Rugrats

This article is about the original 1991 TV series. For the franchise, see Rugrats (franchise). For the 2021 TV series, see Rugrats (2021 TV series). For the unrelated 1980s Canadian children's band, see The Rugrats (band). Rugrat is also a slang term for toddler.

Rugrats
The word "Rugrats" and two small underlines in dark blue written in a child's handwriting, with red, yellow, and green dots, a white background and a jagged yellow border.
Genre	Comedy Adventure Slice of life
Created by	Arlene Klasky Gabor Csupo Paul Germain
Voices of	E. G. Daily Christine Cavanaugh Nancy Cartwright Cheryl Chase Tara Strong Kath Soucie Dionne Quan Cree Summer Jack Riley Melanie Chartoff David Doyle Joe Alaskey Michael Bell Tress MacNeille
Theme music composer	Mark Mothersbaugh
Composer(s)	Mark Mothersbaugh Denis M. Hannigan Bob Mothersbaugh Rusty Andrews
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	9
No. of episodes	172 (327 segments) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Arlene Klasky Gabor Csupo Vanessa Coffey (seasons 1–3) Paul Germain (seasons 1–3) Mary Harrington (seasons 1–5)
Producer(s)	Rick Gitelson Cella Nichols Duffy Geraldine Clarke (seasons 2–3) David Blum Kate Boutilier
Editor(s)	Karl Garabedian John Bryant Jerry Klovisky
Running time	23 minutes
Production company(s)	Klasky Csupo Productions Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Release
Original network	Nickelodeon
Picture format	NTSC
Audio format	Surround
Original release	August 11, 1991 (1991-08-11) – August 1, 2004 (2004-08-01)
Chronology
Followed by	All Grown Up!
Related shows	The Wild Thornberrys
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers most prominently—Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins 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.

The series premiered on August 11, 1991, as the second Nicktoon—after Doug and before The Ren & Stimpy Show, with an initial installment of 65 episodes spanning three seasons. Production was then halted in 1993 with the last episode airing on May 22, 1994. From 1995 to 1996, the only new episodes broadcast were "A Rugrats Passover" and "A Rugrats Chanukah", two Jewish-themed episodes that received critical acclaim. During this time, after the end of the show's production run, Rugrats began to receive a boost in ratings and popularity due to constant reruns on Nickelodeon.

In 1996, Klasky Csupo Animation began producing new episodes, and the show's fourth season began in 1997. As a result of the show's popularity, a series of theatrical films were released over the next five years: The Rugrats Movie, which introduced Tommy's younger brother Dil, was released in 1998; Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, which introduced Kimi, Kira, and Fifi, was released in 2000; and Rugrats Go Wild, a crossover film with another Klasky Csupo series, The Wild Thornberrys, was released in 2003. The final TV episode aired on August 1, 2004, bringing the series to a total of 172 episodes over nine seasons. The 13-year run (with the 2-year break) ties Rugrats with King of the Hill as one of the eighth-longest-running American animated television series. The show is Nickelodeon's third longest-running animated series, behind SpongeBob SquarePants and The Fairly OddParents. It is one of the longest-running animated series of all time.

On July 21, 2001, Nickelodeon broadcast the made-for-TV special "All Growed Up" to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the series premiere. The special was a pilot for the Rugrats sequel series All Grown Up!, which aired from 2003 to 2008 as it chronicles the lives of the babies and their parents after they age 10 years. A spin-off series, Rugrats Pre-School Daze, aired four episodes in 2008. Afterward, Nickelodeon decided to focus on the sequel series. Two direct-to-video specials were released in 2005 and 2006 under the title Rugrats: Tales from the Crib. Tie-in media for the series include video games, comics, toys, and various other merchandise.

Rugrats gained over 20 awards during its 13-year run, including four Daytime Emmy Awards, six Kids' Choice Awards, and its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The series became a hit, garnering high ratings, and anchored Nickelodeon as the network's top-rated show from 1995 to 2001. It was Nickelodeon's longest-running cartoon, until SpongeBob SquarePants aired its 173rd episode in 2012.

A reboot of the series executive-produced by the original creative team of Klasky, Csupó and Germain premiered on Paramount+ on May 27, 2021.

Premise

Setting

File:Rugrats setting.jpg

Tommy's house, the primary setting of Rugrats

Many of the adventures the babies find themselves in take place at Tommy's house; the parents usually rely on Didi, Stu, or Grandpa Lou to babysit the kids while they run errands. Their address is revealed on an invoice in "Tommy's First Birthday" (season one, 1991) as 1258 N. Highland, the original address of Klasky Csupo in Los Angeles. However, an unnamed specific city or state is never mentioned in the show. Several indicators, such as a state flag at a post office, license plate designs on the vehicles, and various trips to the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and the beach, place the characters somewhere in southern California. The location is also hinted at during "Little Dude" (season one, 1991) when Didi, who is a teacher, takes Tommy to her class at Eucaipah High School, referencing the city of Yucaipa, California. It has been implied that this ambiguity was done intentionally to help give the impression of seeing the world through the eyes of the babies, who would not understand the concept of location. The DeVilles live next door to the Pickles and, early in the series, the Carmichaels move in across the street.

Characters

Main article: List of Rugrats characters

File:Rugrats cast.png

Rugrats sports a vast array of secondary and tertiary characters.

The series focuses on the experiences of a courageous, adventurous one-year-old baby named Tommy Pickles and his group of playmates – several other infants and toddlers, some of whom debuted later in the series. Chuckie, Tommy's bespectacled, red-headed, insecure, cowardly two-year-old best friend; the twins Phil and Lil, noted for their revolting eccentricities and love of digging for and eating insects and earthworms; Tommy's baby brother Dil (who was born in The Rugrats Movie); Angelica, Tommy and Dil's outrageously spoiled and selfish three-year-old cousin who is a "rival" of his friends and the main antagonist of the program; Kimi, Chuckie's adventurous, playful stepsister (introduced in Rugrats in Paris) (later just his sister after adoption); and Susie, a good-hearted neighbor of the Pickles family, Angelica's schoolmate, friend, and "rival", who is better liked by the younger children and far more reliable than Angelica.

The other characters depicted in Rugrats include the babies' parents, who are portrayed as often being easily distracted, leaving their young children free to emancipate themselves from such restraints as playpens or strollers and venture out to explore. Such adult figures include Didi and Stu Pickles, Tommy and Dil's mother and father. Didi is a sweet, educated and loving mother who decides to return to college in one episode. Stu is an often-feckless toy inventor whose designs have been known to either fail or break. Other parents include Chas Finster, Chuckie's stereotypically nerdy and mild-mannered father, a widower who later remarries; Kira, Chuckie's sweet-natured, kind and understanding stepmother (later just his mother after adoption) whom Chas marries in Rugrats in Paris; Drew Pickles, Angelica's indulgent and doting father who pampers his daughter to a ridiculous degree; Charlotte Pickles, Angelica's workaholic mother who overindulges her daughter equally if often seen talking on her cell phone with an employee of hers named Jonathan, although neither of them afraid to put their foot down when they feel she is getting out of line; Betty DeVille, Phil and Lil's kind but boisterous feminist mother; and Howard DeVille, the twins' mild-mannered and soft-spoken father.

Susie's parents and elder siblings also make appearances in some episodes, and another major adult character includes Lou Pickles, Drew and Stu's father and Tommy, Angelica, and Dil's grandfather; an elderly widower who later remarries with an active woman named Lulu. Didi's parents, Jewish immigrants named Boris and Minka, also appear numerous times and serve as important characters and are often seen bickering. Rugrats also has animal characters, including the Pickles family dog, Spike, and Angelica's pet cat Fluffy. Spike played important roles, but most importantly was always ready to rescue Tommy when he was in danger.

In the series, babies talk to each other whenever adults are either not around, or are not paying attention. The babies have a limited understanding of the world. Toddlers Angelica and Susie talk to the babies as well but can also communicate with adults, as they act as a bridge between the two worlds, though they never outright reveal to the adults that they can comprehend complex messages from the babies. Very young newborns, such as Tommy's little brother, cannot yet communicate, although Dil has a limited vocabulary consisting of the words "poopy" and "mine". The older babies, such as Tommy and Chuckie, are able to interpret what Dil is trying to communicate although, due to their own age, it is difficult. When the older babies do figure out what Dil wants or needs, it usually involves changing his diaper or giving him an object – to play with or just to experience the joy of holding it.

Episodes

Main article: List of Rugrats episodes

The following is a list of episodes from the American animated series Rugrats. The show first aired on August 11, 1991. The first three seasons aired between 1991 and 1994. The series returned with two Jewish holiday specials in May 1995 and December 1996. From 1997 to 2003, the series resumed airing regular episodes. Rugrats and Nickelodeon aired the Tenth Anniversary special All Growed Up on August 11, 2001, recognizing the day the series officially began as one of the original three Nicktoons. Rugrats ended on June 8, 2003. As of December 2011, Rugrats reruns air sporadically on TeenNick's program block The '90s Are All That. A total of 172 episodes, three films, and two direct-to-DVD specials had been released as of September 9, 2006.

Note: These episodes are listed in the order released on television and are not in the same order as they are presented by the series DVDs.

Series overview

<onlyinclude>{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center; width=100%;" |- ! scope="col" style="padding:0 8px;" colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Season ! scope="col" style="padding:0 8px;" rowspan="2"| Episodes ! scope="col" style="padding:0 80px;" colspan="2"| Originally aired |- ! scope="col" | First aired ! scope="col" | Last aired |- | scope="row" style="background:#FF5F5F" height="10px"| | 1 | 13 | 1990 (1990) | May 24, 1992 (1992-05-24) |- | scope="row" style="background:#FF7F00" height="10px"| | 2 | 26 | September 6, 1992 (1992-09-06) | May 9, 1993 (1993-05-09) |- | scope="row" style="background:#FFFF00" height="10px"| | 3 | 26 | September 26, 1993 (1993-09-26) | April 13, 1995 (1995-04-13) |- | scope="row" style="background:#00FF00" height="10px"| | 4 | 17 | December 4, 1996 (1996-12-04) | November 22, 1997 (1997-11-22) |- | scope="row" style="background:#0000FF" height="10px"| | 5 | 12 | November 29, 1997 (1997-11-29) | September 21, 1998 (1998-09-21) |- | scope="row" style="background:#800080" height="10px"| | 6 | 36 | November 18, 1998 (1998-11-18) | November 7, 2000 (2000-11-07) |- | scope="row" style="background:#FFC0CB" height="10px"| | 7 | 14 | January 15, 2001 (2001-01-15) | December 11, 2001 (2001-12-11) |- | scope="row" style="background:#F857BA" height="10px"| | 8 | 14 | July 21, 2001 (2001-07-21) | January 10, 2003 (2003-01-10) |- | scope="row" style="background:#8A4500" height="10px"| | 9 | 14 | September 28, 2002 (2002-09-28) | June 8, 2003 (2003-06-08) |}

Episodes

Pilot episode / Season 1 (1990–92)

