his Stretch Films Studios. The stories' plots were written by the show's head writer, David Steven Cohen, in addition to Irv Bauer, Craig Shemin, Lory Lazarus, Bill Marsilii, and Michelle Dilworth. Courage the Cowardly Dog premiered on November 12, 1999, and became the highest-rated premiere in Cartoon Network history at the time. It last aired on November 22, 2002 with 52 episodes produced in four seasons. Dilworth was quoted as saying, "In the western definition, I’ve only had one success - Courage. It has been extremely difficult obtaining patronage throughout my career and remains so today. Art is not something one does with an economic model to follow." Answering the question whether there was any hope of new episodes of "Courage", Dilworth said, "Well, humans have a tremendous capacity to hope...There is no corporate economic rational to make any new episodes. I’ve read that there have been petitions signed by many many fans that never even got to Cartoon Network. Maybe a campaign of a substantial nature of this kind, that actually got to an exec, would be a provocation. However, the lack of courage by the merchandisers still remains. “Pink” or “fuchsia” dogs will not sell in a boy-dominated market place. This is rather complex, but the undercurrent of conservatism in America is strong and easy to intolerance." (sic) +

Broadcast history
−	In a New Yorker article, Klasky said, "I think she's a bully. I never liked Angelica." Klasky never fully approved of her character development. Her bullying caused Arlene to disdain her. Angelica started to become a problem for the some of the Rugrats staff. In some instances, her voice, Cheryl Chase, had trouble portraying a mean Angelica. To help Chase out, Steve Viksen, one of the writers, would mention that Angelica was the series's J.R. Ewing. +	On August 26, 2007, Cartoon Network aired the "Monstervision Marathon" in the US that consisted of 14 half-hour segments of the show, running from 12pm-7pm. The marathon aired again on October 7, 2007 and again on August 13, 2009. After these events, the show was moved to weekend airings, until July 5, 2010 through June 10, 2011, when the show aired on weekdays only. It got replaced on June 13, 2011 for the 2 newest shows Sidekick and Almost Naked Animals. However the series got taken off of the summer of 2011. Boomerang, Cartoon Network's sister network, also usually airs the show during the winter months. On September 26, 2011, the show returned, once again, at 2:30 PM on Cartoon Network, replacing 2 Stupid Dogs. It stopped airing on November 18, 2011 and was replaced by Tom and Jerry Tales on Cartoon Network's schedule. +	In Canada, the show was usually broadcast on weekends on Teletoon from 2000-2006. −	After the episode "The Trial," Klasky complained that the Rugrats were starting to act too old for their age. Csupo often acted as a mediator in arguments between Klasky and the writers, with the writers often winning. Some of the offscreen tensions ultimately found their way into the scripts and, naturally, into the show. In 1993, shortly before Nick premiered the last of the original 65, production of new episodes ceased, and most of the Rugrats writing team left Klasky-Csupo. After the first run days were over, Nick had enough episodes to show every day, and did just that in 1994, scheduling the show in the early evening, when both kids and parents will be watching. After 3 years of repeats, the show went back into production. However, the tensions between Klasky-Csupo and their former writers still existed. +	In Spain, the show is broadcast everyday on Boing. −	After The Rugrats Movie and seeing the "new" Angelica in the film, Klasky changed her tune: "I think she's great for the show; I love Angelica." +	In the Netherlands and Denmark, the show still airs on Cartoon Network. In the Danish version, the series and the protagonist is called Frygtløs (literally: Fearless). −

Production
−	Rugrats was Nickelodeon's second Nicktoon, debuting on the same day as Doug (which premiered before it) and The Ren and Stimpy Show (which debuted after). The first run of the series was produced from 1991 to 1993 before production went on a hiatus (episodes that had not yet been released at that point continued to be released through 1994). Between 1995 and 1996, only two Jewish-themed specials were aired, and the rest of the series aired in reruns. Production on new episodes began 1997, and the show aired in Nickelodeon's Snick block from 1997 to 2000. As of 2011, it is the longest-lasting Nicktoon to date, at over fourteen years longevity, and did not cease production of new episodes until 2004. In terms of number of episodes, it is still in first, but by 2011 it will be surpassed by SpongeBob SquarePants, which will have 178 episodes by the end of its eighth season, barring a Rugrats revival or a SpongeBob cancellation; SpongeBob will reach Rugrats in terms of years on air in 2013. +	In Australia, reruns air on Cartoon Network in multiple time slots throughout the week. −	On August 11, 2001, Rugrats celebrated its 10-year anniversary. The special/TV movie, Rugrats: All Growed Up was produced for the occasion. After the show, a special retrospective lookback aired, entitled "Rugrats: Still Babies After All These Years." It was narrated by Amanda Bynes. Nickelodeon approved of its ratings and popularity so much (about 70% of viewers with cable tuned in), they eventually commissioned a full series, All Grown Up, which ran from 2003 to 2008. +	In India, Srilanka and Nepal reruns air on Cartoon Network at 12:30 A.M. (Season 1-2) and 3:00 A.M. (Season 4). −	Rugrats ended on June 8, 2004, along with fellow Nicktoon, Hey Arnold. After the run, two fairy-tale themed direct-to-video films based on the original series under the title, Rugrats: Tales from the Crib were produced and then released separately in 2005 and in 2006. +	In Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, reruns continue to air on Cartoon Network, and is also aired on Wikkid Plus(Pakistan Only). −

Voice actors
+	In the United Kingdom, the show premiered on Cartoon Network in January 2000 and all seasons of the show were broadcast until 2003. During the mid-to-late 2000's, they continued to air the show in reruns as part of a 2 hour block featuring various other Cartoon Cartoon shows alongside it, which aired each evening from 11pm-1am. Episodes were aired without commercials, not even for half-hour breaks. This was the only show on the UK version of this network aired in such a manner, until the Cartoon Cartoon block was dramatically changed at the beginning of 2010 with more recent shows like Chowder and Ben 10. The show now gets rerun at 9pm every night, alongside Cow & Chicken, Samurai Jack and Johnny Bravo. −	Through its full run, Rugrats, occupied several main voice actors. E.G. Daily provided the voice of Tommy Pickles, except in the unaired pilot where Tami Holbrook provided the voice; Christine Cavanaugh was the original voice of Chuckie Finster, but left after 2001 for personal reasons and was subsequently replaced by Nancy Cartwright in 2002. The fraternal twins, Phil and Lil (as well as their mother, Betty) were voiced by Kath Soucie; Dil Pickles (and Timmy McNulty) were voiced by Tara Strong. Cheryl Chase initially auditioned for the role of Tommy, but was passed up. When the show came to series, she was brought on board to be cast as the voice of Angelica Pickles. Dionne Quan was the voice of Kimi Finster, however as she is legally blind, in order to do the voice, the producers had to interpret the scripts into Braille, so she could read them by sensing the bumps with her fingers. Susie was primarily voiced by Cree Summer, though in two episodes where she could not be in attendance E.G. Daily filled in. Other regular voice actors included Melanie Chartoff as Didi Pickles, Jack Riley as Stu Pickles, Tress MacNeille as Charlotte Pickles, and Michael Bell as Drew Pickles and Chaz Finster. David Doyle provided the voice of Grandpa Lou Pickles until his death in 1997, where Joe Alaskey took over till the end of the series. In 2000, Debbie Reynolds joined the cast as Lulu Pickles, Lou's second wife, and remained until the series' end. +	In Bulgaria, the show was mostly broadcast on the Pan-European Cartoon Network in the English language from 2004 to 2009, meanwhile during that time it became one of the most popular and well liked by the audience cartoon in the country, it was also broadcast regularly аt peak hours. From September, 2009, when the Pan-European Cartoon Network was replaced by a sepаrate Bulgarian Cartoon Network, the show started broadcasting in the Bulgarian language and was called Kurazh, strahlivoto kuche (Кураж, страхливото куче), but was stopped in the next year. After 6 years on Cartoon Network, currently it is not broadcasting neither on Cartoon Network or other program. Besides on Cartoon Network, the show was broadcast in two brief periods on Diema Family (March - May 2009; October 2010 - January 2011) at hours in which television is very rarely watched - starting in 07:05, 8:15, 8:20 and 8:40 AM. −

