Rugrats (franchise)

Last updated
Rugrats
Created by
Owner Nickelodeon
Years1990–present
Print publications
Book(s)
Comic strip(s) Rugrats (1998–2003)
Films and television
Film(s)
Animated series
Television special(s)
Theatrical presentations
Play(s) Rugrats: A Live Adventure
Games
Video game(s)
* Crossover with The Wild Thornberrys

** Backdoor pilot for All Grown Up!

*** Crossover appearance in a video game

Rugrats is a Nickelodeon media franchise created by Klasky Csupo consisting of television shows, films, video games, and other entries. It commenced in 1991 with the premiere of the television series of the same name. The franchise revolves around the adventures of a group of toddler (tweenage to teenage in All Grown Up! ) friends who learn about the world and their relationship to it.

Contents

Television shows

SeriesSeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
Rugrats (1991) Pilot August 7, 2001 (DVD)
1 25August 11, 1991 (1991-08-11)December 22, 1991 (1991-12-22)
2 51September 13, 1992 (1992-09-13)May 23, 1993 (1993-05-23)
3 51September 26, 1993 (1993-09-26)April 13, 1995 (1995-04-13)
4 28December 4, 1996 (1996-12-04)November 22, 1997 (1997-11-22)
5 37May 29, 1998 (1998-05-29)February 20, 1999 (1999-02-20)
6 52February 27, 1999 (1999-02-27)July 20, 2001 (2001-07-20)
7 36January 15, 2001 (2001-01-15)April 10, 2004 (2004-04-10)
8 23July 21, 2001 (2001-07-21)November 11, 2003 (2003-11-11)
9 24September 21, 2002 (2002-09-21)August 1, 2004 (2004-08-01)
Tales from the Crib 2September 6, 2005 (2005-09-06)September 5, 2006 (2006-09-05)
All Grown Up! Pilot movie July 21, 2001 (2001-07-21)
1 15April 12, 2003 (2003-04-12)August 28, 2004 (2004-08-28)
2 10June 4, 2004 (2004-06-04)February 12, 2005 (2005-02-12)
3 10December 7, 2004 (2004-12-07)July 16, 2005 (2005-07-16)
4 10October 10, 2005 (2005-10-10)November 20, 2007 (2007-11-20)
5 10November 21, 2007 (2007-11-21)August 17, 2008 (2008-08-17)
Rugrats Pre-School Daze 14July 25, 2005 (2005-07-25)July 28, 2005 (2005-07-28)
Rugrats (2021) 1 25May 27, 2021 (2021-05-27)April 15, 2022 (2022-04-15)
2 26April 14, 2023 (2023-04-14)TBA

Rugrats (1991–2004)

All Grown Up! (2003–08)

Rugrats Pre-School Daze (2005)

Rugrats (2021–present)

Theatrical films

The Rugrats Movie (1998)

The story escalates when self-proclaimed leader, Tommy Pickles, is thrust into an impossible situation with the birth of his new brother, Dil. This new kid is grabbing all the attention and won't stop crying. With the help of the other toddlers, Lil and Phil, Tommy decides that the baby should be returned to the hospital for fixing. They all hop on their little wagon and take a high-speed ride straight into the deep woods where they realize they're lost. Chased around by a wolf and monkeys, the Rugrats clan must get home in one piece. This film guest stars David Spade as Ranger Frank, Whoopi Goldberg as Ranger Margret, and Tim Curry as Rex Pester. Meanwhile, Angelica Pickles, Tommy's cousin, sets out to find the babies and hurt them after they accidentally take her Cynthia doll with them.

Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000)

The film focuses on Chuckie Finster as he is on a search for a new mother. In this movie, Tommy's father, Stu, is invited to stay in Paris, France to rebuild a robotic Reptar used in a play. After convincing from Angelica, Stu's child-hating boss, Coco LaBouche, attempts to marry Chuckie's father, Chas, just to become the head of her company, Chuckie and the other Rugrats must stop her from becoming his mother. This film guest stars Susan Sarandon as Coco LaBouche, John Lithgow as Jean-Claude, and Mako Iwamatsu as Mr. Yamaguchi. This is Christine Cavanaugh's final film role before her retirement in 2001 and death in 2014. The film features a Mozart version of the "Rugrats" theme song at the start of the film.

Rugrats Go Wild (2003)

This film is a crossover between the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys . In this film, Stu and Didi Pickles decide to take a special vacation with their children, Tommy and Dil, with their friends coming along for the ride. However, the ship Stu has chartered isn't especially seaworthy, and their party ends up stranded on an uncharted island in the Pacific. The kids figure the day is saved when they discover that famous explorer and television personality Sir Nigel Thornberry is also on the island with his family, but after he gets a world-class knock on the head from a coconut, Nigel's upper intellectual register gets knocked out of commission. The Rugrats are then forced to turn to Nigel's daughter, Eliza, who not only knows the wilds, but can talk to animals, which comes as quite a surprise to Spike, the Pickles' family pooch. In addition to The Wild Thornberrys cast members reprising their roles, this film guest stars Bruce Willis as the voice of Spike, Chrissie Hynde as Siri the clouded leopard, and Ethan Phillips as Toa. This is also the first and only time Nancy Cartwright voiced Chuckie Finster in a film since his original voice actress retired in 2001. During its theatrical release, the film was presented with scratch-and-sniff cards (which are handed out at the box-office) to enhance the film experience. The scratch-and-sniff cards were also included on the home video version of the film. The film was not as successful as its two predecessors.

TV films

Runaway Reptar (1999)

All Growed Up (2001)

Video games

Titles in the series of Rugrats video games
YearTitlePlatform(s)Acquired label(s)
ConsoleComputerHandheld
1998 Rugrats Adventure Game
  • Windows
  • Mac OS X
Rugrats: Search for Reptar
The Rugrats Movie
Rugrats Activity Challenge
  • Windows
1999 Rugrats: Studio Tour
Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt
Rugrats: Time Travelers
Rugrats Mystery Adventures
  • Windows
2000 Rugrats: Totally Angelica
  • Game Boy Color
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie
  • PlayStation
  • Nintendo 64
  • Windows
  • Game Boy Color
2001 All Growed Up
  • Windows
Rugrats: Castle Capers
  • Game Boy Advance
2002 Rugrats: Royal Ransom
Rugrats Munchin Land
  • Windows
Game Boy Advance
Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party
  • Game Boy Advance
2003Rugrats Go Wild
  • Windows
Game Boy Advance
2004 All Grown Up: Express Yourself
  • Game Boy Advance
2005Rugrats: Totally Angelica-Boredom Busters
  • Windows
Rugrats Food Fight
  • Mobile
2024Rugrats: Adventures in GamelandTBAWindows

Live performances

Rugrats: A Live Adventure

Rugrats: A Live Adventure  was a show about Angelica's constant attempts to scare Chuckie. 

Books

Let My Babies Go! A Passover Story (1998)

The Rugrats Files (2000–02)

Comic strip

Rugrats (1998–2003)

From 1998 to 2003, Nick produced a Rugrats comic strip, which was distributed through  Creators Syndicate.

Characters

Themes

Judaism in Rugrats

Related Research Articles

<i>Rugrats</i> 1991–2004 American animated television series

Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series focuses on a group of toddlers, most prominently—Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil and their day-to-day lives, usually involving life experiences that become much greater adventures in the imaginations of the main characters.

<i>All Grown Up!</i> 2003–2008 American animated television series

All Grown Up! is an American animated television series developed by Kate Boutilier, Eryk Casemiro, and Monica Piper for Nickelodeon. It serves as a sequel to Rugrats, and explores the daily lives of protagonist Tommy Pickles, his little brother Dil and his childhood friends, now tweens/adolescents. The concept for the series was based on the Rugrats episode "All Growed Up", which served as the original series' 10th anniversary special and proved successful with audiences.