No. in series	No. in season	Title(s)	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
0	0	"Tommy Pickles and The Great White Thing"	Peter Chung	Ben Herndon and Paul Germain	1990 (1990)	100
After seeing his grandpa go into the bathroom so many times, Tommy wants to go in to see what the "great white thing" (toilet) was, creating a mess when he investigates it. Note: Tami Hollbrook voices Tommy in this episode.
1	1	"Tommy's First Birthday"	Howard E. Baker	Craig Bartlett and Paul Germain	August 11, 1991 (1991-08-11)	101
Stu and Didi strive to make Tommy's first birthday a memorable one. They do, but under the wrong circumstances. Meanwhile, Tommy wants to eat dog food so he can be just like Spike, eventually selling the other Rugrats on the idea.
2	2	"Barbecue Story / Waiter, There's a Baby in My Soup"	Norton Virgien	Barbecue Story: Steve Viksten and Joe Ansolabehere Waiter, There's a Baby in My Soup: Craig Bartlett and Paul Germain	August 18, 1991 (1991-08-18)	102
Tommy has received his most favorite toy in the whole wide world – a ball. Angelica, who is always looking to spoil the babies' fun, takes the ball and tosses it into the next yard, resulting in the babies risking life and limb looking for it. Stu and Didi end up taking Tommy to an important dinner at Chez Ennui with Mr. Mucklehoney (president of Mucklehoney Industries, a toy company), since Tiffany the babysitter (via telephone) and Grandpa have other plans (the babysitter's OTHER goldfish died and Grandpa was going bowling with a friend of his, Louise). Tommy, however, has plans of his own.
3	3	"At the Movies / Slumber Party"	Dan Thompson	At the Movies: Craig Bartlett and Paul Germain Slumber Party: Jeffery Townsend	August 25, 1991 (1991-08-25)	103
Tommy wants to see Reptar, but his parents take him and the other Rugrats, to the Westside Octoplex to see The Land Without Smiles, starring the Dummi Bears, instead. The Rugrats leave the Dummi Bears to go look for Reptar (showing at the same theater), leaving a path of destruction behind them. Angelica stays over with Tommy, but her desire for an open window leaves Tommy feeling ill and hallucinating, which eventually leads to his vomiting on her.
4	4	"Baby Commercial / Little Dude"	Howard E. Baker	Baby Commercial: Steve Viksten and Joe Ansolabehere Little Dude: M.S. Freeman	September 8, 1991 (1991-09-08)	104
Phil and Lil make a brief appearance in a diaper commercial, and they tell Tommy about it, as well as the mayhem they cause in the process. --- Didi takes Tommy to her workplace, a local high school, for use as a visual aid in Home Economics. Three of her students ask to watch Tommy while Didi's on her lunch break, but when they accidentally lose him, he starts wandering around the campus, causing trouble as he does.
5	5	"Beauty Contest / Baseball"	Norton Virgien	Beauty Contest: Everett Peck From a story by: Arlene Klasky Baseball: M.S. Freeman	September 15, 1991 (1991-09-15)	105
Having desire for the Kingfisher 9000 (a top-of-the-line sports boat), Stu and Grandpa enter Tommy into a beauty contest by placing him in girl's clothes and a wig, naming him "Tonya". Their main competitor is Angelica, who complicates the competition. Using tickets Grandpa won in a radio contest, Stu and Grandpa take Tommy to the Grizzlies' baseball game, where they play the Boston Bombers. Tommy, however, is more interested in catching his balloon than the ball game. As the episode progresses, Tommy's balloon hunt eventually helps make a spectacular catch for Grizzlies player Bucky Majors.
6	6	"Ruthless Tommy / Moose Country"	Dan Thompson	Ruthless Tommy: Ron Birnbach Moose Country: Jeffery Townsend	October 6, 1991 (1991-10-06)	106
Being mistaken for the son of millionaire Ronald Thump, Tommy is kidnapped by some thugs, Bob and Mike. The thieves soon find that kidnapping Tommy is more trouble that they thought it would be. After hearing Grandpa's mythical story about a moose, the Rugrats go look for one in the backyard.
7	7	"Grandpa's Teeth / Momma Trauma"	Howard E. Baker	Grandpa's Teeth: Ben Herndon and Margot Pipkin Momma Trauma: Steve Viksten and Joe Ansolabehere	November 17, 1991 (1991-11-17)	107
At a picnic, Grandpa is warned to keep his dentures in his mouth. However, he removes them anyway, and Spike steals his teeth while he's busy with the food. Tommy and Chuckie try to get the teeth back, because the war veterans are having a concert at the picnic, and Grandpa needs his teeth in order to play the trumpet properly. When Tommy draws on the walls, Didi insists on taking him to a therapist. While there, he sneaks away and goes for an adventure around the office building, while Stu ends up being psychoanalyzed.
8	8	"Real or Robots? / Special Delivery"	Norton Virgien	Real or Robots: Steve Viksten and Joe Ansolabehere Special Delivery: Patric Verrone and Maiya Williams	December 1, 1991 (1991-12-01)	108
After seeing a Frankenstein-type horror flick, Tommy and Chuckie want to see if Stu is a human or a robot. Stu, however, has a recurring sleepwalking dream, in which he is the host of a cooking show. Stu orders a doll from his competitor Eggbert Toys, called "Tina Trousers", and Angelica tells him the doll is his baby sister arriving in the mail. Believing this, Tommy sneaks out with the mailman to the post office, causing trouble as he does.
9	9	"Candy Bar Creepshow / Monster in the Garage"	Candy Bar Creepshow: Howard E. Baker Monster in the Garage: Dan Thompson	Candy Bar Creepshow: Tom Abrams and David Howard Monster in the Garage: Peter Gaffney	January 5, 1992 (1992-01-05)	109
The Pickles set up a haunted house for the neighborhood children on Halloween. As treats, they pass out "Reptar Bars", which contain "chocolate, and nuts, and caramel, and green stuff". The Rugrats go to the haunted house to search for them, eventually scaring Angelica and Grandpa as well. A rat goes around knocking stuff off of the shelves in the garage and Stu places the blame on Spike. The Rugrats set out to prove Spike's innocence; after hearing Boris' story about the "dibbick" fighting off the monster with his "klobbermeister", the Rugrats go into the garage in search for this "monster".
10	10	"Weaning Tommy / Incident in Aisle Seven"	Weaning Tommy: Howard E. Baker Incident in Aisle Seven: Dan Thompson	Weaning Tommy: Ann Hamilton Incident in Aisle Seven: Lou Greenstein and Larry Loebell	February 16, 1992 (1992-02-16)	110
On advice from Dr. Homer, Tommy's dentist, Stu and Didi take Tommy's bottles away from him and try to coax him into drinking from a cup. Tommy, however, wants to stick to his bottle. Grandpa takes Tommy to the supermarket where Tommy makes a huge mess while looking for the new Reptar cereal.
11	11	"Touchdown Tommy / The Trial"	Norton Virgien	Touchdown Tommy: Tom Abrams and David Howard The Trial: Paul Germain	March 29, 1992 (1992-03-29)	111
While Didi and Betty go shopping, Stu and the guys babysit the Rugrats while watching the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Oilers compete in the "Ultra Bowl XXXVII" on TV. Later, Grandpa gives Tommy a bottle of chocolate milk; Angelica, who normally thinks that she's too old for baby bottles, fights Tommy over it, which sends the Rugrats into their own football game over the bottle. Someone broke "Mr. Fluffles," Tommy's clown lamp, and Angelica wants to find out who, so the Rugrats hold a mock trial. The trial ends up revealing that Angelica was the one who broke the lamp, and she ends up in the high chair as a punishment. Note: This is the first appearance of Tommy's theme cry effect and Angelica's villain side.
12	12	"Fluffy vs. Spike / Reptar's Revenge"	Dan Thompson	Fluffy vs. Spike: Steve Viksten and Joe Ansolabehere Reptar's Revenge: Peter Gaffney	April 12, 1992 (1992-04-12)	112
Angelica brings Fluffy, her pet cat, to Tommy's house. Fluffy ends up making a mess of things, but Angelica blames Fluffy's crimes on Spike, so the Rugrats attempt to prove him innocent. The Rugrats go looking for Reptar at the Sleazola Bros. fair. This Reptar, however, is a cereal addict named Leo.
13	13	"Graham Canyon / Stu-Maker's Elves"	Craig Bartlett	Graham Canyon: Craig Bartlett Stu-Maker's Elves: Steve Viksten and Joe Ansolabehere	May 24, 1992 (1992-05-24)	113
The Pickles experience car trouble en route to the Grand Canyon. Eddie and Ace, a couple of crooked auto mechanics working at "Twin Cactus Auto Repair", try to make a simple, cheap thing more expensive, but Angelica and Tommy inadvertently stop them from further damage while playing in a "canyon" of tires. Stu has received an order from Mucklehoney Industries for 15,000 "Patty Pants" dolls. However, he is having trouble with the machine, but Tommy and Chuckie accidentally fix it while fetching the "Zippo-Glider", which Chuckie accidentally tossed into the basement.

Season 2 (1992–93)