Writing style
−	With Rugrats it usually took a few months to make an episode, for the story has to get written, and then approved. The next process consisted of voice recording, storyboarding, pre-eliminating animation, overseas production & delivery, editing and polishing. All of that had to happen even before Klasky-Csupo sent the master tapes to Nick. In addition, fine animation took time to make. During the first six seasons of Rugrats it was, primarily divided into two eleven-minute episodes. After the second movie, during season 7, Rugrats made a change with a different format that consisted of three episodes per show, though it returned to its original two-episode-per-show format in the final two seasons. +	In Italy, Leone il Cane Fifone was broadcasted on August 7, 2009, on the digital terrestrial channel Boing. Before, it was also transmitted by BBC, La7 and Cartoon Network. On Sunday, April 4, 2010, Cartoon Network Italy celebrated Easter by airing a marathon featuring rarely shown cartoons, including Courage the Cowardly Dog's first three episodes: "Una Notte al Motel Gatti" (A Night at the Katz Motel), "Lo Stufato Della Nonna" (Cajun Granny Stew) and "Leone e l'Ombra Malefica" (The Shadow of Courage). Since May 2010, Courage The Cowardly Dog has been back on Cartoon Network Italy, from Monday to Friday at 7am, at 2:30pm and 5pm. After being removed from Boomerang, it began its broadcast on the free channel Boing on March 30, 2009. −

Episodes
−

+	In Brazil, the show is broadcast by Tooncast throughout the week at 11:30am/pm and is also broadcast on Cartoon Network −

Other projects
−

−

−

DVD releases
+

Characters
+

−	 	+	As depicted in every opening sequence of every episode, a a TV anchorman announces, "We interrupt this program to bring you... Courage the Cowardly Dog show, starring Courage, the cowardly dog! Abandoned as a pup, he was found by Muriel, and lives in the middle of Nowhere with her husband Eustace Bagge..." −	Nickelodeon and Amazon.com have struck a deal to produce DVDs of new and old Nickelodeon shows, through the CreateSpace service. Using a concept similar to print on demand, Amazon made the discs, cover art, and disc art itself. The complete first and second seasons of Rugrats were released on June 2, 2009 along with The Fairly OddParents first and second seasons. −

Nick Picks DVDs
+

Episodes
+

−	These 2 Rugrats episodes were released on the Nick Picks DVDs. +	In total, there were 52 episodes in four seasons produced. The series originally ran from November 12, 1999 and ended on November 22, 2002. +

Home media releases
−	 	+	A VHS tape of Courage the Cowardly Dog was released along with Mike, Lu & Og in 2000. The VHS tape is now out of print. −	 	+	Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One, a two-disc DVD set featuring all 13 episodes from the show's first season, was released in Australia (Region 4) on September 12, 2007, by Madman Entertainment. On January 13, 2010, the complete second season was also released. −
 * Nick Picks Volume 1: Finsterella
 * Nick Picks Volume 2: All Growed Up

Reception and achievements
−

Critical reception
+	A Region 1 release of the first season was done by Warner Home Video on July 20, 2010. The release is the second in an official release of several Cartoon Cartoons on DVD, under the "Cartoon Network Hall of Fame" name. −	Since its debut in 1991, Rugrats generally received positive reviews from critics and fans. In a 1995 interview, Steven Spielberg referred to the show as one of several shows that are the best children's programming at the time. Spielberg described Rugrats as "sort of a TV Peanuts of our time." It was named the 92nd-best animated series by IGN. Rugrats was also considered a strong point in Nickelodeon's rise in the 1990s. In a press release celebrating the show's 10th anniversary, Cyma Zarghami stated, "During the past decade, 'Rugrats' has evolved from a ratings powerhouse, being the number one children's show on TV, to pop icon status. It has secured a place in the hearts of both kids and adults, who see it from their own point of view". According to Nickelodeon producers, this show made them the number-one channel in the 1990s. Jeff Jarvis reviewed Rugrats and stated, "When the Simpsons was a segment on The Tracey Ullman Show, it was just a belch joke with hip pretensions. As a series, it grew flesh and guts. It was my favorite cartoon...until I discovered Nickelodeon's Rugrats, a sardonic, sly, kid's eye view of the world that skewers thirty-something parents and (The) Cosby (Show) kids." +	In addition, all four seasons of the series are also available for download on iTunes. −

Popularity, appeal, and controversy
−

+	 	+	 	+	both episodes from the series were also featured on several Cartoon Network compilation DVDs: +	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+
 * The Powerpuff Girls: Down 'n' Dirty - "Journey to the Center of Nowhere" - November 7, 2000
 * Scooby-Doo and the Toon Tour of Mysteries - "The Mask", "The Tower of Dr. Zalost" - June 2004
 * Cartoon Network Halloween Volume 1: 9 Creepy Capers - "The Demon in the Mattress / Courage Meets Bigfoot" - August 10, 2004
 * Cartoon Network Christmas Volume 1: Yuletide Follies - "The Nutcracker" - October 5, 2004
 * Cartoon Network Halloween Volume 2: Grossest Halloween Ever - "Courage Meets the Mummy / Night of the Weremole" - August 9, 2004
 * Cartoon Network Christmas Volume 2: Christmas Rocks - "The Snowman Cometh" - October 4, 2005

Reception
−	With 172 episodes produced over the course of nearly 13 years, Rugrats remains the longest-running Nicktoon to date. SpongeBob SquarePants will surpass both benchmarks when it airs its 173rd episode on February 27, 2012. +

Reviews
+	Courage the Cowardly Dog received generally positive reviews from the television critics. John G. Nettles of PopMatters reviewed the show and called it, "a fascinating and textured mixture of cartoon and horror-movie conventions, and a joy to watch." +	Alex Mastas of Lights Out Films reviewed the show gave it a grade "A-" and described it, "The backgrounds are rich and imaginative—they composite lot of the show over real photos and occasionally integrate CGI into cartoon. The look is weird and ethereal, just like the show itself." −	Rugrats was one of very few shows that pictured observant, identifiably Jewish families. Jewish and Christian religion groups gave the show high praises for their special holiday episodes. Nonetheless, at one point the Anti-Defamation League and the Washington Post editorial page castigated the series for its depiction of the Pickles grandparents, who purportedly looked like Nazi caricatures. +	KJ Dell Antonia of Common Sense Media posted a review and gave three stars out of five and describes as "Cult fave 'toon plays over-the-top violence for laughs." Antonia warned parents that the series contains graphic animated violence, including exploding organs, growing extra limbs, turning inside out. Antonia gave a positive response that the series has very little, although Courage always fights for his cowardice, and another main character tries to harm Courage, as well as stating that all characters except two are prone to cruel remarks and behavior toward one another. +	 	+	Randy Miller of DVD Talk considered that the show is not fairly consistent, and they haven't aged much during the last decade. Miller states that the show and believes: "It's obvious—especially in retrospect, if you were younger when the series first premiered—that Courage takes a very cinematic approach to its art, storytelling and characters, especially the horror genre." Miller concurs that "usually don't go for thrills and chills, so it's good to see a genuinely surreal and slanted series develop a decent following." Miller felt that Warner Bros. had the DVD treatment that doesn't offer much support and stated that the technical reasons is only passable that have lack of bonus features certainly doesn't help matters, and overall, fans of the series should be glad to have the first season on DVD and a relatively ticket of low price that ease the pain. +	 	+	Jeff Swindoll of Monsters and Critics reviewed the first season DVD and felt a bit disappointed about the DVD having not included the short in disc-set. Swindoll felt that the lack of special features still should not deter fans from buying the season since the other episodes have appeared on other releases of the series.