<i>Rugrats Go Wild</i> 2003 American film directed by Norton Virgien and John Eng

Rugrats Go Wild is a 2003 American animated crossover adventure film based on the Nickelodeon animated television series Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. It is the final installment of both the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys film series and the sequel to both the films Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000) and The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002). The film takes place after the ninth season of Rugrats and the fifth season of The Wild Thornberrys. Christine Cavanaugh, the original voice of Chuckie Finster, was replaced by Nancy Cartwright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Cavanaugh</span> American actress (1963–2014)

Christine Josephine Cavanaugh was an American actress, who had a distinctive speaking style and provided the voice for a large range of cartoon characters. She was the original voice of Chuckie Finster in Nickelodeon's Rugrats and the voices of Gosalyn Mallard in Disney's Darkwing Duck, Bunnie Rabbot from ABC's Sonic the Hedgehog animated series, Oblina in Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and the titular characters of Babe and Cartoon Network's Dexter's Laboratory, respectively.

<i>The Rugrats Movie</i> 1998 American film directed by Igor Kovalyov and Norton Virgien

The Rugrats Movie is a 1998 American animated comedy film based on the Nickelodeon animated television series, Rugrats. It was directed by Igor Kovalyov and Norton Virgien and was written by David N. Weiss & J. David Stem. The film features the voices of E. G. Daily, Tara Charendoff, Christine Cavanaugh, Kath Soucie, Cheryl Chase, Cree Summer, Jack Riley, Melanie Chartoff, Michael Bell and Joe Alaskey, along with guest stars David Spade, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Cho, Busta Rhymes, and Tim Curry. The film takes place between the events of the series' fifth and sixth seasons. The Rugrats Movie is the first feature film based on a Nicktoon and the first installment in the Rugrats film series.

<i>Rugrats in Paris: The Movie</i> 2000 film directed by Stig Bergqvist and Paul Demeyer

Rugrats in Paris: The Movie is a 2000 animated comedy film based on the Nickelodeon animated television series Rugrats. It is the second installment in the Rugrats film series and the sequel to The Rugrats Movie (1998). This film marks the first appearance of Kimi Watanabe and her mother, Kira. The film also marks the appearance of the first significant villains in the Rugrats franchise, the child-hating Coco LaBouche and her accomplice, Jean-Claude. The events of the film take place before the series' seventh season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reptar</span> Fictional character

Reptar is a fictional character from the American animated television series Rugrats. It is a green T. rex with rounded, blue spike-like appendages on its back, which intentionally causes it to resemble and spoof Godzilla. Outside of Rugrats-related films, Reptar appears as a playable character in the Nickelodeon Kart Racers and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl video game series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Pickles</span> Fictional character in the Rugrats franchise

Thomas Malcolm "Tommy" Pickles is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the animated children's television series Rugrats, the reboot, and its spinoff series All Grown Up!. He is also the protagonist of The Rugrats Movie (1998) and Rugrats Go Wild (2003), and a major character in Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000), as well as other various Rugrats-related media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Growed Up</span> 1st and 2nd episodes of the 8th season of Rugrats

"All Growed Up" is a special episode of Rugrats that aired on July 21, 2001 to celebrate the series' tenth anniversary. The special serves as the first two episodes of the eighth season of Rugrats, and the 145th and 146th episodes of the series overall. The episode's premise was to focus on what the babies' lives would be like if they were ten years older. The episode proved to be popular enough for a series based on it to be made.

<i>Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt</i> 1999 video game

Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt is an interactive board video game developed by Realtime Associates for the Nintendo 64. It was published by THQ in 1999. The game is based on the Nickelodeon animated television series Rugrats, which aired on the network from 1991 to 2004. It features the original voices from the Rugrats cast reprising their roles as Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster, and Phil and Lil DeVille as well as supporting characters Grandpa Lou, Didi and Stu Pickles, Reptar, and series antagonist Angelica Pickles.