No. in series	No. in season	Title(s)	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
14	1	"Toy Palace / Sand Ho!"	Toy Palace:Dan Thompson Sand Ho!: Howard E. Baker and Jim Duffy	Peter Gaffney	September 6, 1992 (1992-09-06)	201
After wandering away from their fathers, Tommy and Chuckie unwittingly end up playing around in a closed toy store, which they never want to exit. However, they become terrified of an electronic gorilla toy and try to get a giant Reptar toy to help them. Intrigued by Grandpa's pirate story, the Rugrats play pirates themselves.
15	2	"Chuckie vs. the Potty / Together at Last"	Chuckie vs the Potty:Norton Virgien Together at Last: Steven Dean Moore	Chuckie vs the Potty: Joe Ansolabehere Together at Last: Johnathan Greenberg	September 13, 1992 (1992-09-13)	202
Chuckie has a difficult decision to make: spend the rest of his life in diapers, or learn to use the potty. A dream has his friends forcing him on the toilet, which inspires him to use the potty for the first time. Phil and Lil try to spend the day apart, but fail to face life separately.
16	3	"The Big House / The Shot"	The Big House: Jim Duffy The Shot: Dan Thompson	The Big House: Paul Germain The Shot: Joe Ansolabehere	September 20, 1992 (1992-09-20)	203
While Didi is running some errands, she leaves Tommy at a maximum-security day care center. Desperate for freedom, Tommy contemplates escaping with help from the other babies there. Tommy is due to get a booster shot, but soon worries about the shot after hearing horror stories.
17	4	"Showdown at Teeter-Totter Gulch / Mirrorland"	Showdown at Teeter-Totter Gulch: Steven Dean Moore Mirrorland:Norton Virgien	Showdown at Teeter-Totter Gulch: Glen Eichler Mirrorland: Michael Ferris	September 27, 1992 (1992-09-27)	204
Tommy and Chuckie match wits with Prudence, a.k.a. "The Junk Food Kid", the local playground bully at a wild west playground. Chuckie and Tommy go through a mirror to see "Mirrorland", where "everything is the same, only different." However, they weren't really in Mirrorland, but thought that they were. Meanwhile, Didi and Grandpa examine various antiques that Didi purchased at "Cold n' Oldies", an antique store that doubles as a frozen yogurt shop. One of these "antiques" included a mirror, which Tommy and Chuckie used to go to Mirrorland.
18	5	"Angelica's in Love / Ice Cream Mountain"	Angelica's in Love: Jim Duffy Ice Cream Mountain: Dan Thompson	Angelica's in Love: Paul Germain Ice Cream Mountain: Chip Johannessen	October 4, 1992 (1992-10-04)	205
Angelica falls in love with Dean, a biker-type kid who is explained as "a 4-year old's dream on a 5-year old's bike". However, her heart becomes broken when he pledges his love to someone else: his mother. Stu and Drew intend to take the Rugrats out for ice cream, but when they pass "Fun Land", a miniature golf course, they decide to stop to play a round of golf. While there, the Rugrats play through to "Ice Cream Mountain", a gargantuan sundae, made of plastic. At "Ice Cream Mountain," anyone who makes a hole-in-one gets a free game. However, Earl Skaggs, the owner, rigged it so no-one would get a hole-in-one, but the Rugrats prove him otherwise.
19	6	"Regarding Stuie / Garage Sale"	Regarding Stuie: Norton Virgien Garage Sale: Steven Dean Moore	Regarding Stuie: Guy Maxtone-Graham Garage Sale:Steve Viksten	October 11, 1992 (1992-10-11)	206
Stu falls down from the roof while attempting to install his new "Quack-O-Matic" weather vane (in a style of a duck, it gives the forecast, tells the time and temperature in other cities, and predicts natural disasters, but doesn't give the wind direction). Suffering from a strange amnesia, Stu reverts to his childhood and becomes one of the Rugrats (he can even understand them). The babies have fun with him, but Tommy starts to miss his father. When attempts to make Stu act like an adult don't go as planned, they convince him to go back on the roof with the duck and Stu finally regained his memories and returns to normal. To make room for some new stuff (including Stu's new stereo), the Pickles sell their unwanted goods at their garage sale. However, thanks to the babies, they end up selling everything in the house.
20	7	"Let There Be Light / The Bank Trick"	Dan Thompson Jim Duffy	Pam Wick Earl Klasky and Gary Gurner	October 18, 1992 (1992-10-18)	207
While working on the anti-gravity playpen (his latest invention), Stu blacks out the neighborhood; the Rugrats look for the light in the most logical place: the fridge. After ruining Grandpa's chess game (being played by mail), Didi takes Tommy and Chuckie on her errands. While at the bank, Tommy and Chuckie wander around, looking for the M&M machine (the automated teller machine (ATM)), while inadvertently foiling a bank robbery by two crooks posing as bank examiners.
21	8	"Family Reunion / Grandpa's Date"	Steven Dean Moore Norton Virgien	Peter Gaffney Steve Viksten and Joe Ansolabehere	October 25, 1992 (1992-10-25)	208
The Pickles family reunion is held in Iowa, hosted by Hugh Pickles and his wife, Dotti. While there, Angelica tells Tommy and the other babies that reunions are swap meets for babies, with the babies being swapped to different parents. After 40 years, Grandpa's long, lost girlfriend named Morgana pays a visit to him. Lou, not wanting Morgana to know that he's a grandpa, rushes Tommy and Chuckie to bed early. Naturally, the babies try to figure out why, and end up causing trouble with Stu's mechanical couch. The end has Morgana find out about the babies and she is delighted that Lou is a grandfather.
22	9	"No Bones About It / Beach Blanket Babies"	Dan Thompson Jim Duffy	David Benavente and Michael J. Benavente Mark Trafficante and James Grant Goldin	November 1, 1992 (1992-11-01)	209
Grandpa takes the Rugrats to the natural history museum. Later, the Rugrats dismantle it while looking for a bone for Spike. While doing so, Grandpa locks horns with security chief Sally Payson, while rushing around the museum looking for the Rugrats. The Pickles and the Finsters go to the beach. Chuckie has a personal mission, which is to set free the "Sea Moneys" (Sea Monkeys) that his dad gave him.
23	10	"Reptar on Ice / Family Feud"	Howard E. Baker Norton Virgien	Peter Gaffney Michael Ferris	November 8, 1992 (1992-11-08)	210
After finding a lizard, which the Rugrats think was "Reptar's Baby", they try to present it to him at "Reptar on Ice", an "Ice Capades"–type show. The problem is that the actor playing Reptar is afraid of lizards—and isn't too fond of children, either. After a game of charades between the Pickles and the Devilles ends up causing a huge argument, the Pickles and DeVille families abuse each other, stop being friends with each other and start waging war. While Chas is in the crossfire, having to return everything the neighbors borrowed from each other as well as listening to their constant bickering, Tommy tries to find out why he's allowed to play with Phil and Lil anymore. Chas, now fed up with his friends' behaviors, calls them back to their senses when he learns the babies had left them.
24	11	"Superhero Chuckie / The Dog Broomer"	Dan Thompson Jim Duffy	Douglas Petrie Gary Glassberg	November 15, 1992 (1992-11-15)	211
Chuckie thinks that he is really a superhero after seeing a taping of "Captain Blasto" (voiced by Adam West). The babies try to protect Spike from a dog groomer.
25	12	"Aunt Miriam / The Inside Story"	Howard E. Baker Norton Virgien	Peter Gaffney Holly Huckins	November 22, 1992 (1992-11-22)	212
Visiting Aunt Miriam (Andrea Martin) is mistaken for an evil alien by Tommy and Chuckie. After Chuckie swallows a watermelon seed, the babies are forced to shrink down with a laser beam and enter his body to retrieve it after Angelica tells them it will grow inside his stomach and explode. However, it turns out that the entire journey was a dream, and that the babies never shrunk down. Note: This episode marks the first appearance of Aunt Miriam.
26	13	"A Visit from Lipschitz / What the Big People Do"	Jim Duffy Dan Thompson	Johnathan Greenberg Patricia Marx	November 29, 1992 (1992-11-29)	213
Dr. Lipschitz, the famous child psychologist whose advice Didi always follows, visits the Pickles, but isn't prepared for an encounter with the babies. Tommy and Chuckie imagine their lives as adults, but realize later that it's better to be young.
27	14	"The Santa Experience"	Charles Swenson	Joe Ansolabehere Peter Gaffney Paul Germain Johnathan Greenberg	December 6, 1992 (1992-12-06)	214
After a traumatic Santa visit in the mall, the babies' parents rent a cabin in the mountains to spend Christmas in. Meanwhile, Chuckie is scared of Santa and wants to stop him from coming, while Angelica tries to right a wrong involving Phil and Lil's toys and presents. Note: This episode marks the first appearance of Charlotte Pickles, who was voiced by Tress MacNeille. This is the first Rugrats Christmas special. This is the only episode that features the Christmas opening theme.
28	15	"Visitors from Outer Space / The Case of the Missing Rugrat"	Dan Thompson and Raymie Muzquiz Howard E. Baker	Paul Germain Peter Gaffney	December 13, 1992 (1992-12-13)	215
Tommy dreams that he and the other Rugrats are captured by aliens. Angelica steals a planet-atomizing remote from Stuvon (Stu as an alien) and escapes with help from a talking fish. Meanwhile, the babies wander into the control room and play with the controls, thinking that they're toys for them to play with. Grandpa uses his skills from working as a detective in the 1930s to look for Tommy after he winds up at the home of two eccentric sisters.
29	16	"Chuckie Loses His Glasses / Chuckie Gets Skunked"	Norton Virgien Jim Duffy and Pete Michels	Rachel Lipman Peter Gaffney	December 30, 1992 (1992-12-30)	216
Chuckie's eyeglasses disappear during a game of hide-and-seek, and he has trouble finding his friends without them. A skunk sprays Chuckie, and both the grown-ups and babies try to do something about the terrible smell.
30	17	"Rebel Without a Teddy Bear / Angelica the Magnificent"	Dan Thompson Igor Kovalyov	Johnathan Greenberg Michael Ferris	January 3, 1993 (1993-01-03)	217
Angelica helps Tommy "go bad" after Didi confiscates his favorite stuffed animal. Stu abuses Didi and Tommy. Angelica experiments with magic, and Lil goes missing in the process. This leads to the belief that Angelica made Lil disappear.
31	18	"Meet the Carmichaels / The Box"	Co-directed by: Jim Duffy and Rick Bugental Norton Virgien and Jeff McGrath	Steve Viksten and Joe Ansolabehere Michael Ferris	January 10, 1993 (1993-01-10)	218
New neighbors move in across the street from the Pickles, where Tommy helps the youngest member of the family, Susie (Cree Summer), find her room. Stu buys a self-assembly theme-park toy for Tommy, but finds it too complicated to build. Meanwhile, the babies quickly find something even more fun: the box that the toy came in. Note: This episode marks the first appearances of Susie Carmichael, Randy Carmichael, Lucy Carmichael, Alisa Carmichael, Buster Carmichael, and Edwin Carmichael.
32	19	"Down the Drain / Let Them Eat Cake"	Dan Thompson Steven Dean Moore	Joe Ansolabhere Steve Viksten	February 7, 1993 (1993-02-07)	219
Tommy and Chuckie are afraid of being sucked down the drain, so they clog it up to keep that from happening. The gang attends a relative's wedding, where Tommy and Chuckie seek cake.
33	20	"The Seven Voyages of Cynthia / My Friend Barney"	Norton Virgien Co-directed by:Jim Duffy and Steve Socki	Craig Bartlett Peter Gaffney and Paul Germain	March 14, 1993 (1993-03-14)	220
Tommy and Chuckie accidentally lose Angelica's favorite doll, Cynthia, while Stu and Drew wash Drew's boat. While Angelica holds a funeral for Cynthia, Spike manages to find the doll. Chuckie has an imaginary friend.
34	21	"Feeding Hubert / Spike the Wonder Dog"	Dan Thompson Igor Kovalyov	Jeffery Townsend Steve Viksten	March 21, 1993 (1993-03-21)	221
The babies mistake a garbage truck for a monster that eats trash. After the babies see a commercial for a talking dog toy, they come to the unbelievable conclusion that Spike can talk. Angelica fools them by putting a microphone in Spike's collar, making them think that the dog can talk, even though he can't.
35	22	"The Slide / The Big Flush"	Norton Virgien Jim Duffy	Joe Ansolabehere Lisa Latham	March 28, 1993 (1993-03-28)	222
Chuckie is afraid to go down the playground slide after accidentally using a giant slide at a pizza place. After Angelica intimidates him, the babies consult Susie, and she trains Chuckie to be "the bestest slider in the whole wide park". The babies mistake a swimming pool for a giant potty.
36	23	"King Ten Pin / Runaway Angelica"	Dan Thompson Steven Dean Moore	Doria Biddle Steve Viksten	April 4, 1993 (1993-04-04)	223
Grandpa competes in a bowling tournament, where Tommy and the others try to help Grandpa win. Angelica runs away from home after an argument with her father. She later realizes her mistake when it starts raining and she has to live inside of Spike's doghouse.
37	24	"Game Show Didi / Toys in the Attic"	Jim Duffy Norton Virgien	Andy Houts Carroll Mine	April 11, 1993 (1993-04-11)	224
Didi appears on a TV game show, guest-starring Alex Trebek and Charles Nelson Reilly. Tommy and Angelica discover toys and some family history in Tommy's grandparents' attic.
38	25	"Driving Miss Angelica / Susie vs. Angelica"	Dan Thompson and Raymie Muzquiz Igor Kovalyov	Johnathan Greenberg Joe Ansolabehere	May 2, 1993 (1993-05-02)	225
After Angelica saves Chuckie's life, he becomes her personal slave. Susie and Angelica compete to see who is the best.
39	26	"Tooth or Dare / Party Animals"	Norton Virgien Jim Duffy	Paul Germain and Johnathan Greenberg Holly Huckins	May 9, 1993 (1993-05-09)	226
Angelica schemes to steal Chuckie's teeth in order to get money from the tooth fairy. The grown-ups throw a costume party, and the babies think that everybody's costumes are real, including a man dressed as a baby, after they rub their lamp.

Season 3 (1993–95)