Awards and nominations
−	−		 −

Honors
−	−	On June 28, 2001, in commemoration of their tenth anniversary, Rugrats received a star on the fabled Hollywood Walk of Fame, making it Nickelodeon’s first (and to date, only) series to receive a star. It was placed at 6600 W. Hollywood Bl., near Cherokee Ave. outside a toy and costume shop. −		 −	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, Rugrats ranked at #35. Three other Nicktoons—SpongeBob SquarePants, Invader Zim, and Ren and Stimpy—also placed on the list. −		 −	In a list of TV Land’s The 2000 Best Things About Television, ranking the all-time TV shows, channels, commercials, people, catch phrases, etc., Rugrats is ranked #699. −		 −	Angelica Pickles placed 7th in TV Guide's list of “Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time” in 2002. −		 −

Rugrats in other media
−

Films
−	In 1998, The Rugrats Movie was released, which introduced baby Dil, Tommy's little brother, onto the show. It grossed in worldwide results, $140,894,675, making it a very large box office success, considering its modest $24 million budget. Not only was the movie a commercial success, the film earned mixed to positive reviews from critics. As of 2011, it remains the highest grossing Rugrats film to date. In 2000 a sequel, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, was released, with two new characters introduced, Kimi and Kira. Kimi would become Chuckie's sister and Kira would become his new mother, after marrying his father. While it received a positive reception, it did not gross as high as the first film. −	In 2003, Rugrats Go Wild was released. It was a crossover between the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. It is the lowest grossing Rugrats film to date. −		 −

Comics
−	From 1998 to 2003, Nick produced a Rugrats comic strip, which was distributed through Creator's Syndicate. Initially written by show-writer Scott Gray and drawn by comic book artist Steve Crespo, with Rob Armstrong as editor. Will Blyberg came on board shortly after as inker. By the end of '98, Lee Nordling, who had joined as a contributing gag writer, took over as editor. Nordling hired extra writers, including Gordon Kent, Scott Roberts, Chuck Kim, J. Torres, Marc Bilgrey, and John Zakour, as well new artists including Gary Fields, Tim Harkins, Vince Giaranno, and Scott Roberts. Stu Chaifetz colored the Sunday strips. The Rugrats strip started out in many papers, but as often happens with spin-off strips, soon slowed down. It's still seen in some papers in re-runs. Two paperback collections were published by Andrews McMeel It's A Jungle-Gym Out There and A Baby's Work Is Never Done. −		 −	During this time, Nickelodeon also published 30 issues of an all Rugrats comic magazine. Most of these were edited by Frank Pittarese and Dave Roman, and featured stories and art by the comic strip creators and others. The last nine issues featured cover art by Scott Roberts, who wrote and drew many of the stories. Other writers included Roman, Chris Duffy, Patrick M. O'Connell & Joyce Mann, and Jim Spivey. Other artists included Joe Staton and Ernie Colón. The magazine also included short stories, many by Pittarese, and games, as well as reprints from an earlier, UK produced Rugrats comic. −		 −	Finally, Nick produced a special, 50 page comic magazine retelling of the film Rugrats In Paris, edited by Pittarese and Roman, with script by Scott Gray, pencils by Scott Roberts, and inks by Adam DeKraker. −		 −

Video games
−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−		 −
 * Rugrats: Search for Reptar (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Studio Tour (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt (Nintendo 64)
 * Rugrats in Paris - The Movie (Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, PC CD Rom, PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica (PlayStation, Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica Boredom Busters (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Go Wild (PC CD Rom, Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: All Growed Up - Older and Bolder (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Castle Capers (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Royal Ransom (PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube)
 * Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Time Travelers (Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats Activity Challenge (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Adventure Game (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Food Fight (Mobile Phone)
 * Rugrats Munchin Land (PC CD Rom)
 * The Rugrats Movie (Game Boy Color)
 * The Rugrats Mystery Adventures (PC CD Rom)
 * Rocket Power: Team Rocket Rescue (PlayStation) (Tommy & Angelica appear as guest characters)
 * Nickelodeon Party Blast (Gamecube), Xbox (Tommy and Angelica are playable)
 * Nicktoons Racing (PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows, Arcade) (Tommy and Angelica playable)
 * Nicktoons Basketball (PC CD Rom) (Tommy appears in All Grown Up! appearance)
 * Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots (Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance) (Tommy and Angelica are seen, but are not playable characters.)

Live performances
−		 −	Rugrats—A Live Adventure was a show about Angelica's constant attempts to scare Chuckie. To help Chuckie combat his wide range of fears, Tommy invents a magic wand called the "People-ator" to make Chuckie brave. Angelica, however, wants Chuckie to stay scared, so she steals Tommy's wand. The Rugrats try to get it back, but to no avail. Angelica becomes Princess of the World. Eventually, Chuckie becomes brave thanks to the help of Susie, Mr. Flashlight and the audience. Many songs were included in the play, including the theme song. The music was met with a rather mixed reception, which applause was tepid at best. However, the dancing was much better received. In addition, as soon as a character approached the stage to engage the crowd, the response from the kids was wild. Chuckie's pleas help from the audience to stop Angelica's megalomaniacal march toward world domination elicited much excitement and response. Overall, despite the criticism, the show was well received. The show had two 40-minute acts, with a 20-minute intermission (or a commercial break). −		 −

Merchandise
−		 −	Merchandise that was based on Rugrats varied from video games toothpaste, Kellogg’s cereal to slippers, puzzles, pajamas, jewelry, wrapping paper, Fruit Snacks, Inflatable balls, watches,  pens, pencils, markers, cookie jars, key rings,  action figures,  and bubblegum. −	The show also managed to spawn a popular merchandise line at Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, EBay, Hot Topic, JCPenney, Toys "R" Us, Mattel, Barnes & Noble and Basic Fun, just to name a few. −		 −	The Rugrats had their own cereal made by Post called Reptar Crunch Cereal. The Rugrats and Reptar were predominantly featured on the front, there's a board game on the back, and a special $3 rebate for Runaway Reptar on the side. This cereal was released for a limited time only, sold at US supermarkets 8/1/99 to 9/15/99 only, and not all supermarkets carried the cereal. To memorialize the movie, Rugrats in Paris, another Rugrats-based cereal came out in October 2000. Simply called the Rugrats in Paris Cereal, it has a similar appearance to Trix; it's a sweetened, multi-grain cereal with small-round bits in plain, red, purple and green. Small Eiffel Towers could also be seen. −	Rugrats made fast-food appearances as well with the most appearances being on − Burger King. Their first fast food appearance was in 1994, when the Hardee's fast food chain offered a collection of Nicktoons toys as premiums that were included with kids' meals at Hardee's. All 4 Nicktoons at that time were featured—Ren & Stimpy, Rocko’s Modern Life, Doug and Rugrats. Other food items that feature Rugrats were Fruit Snacks, Macaroni and Cheese, Bubble Gum and Campbell's Rugrats Pasta with Chicken and Broth. −		 −	In their first tie-in with Burger King, 5 Rugrats toys were offered with their Kids Club meals, a different one with each meal. Each toy came with a 12-page (including covers) miniature version of Nickelodeon Magazine, which featured the toy's instructions, word search, picture puzzle, "Say What?”,a scrambled word puzzle, a coupon for Oral-B Rugrats toothpaste & toothbrush, and entry blanks to subscribe to Rugrats Comic Adventures, Nick Magazine and the Kids Club. From 1998 till 2003, "Rugrats" based-products included watches and various toys. −		 −