<i>Rugrats: Royal Ransom</i> 2002 video game

Rugrats: Royal Ransom is an action-adventure game developed by Avalanche Software and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube. The game was released on November 26, 2002, and is based on the Rugrats television series, which aired from 1991 to 2004 on Nickelodeon. The game's plot is loosely based on Rugrats: Castle Capers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reptar on Ice</span> 10th episode of the 2nd season of Rugrats

"Reptar on Ice" is the first segment of the 10th episode of the second season of the animated television series Rugrats and the first segment of the 23rd episode overall. The episode was written by Peter Gaffney and directed by Howard E. Baker. The episode originally aired on the television network Nickelodeon on November 15, 1992. "Reptar on Ice" followed the infant main characters, Tommy, Chuckie, Phil and Lil going to an ice show with their parents that follows the love story of the babies' favorite monster, Reptar. There, the babies attempt to return a lizard to the actor, assuming it is his child.

<i>Rugrats: Studio Tour</i> 1999 video game

Rugrats: Studio Tour is a 1999 PlayStation game based on the Nickelodeon television series Rugrats developed by n-Space and published by THQ.

"Runaway Reptar" is a TV movie initially released as the 18th and 19th episodes of the sixth season of the animated television series Rugrats. It originally aired on the television network Nickelodeon on November 27, 1999. The plot follows the babies watching a Reptar movie and imagining themselves as part of the story. It was directed by John Holmquist and Jim Duffy, and was the first two-part episode in the series.

<i>Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party</i> 2002 video game

Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party is a 2002 Game Boy Advance game based on the Rugrats series developed by Eurocom Entertainment Software and published by THQ. It was also released on a triple pack cartridge bundled with Tak and the Power of Juju and SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge in 2005.

<i>Rugrats</i> (film series) Film series starting in 1998 and concluding in 2003

The Rugrats film series is a series of animated comedy-adventure films based on the popular Nickelodeon animated series, Rugrats, created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain. The three films were released in 1998, 2000, and 2003. The first and third films received mixed reviews, while the second received generally positive reviews. The series also experienced declining commercial success with each film.

"Mother's Day", also known as the "Rugrats Mother's Day Special" or "Rugrats Mother's Day", is the second episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series Rugrats and the show's 67th episode overall. It revolves around the holiday from the perspective of a group of babies—Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster, and Phil and Lil Deville. Tommy, Phil, and Lil attempt to find the perfect mother for Chuckie while sharing their favorite memories about their moms. At the end of the episode, Chuckie's mother is revealed to have died of a terminal illness. It concludes with Chuckie and Chas looking through a box of her belongings, including a poem she had written for her son. Meanwhile, Didi Pickles tries to plan the perfect Mother's Day with her mom Minka, while Betty DeVille helps Stu Pickles with his invention to help mothers.

<i>Rugrats Adventure Game</i> 1998 educational adventure video game

Rugrats Adventure Game is an educational adventure point and click video game based on the Rugrats television series released for Microsoft Windows and Macintosh on September 30, 1998. It was developed and published by Broderbund. The game follows Tommy Pickles and friends Chuckie, Phil, and Lil as they try to rescue Tommy's beloved toy Reptar from being thrown out as garbage. The game incorporates point and click gameplay, with characters and objects appearing in different locations even after the player has visited them once. Angelica, the series' main antagonist, appears in the game to help further the story and ultimately become the game's main villain.

<i>Rugrats</i> (2021 TV series) 2021 reboot of the 1991–2004 US animated series

Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain. It has been described as a reboot of the original TV series of the same name that ran from 1991 to 2004. The series premiered on May 27, 2021, on Paramount+; it is the second Nickelodeon-based series created for the streaming service. As with previous incarnations of the franchise, the series is produced by Klasky Csupo and Nickelodeon Animation Studio.