No. in series	No. in season	Title(s)	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
40	1	"Dummi Bear Dinner Disaster / Twins' Pique"	Jim Duffy Norton Virgien	Rachel Lipman Paul Germain	September 26, 1993 (1993-09-26)	301
The babies scheme to ruin a dinner party, as Susie fears she might have to move. Phil and Lil want to be different, causing the twins to become exaggerated versions of Chuckie and Angelica.
41	2	"Chuckie's First Haircut / Cool Hand Angelica"	Howard E. Baker Jim Duffy	Peter Gaffney and Johnathan Greenberg R.E. Daniels (idea) Peter Gaffney	October 3, 1993 (1993-10-03)	302
Chuckie is afraid to get a haircut. Angelica attends Susie's day camp, where she struggles to fit in.
42	3	"The Tricycle Thief / Rhinoceritis"	Norton Virgien Jim Duffy	Glenn Eichler Doria Biddle	October 10, 1993 (1993-10-10)	303
The babies think that Angelica stole Susie's brand new tricycle. Angelica tells Chuckie that he is turning into a rhinoceros when she pretends to be a doctor while Drew helps Stu with taxes.
43	4	"Grandpa Moves Out / The Legend of Satchmo"	Howard E. Baker Jim Duffy	Johnathan Greenberg Matt Uitz	October 17, 1993 (1993-10-17)	304
Grandpa moves into a retirement home after feuding with Stu and Didi. During a visit to said retirement home, Tommy and Angelica cause trouble trying to get Grandpa back. The babies go camping in the backyard, and things turn bad at night when they fear that a "Satchmo" will capture them.
44	5	"Circus Angelicus / The Stork"	Jim Duffy Co-directed by: Norton Virgien and Jeff McGrath	Larry Doyle Deborah Razinck and Daniel Benton	October 24, 1993 (1993-10-24)	305
Angelica and the babies stage a circus after they are forced to leave one due to Chuckie's fear of clowns. Tommy thinks that he is getting a new baby brother, and tries to protect it.
45	6	"The Baby Vanishes / Farewell, My Friend"	Howard E. Baker Jim Duffy	Rachel Lipman Samuel S. Williams	October 31, 1993 (1993-10-31)	306
Angelica uses vanishing cream to try to steal desserts while Drew tries to deal with Angelica's misbehavior, along with other adults who pretend to not notice her. Tommy and Chuckie depart ways on their views of adventuring.
46	7	"When Wishes Come True / Angelica Breaks a Leg"	Norton Virgien Jim Duffy	Joe Ansolabehere Steve Viksten Ideas by: Samuel S. Williams and Lisa Latham	November 7, 1993 (1993-11-07)	307
The babies think that Angelica has turned into stone after a bad wish. Actually, it was a statue of Angelica—and Drew's anniversary gift to Charlotte. While staying at Stu and Didi for a week, Angelica fakes a broken leg to get more attention. She has a great time using a buzzer (which Stu set up) to get attention at all times, stressing out her aunt and uncle in the process.
47	8	"The Last Babysitter / Sour Pickles"	Howard E. Baker Jim Duffy	Peter Gaffney Scott Schnied and Tony Michelman	November 14, 1993 (1993-11-14)	308
Susie's older sister, Alisa, babysits for her younger siblings and Tommy, but things go awry when a "monster" appears. Grandpa recalls a turning point in the childhood of Stu and Drew, when Angelica gets a kaleidoscope.
48	9	"Reptar 2010 / Stu Gets a Job"	Norton Virgien Jim Duffy	Paul Germain and Peter Gaffney Michael Kramer	November 21, 1993 (1993-11-21)	309
The babies supply their own ending to a movie when the tape breaks. After Stu fails to make a perfect toy, he gets a job and is less available to Tommy than usual. Tommy tries to prevent his dad from going to work, and Stu believes that what Tommy is doing is actually what Drew is doing. The title of the first episode is the same title of the level in Rugrats: Search for Reptar.
49	10	"Give & Take / The Gold Rush"	Howard E. Baker Jim Duffy	Rachel Lipman Doria Biddle	November 28, 1993 (1993-11-28)	310
Tommy plays with an inflatable clown that Stu made for him, but accidentally gives it to Chuckie, who has a great time with it. Only when Angelica points out his fear of clowns does Chuckie realize his mistake. The babies turn "money hungry" after finding a nickel on the playground. Everyone searches for nickels, but throw away other "junk" like $100 bills and jeweled rings.
50	11	"Home Movies / The Mysterious Mr. Friend"	Norton Virgien Jim Duffy	Joe Ansolabehere Michael Ferris Home Movies idea by: Norton Virgien	December 5, 1993 (1993-12-05)	311
After being bored by Stu's home movies, the babies make "films" about their lives. The home movies are drawn up by the writers' children in this episode. Stu's new toy frightens the babies, and attempts to get rid of it only makes things worse.
51	12	"Cuffed! / The Blizzard"	Jim Duffy Howard E. Baker	Steve Viksten Samuel S. Williams	December 12, 1993 (1993-12-12)	312
Angelica accidentally handcuffs herself to Chuckie with a gift that is being sent to charity, and things get worse when she loses the key. A snowstorm comes to the neighborhood, and the babies imagine they are sledding to the North Pole. Note: This is the first of three episodes that do not feature Tommy, he is absent in "Cuffed!".
52	13	"Destination: Moon / Angelica's Birthday"	Norton Virgien Jim Duffy	Michael Ferris Andy Houts	December 19, 1993 (1993-12-19)	313
The babies pretend that Grandpa's new trailer is a spaceship, and go to the Moon to find Chuckie's toy. On the day of her birthday party, Angelica wants to be a baby to avoid having responsibilities of getting older.
53	14	"Princess Angelica / The Odd Couple"	Jim Duffy Howard E. Baker	Rachel Lipman Johnathan Greenberg	December 26, 1993 (1993-12-26)	314
Angelica thinks that she is royalty when she overhears her parents, and schemes to go to her "castle". Tommy stays at Chuckie's house for the weekend, and both of them learn that "you don't really know someone until you live with them".
54	15	"Naked Tommy / Tommy and the Secret Club"	Norton Virgien Jim Duffy	Larry Doyle Barbara Slade	January 2, 1994 (1994-01-02)	315
Tommy wants to shed his clothes to be like his dog, Spike, so he tries out naturism. The other Rugrats join in, with the exception of Chuckie. Stu attempts to keep Tommy's clothes on. Angelica forces the babies to compete to see who gets to be in her club.
55	16	"Under Chuckie's Bed / Chuckie is Rich"	Co-directed by: Howard E. Baker and Steve Socki Jim Duffy	Joe Ansolabehere Peter Gaffney	January 9, 1994 (1994-01-09)	316
Chuckie thinks that there are monsters living underneath his new "big boy" bed, but the other Rugrats venture under it to prove him otherwise. Chas wins ten million dollars from a sweepstakes and lets wealth go to his head. Pat Sajak makes a cameo appearance.
56	17	"Mommy's Little Assets / Chuckie's Wonderful Life"	Norton Virgien Jim Duffy	Doria Biddle Paul Germain and Johnathan Greenberg Chuckie's Wonderful Life idea by: Samuel S. Williams	February 13, 1994 (1994-02-13)	317
Angelica and Tommy nearly ruin Charlotte's business deal. An angel shows Chuckie what life without him would be like, when Chas's favorite CD vanishes, and the horrible consequences are shown.
57	18	"In the Dreamtime / The Unfair Pair"	Co-directed by: Howard E. Baker and Steve Socki Jim Duffy	Peter Gaffney Rachel Lipman	February 20, 1994 (1994-02-20)	318
Chuckie has a hard time distinguishing dreams from reality. Angelica worries Phil and Lil about which one is "their parents' favorite". Note: This is the second of three episodes that do not feature Tommy, he is absent in The Unfair Pair.
58	19	"Chuckie's Red Hair / Spike Runs Away"	Jeff McGrath Jim Duffy	Johnathan Greenburg Peter Gaffney	February 27, 1994 (1994-02-27)	319
Chuckie tires of standing out because of his red hair, so he uses Grandpa's hair dye. Spike runs away from home and doesn't return, which leaves Tommy unhappy. To make things worse, Stu can't get a good replacement.
59	20	"The Alien / Mr. Clean"	Steve Socki Jim Duffy	Johnathan Greenburg Rachel Lipman Ideas by: Bruce Henkin and Johnathan Blum	March 6, 1994 (1994-03-06)	320
Angelica convinces Tommy, Phil, and Lil that Chuckie is an alien. Chuckie becomes a neat freak after his father tells him about germs.
60	21	"Angelica's Worst Nightmare / The Mega Diaper Babies"	Jeff McGrath Jim Duffy	Steve Viksten Joe Ansolabehere	March 13, 1994 (1994-03-13)	321
Charlotte announces that she may be pregnant, which frightens Angelica to the point of her having a nightmare about her parents rejecting her and her new baby sibling threatening her. The babies pretend to be superheroes to get back their action figures of their favorite TV heroes from Angelica.
61	22	"New Kid in Town / Pickles vs. Pickles"	Steve Socki Jim Duffy	Rachel Lipman Paul Germain and Johnathan Greenberg	April 10, 1994 (1994-04-10)	322
Tired of being picked on by Angelica, the babies meet a boy named Josh, who turns out to be worse. Drew dreams that Angelica is going to sue them for parental problems. Note: This is the third and last of three episodes that do not feature Tommy in an episode, he is absent in Pickles vs. Pickles.
62	23	"Kid TV / The Sky is Falling"	Jeff McGrath Jim Duffy	Michael Ferris Peter Gaffney Kid TV idea by: Matt Vitz	May 8, 1994 (1994-05-08)	324
The babies create their own TV shows after Stu breaks the TV set. Angelica tells the babies that it is the "end of the world".
63	24	"I Remember Melville / No More Cookies"	Steve Socki Jim Duffy	Barbera Slade Johnathan Greenberg	May 15, 1994 (1994-05-15)	325
Chuckie's pet pill bug dies, and he has trouble dealing with the loss. Angelica swears off cookies after she suffers a stomachache, but after several failed attempts to get more, she reminisces of her first experiences with them.
64	25	"Cradle Attraction / Moving Away"	Jeff McGrath and Steve Socki Jim Duffy	Peter Gaffney Paul Germain Johnathan Greenberg Rachel Lipman	May 22, 1994 (1994-05-22)	326
Chuckie falls for a new girl. Angelica's announcement that she may be moving delights the babies—until they recall how they first met.
65	26	"Passover"	Jeff McGrath Jim Duffy Steve Socki	Peter Gaffney Paul Germain Johnathan Greenberg Rachel Lipman	April 13, 1995 (1995-04-13)	323
While attending a Passover seder at Didi's parents' house, Boris and the children (and later, most of the adults), get locked in the attic because the door doesn't open from the inside. To pass the time, Boris tells the children the story of why Jews celebrate Passover, and how Moses saved his people from slavery. Note: This is the only Rugrats episode that aired in 1995.

Season 4 (1996–97)

No. in series	No. in season	Title(s)	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
66	1	"Chanukah"	Raymie Muzquiz	J. David Stem and David N. Weiss	December 4, 1996 (1996-12-04)	401
The Rugrats celebrate Chanukah while trying to settle a dispute between Boris and his childhood rival; Angelica tries to find a TV to watch a Christmas special, and Stu tries to make it to the synagogue. Note: This episode is the only Rugrats episode that aired in 1996.
67	2	"Mother's Day"	Norton Virgien and Toni Vian	Jon Cooksey Ali Marie Matheson J. David Stem David Weiss	April 21, 1997 (1997-04-21)	402
The Rugrats celebrate Mother's Day, and Chuckie wonders about his late mother.
68	3	"Vacation"	Toni Vian	Jon Cooksey and Ali Marie Matheson	May 29, 1997 (1997-05-29)	403
The Rugrats go on a vacation to Las Vegas in an RV, where they cause their usual mayhem while Tommy searches for the "kitties" (white tigers).
69	4	"Spike's Babies / Chicken Pops"	Rick Bugental Jim Duffy	Mark Palmer David Maples (story) David Maples	August 23, 1997 (1997-08-23)	404
Spike looks after some stray kittens while Stu prepares for a barbecue. Chuckie catches the chicken pox, which spreads to the other Rugrats, and they worry about turning into chickens.
70	5	"Radio Daze / Psycho Angelica"	John Holmquist Celia Kendrick	Jon Cooksey and Ali Marie Matheson	August 30, 1997 (1997-08-30)	405
Grandpa and the children listen to an old detective radio show, and the babies feel they're living it. Angelica pretends to be psychic for goodies. Note: This episode was dedicated to Andy Houts.
71	6	"America's Wackiest Home Movies / The 'Lympics"	Rick Bugental Jim Duffy	Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs David Maples	September 6, 1997 (1997-09-06)	406
Stu and Drew compete against each other for a TV show prize by filming their children. Angelica meets Timmy McNulty, and makes the babies compete against his younger brothers in an Olympics-style event.
72	7	"The Carwash / Heat Wave"	Celia Kendrick John Holmquist	Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs David Maples	September 13, 1997 (1997-09-13)	407
Stu takes the babies to the car wash after a little accident. Things get out of control, however, when Angelica takes over the car. A new friend helps the babies to search for water on a hot day, while Grandpa supervises the workers repairing the pipes. Note: This is one of the few episodes where Tommy wears shoes.
73	8	"Faire Play / The Smell of Success"	John Holmquist Celia Kendrick	Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs Jon Cooksey and Ali Marie Matheson	September 20, 1997 (1997-09-20)	409
The gang attends a medieval festival, where they deal with a robotic dragon, ran by Stu. Chuckie takes part in an experiment to improve his nasal congestion.
74	9	"Dust Bunnies / Educating Angelica"	John Holmquist Celia Kendrick	Kat Likkel Story by: Tom Szollosi and David Maples Tom Szollosi	September 27, 1997 (1997-09-27)	415
The babies fear "dust bunnies" when the grown-ups clean the house. Angelica goes to pre-school, and must learn to share after a bad moment. Having trouble doing so, she eventually has to bring Tommy along with her.
75	10	"Angelica's Last Stand / Clan of the Duck"	Rick Bugental Jim Duffy	Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs Jon Cooksey and Ali Marie Matheson	October 4, 1997 (1997-10-04)	408
The babies help Angelica at a lemonade stand.---- Chuckie and Phil wear dresses as part of a festival, trying to feel the experience.
76	11	"Potty Training Spike / The Art Fair"	Celia Kendrick John Holmquist	Story by: Jon Cooksey and Ali Marie Matheson David Maples Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs	October 11, 1997 (1997-10-11)	411
After being scolded for his own bad habits, Chuckie tries to potty-train Spike. Angelica creates a painting and thinks that she's a gifted artist, but the babies attempt to improve her creation when she's not in the room. They cause a mess when Angelica returns, but the grown-ups consider this a work of art and enter it into an art contest.
77	12	"Send in the Clouds / In the Naval"	Jim Duffy Rick Bugental	Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs Story by: Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs Kat Likkel	October 18, 1997 (1997-10-18)	412
The babies mistake fog for being in the sky and try to keep anyone from getting out. While on a fishing trip, Tommy and Chuckie lose Angelica's doll, Cynthia, and pretend to be "Wavy Seals" to save her.
78	13	"The Mattress / Looking for Jack"	Celia Kendrick Jim Duffy	Story by: Tom Carrico Tom Carrico and David Maples Rick Gitelson	November 1, 1997 (1997-11-01)	413
Grandpa has problems sleeping, so the others try to replace his mattress with a better one. Charlotte's van breaks down en route to a Dummi Bears concert, and Angelica is mistaken for the daughter of an Italian restaurant owner when she goes to ask for help.
79	14	"Ransom of Cynthia / Turtle Recall"	Rick Bugental John Holmquist	Monica Piper Story by: Jon Cooksey and Ali Marie Matheson Brian Swenlin and David Maples	November 8, 1997 (1997-11-08)	416
To get the babies' candy, Angelica fakes a ransom and makes the babies think Cynthia was stolen. Believing in this, the Rugrats attempt to get Cynthia back. While visiting the mall with Chas and Stu, the babies try to reunite a turtle with its father.
80	15	"Angelica Orders Out / Let it Snow"	John Holmquist Jim Duffy	Story by: Rick Gitelson and David Maples David Maples Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs	November 15, 1997 (1997-11-15)	403
Angelica orders food from a deli—and then calls all of the other grown-ups to Tommy's house—using Stu's voice-changer invention, which makes her sound exactly like Charlotte. When the Pickles take their family Christmas photo in August, the babies think that Santa Claus forgot about them.
81	16	"The Turkey Who Came to Dinner"	Rick Bugental and Jim Duffy	Story by: Lane Raichert and J. David Stem and David N. Weiss Additional material by: David Maples Mark Palmer	October 21, 1997 (1997-10-21)	410
The babies try to defend a live turkey that Grandpa wins from being Thanksgiving dinner; Stu and Drew try to watch football, Didi and the ladies try to find food for dinner; and Angelica wants to hold a parade.
82	17	"Angelica Nose Best / The Pirate Light"	Jim Duffy Rick Bugental	Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs Rick Gitelson Based on an idea by: Mariel Hope Cooksey	November 22, 1997 (1997-11-22)	414
A mosquito bite causes Angelica to be honest, remembering Pinocchio. The babies think the gasfitter is a pirate and try to find Stu's "treasure" before him.