Overview
−	The show focuses on eight babies, as well as a dog, and their day-to-day lives, usually involving common life experiences that become adventures in the babies' imaginations. It was one of the first three Nicktoons and also aired on Nick Jr. in 1995. +	 	+

Production history
−

Characters
+	Mr. Warburton created a pilot episode for another show, Kenny and the Chimp. Originally, there was a group of children who called themselves "The Kids Next Door" among the recurring characters, and would often get Kenny into trouble. The plotline was then changed to focus on the group of kids alone, and later, the kids battling adulthood. In 2001, the show's pilot episode, "No P in the OOL", won a Cartoon Network viewer's poll. As a result, Codename: Kids Next Door was greenlit to become a series. −

−	−	The show originally revolved around four children (three boys and one girl) and a dog. The fearless brave leader Thomas "Tommy" Pickles (whose family moved from Akron, Ohio to their current location in California), the cautious toddler Charles "Chuckie" Finster who reluctantly agreed to venture out into the open, unsafe areas of the house, the twin-infants Phillip "Phil" and Lillian "Lil" DeVille who were ready for a new challenge, and Spike, Tommy's dog. The toddlers are able to communicate with each other through baby speak, although viewers can understand them, because it is 'translated'. A running gag in the show is that they mispronounce words or use poor grammar and their speaking is full of malapropisms. An example of this is using the word "poopetrator" instead of "perpetrator" in "The Trial" episode. The group is often reluctantly joined by Tommy's cousin, Angelica Pickles. At three years old, Angelica is able to communicate and understand language from both the toddlers and the adults, which she often uses as an advantage when she wants to manipulate either party. She is usually very mean to the babies. Susie Carmichael, who lives across the street from the Pickles, is also able to communicate on the same level as Angelica, though she is not manipulative. As a result of this, as well as being favored by the babies, she often clashes with Angelica. +

Storylines
−	After The Rugrats Movie (1998), in which Tommy's baby brother Dylan "Dil" Pickles is born, he was soon added as a character on the show. As a 1 year old baby, Dil is not able to communicate with anyone. Later after Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000) was released, Kimi Finster was added as a character. She is Chuckie's stepsister. +	The episodes are titled as the Kids Next Door's missions, denoted as "Operation:" followed by an acronym which often gives viewers clues as to what the story is about. Every mission may or may not be chronologically ordered in relation to the previous or the next, but it's accepted that most of the time they occur in the order that the episodes are shown. Sometimes missions make a references to certain situations, or lead to consequences in another mission. Mostly in the earlier episodes, the stories were often about typical childhood problems, but magnified and exaggerated. As the series progressed, a bigger, more complex storyline developed. +

KND Universe
−	Leaving the safety of their own playpen, the children would explore their surroundings and try to make sense out of what the adults are doing. The babies often manage to get away with meandering off and going on escapades, for the reason that Tommy’s daddy, Stu, is more often than not trying to create toys downstairs in the basement. Tommy's mother, Didi, is normally reading the most modern good-parenting guide too actively to take any kind of notice, and his paternal grandfather, Lou, is customarily sleeping in front of the television, oblivious to their antics. While most of the time, the babies are in their playpen, they always manage to get out using a plastic screwdriver Tommy keeps in his diaper (unbeknownst to any of the adults). When they create any kind of mess or visible damage, they are almost never seen as the instigators, due to them being babies. If an older person is in the vicinity of the mess (usually Angelica), that individual is held accountable. The most treacherous escapade the babies embarked occured in The Rugrats Movie where they got lost in the forest going against a man-eating wolf and a pack of circus monkeys determined to steal their baby food. +	The world portrayed in KND is one that resembles childhood make-believe, with children going on epic adventures, and creating secret weapons and tools from everyday items and refuse. The series continually straddles the borderline of admitting whether the events are meant to be interpreted as the imagination of children or taken verbatim as a cohesive universe. The Episode 'Operation: A.R.C.H.I.V.E.' addresses this dichotomy most directly; Numbuh One's school teacher dismissing his report on the great Adult Conspiracy as fiction, only to be seen later making a surreptitious phone call with the message "They Know". +	The Kids Next Door Organization is a worldwide group comprising thousands of kids joined in mutual struggle against adult tyranny. They fight villains that embody specific menaces to children overall (and at times, commit acts that are downright illegal). For every member of Kids Next Door, upon following a period of training, the kids then choose a number or alphanumerical code (deliberately spelled "numbuh,") and sent to a "sector", that is, a treehouse of gigantic proportions. The main headquarters of the Kids Next Door, the Moon Base, is located on the moon. Kids follow their oath of protecting other kids as well as battling adulthood until the age of 13, when they are "decommissioned": their brains are washed-clean of memories of any past KND activity, upon which they are hence considered teenagers, and a threat to KND as well. Such a practice has inevitably led to the creation of many KND villains (notably Cree, Numbuh 5's older sister, and Chad, formerly numbuh 274 and supreme commander of the Kids Next Door). The practice of strict decommissioning at age 13 was later on revealed to be subject to some exceptions: kids who have proved to be exceptional agents are offered the chance to carry on in KND as spies infiltrating the teen organization (see Maurice for a prime example). This practice is kept secret. Decommissioning has also proved reversible due to a recomissioning module used twice in the series, once in Operation: E.N.D. and once again in the full length motion-picture Operation: Z.E.R.O., where it is subsequently destroyed by the first member of the Kids Next Door and their founder Numbuh Zero (also Numbuh One's dad). −	The Pickles are a mixed Jewish-Christian family. There are two episodes that reflect the Pickles' Jewish heritage, one episode deals with the Passover holiday and the other with Hanukkah (in addition to episodes about Christmas, Easter, Kwanzaa, etc.). −

Origins
+

Technology
+	KND agents utilize a vast array of mechanical and/or electronic gadgets and machinery, collectively referred to as 2x4 (two-by-four) Technology. It typically falls into one of three categories: gadgetry, weaponry, and vehicles. The KND 2x4 technology was originally conceived as an assortment of common household objects, being put to use in combat situation; a theme that their offensive weapons still adhere to. However, as the series progressed, the complexity of their defensive weaponry and transportation advanced to such absurd levels as to be considered science fiction (shrinking rays, for example), despite all of it still being constructed with nothing but household materials and refuse. −	Rugrats was formed by the then husband-and-wife duo of Gabor Csupo and Arlene Klasky, along with Paul Germain in 1989. Klasky-Csupo had a major animation firm at the time which also provided services for commercials and music videos. Klasky, Csupo, and Germain were also animating The Simpsons at the time, which they would continue to do until 1992. The trio decided to create their own series in reaction to a proclamation by the children's cable network Nickelodeon that they were to launch their own line of animated shows, which would be later called Nicktoons. With the comedic stimulation branching from the antics of Klasky and Csupo's infant children, the 6$1/2$–minute pilot episode, "Tommy Pickles & the Great White Thing" (never to be aired), went into production. +	A common theme of the show is the introduction of a new never-before-seen device, complete with its own acronym, in a sidebar screen that temporarily interrupts the storyline. It is interesting to note that many of these devices require military-level driving or piloting skills, in order for them to operate effectively. However not all of the technology is made of other items. −	Peter Chung, along with Klasky and Csupo, co-designed the characters and directed the series pilot, "Tommy Pickles And The Great White Thing," as well as the opening sequence. The production was completed in 1990 and they submitted it to Nickelodeon, who tested it with an audience of children. The feedback for the pilot episode was primarily positive. With that, the series went into production. Chuckie and Angelica were added as characters. +

