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The show might have been for kids, but adults also enjoyed its irreverent humor and unique perspective on what babies go through. There’s a lot about Rugrats that not many people know, though, especially when it comes to the show’s creators and other behind-the-scenes trivia.
10 The Babies Are All Voiced By Women
Despite Phil, Tomy, Chuckie, and Dil being portrayed as male, each of the babies is voiced by women. Christine Cavanaugh, Kath Soucie, Cheryl Chase, Cree Summer, Dionne Quan, and Tara Strong played the original seven babies. Nancy Cartwright took on the role of Chuckie, following the death of Cavanaugh in 2002.
This may be because the pitch range for womens’ voices tends to be higher, whereas mens’ voices get deeper with time. This makes it more easy for women than men to accurately portray a young child’s voice.
9 Before Spongebob, It Was Nickelodeon’s Longest-Running Show
The original running of Rugrats aired from 1991 to 2004, an incredible 13 seasons long (with a few short breaks mixed in). It aired alongside Ren and Stimpy and Doug as one of the original three Nicktoon shows, but outlasted both of the others.
If one takes into account the two spin-offs from the show, being All Grown Up and School Daze, the length of the show’s airing is even more impressive. The only show to beat it would be Spongebob Squarepants many years later.
8 Chuckie Finster Is Styled After The Devo Frontman…
Some fans of Rugrats think that the possessed doll Chucky from the horror film Child’s Play inspired Chuckie’s look, perhaps in part for his messy red hair. In fact, Mark Mothersbaugh, the frontman for the 80’s new wave band Devo, was the real inspiration for Chuckie’s appearance in the show.
Mothersbaugh is known for his thick-rimmed glasses and having messy hair during his height with Devo in the 80’s. However, he didn’t have bright red hair like Chuckie does.
7 …Who Also Wrote The Theme Song
In addition to inspiring Chuckie Finster’s aesthetic, Mothersbaugh also made the show’s iconic theme music. He was the composer for all three Rugrats movies, All Grown Up, and Rocket Power.
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None of the music he produced for the Nickelodeon shows or movies he worked on are anywhere close to the music he produced with Devo, at least not in terms of strangeness. Nonetheless, one can hear his touch in everything he produces, whether it’s for national TV or otherwise.
6 It Was The First Nickelodeon Show To Get A Movie
Rugrats originally aired three seasons between 1991 and 1994. It wasn’t canceled, but the show entered a hiatus where no new episodes came out for two years. The only episodes shown during this time were reruns and the holiday specials.
The popularity of the show continued to grow, though, even as other cartoons from the same time lost popularity. It eventually returned for a fourth season, alongside a movie that debuted in theatres in 1998.
5 One Of The Original Writers Created “Recess”
Paul Germain joined Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo to create the show in the early ’90s, after Arlene Klasky’s own children inspired her in forming show ideas. When he left the Rugrats team, Paul Germain joined Disney and created another cult classic cartoon: Recess.
Recess was a successful Disney cartoon that focused on a group of kids during, well, school recess. It had a completely different vibe to Rugrats, perhaps owing to the manner in which Germain left Nickelodeon.
4 Arlene Klasky Had To Debunk A Dark Fan Theory
A popular, and dark, fan theory for Rugrats is that it all takes place in Angelica’s head. One fan laid out reasons why Angelica would rationalize certain traumatic events in her young life into a Rugrats-like situation.
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However, creator Arlene Klasky put a stop to it. In an interview with Buzzfeed, Klasky said simply “it’s not true” when asked about the theory, after remarking that a lot of people seem to believe it.
3 Klasky-Csupo Animated The Original Simpsons Shorts
The Klasky-Csupo team has a number of notable animations to its name beyond Rugrats, including most of the ’90s and early 2000s lineup on Nickelodeon. They were also originally responsible for the Tracy Ullman Simpsons shorts.
Together, they produced the first three seasons of TheSimpsons, now one of the best-known cartoons of all time. Many credit them as the reason that so many characters are yellow with blue hair.
2 Its Controversial Portrayal Of Judaism
The portrayal of Grandpa Boris throughout Rugrats was sporadic at best. He mostly took center stage in the Passover and Hanukkah specials. After his appearance in a 1998 comic strip, though, the Anti-Defamation League called out Rugrats for its portrayal of Jewish people.
It’s arguable whether Boris’s appearance is stereotypical of Jewish people. Still, some of the shows’ most-watched episodes were the ones focused on holidays, especially the Passover and Hanukkah ones.
1 The Reboot Will Have New Stories & Mostly The Same Voices
Paramount’s 2021 reboot of the show is surprisingly bringing back much of the original cast, as well as all three original showrunners. However, not much of the original adult voice cast will return. A number of new characters are coming to the show as well..
One of the few changes to the show’s original cast is Betty Deville. In the reboot, she the single lesbian mother of Phil and Lil, rather than simply the athletic feminist from the original running of the show.
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