Season 5 (1997–98)

No. in series	No. in season	Title(s)	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
83	1	"Grandpa's Bad Bug / Lady Luck"	John Holmquist Rick Bugental	Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs Kat Likkel	November 29, 1997 (1997-11-29)	503
The babies fear there is a "bad bug" in Grandpa's bed and attempt to get it out. Grandpa takes the babies to a Bingo game at the "Senior Citizens' Center". Note: This episode was dedicated to actor David Doyle.
84	2	"Hiccups / Autumn Leaves"	Rick Bugental Jim Duffy	Bill Braunstein Rick Gitelson	December 6, 1997 (1997-12-06)	502
Tommy catches hiccups, and the babies' attempts to scare him do not cure him. A change of season makes the babies think that the trees are ill, so they apply whatever remedies they think of to them. This, unfortunately, causes Stu to believe that the backyard is somehow haunted.
85	3	"Crime and Punishment / Baby Maybe"	Rick Bugental Jim Duffy	David Maples Story by: Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs Monica Piper	December 13, 1997 (1997-12-13)	504
Angelica tells the babies that police officers arrest bad people while Chas dates a police officer (his glasses are broken). Didi's brother and sister-in-law consider having a baby, and to prove it, they babysit the babies while Stu, Didi and the other grown-ups leave for an opera. The chore, however, becomes harder than the sitters hoped it would be.
86	4	"The Word of the Day / Jonathan Babysits"	Anthony Bell John Holmquist	Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs Rick Gitelson	December 20, 1997 (1997-12-20)	505
Angelica learns a curse word from the host of her favorite children's show, Miss Carol's Happy House. Not knowing what it means or how negatively her parents will react, she begins to use it in her vocabulary. Jonathan looks after the babies, and searches for ways to blackmail Charlotte.
87	5	"He Saw, She Saw / Piggy's Pizza Palace"	Rick Bugental Jim Duffy	David Maples Story by: Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs Melody Fox	December 27, 1997 (1997-12-27)	506
Chuckie's latest crush has an over-protective brother. The gang goes to a pizzeria that resembles Chuck E. Cheese's, and try to get Angelica's tickets back from a pig that "stole" them. Meanwhile, Stu and Drew attempt to beat one another's high score at a Reptar pinball game.
88	6	"Fugitive Tommy / Visiting Aunt Miriam"	John Holmquist Anthony Bell	Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs Rick Gitelson	August 22, 1998 (1998-08-22)	510
Tommy is mistaken for another troublemaking baby with a big tooth, but he attempts to prove his innocence. When Grandpa Lou takes the babies to Aunt Miriam's to play cards, the babies are convinced that she and her friends plan to eat Chuckie and attempt to protect him. Note: This was the first episode where Joe Alaskey voices Grandpa Lou.
89	7	"The First Cut / Chuckie Grows"	Rick Bugental Jim Duffy	Story by: David Maples Jon Cooksey Ali Marie Matheson Kate Boutilier Kate Boutilier Story by: Rick Gitelson Rick Gitelson and Barbara Slade	August 16, 1998 (1998-08-16)	508
Tommy adopts some baby birds and saves them from a runner. Because of the incident, it makes him have a first cut, which scares Tommy, leading him to security. Meanwhile, Phil and Lil want a Reptar bandage (Tommy got one after he first got his cut) and try to get hurt. The babies think that Chuckie has gotten bigger when his shirt shrinks in the wash.
90	8	"Uneasy Rider / Where's Grandpa?"	John Holmquist Anthony Bell	Story by: Jon Cooksey Ali Marie Matheson Monica Piper Monica Piper Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs	August 29, 1998 (1998-08-29)	511
Chuckie is nervous about riding his new two-wheeled bicycle. Stu and Didi accidentally leave Grandpa behind on a road trip, and Tommy and Chuckie try to give Grandpa a chance to catch up.
91	9	"The Wild Wild West / Angelica for a Day"	Jim Duffy Rick Bugental	Jon Hanish Story by: Rick Gitelson, Daniel, Joshua, Jeffery, Kenny Goodman Rick Gitelson	August 17, 1998 (1998-08-17)	509
The babies take part in a Western spoof to reclaim ice cream coupons from Angelica. Tommy dreams that Chuckie and Angelica switch personalities—Angelica is more timid while Chuckie turns mean and bratty. Note: This is the only episode that Angelica roped up Chuckie, Susie, and Tommy with a dark brown rope from about the ice cream coupons.
92	10	"Babysitting Fluffy / Sleep Troubles"	John Holmquist Anthony Bell	Barbara Herndon and Jill Gorey Story by: Bill Crounse and Don Pequignot	August 15, 1998 (1998-08-15)	507
Chas and Chuckie look after Angelica's cat while she is away and underestimate the difficulty of doing so. Tommy and Chuckie fear "the Sandman" after a story while Chas is out at a party. Stu and Didi try to get them to fall asleep, but fall asleep themselves. Tommy and Chuckie then try to catch the Sandman, but end up catching Chas.
93	11	"Journey to the Center of the Basement / A Very McNulty Birthday"	Rick Bugental Jim Duffy	Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs Story by: David Maples and Kate Bouiltier Additional material by: Rick Gitelson Vinny Montello Steve Ochs Kate Bouiltier	September 19, 1998 (1998-09-19)	512
The babies go down to the basement to retrieve Chuckie's robotic Reptar toy. The babies attend a rival's birthday party, where girls are left out due to cooties.
94	12	"The Family Tree"	Jim Duffy	Story by: Rick Gitelson, Jill Gorey, Barbara Herndon, Vinny Montello, Steve Ochs, Monica Piper Rick Gitelson Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs	September 21, 1998 (1998-09-21)	513
While Didi and Stu go on an anniversary vacation, Tommy and Angelica stay at Chuckie's house, where Chuckie learns about his ancestors. Meanwhile, Didi starts to feel seasick, and the cause is eventually revealed to be pregnancy. Note: This is where The Rugrats Movie begins.

Season 6 (1998–2000)

In the United States, episodes 102, 111, 123 and 124 were held over from this season and ended up airing during Season 7. The first Klasky Csupo logo still appeared after the second logo appeared at the end of The Rugrats Movie". The second logo did not appear until "Runaway Reptar".