DVD releases
−	Paul Germain felt that the series needed a bully. Angelica was based on a bully in Germain's childhood, who was a girl. In addition to that, it was Germain who decided that Angelica would be a spoiled brat. Arlene Klasky, one of the show's creators initially did not like Angelica Pickles. Klasky also protested Angelica's actions in episodes like "Barbecue Story" (where she threw Tommy's ball over the fence). +	2 DVDs in 2 volumes were released of Codename: Kids Next Door, in 17 half episodes: +	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+	 	+
 * Codename: Kids Next Door - Sooper Hugest Missions: File One (contains episodes "Operation: I.-S.C.R.E.A.M.", "Operation: P.I.R.A.T.E.", "Operation L.I.C.E.", Operation: L.I.Z.Z.I.E.", "Operation: T.H.E.-F.L.Y.", "Operation: C.A.T.S.", Operation: S.P.A.N.K.", Operation: S.U.P.P.O.R.T.", "Operation: G.R.O.W.-U.P. [parts 1 and 2]")
 * Codename: Kids Next Door - Sooper Hugest Missions: File Two (contains episodes "Operation: C.A.N.N.O.N.", Operation: C.A.M.P.", "Operation: C.H.A.D.", "Operation: S.H.A.V.E.", "Operation: T.R.I.P.", "Operation: T.R.A.I.N.I.N.G.", Operation: D.A.T.E.")
 * Scooby-Doo and the Toon Tour of Mysteries: "Operation: T.E.E.T.H.", "Operation: P.O.I.N.T.", "Operation: I-S.C.R.E.A.M."
 * Cartoon Network Halloween 2: Grossest Halloween Ever: "Operation: T.R.I.C.K.Y."
 * Cartoon Network Christmas 2: Christmas Rocks: "Operation: P.I.A.N.O."
 * Cartoon Network Halloween 3: Sweet Sweet Fear: "Operation: J.E.W.E.L.S."
 * Cartoon Network Christmas 3: "Operation: N.A.U.G.H.T.Y."

Characters
−	In a New Yorker article, Klasky said, "I think she's a bully. I never liked Angelica." Klasky never fully approved of her character development. Her bullying caused Arlene to disdain her. Angelica started to become a problem for the some of the Rugrats staff. In some instances, her voice, Cheryl Chase, had trouble portraying a mean Angelica. To help Chase out, Steve Viksen, one of the writers, would mention that Angelica was the series's J.R. Ewing. +

Sector V
+	 	+	 	+	−	After The Rugrats Movie and seeing the "new" Angelica in the film, Klasky changed her tune: "I think she's great for the show; I love Angelica." +
 * Nigel Uno - Codename: "Numbuh One" (voiced by Benjamin Diskin) - The leader and head of Sector V, a workaholic, bald British boy who is rarely seen without his trademark sunglasses, and does not put complete trust in anyone but his teammates. He is bald due to an unexplained event involving the Delightful Children from Down the Lane, and Numbuh Five's shirking of duties (as mentioned in the episode "F.O.U.N.T.A.I.N."). Throughout the series, his girlfriend is Lizzie Devine, but their relationship came to an end when she explained that she was tired of his always putting KND priorities over her. He is the only operative on his team without a sibling. His last name, Uno, is Spanish for the number one. When in a fight, he shouts his war cry: "KIDS NEXT DOOR...BATTLE STATIONS!".
 * Hogarth Pennywhistle Gilligan Jr. also known as "Hoagie" - Codename: "Numbuh Two" (voiced by Benjamin Diskin) - An inventor and pilot with a passion for flight which wears an old fashion pilot hat. He is a chubby European American boy obsessed with cracking puns at every chance he sees. Hank is also Numbuh One's best friend as shown in episode Operation Z.E.R.O.  He hangs out with nerds on occasion and enjoys some considerably unusual interests (such as trading cards), and also enjoys being a detective (he once interrogated his family and the Sanbans when a Rainbow Monkey was stabbed at the dinner table). He was the one who designed the Sector's treehouse. This was mentioned by Numbuh Four in "Operation: H.U.G.S.". Food is also something he shows great interest in, and underlies much of what he does. It has been implied that he has feelings for Numbuh 5, and in Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S., it was shown that they had gotten married.
 * Kuki Sanban - Codename: "Numbuh Three" (voiced by Lauren Tom) -A girl who is a usually happy Japanese girl whose love for every creature almost always interferes with her responsibilities. She has a great love for, is a fan of, and has extensive knowledge about Rainbow Monkeys (which her room is filled with), and will often irrationally defend them, occasionally allowing her insanely aggressive side to show (generally accompanied by her face turning red, teeth and ears becoming pointed and eyes flaming, resembling an oni). It should also be noted that she returns Numbuh 4's feelings, as shown in episode Operation Z.E.R.O, where they kiss (albeit in senior-citizen zombie form). Her last name, "Sanban" is Japanese for "Number Three".

−

Production
+	−	Rugrats was Nickelodeon's second Nicktoon, debuting on the same day as Doug (which premiered before it) and The Ren and Stimpy Show (which debuted after). The first run of the series was produced from 1991 to 1993 before production went on a hiatus (episodes that had not yet been released at that point continued to be released through 1994). Between 1995 and 1996, only two Jewish-themed specials were aired, and the rest of the series aired in reruns. Production on new episodes began 1997, and the show aired in Nickelodeon's Snick block from 1997 to 2000. As of 2011, it is the longest-lasting Nicktoon to date, at over fourteen years longevity, and did not cease production of new episodes until 2004. In terms of number of episodes, it is still in first, but by 2011 it will be surpassed by SpongeBob SquarePants, which will have 178 episodes by the end of its eighth season, barring a Rugrats revival or a SpongeBob cancellation; SpongeBob will reach Rugrats in terms of years on air in 2013. +	 	+
 * Wallabee Beetles also known as "Wally" - Codename: "Numbuh Four" (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) - A short, British boy known for acting without thinking. He is a jock and a sort-of bully as he is the most capable when it comes to physical fighting and he plays the most sports of the group, but is arguably the least intelligent KND operative, which leads to him being easily fooled, and most usually selected for dangerous parts in missions. He is not always briefed on everything about the mission, such as "Operation: H.O.S.P.I.T.A.L.", when he didn't know the injured operative was Bradley (a.k.a. Numbuh Six the skunk), and in "Operation U.N.D.E.R.C.O.V.E.R." he was the only one who didn't know what was going on at the end of the episode. Wallabee is barely literate and is ignorant in basic knowledge of social studies, English and mathematics, and his grades in school greatly reflect this. He also has a crush on Numbuh 3, which runs throughout the series, including in Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S., where it was shown they'd gotten married.
 * Abigail Lincoln also known as "Abby" - Codename: "Numbuh Five" (voiced by Cree Summer) - An intelligent and laid back tomboy of African American descent, she keeps her head cool even in the worst situations. Abigail rarely overreacts in their missions, and sometimes, she would try to mollify her friends (Operation L.I.Z.Z.I.E., Operation L.O.C.K.D.O.W.N., and  Operation M.U.N.C.H.I.E.S) and even friends that have become enemies, usually Heinrich Von Marzipan. In Operation D.I.A.P.E.R., Abigail sings to calm the crying babies at the treehouse. She talks in third person much of the time, and her passion is candy and sweets—most notably ice-cream, this is best shown and hinted at in her solo adventures. Her life's dream was to taste the legendary Fourth Flavor of ice-cream, which she lived out in "Operation F.L.A.V.O.R.".  It has been implied that she has feelings for Numbuh 2, and in Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S., it was shown that they had gotten married.