Rugrats season 6 episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Title(s)	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
95	1	"Chuckie's Duckling / A Dog's Life"	Rick Bugental John Holmquist	Barbara Herndon and Jill Gorey Melody Fox	November 18, 1998 (1998-11-18)	601
Chuckie adopts a duck that fled from a construction site, but caring for the new pet soon becomes difficult. Spike attempts to protect Dil from imminent danger, but the dog gets in trouble with Stu and Didi. Note: This episode marks the first appearance of Dil.
96	2	"Chuckerfly / Angelica's Twin"	Jim Duffy Jeff Scott	Story by: Kate Boutilier, Jon Cooksey, Ali Marie Matheson Kate Botuilier Rick Gitelson	November 23, 1998 (1998-11-23)	602
Chuckie wants to be cute again, so he goes through his own metamorphosis. Angelica pretends she has a twin sister named Balina to get extra goodies. Note: This is the last episode to use Tommy's original theme cry sound effect.
97	3	"Raising Dil / No Naps"	Rick Bugental John Holmquist	Kate Boutilier Story by: Jordana Arkin and Rick Gitelson Rick Gitelson	December 6, 1998 (1998-12-06)	603
Tommy and the babies try to educate Dil, who they believe isn't as smart as they are. The babies try to avoid napping for a toy from Angelica.
98	4	"Man of the House / A Whole New Stu"	Jim Duffy Jeff Scott	Story by: Vinny Montello and Steve Ochs Barbara Herndon and Jill Gorey Story by: Rick Gitelson Monica Piper	December 12, 1998 (1998-12-12)	604
Tommy tries to run the household while Stu is out of town on business. Stu undergoes a makeover at a health spa after suffering from so much stress.
99	5	"Submarine / Chuckie's a Lefty"	Rick Bugental John Holmquist	Story by: Rick Gitelson Jon Cooksey and Ali Marie Matheson Jon Cooksey and Ali Marie Matheson Story by: Jon Cooksey and Ali Marie Matheson Barbara Herndon and Jill Gorey Kate Boutilier	December 19, 1998 (1998-12-19)	605
While Stu shops for a used car, Tommy, Chuckie and Dil imagine the test automobile is a submarine. Chuckie learns he's left-handed, so Angelica makes him feel like a freak.
100	6	"Baking Dil / Hair!"	Jim Duffy Jeff Scott	Story by: Barbara Herndon and Jill Gorey Ben Siegler Story by: Jon Cooksey and Ali Marie Matheson Barbara Herndon and Jill Gorey Monica Piper	December 27, 1998 (1998-12-27)	606
Dil gets lost at the bakery, where a cake is being picked up for Didi's birthday. Tommy is under the false impression that not growing hair will keep him young forever.
101	7	"Zoo Story / I Do"	John Holmquist Rick Bugental	Story by: Randi Gitelson Rick Gitelson Barbara Herndon and Jill Gorey	January 7, 1999 (1999-01-07)	607
The babies go to the zoo, get trapped inside the pen, and end up accidentally freeing the animals when attempting to leave. Angelica forces Chuckie and Lil to get married after attending a wedding. They afterwards pretend Dil is their baby.
102	8	"The Magic Baby / Dil We Meet Again"	Jim Duffy Jeff Scott	Story by: Barbara Herndon and Jill Gorey Scott Gray Barbara Herndon and Jill Gorey	May 4, 2001 (2001-05-04)	608
In an attempt to get Tommy's toy pony, Angelica trades the babies "magic beans", which Dil eats. The babies think that Dil has turned into a watermelon. In reality, however, Didi took Dil inside to clean him and she changed his diaper.
103	9	"Hand Me Downs / Angelica's Ballet"	John Holmquist Rick Bugental	Rick Gitelson Story by: James Peters and Barbara Herndon and Jill Gorey Kate Boutilier	January 30, 1999 (1999-01-30)	609
Angelica tells Tommy that he will disappear after Dil gets his old toys. Angelica performs ballet and conducts a show with the babies in an attempt to pass ballet school. Note: The song from the ballet, Cynthia Workout, was later released on the CD "The Newest NickToons".
104	10	"Opposites Attract / The Art Museum"	Jeff Scott Jim Duffy	Story by: Rick Gitelson Monica Piper Anne Baker	February 13, 1999 (1999-02-13)	610
The babies meet other babies who are just like each of them at the park. The babies see themselves in various works of art at the museum.
105	11	"The Jungle / The Old Country"	John Holmquist Rick Bugental	Story by: Monica Piper and Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey Roger Reitzel Monica Piper	March 20, 1999 (1999-03-20)	611
The babies visit a flower shop where they think Dil is infected with "jungle beaver", a mispronunciation of jungle fever. The babies visit their grandparents in the country and fear that elephants are threatening the cabin.
106	12	"Ghost Story / Chuckie's Complaint"	Jeff Scott Jim Duffy	Story by: James Peters and Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey Story by: Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey Kate Boutilier	March 27, 1999 (1999-03-27)	612
The babies get involved in a ghost story with Aaahh!!! Real Monsters. Chuckie becomes afraid after Angelica sends Reptar an angry letter, which she partially wrote and signed Chuckie's name on it.
107	13	"Pedal Pusher / Music"	John Holmquist Rick Bugental	Story by: Rick Gitelson Roger Reitzel Rick Gitelson	March 6, 1999 (1999-03-06)	613
Chuckie gets a new toy car that wins him popularity from other children at the park. The babies perform music videos.
108	14	"Chuckie's Bachelor Pad / Junior Prom"	Barry Vodos Jeff Scott	Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey Story by: Jon Cooksey & Ali Marie Matheson Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey Kate Boutilier	April 10, 1999 (1999-04-10)	614
Chuckie moves into his own place while his room is being remodeled. The babies hold their own prom.
109	15	"Silent Angelica / Tie My Shoes"	John Holmquist Rick Bugental	Story by: Scott Gray & Ben Siegler Ben Siegler Story by: Jon Cooksey & Ali Marie Matheson & Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey & Scott Gray Scott Gray	April 7, 1999 (1999-04-07)	615
Angelica tries to remain quiet to receive toys from the Rugrats. Angelica ties Chuckie's shoes, and Chuckie gets the credit.
110	16	"What's Your Line? / Two by Two"	Barry Vodos Jim Duffy	Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey Story by: Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey & Stephanie McClain Kate Boutilier	April 17, 1999 (1999-04-17)	616
Chuckie looks at some careers, including ice cream man and librarian. The babies try to build an ark after fearing a huge flood.
111	17	"All's Well that Pretends Well / Big Babies"	Rick Bugental Jeff Scott	Story by: Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey & Scott Gray Scott Gray Ben Siegler	July 6, 2001 (2001-07-06)	617
Angelica is starting to show symptoms of a cold, but wants to attend a performance. To keep from being unable to go, she tries to convince the grown-ups that the Rugrats are sick instead of her. The babies perform an initiation ceremony for Dil for a club while the adults make a bet to imitate their babies.
112	18	"Wrestling Grandpa / Chuckie Collects"	Jeff Scott Rick Bugental	Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey Story by: Rick Gitelson & Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey Melody Fox	May 1, 1999 (1999-05-01)	618
Grandpa Lou competes in a wrestling match. Chuckie starts a new rock collection that the Rugrats try to improve for him.
113/114	19/20	"Runaway Reptar"	John Holmquist and Jim Duffy	Ali Marie Matheson & Jon Cooksey Based on a idea by: Scott Gray	May 27, 1999 (1999-05-27)	619/620
The babies pretend they get sucked into an evil Robot Reptar movie, in which they must find Reptar and stop Angelica's evil Reptar. Note: This is the First TV Movie
115	21	"Share and Share a Spike / Tommy for Mayor"	Rick Bugental Jim Duffy	Based on an idea by: Jake Piper Monica Piper Story by: Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey & Rick Gitelson Rick Gitelson	October 2, 1999 (1999-10-02)	621
Dil and Tommy must share the dog. The babies hold their own election between Tommy and Phil. Note: Nickelodeon re-aired Tommy for Mayor as part of the 2000 Presidential Election.
116	22	"Brothers are Monsters / Cooking with Susie"	Jeff Scott John Holmquist	Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey Jon Cooksey & Ali Matheson	October 9, 1999 (1999-10-09)	622
Tommy thinks he is turning into a monster after getting caught in hair. Susie gets a toy oven, but she cooks horribly while Stu tries out doorstoppers.
117	23	"Officer Chuckie / Auctioning Grandpa"	Jim Duffy Rick Bugental	Scott Gray	October 16, 1999 (1999-10-16)	623
Chuckie studies street safety from an officer. The babies think Grandpa will be sold.
118	24	"Partners in Crime / Thumbs Up"	Jeff Scott John Holmquist	Monica Piper Adam Beechen	November 6, 1999 (1999-11-06)	624
Angelica makes Dil her "partner" after watching a crime film. Tommy tries to stop the other babies from thumb-sucking after fears of staying babies.
119	25	"Planting Dil / Joke's on You"	Rick Bugental Jim Duffy	Story by: Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey & Bob Daily Bob Daily David Regal	October 16, 1999 (1999-10-16)	625
Didi is planting dill plants, which the babies think is baby Dil and attempt to keep the plants from growing. Angelica tries to turn the babies against each other with pranks.
120	26	"Big Showdown / Doctor Susie"	Steve Ressel Jeff Scott	Story by: Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey & Peter Egan Scott Grey	November 20, 1999 (1999-11-20)	626
Didi completely re-models Tommy and Dil's room, against Tommy and the other's good will. Susie learns how to fix broken toys, but Angelica will have some sabotage.
121	27	"Accidents Happen / Pee Wee Scouts"	John Holmquist and Dave Fontana Rick Bugental	Monica Piper Story by: Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey John Fitzpatrick	December 18, 1999 (1999-12-18)	627
Chuckie accidentally wets the bed during a dream, so Chas puts him in "training pants". That night, the babies try to keep Chuckie from falling asleep so that he won't forget about waking up to go to the bathroom. The babies form a scout troop.
122	28	"Chuckie's New Shirt / Cavebabies"	Jeff Scott Steve Ressel	Story by: Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey & Stephanie McClain Bob Daily Rick Gitelson	February 28, 2000 (2000-02-28)	628
Chuckie destroys his shirt, and since he can't find a perfect replacement, he fears for his identity. The babies try to get to the cookie jar for Angelica in a dinosaur era.
123	29	"The Incredible Shrinking Babies / Miss Manners"	Sylvia Keulen Coral Millican	Story by: Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey and Peter Egan Peter Egan Story by: Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey Alice Miller	July 13, 2001 (2001-07-13)	629
The babies dream that they are smaller than they already are, and Dil is a giant. They try to get him to take his nap, which proves difficult. Angelica tries to help with a business dinner for Charlotte's boss after learning manners.
124	30	"A Dose of Dil / Famous Babies"	Carol Millican Cathy Malkasian	Eleah Horwitz Keythe Farley & Brian Flemming	July 20, 2001 (2001-07-20)	630
The babies try to get attention than Dil. The babies want to be famous, so they start a rock band.
125	31	"No Place Like Home"	Becky Bristow	Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey	October 2, 1999 (1999-10-02)	631
Susie imagines she is in a world similar to The Wizard of Oz when she is under anesthesia while her tonsils are removed.
126	32	"Be My Valentine"	Carol Millican	Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey	February 11, 2000 (2000-02-11)	632
Chuckie tries to give a Valentine to his dad.
127	33	"Discover America"	Sylvia Keulen	Story by: Barbara Herndon & Jill Gorey & Adam Beechen & Kate Boutilier Kate Boutilier	March 29, 2000 (2000-03-29)	633
The babies go on an imaginary tour of America when Angelica and Susie cause some damage at a picnic. Note: This is the last Rugrats episode to use traditional cel animation.
128/129/130	34/35/36	"Acorn Nuts and Diapey Butts"	Louie Del Carmen Chris Hermans Jim Duffy	Story by: Jill Gorey & Barbara Herndon Teleplay by: Jill Gorey & Barbara Herndon and Peter Egan and Scott Gray	November 7, 2000 (2000-11-07)	701/702/703
The babies look forward to autumn, but then Angelica reminds them that change is not always good with Stu's robot Reptar, new diapers for Phil and Lil, and the babies gave up Reptar for thinking that he caused Grandpa to move out. Notes: This is the first time that Tara (who voices Dil) is credited as Tara Strong. This episode leads up to Rugrats in Paris: The Movie. This is the second TV Movie.

Season 7 (2001)

During season 7, Rugrats made a change with a different format that consisted of three episodes per show. Additionally, all half-hour stories from this point on had two ad breaks instead of one. This is the only season of Rugrats to have three episodes per show.

Rugrats season 7 episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Title(s)	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
131	1	"Angelicon / Dil's Binkie / Big Brother Chuckie"	Jeff Scott Dave Fontana	Eleah Horwitz David Regal	January 15, 2001 (2001-01-15)	704
Angelica is a giant from the eyes of the babies in a new treehouse. Dil's pacifier gets tossed around the house. Chuckie, realizing that he is Kimi's big brother, tries to protect her from danger. Note: This is the first episode in the series in which Kira and Kimi appear. This episode also is right after the film Rugrats in Paris
132	2	"Dil Saver / Cooking with Phil and Lil / Piece of Cake"	Louie Del Carmen Bob Fuentes	Alice Miller Sarah Jane Cunningham and Susie Villandry	April 13, 2001 (2001-04-13)	705
Stu makes a Dil screen-saver, and the babies think Dil is trapped in the computer. Phil and Lil make a pie their style. Angelica has a dream where she is powerful after eating cake.
133	3	"Sister Act / Spike's Nightscare / Cuddle Bunny"	Rick Bugental Chris Hermans	David Rosenberg Sarah Jane Cunningham & Susie Villandry	February 23, 2001 (2001-02-23)	706
Angelica seeks a sibling after jealousy. Spike has a nightmare. Kimi falls for a pinata at a party and doesn't want the guests to break it.
134	4	"Finsterella"	Jeff Scott	Jill Gorey & Barbara Herndon	January 15, 2001 (2001-01-15)	707
Chuckie thinks that his life parallels that of Cinderella after hearing of the story. Chas and Kira adopt each other's babies as their own.
135	5	"Bad Shoes / The World According to Dil and Spike / Falling Stars"	Dave Fontana Louie Del Carmen	Sarah Jane Cunningham & Susie Villandry David Rosenberg	January 19, 2001 (2001-01-19)	708
Stu has to wear uncomfortable shoes. This episode is basically Dil and Spike's perspective on the world. The babies wish on shooting stars and fear they are falling down.
136	6	"Dayscare / The Great Unknown / Wash-Dry Story"	Anthony Bell Louie Del Carmen Dave Fontana	Story by: Sarah Jane Cunningham & Susie Villandry & Scott Gray Teleplay by: Scott Gray David Regal	January 22, 2001 (2001-01-22)	709
Chuckie and Kimi go to daycare. Tommy finds something weird on the stairs. Cynthia goes missing, and the babies fight the McNulty children for the doll.
137	7	"Changes for Chuckie / The Magic Show / A Lulu of a Time"	Chris Hermans Bob Fuentes	Sarah Jane Cunningham & Susie Villandry David Regal David Rosenberg	January 23, 2001 (2001-01-23)	710
Chuckie goes through adjustments with Kira. The babies visit a magic show. The babies see the retirement home with Lulu and cause predictable havoc.
138	8	"Cat Got Your Tongue? / The War Room / Attention Please"	Dave Fontana Jeff Scott	Story by: Sarah Jane Cunningham & Susie Villandry John Considine Johnson	January 24, 2001 (2001-01-24)	711
Howard loses his voice. Tommy tries to find Dil's bottle in a reception office. Kimi gets more attention than Chuckie, making him jealous.
139	9	"And the Winner Is... / Dil's Bathtime / Bigger Than Life"	Anthony Bell and Jim Duffy Louie Del Carmen and Jim Duffy	John Considine Johnson David Rosenberg	March 9, 2001 (2001-03-09)	712
Angelica and Susie compete in a talent contest, and the latter ends up winning. Dil takes a bath with Tommy and fears the worst. The babies have "big" adventures.
140	10	"Day of the Potty / Tell-Tale Cell Phone / The Time of Their Lives"	Bob Fuentes Chris Hermans	David Regal Sarah Jane Cunningham & Susie Villandry John Considine Johnson	April 6, 2001 (2001-04-06)	713
Chuckie breaks his home's toilet. Angelica breaks Charlotte's phone and hides it. Angelica gets a watch.
141	11	"My Fair Babies / The Way Things Work / Home Sweet Home"	Jeff Scott Dave Fontana	Scott Gray David Regal Story by: Scott Malchus Teleplay by: John E. Fitzpatrick	March 30, 2001 (2001-03-30)	714
The babies attend a "lunch party" and must act formal. Tommy shows Dil how things work, such as the fridge and the toilet. Chuckie believes Kimi is going back to Japan. Note: "My Fair Babies" was a bonus on the 10th anniversary video.
142	12	"Adventure Squad / The Way More Things Work / Talk of the Town"	Chris Hermans Jeff Scott	Story by: John Considine Johnson Teleplay by: Elin Hampton David Regal Story by: Scott Gray Teleplay by: David Rosenberg	April 22, 2001 (2001-04-22)	715
The Rugrats play a game of adventure squad. A followup from "The Way Things Work," Tommy explains more things to Dil. Angelica hosts a talk show.
143	13	"A Rugrats Kwanzaa"	Anthony Bell	Lisa D. Hall and Jill Gorey and Barbara Herndon	December 11, 2001 (2001-12-11)	716
The gang celebrates Kwanzaa.
144	14	"Pre-School Daze"	Carol Millican	John E. Fitzpatrick and Jill Gorey and Barbara Herndon	May 13, 2001 (2001-05-13)	801
Angelica, Susie, and Harold go to pre-school.

Season 8 (2001–03)

The original format for Rugrats was brought back for season 8. However, the half-hour episodes retain having two commercial breaks. The first Klasky Csupo logo appeared after the credits in the early airings of this season. However, the Season 8 DVD, "The '90s Are All That" and the later airings kept the second logo.

Rugrats season 8 episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Title(s)	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
145/146	1/2	"All Growed Up"	Louie Del Carmen and Jim Duffy	Kate Boutilier and Eryk Casemiro	July 21, 2001 (2001-07-21)	717/718
The Rugrats are now ten years older, and in school, where they attend a concert. Note: This is the Third TV Movie.
147	3	"Curse of the Werewuff"	Joseph Scott	Peter Egan	October 28, 2002 (2002-10-28)	802
Angelica tells the babies they will become their costumes at Halloween's end, and the only way to keep that from happening is to give her their candy. Note: This is the Second and Final time Chuckie talked back to Angelica.
148	4	"Bow Wow Wedding Vows"	Dean Criswell	Scott Gray	March 25, 2002 (2002-03-25)	803
Tommy fears Spike has no more time for him on Easter. Kira and Chas celebrate their first Easter. Notes: Christine Cavanaugh's final episode as the voice of Chuckie.
149	5	"Quiet Please / Early Retirement"	Anthony Bell Ron Noble	Rick Gitelson Scott Gray	February 9, 2002 (2002-02-09)	804
Chuckie loses his first library card and Chas deals with a book fine. The babies decide to retire while Angelica tries to watch an awards show. Notes: Nancy Cartwright's first episode as the voice of Chuckie.
150	6	"The Doctor is In / The Big Sneeze"	Anthony Bell Ron Noble	Scott Howard Leva Mary Williams-Villano	February 9, 2002 (2002-02-09)	805
Angelica pretends to be a doctor on the radio after hearing Didi and Betty listen to a doctor on the radio who helps people with their problems. Chuckie thinks he is allergic to Kimi because he sneezes frequently, both when interacting with her and whenever she passes by him. The Rugrats believe this, so they try several ways to get him not to sneeze when he's close to her. When nothing seems to work as planned, the Rugrats believe that he genuinely is allergic to her. The actual cause, however, is revealed later: Kimi was having a dandelion in her pocket.
151	7	"The Fun Way Day / The Age of Aquarium"	Dave Fontana Chris Hermans	Barbara Schwartz Story by: Scott Gray David Rosenberg	February 23, 2002 (2002-02-23)	806
Kira and Chas hire a guy to help boost Java Lava's popularity, but this unknowingly leads to a game of Hide and Seek. The babies visit a boat-shaped aquarium and think the boat is sinking.
152	8	"Daddy's Little Helpers / Hello Dilly"	Broni Likomanov Michael Mullen	Story by: Monica Piper and Scott Gray Barbara Schwartz Monica Piper	March 9, 2002 (2002-03-09)	807
The babies help their fathers. The babies believe that Dil has turned into a doll. (This episode parodies the musical Hello, Dolly!)
153	9	"Cynthia Comes Alive / Trading Phil"	Carol Millican Jeff Scott	Barbara Schwartz Noah Taft	April 6, 2002 (2002-04-06)	808
The babies mistake a teenager for a real-life version of Angelica's doll while it is being repaired. Angelica trades Phil so a group of older children could play with him.
154	10	"Murmur on the Ornery Express"	Chris Hermans	David Rosenberg and David Regal	October 22, 2002 (2002-10-22)	809
Strange things happen during a train ride to "Little Biendeltown", where Chuckie and Angelica's dolls vanish, as well as Minka's necklace. The Rugrats believe that there is a bandit on the train, so they try to catch him.
155	11	"Back to School / Sweet Dreams"	Michael Mullen Dave Fontana	Rick Gitelson Story by: Nan Friedman & Ronda Spinak & Scott Gray & Monica Piper Nan Friedman & Ronda Spinak	January 3, 2003 (2003-01-03)	810
Didi enrolls in college. Chuckie doesn't have a dream as the other Rugrats do.
156	12	"A Step at a Time / Angelica's Assistant"	Broni Likomanov Jeff Scott	Mark Palmer Based on an idea by: Alex Dilts and Sam Williams Story by: Rick Gitelson, Scott Gray and Monica Piper Scott Gray	January 10, 2003 (2003-01-10)	811
Stu thinks Dil is walking after the babies manipulate him. Harold visits Angelica's house and Angelica must maintain calmness.
157	13	"A Tale of Two Puppies / Okey-Dokey Jones and the Ring of the Sunbeams"	Michael Mullen Carol Millican	Rick Gitelson, Scott Gray, Monica Piper, and Alice Miller	June 1, 2002 (2002-06-01)	812
The adults try to find buyers for Spike's two last puppies. The babies seek Lil's ring in a pet store. This episode is also based on the first scene of The Rugrats Movie.
158	14	"Happy Taffy / Imagine That"	Dave Fontana Chris Hermans	Scott Gray Story by: Nan Friedman and Ronda Spinak Teleplay by: Mark Palmer and Nan Friedman and Ronda Spinak	November 13, 2002 (2002-11-13)	813
Stu and Didi hire a new babysitter for the Rugrats. The Rugrats become secret agents. Guest star: Amanda Bynes as Taffy

Season 9 (2002–03)

The third Klasky Csupo logo appeared after the credits in the early airings of this season. However, the Season 9 DVD, "The '90s Are All That" and the later airings kept the second logo.

Rugrats season 9 episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Title(s)	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
159/160	1/2	"Babies in Toyland"	Broni Likomanov	Story by: Mark Palmer, Monica Piper, Rick Gitelson and Eryk Casemiro Teleplay by: Eryk Casemiro	December 9, 2002 (2002-12-09)	903/904
The babies visit Stu's holiday village, where Angelica forces the Santa to quit, and the adults get stranded in Stu's Western cabin. Kira and Chas celebrate their first Christmas together. This title is a spoof of the 1961, 1986, and 1997 movies "Babes in Toyland". Guest star: James Belushi as Santa Note: This is the Final TV movie.
161	3	"Club Fred"	Jeff Scott	Story by: Rick Gitelson, Scott Gray, and Monica Piper Teleplay by: David Regal	November 5, 2002 (2002-11-05)	901
The babies and their parents go on a vacation at a pirate-themed family resort, with predictably disastrous results as the babies search for a treasure and Angelica starts to use credit cards.
162	4	"The Perfect Twins"	Carol Millican	Story by: Rick Gitelson, Scott Gray and Monica Piper Teleplay by: Monica Piper	November 30, 2002 (2002-11-30)	902
Betty's British cousins are nothing like Phil and Lil at a family reunion. Note:This episode aired one month and one day after the series Spinoff All Grown Up! premiered.
163	5	"Clown Around / The Baby Rewards"	Michael Mullen	Rick Gitelson Steve Ochs	January 28, 2003 (2003-01-28)	905
The babies go to the circus. The babies have an awards show, and the awards go to all of the others (Stu, Fluffy, and almost Angelica).
164	6	"Diapies and Dragons / Baby Power"	Chris Hermans Jeff Scott	Scott Gray Noah Taft	October 5, 2002 (2002-10-05)	906
The babies go to a video arcade. The babies fear Dil is stronger than they are.
165	7	"Bug Off / The Crawl Space"	Dave Fontana and John Holmquist Carol Millican	Scott Gray Story by: Rick Gitelson Teleplay by: Jeff Wynne	February 11, 2003 (2003-02-11)	907
The babies fear a mascot. The babies move into a crawl space.
166	8	"Starstruck / Who's Taffy?"	Jeff Scott Chris Hermans	Noah Taft Peter Egan	September 28, 2002 (2002-09-28)	908
Kimi gets cast in a movie. Angelica and Taffy switch places.
167	9	"They Came from the Backyard / Lil's Phil of Trash"	Broni Likomanov Jim Duffy	Peter Hunziker Vera Duffy	November 5, 2002 (2002-11-05)	909
The babies fear an alien invasion. Phil picks up trash.
168	10	"Mutt's in a Name / Hurricane Alice"	Michael Mullen Carol Millican	Jeff Wynne Robb Lanum	February 24, 2003 (2003-02-24)	910
Chas thinks of a name for the puppy. Phil and Lil think a visiting friend is a disaster.
169	11	"Bestest of Show / Hold the Pickles"	Chris Hermans Jeff Scott	Story by: Scott Gray Teleplay by: Shari Hearn Cynthia Riddle	September 28, 2002 (2002-09-28)	911
Tommy, Angelica, and Susie compete in a pet show. Tommy misunderstands Taffy when he hears her say she doesn't want pickles on her burger, thinking that she is referring to Dil when she says "I don't like dill pickles". The babies cover Dil in various things trying to make Taffy like him.
170	12	"Baby Sale / Steve"	Carol Millican Broni Likomanov	Story by: Rick Gitelson and Scott Gray Teleplay by: Rick Gitelson Tom Mason & Dan Danko	February 26, 2003 (2003-02-26)	912
Didi, Kira, and Betty go to a toddler clothing sale, where the babies think they will be sold. The babies make a snow-baby.
171	13	"The Bravliest Baby / Gimme an 'A'"	Jim Duffy Michael Mullen	Scott Gray Mark Valenti	June 8, 2003 (2003-06-08)	913
Tommy loses his courage, which his friends attempt to recover. The babies try to find an A for Didi.
172	14	"Fountain of Youth / Kimi Takes the Cake"	Chris Hermans Jeff Scott	Story by: Rick Gitelson and Jeff Wynne Teleplay by: Rick Gitelson Peter Hunzinker	October 5, 2002 (2002-10-05)	914
The children go to a cabin that has special memories for Drew, Stu, and Chas. The babies search for a birthday cake in a scary house where Taffy performs. Note: Kris Zimmerman is the new voice director.

DVD releases

Nickelodeon and Amazon.com produce DVDs of new and old Nickelodeon shows through the CreateSpace service. Using a concept similar to print on demand, Amazon manufactures the discs, cover art, and disc art. As of October 6, 2011, Seasons 1–9 are available.

In Australia, Beyond Home Entertainment has released all 9 seasons on region free DVD.

Rugrats Tales from the Crib (2005–06)

These movies are straight to DVD movies that are part of the Rugrats series. These were not actually the end of the Rugrats series, but are side-stories. The last movie was released in 2006.