Villains
−	Rugrats ended on June 8, 2004, along with fellow Nicktoon, Hey Arnold. After the run, two fairy-tale themed direct-to-video films based on the original series under the title, Rugrats: Tales from the Crib were produced and then released separately in 2005 and in 2006. +	 	+	−
 * The Delightful Children From Down the Lane (voiced by Benjamin Diskin, Dee Bradley Baker, and Cree Summer) - Five well-behaved snooty children who move and talk in perfect synchronization. They obey all adults, especially Father, and are the most recurring villains of the series. Rather than interfere themselves, the Delightful Children usually stand back and let a giant robot or super-powered minion do their work (Numbuh 5 makes a reference to this in Operation: C.A.K.E.D.-T.H.R.E.E.). In Operation: Z.E.R.O., it's revealed that they're the lost KND operatives of Sector Z, having been brainwashed by Father.
 * Father/Benedict Uno (voiced by Maurice LaMarche) - An adult who's constantly in silhouette and the KND's greatest enemy. He first appeared in the season 1 finale, Operation: G.R.O.W.-U.P.. His powers include pyrokinesis, levitation, mind control, and shape-shifting. In the TV movie Operation: Z.E.R.O., it's revealed that he's Numbuh One's paternal uncle. It is also revealed that his "silhouette" is actually a suit that is torn off by Monty Uno.

Voice actors
+	−	Through its full run, Rugrats, occupied several main voice actors. E.G. Daily provided the voice of Tommy Pickles, except in the unaired pilot where Tami Holbrook provided the voice; Christine Cavanaugh was the original voice of Chuckie Finster, but left after 2001 for personal reasons and was subsequently replaced by Nancy Cartwright in 2002. The fraternal twins, Phil and Lil (as well as their mother, Betty) were voiced by Kath Soucie; Dil Pickles (and Timmy McNulty) were voiced by Tara Strong. Cheryl Chase initially auditioned for the role of Tommy, but was passed up. When the show came to series, she was brought on board to be cast as the voice of Angelica Pickles. Dionne Quan was the voice of Kimi Finster, however as she is legally blind, in order to do the voice, the producers had to interpret the scripts into Braille, so she could read them by sensing the bumps with her fingers. Susie was primarily voiced by Cree Summer, though in two episodes where she could not be in attendance E.G. Daily filled in. Other regular voice actors included Melanie Chartoff as Didi Pickles, Jack Riley as Stu Pickles, Tress MacNeille as Charlotte Pickles, and Michael Bell as Drew Pickles and Chaz Finster. David Doyle provided the voice of Grandpa Lou Pickles until his death in 1997, where Joe Alaskey took over till the end of the series. In 2000, Debbie Reynolds joined the cast as Lulu Pickles, Lou's second wife, and remained until the series' end. +	−
 * Cree Lincoln (voiced by Cree Summer) - Numbuh 5's teenage sister and Father's apprentice. She first appeared in the season 2 episode Operation: S.U.P.P.O.R.T.. Formally KND operative Numbuh 11, leader and 2x4 tech officer of Sector V three years prior to the start of the series. She's a member of the Teen Ninjas, and her weapon of choice is a B.R.A. (Battle Ready Armor).
 * Mr. Boss (voiced by Jeff Bennett) - A child-hating corporate executive. He often holds gatherings for the other villains of the series. It is revealed that he is also Numbuh 86's father

Writing style
−	With Rugrats it usually took a few months to make an episode, for the story has to get written, and then approved. The next process consisted of voice recording, storyboarding, pre-eliminating animation, overseas production & delivery, editing and polishing. All of that had to happen even before Klasky-Csupo sent the master tapes to Nick. In addition, fine animation took time to make. During the first six seasons of Rugrats it was, primarily divided into two eleven-minute episodes. After the second movie, during season 7, Rugrats made a change with a different format that consisted of three episodes per show, though it returned to its original two-episode-per-show format in the final two seasons. +	−
 * Knightbrace/Mr. Jelly (voiced by Tom Kenny) - A villain obsessed with dental and oral hygiene.He has a large arsenal of dental-themed gadgets and weapons at his disposal. He's a parody of Batman.

Episodes
−

+	−
 * Stickybeard (voiced by Mark Hamill) - A candy-hunting pirate who sails the suburbs in his ship, The Sweet Revenge, with his crew of pirates, robbing kids of their candy.

Other projects
−

−

+	−
 * Grandma Stuffum (voiced by Grey DeLisle) - A fat old German woman who creates gross armies of living food to fatten kids up to obese proportions so they won't cause trouble.

DVD releases
−	 	+	−	Nickelodeon and Amazon.com have struck a deal to produce DVDs of new and old Nickelodeon shows, through the CreateSpace service. Using a concept similar to print on demand, Amazon made the discs, cover art, and disc art itself. The complete first and second seasons of Rugrats were released on June 2, 2009 along with The Fairly OddParents first and second seasons. +	−
 * Toiletnator/Lou Pottingsworth the third (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) - The most pathetic villain in the series, considered an embarrassment by the other villains, to whom he's constantly trying to prove himself. He has control over toilets and toilet paper, allowing him to shoot toilet paper from the rolls on his wrists and "flush" massive bodies of liquid. He's also the self-proclaimed arch-nemesis of Numbuh 4, who's later revealed to be his nephew in the comic story Operation: H.I.S.T.O.R.I.E..
 * Heinrich/Henrietta Von Marzipan (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker in the chubby boy form and Candi Milo in the beautiful girl form) - He is Numbuh 5's chubby German candy-hunting rival with Blonde Hair, Blue eyes and a Monocle. He speaks with a German accent and loves candy, just like his rival Numbuh 5. He wears a Pith Helmet, red neckerchief, light brown vest, grey shirt, dark brown gloves, dark green pants with dark brown belt and dark brown boots. He is based on the Nazis from Indiana Jones films. In Operation: C.A.R.A.M.E.L. it is revealed that Heinrich is actually a girl. In the episode, magic Caramels can be created by ritual that takes away one's most cherished quality. In turn for this sacrifice, the caramels become delicious. Henrietta created the caramels using her femininity and then ate what she believed to be all of them. Numbuh 5 kept the last remaining caramel that contained Heinrich's femininity and was able to reverse the ritual.

Nick Picks DVDs
−	These 2 Rugrats episodes were released on the Nick Picks DVDs. +	−	−	 	+
 * Count Spankulot (voiced by Daran Norris) - A spoof of Count Dracula. He is a vampire who spanks naughty children. The count made his brief debut in the episode Operation: N.O.P.O.W.U.H. to spank the KND for not returning their library books on time and has become a recurring character ever since. By removing one of his gloves, he can turn people into spank-happy vampires like himself, and they can only change back to normal if he himself is spanked.
 * Nick Picks Volume 1: Finsterella
 * Nick Picks Volume 2: All Growed Up

Other Characters
−

Reception and achievements
+	−
 * Numbuh 86/Fanny Fulbright (voiced by Jennifer Hale) - The Kids Next Door's head-of-decommissioning. She speaks with a Scottish accent and yells a lot. She is also known to underestimate boys, often calling them "stupid" and believes girls are far superior. In Operation: D.A.D.D.Y., it's revealed that she's Mr. Boss's daughter and has a small crush on Numbuh 4.

Critical reception
+	−	Since its debut in 1991, Rugrats generally received positive reviews from critics and fans. In a 1995 interview, Steven Spielberg referred to the show as one of several shows that are the best children's programming at the time. Spielberg described Rugrats as "sort of a TV Peanuts of our time." It was named the 92nd-best animated series by IGN. Rugrats was also considered a strong point in Nickelodeon's rise in the 1990s. In a press release celebrating the show's 10th anniversary, Cyma Zarghami stated, "During the past decade, 'Rugrats' has evolved from a ratings powerhouse, being the number one children's show on TV, to pop icon status. It has secured a place in the hearts of both kids and adults, who see it from their own point of view". According to Nickelodeon producers, this show made them the number-one channel in the 1990s. Jeff Jarvis reviewed Rugrats and stated, "When the Simpsons was a segment on The Tracey Ullman Show, it was just a belch joke with hip pretensions. As a series, it grew flesh and guts. It was my favorite cartoon...until I discovered Nickelodeon's Rugrats, a sardonic, sly, kid's eye view of the world that skewers thirty-something parents and (The) Cosby (Show) kids." +	−
 * Numbuh 60/Patton Drilovsky(voiced by Matt Levin) is a high-ranking operative and the drill sergeant stationed at the Kids Next Door Arctic Base who is in charge of training new recruits to the Kids Next Door Organization. In Operation: T.R.A.I.N.I.N.G., he was seen training cadets Tommy Gilligan, Sonya and Lee. He is occasionally seen in various episodes in either at the Kids Next Door Moonbase or Kids Next Door Arctic Base.
 * Numbuh 274/Chad Dickson (voiced by Jason Harris) - Son of the villains Mega-Mom and Destructo-Dad. In season 2, it's shown that he's the KND's supreme commander. However, in the season 2 finale Operation: E.N.D., he apparently betrayed them, as he'd turned 13 years old. In the following seasons, he joined the Teen Ninjas and became a recurring villain. But in the season 6 finale Operation: T.R.E.A.T.Y., it's revealed that he's been working undercover all along.

Popularity, appeal, and controversy
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+	−	When Rugrats débuted in 1991, it was not as hugely popular as it would later become. When production went on a hiatus from 1994, Nick began showing Rugrats repeats everyday. More and more people began to take notice of the show, with ratings and popularity for Rugrats and Nick rising. From 1995 to 2000, it was the highest-rated show on Nickelodeon and the highest rated kids' show. The show experienced a wide diverse audience consisting of kids, teenagers and adults alike. Rugrats was successful in receiving an average of 26.7 million viewers every week: 14.7 million kids (2-11), 3.2 million teens (12-17), and 8.8 million adults (18 and over). In addition, Rugrats was seen internationally in over 76 countries. It was the only one of the three original Nicktoons that continued in the 2000s, and had its own spin-off. It is the most successful of the three original Nicktoons. While the other Nicktoons were popular during their run, Doug would later slip out of Nick's hands and into Disney's; and Ren and Stimpy would crash and burn in a creative rights dispute (only to return several years later in a much raunchier version on another network). During its run, Rugrats was enjoyed by a number of famous stars including Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Amanda Bynes, Aaron Carter, Ray Romano, Nivea and Bow Wow. +	−	With 172 episodes produced over the course of nearly 13 years, Rugrats remains the longest-running Nicktoon to date. SpongeBob SquarePants will surpass both benchmarks when it airs its 173rd episode on February 27, 2012. +	−	Rugrats was one of very few shows that pictured observant, identifiably Jewish families. Jewish and Christian religion groups gave the show high praises for their special holiday episodes. Nonetheless, at one point the Anti-Defamation League and the Washington Post editorial page castigated the series for its depiction of the Pickles grandparents, who purportedly looked like Nazi caricatures. +	−
 * Numbuh 362/Rachel T. McKenzie (voiced by Rachael MacFarlane) - Introduced in the season 2 episode Operation: F.U.G.I.T.I.V.E. as the KND's top spy, it was revealed in the season 3 episode Operation: G.R.A.D.U.A.T.E.S. that she'd taken the position of supreme leader after Numbuh 274's "betrayal". Episodes later in the series suggest that she has a crush on Numbuh 1. Also, she's one of the only characters to regularly change her wardrobe.
 * Tommy Gilligan (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) - Numbuh 2's little brother, first appearing in Operation: T.O.M.M.Y. He originally sought to join the KND as "Numbuh T" (despite, as was continuously pointed out to him, T not being a number), which the others agreed to after his helping them in the season 2 finale Operation: E.N.D.. However, he was forced to quit to save them from Father in Operation: G.R.A.D.U.A.T.E.S. and, due to a computer safeguard, was unable to rejoin. As such, he continued to defend kids as a vigilante, "the Tommy".
 * Numbuh Six/Bradley/R.O.B.O.B.R.A.D.L.E.Y. (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) - A skunk found and adopted by Numbuhs Two and Three in Operation: C.A.M.P.. Though Numbuh One originally disliked him due to his being a distraction to the others, he apologized after Bradley and his real parents saved the team from an evil camp counselor. Numbuh 1 then granted Bradley the status of honorary operative Numbuh Six. He returned in Operation: H.O.S.P.I.T.A.L., where he's rebuilt as a cyborg called "R.O.B.O.B.R.A.D.L.E.Y." (Robotic Operative's Ballistic Odor-Blasting Rocket Armed Derrier Launches Extreme Yuckiness) due to near-fatal injuries from a spying mission. He made one last appearance in Operation: S.I.X..
 * Lizzie Devine (voiced by Grey DeLisle) - She is Numbuh 1's chubby American Ex-Girlfriend with ginger hair and glasses.

Awards and nominations
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Honors
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Episodes
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−	 	+	There are six seasons, each with 13 episodes (two half-length episodes counting as one), adding up to 78 episodes altogether. There have been two TV movies, the first taking place between the second and third episodes of Season 6 (Operation: Z.E.R.O.), and the second at the end of Season 6 (Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S.). −	On June 28, 2001, in commemoration of their tenth anniversary, Rugrats received a star on the fabled Hollywood Walk of Fame, making it Nickelodeon’s first (and to date, only) series to receive a star. It was placed at 6600 W. Hollywood Bl., near Cherokee Ave. outside a toy and costume shop. −		 −	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, Rugrats ranked at #35. Three other Nicktoons—SpongeBob SquarePants, Invader Zim, and Ren and Stimpy—also placed on the list. −		 −	In a list of TV Land’s The 2000 Best Things About Television, ranking the all-time TV shows, channels, commercials, people, catch phrases, etc., Rugrats is ranked #699. −		 −	Angelica Pickles placed 7th in TV Guide's list of “Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time” in 2002. −		 −

Rugrats in other media
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Films
−	In 1998, The Rugrats Movie was released, which introduced baby Dil, Tommy's little brother, onto the show. It grossed in worldwide results, $140,894,675, making it a very large box office success, considering its modest $24 million budget. Not only was the movie a commercial success, the film earned mixed to positive reviews from critics. As of 2011, it remains the highest grossing Rugrats film to date. In 2000 a sequel, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, was released, with two new characters introduced, Kimi and Kira. Kimi would become Chuckie's sister and Kira would become his new mother, after marrying his father. While it received a positive reception, it did not gross as high as the first film. −	In 2003, Rugrats Go Wild was released. It was a crossover between the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. It is the lowest grossing Rugrats film to date. −		 −

Comics
−	From 1998 to 2003, Nick produced a Rugrats comic strip, which was distributed through Creator's Syndicate. Initially written by show-writer Scott Gray and drawn by comic book artist Steve Crespo, with Rob Armstrong as editor. Will Blyberg came on board shortly after as inker. By the end of '98, Lee Nordling, who had joined as a contributing gag writer, took over as editor. Nordling hired extra writers, including Gordon Kent, Scott Roberts, Chuck Kim, J. Torres, Marc Bilgrey, and John Zakour, as well new artists including Gary Fields, Tim Harkins, Vince Giaranno, and Scott Roberts. Stu Chaifetz colored the Sunday strips. The Rugrats strip started out in many papers, but as often happens with spin-off strips, soon slowed down. It's still seen in some papers in re-runs. Two paperback collections were published by Andrews McMeel It's A Jungle-Gym Out There and A Baby's Work Is Never Done. −		 −	During this time, Nickelodeon also published 30 issues of an all Rugrats comic magazine. Most of these were edited by Frank Pittarese and Dave Roman, and featured stories and art by the comic strip creators and others. The last nine issues featured cover art by Scott Roberts, who wrote and drew many of the stories. Other writers included Roman, Chris Duffy, Patrick M. O'Connell & Joyce Mann, and Jim Spivey. Other artists included Joe Staton and Ernie Colón. The magazine also included short stories, many by Pittarese, and games, as well as reprints from an earlier, UK produced Rugrats comic. −		 −	Finally, Nick produced a special, 50 page comic magazine retelling of the film Rugrats In Paris, edited by Pittarese and Roman, with script by Scott Gray, pencils by Scott Roberts, and inks by Adam DeKraker. −		 −

Video games
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 * Rugrats: Search for Reptar (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Studio Tour (PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt (Nintendo 64)
 * Rugrats in Paris - The Movie (Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, PC CD Rom, PlayStation)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica (PlayStation, Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats: Totally Angelica Boredom Busters (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Go Wild (PC CD Rom, Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: All Growed Up - Older and Bolder (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats: Castle Capers (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Royal Ransom (PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube)
 * Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party (Game Boy Advance)
 * Rugrats: Time Travelers (Game Boy Color)
 * Rugrats Activity Challenge (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Adventure Game (PC CD Rom)
 * Rugrats Food Fight (Mobile Phone)
 * Rugrats Munchin Land (PC CD Rom)
 * The Rugrats Movie (Game Boy Color)
 * The Rugrats Mystery Adventures (PC CD Rom)
 * Rocket Power: Team Rocket Rescue (PlayStation) (Tommy & Angelica appear as guest characters)
 * Nickelodeon Party Blast (Gamecube), Xbox (Tommy and Angelica are playable)
 * Nicktoons Racing (PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows, Arcade) (Tommy and Angelica playable)
 * Nicktoons Basketball (PC CD Rom) (Tommy appears in All Grown Up! appearance)
 * Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots (Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance) (Tommy and Angelica are seen, but are not playable characters.)

Live performances
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In other media
−	Rugrats—A Live Adventure was a show about Angelica's constant attempts to scare Chuckie. To help Chuckie combat his wide range of fears, Tommy invents a magic wand called the "People-ator" to make Chuckie brave. Angelica, however, wants Chuckie to stay scared, so she steals Tommy's wand. The Rugrats try to get it back, but to no avail. Angelica becomes Princess of the World. Eventually, Chuckie becomes brave thanks to the help of Susie, Mr. Flashlight and the audience. Many songs were included in the play, including the theme song. The music was met with a rather mixed reception, which applause was tepid at best. However, the dancing was much better received. In addition, as soon as a character approached the stage to engage the crowd, the response from the kids was wild. Chuckie's pleas help from the audience to stop Angelica's megalomaniacal march toward world domination elicited much excitement and response. Overall, despite the criticism, the show was well received. The show had two 40-minute acts, with a 20-minute intermission (or a commercial break). +	 	+	−
 * Several stories starring the KND have been featured in the comic series' Cartoon Cartoons, Cartoon Network Block Party, and Cartoon Network Action Pack.
 * The books 2x4 Technology Handbook and Sooper Secrets and Boomerang Bloopers, both by Alison Wilgus.

Merchandise
+	−	Merchandise that was based on Rugrats varied from video games toothpaste, Kellogg’s cereal to slippers, puzzles, pajamas, jewelry, wrapping paper, Fruit Snacks, Inflatable balls, watches,  pens, pencils, markers, cookie jars, key rings,  action figures,  and bubblegum. −	The show also managed to spawn a popular merchandise line at Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, EBay, Hot Topic, JCPenney, Toys "R" Us, Mattel, Barnes & Noble and Basic Fun, just to name a few. +	−	The Rugrats had their own cereal made by Post called Reptar Crunch Cereal. The Rugrats and Reptar were predominantly featured on the front, there's a board game on the back, and a special $3 rebate for Runaway Reptar on the side. This cereal was released for a limited time only, sold at US supermarkets 8/1/99 to 9/15/99 only, and not all supermarkets carried the cereal. To memorialize the movie, Rugrats in Paris, another Rugrats-based cereal came out in October 2000. Simply called the Rugrats in Paris Cereal, it has a similar appearance to Trix; it's a sweetened, multi-grain cereal with small-round bits in plain, red, purple and green. Small Eiffel Towers could also be seen. −	Rugrats made fast-food appearances as well with the most appearances being on − Burger King. Their first fast food appearance was in 1994, when the Hardee's fast food chain offered a collection of Nicktoons toys as premiums that were included with kids' meals at Hardee's. All 4 Nicktoons at that time were featured—Ren & Stimpy, Rocko’s Modern Life, Doug and Rugrats. Other food items that feature Rugrats were Fruit Snacks, Macaroni and Cheese, Bubble Gum and Campbell's Rugrats Pasta with Chicken and Broth. +	−	In their first tie-in with Burger King, 5 Rugrats toys were offered with their Kids Club meals, a different one with each meal. Each toy came with a 12-page (including covers) miniature version of Nickelodeon Magazine, which featured the toy's instructions, word search, picture puzzle, "Say What?”,a scrambled word puzzle, a coupon for Oral-B Rugrats toothpaste & toothbrush, and entry blanks to subscribe to Rugrats Comic Adventures, Nick Magazine and the Kids Club. From 1998 till 2003, "Rugrats" based-products included watches and various toys. 	+	−
 * In Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall, Numbuhs One through Five, and villains Father, Toiletnator, and Stickybeard appear as non-playable characters. KNDefense armor and 2x4 Tech weapons are available for players, Sector V's treehouse can be explored, and KND S.C.A.M.P.E.R.s can be used for transport.
 * In Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion, Father and Numbuh 1 are playable, Sector V Treehouse and the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S. are arenas, and Numbuh 2 and Stickybeard are assist characters. In the console versions of this game, Toiletnator is confirmed as a playable character, Numbuh 4 is confirmed as an assist character, and KND Moonbase is confirmed for an arena.
 * On an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy entitled "Sickly Sweet", a scene depicts Grim watching Codename: Kids Next Door.
 * In 2004, Snafu comics confirmed the KND would appear in their Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi webcomic. Though this is still yet to happen, concept art for Sector V, the Delightful Children, and Numbuh 86 have been released.