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
1	"Rugrats Tales from the Crib: Snow White"	Michael Daedalus Kenny Ron Noble Andrei Svislotski	Jill Gorey and Barbara Herndon	September 6, 2005 (2005-09-06)	DVDM1
Taffy tells the kids the tale of Snow White as the Wicked Queen (Angelica) plots to get rid of Snow White (Susie), who lives with the Seven Babies who work in their diaper factory.
2	"Rugrats Tales from the Crib: Three Jacks and a Beanstalk"	Zhenia Delioussine Michael Daedalus Kenny Ron Noble Andrei Svislotski	Jill Gorey and Barbara Herndon	September 5, 2006 (2006-09-05)	DVDM2
Three Jacks and a Beanstalk is the Rugrats spin on a classic fairytale. Combines Jack Sprat with Jack and Jill while they tell their own version of Jack and the Bean Stalk. The babies get some magical beans that grows into a giant beanstalk leading to a huge castle in the sky. There, a fairy (Susie) offers them a key to the castle if they get three things for the castle's occupant, the giant evil Angelica. Guest star: Mo'Nique as Aunt Moo

References

General references

External links

• TV.com's Rugrats episodes
• TV Guide's Rugrats episode

Production

Development

Rugrats was formed by the then-husband-and-wife duo of Gábor Csupó 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, Csupó, and Germain were also animating The Simpsons for Matt Groening at the time, which they would continue to do until 1992 when the show's producer James L. Brooks and his company Gracie Films switched domestic production to Film Roman. 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". The network's Vice President of Animation Vanessa Coffey approached them to create a pilot for their new series. With the comedic stimulation branching from the antics of Klasky and Csupó's infant children and also pulling inspiration from the Beatles, the 6​¹⁄₂–minute pilot episode, "Tommy Pickles and the Great White Thing" (never to be aired), was released on DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment in 2001.

Peter Chung, along with Klasky and Csupó, co-designed the characters and directed the series pilot, "Tommy Pickles and the Great White Thing", as well as the opening sequence. In a Decider article, Chung said, "He [Gábor] wanted the babies to be 'strange' instead of 'cute.'" 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, Coffey and then-network president Geraldine Laybourne approved of and bought the series and sent it into production. Chuckie and Angelica were added as characters.

Germain, who felt that the series needed a bully, based Angelica on a girl bully from his childhood and decided the character would be a spoiled brat. Klasky initially disliked Angelica and also protested her actions in episodes like "Barbecue Story", where she throws Tommy's ball over the fence.

In a New Yorker article, Klasky said, "I think she's a bully. I never liked Angelica." Klasky disdained Angelica and never fully approved of her character development. Angelica became problematic for some Rugrats staff. When her voice actress, Cheryl Chase, had problems portraying a mean Angelica, Steve Viksten, one of the writers, would mention that Angelica was the series' J. R. Ewing.

After the episode "The Trial", Klasky complained that the characters were acting too old for their ages. Csupó often acted as a mediator in arguments between Klasky and the writers, with the writers often winning. Off-screen tensions ultimately found their way into the scripts and into the show. In 1994, before Nickelodeon premiered the last of the original 65 episodes, production of new episodes went on hiatus, and most of the Rugrats writing team (including Germain) left Klasky-Csupo. After the first-run days were over, Nickelodeon had enough episodes to show every day, and did just that, scheduling the show in the early evening, when both kids and parents would be watching, among multiple other times in the day; in 1996, Rugrats episodes had aired 655 times over the course of the calendar year, and it remained one of cable television's most-watched series that year. The show resumed production in 1996. However, the tensions between Klasky-Csupo and their former writers still existed.

After seeing Angelica in The Rugrats Movie, Klasky commented, "I think she's great for the show; I love Angelica."

According to Germain, when the series was first conceived, the rule was that babies can really talk, but keep it a secret from adults, as in the unaired pilot the babies wait for adults to leave the room before speaking to each other. However, the rules quickly began to evolve, and the babies became a metaphor for children of all ages. During production of the first season, Germain and his fellow writers would argue among themselves over whether the adults could not understand the babies' talking, or whether the babies only spoke to each other when adults were not around. During the first season, they tried a little of both, such as in the episode "At the Movies" when Tommy attempts to tell Stu about Reptar, but it is dismissed by Stu as baby talk. Later in the season, the writers would have the babies talk to each other while adults were in the same room, as long as there was a lot of space between them. By the end of the first season, the writers allowed the babies to talk to each other while in their strollers as long as adults were not in the same shot. This decision led to a moment at the end of the episode "Reptar's Revenge" in which Tommy says "Look!" while pointing to screen left, and all of the adults turn and look screen left as well. This was an error on the part of the animation director that the crew did not have time to correct. Germain stated "In the end, whether the kids are speaking an incomprehensible language, or simply speaking when the adults can't hear (whether intentionally or not) became a secondary issue in the show. We kept them apart when we could, cheated when we couldn't, and just let it become a secondary issue."

Nicktoons

Rugrats was Nickelodeon's second Nicktoon, debuting on the same day as Doug (which premiered before it) and The Ren & Stimpy Show (which debuted after). After the first run of the series, which was produced from 1990 to 1993, production went on a hiatus, and episodes that had not yet premiered continued to be released through 1994. Between 1995 and 1996, only two Jewish-themed specials premiered, and the rest of the series aired in reruns. Production on new episodes restarted in 1996, and the show aired in Nickelodeon's SNICK block from 1997 to 2001. From 1994 until 2012, Rugrats was the longest-running Nickelodeon animated series, with 172 episodes produced across its 13-year run. This record was surpassed in 2012 by SpongeBob SquarePants with the episode "Squiditis/Demolition Doofus".

On July 21, 2001, in celebration of its 10th anniversary, Nickelodeon aired the television movie "All Growed Up", which featured the characters ten years older. After the special, the network aired a retrospective titled "Rugrats: Still Babies After All These Years", narrated by Amanda Bynes. Because of the special's ratings and popularity, Nickelodeon commissioned All Grown Up!, a series about the older characters, which ran from 2003 to 2008.

Rugrats ended in 2004, the same year as fellow Nicktoons Hey Arnold!, The Wild Thornberrys, and Rocket Power. After its run, two fairytale-themed direct-to-video films based on the original series, under the title Rugrats: Tales from the Crib, were produced and released separately in 2005 and 2006.

Voice actors

Through its full run, Rugrats had a steady array of main voice actors. E. G. Daily voices Tommy Pickles, except in the unaired pilot where Tami Holbrook provides the voice; Christine Cavanaugh originally voiced Chuckie Finster, but Cavanaugh left the show for personal reasons and was subsequently replaced by Nancy Cartwright in 2002. The fraternal twins, Phil and Lil, and their mother, Betty, are voiced by Kath Soucie; Dil Pickles and Timmy McNulty are voiced by Tara Strong. Cheryl Chase, who initially auditioned for the role of Tommy, was brought on board to be cast as the voice of Angelica Pickles. Dionne Quan voices Kimi Finster. Susie is voiced by Cree Summer in all but two episodes where she could not be in attendance; Daily filled in for her. Other regular voice actors include Melanie Chartoff as Didi Pickles, Jack Riley as Stu Pickles, Tress MacNeille as Charlotte Pickles, Michael Bell as Drew Pickles and Chas Finster, Julia Kato as Kira Finster, and David Doyle as Grandpa Lou Pickles until his death in 1997, after which Joe Alaskey took over until the series' end. In 2000, Debbie Reynolds joined the cast as Lulu Pickles, Lou's second wife, and remained until the series' end.

Episode production

Episodes took up to a year in advance to produce. After the episode's story was written and approved, the next phase consisted of voice recording, storyboarding, pre-eliminating animation, overseas production, overseas delivery, followed by editing and polishing. All of that had to happen even before Klasky-Csupo sent the master tapes to Nickelodeon. In addition, fine animation took time to make. During the first six seasons of Rugrats, shows were primarily divided into two eleven-minute episodes. After the second movie, during season seven, Rugrats aired with a format of three episodes per show, though it returned to its original two-episode-per-show format in the final two seasons.

Animation for the series was done at Wang Film Productions, Shanghai Morning Sun Animation (Pilot and 1st season), and Anivision (until it was absorbed into Sunwoo Entertainment; 2nd season until the series' end).

Themes

Rugrats visualizes ordinary, everyday activities through the eyes of a group of toddlers. Using their imaginations, the babies transform routine tasks into surprising adventures. The babies, having a limited understanding of the world, constantly mispronounce words and use improper grammar. Challenges often emerge because the babies misinterpret the adults, usually caused by Angelica's deceptive translations. The grown-ups of Rugrats are simultaneously quirky, over-cautious, and oblivious. The series portrays adults as mysterious eccentrics. Episodes usually center on a moral lesson that the babies learn during their imaginative explorations.

Release

Home media

Nickelodeon and Amazon.com 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 first and second seasons of Rugrats were released on June 2, 2009, along with the first and second seasons of The Fairly OddParents (although the Rugrats Season 2 was released in a "Best of" collection). Season 3 and 4 were released on September 23, 2011, through the CreateSpace program. Season 5 was released shortly after on October 4. On October 6, 2011, the complete Seasons 6–8 were released through CreateSpace, and Season 9 was released in a "Best of" collection. Amazon re-released seasons 2 & 9 as complete seasons on May 9, 2014. As of February 2017, the Amazon.com releases have been discontinued. In May 2017, Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Media Distribution released Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD. In February 2018, Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Media Distribution released Seasons 3 and 4 on DVD. On May 18, 2021, Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Media Distribution released Rugrats: The Complete Series on DVD.

In Australia, all seasons have been released by Beyond Home Entertainment.

DVD releases — complete seasons

DVD name	No. of episodes	Release date
		Region 1		Region 4
		Amazon	Paramount
Season 1	13	June 2, 2009	May 2, 2017	December 4, 2013
Season 2	26	May 9, 2014	May 2, 2017	December 4, 2013
Season 3	26	September 23, 2011	February 6, 2018	April 2, 2014
Season 4	17	September 23, 2011	February 6, 2018	June 4, 2014
Season 5	12	October 4, 2011	N/A	June 4, 2014
Season 6	28	October 6, 2011	N/A	June 4, 2014
Season 7	18	October 6, 2011	N/A	December 3, 2014
Season 8	13	October 6, 2011	N/A	December 3, 2014
Season 9	14	May 9, 2014	N/A	December 3, 2014
The Complete Series	172	N/A	May 18, 2021	October 31, 2017

Other releases

Title		Episode count	Movie count	Release date	Episodes
	Decade in Diapers	11	0	September 24, 2002	"Angelica Orders Out", "The First Cut", "Reptar on Ice", "No Bones About It", "Be My Valentine", "Chuckie vs. The Potty", "Doctor Susie", "Vacation", "Finsterella", "Bigger Than Life", and "Tommy Pickles and the Great White Thing"
	Mysteries	8		January 28, 2003	"Murmur on the Ornery Express", "The Fun Way Day", "Trading Phil", "Grandpa's Date", "The Legend of Satchmo", "Grandpa's Teeth", "Visitors from Outer Space", and "Grandpa Moves Out"
	Holiday Celebration	12		August 31, 2004	Disc 1: "Curse of the Werewuff", "Ghost Story", "Aunt Miriam", "Sleep Trouble", "Spike's Nightscare" Disc 2: "Babies in Toyland", "The Turkey Who Came To Dinner", "Kwanzaa", "The Santa Experience", and "Chanukah"
	Nick Picks Vol. 1	1		May 24, 2005	"Finsterella"
	Nick Picks Vol. 2			October 18, 2005	"All Growed Up"
	Nick Picks Holiday			September 26, 2006	"The Santa Experience"
	The Trilogy Movie Collection	0	3	March 15, 2011	Disc 1: "The Rugrats Movie" Disc 2: "Rugrats in Paris: The Movie" Disc 3: "Rugrats Go Wild"
	Halloween	5	0	September 20, 2011	This release is a reissue of the first disc from the Holiday Celebration DVD set.
	Outdoor Shenanigans			July 8, 2014	"Discover America", "Barbeque Story", "Moose Country", "Sand Ho!", and "The Gold Rush"
	Reptar Returns	3			"Runaway Reptar", "Reptar 2010", and "The Big Showdown"

UK VHS releases

VHS Title	Release Date	Episodes	Bonus Features	Classic Shorts
Rugrats - Tales from the Crib (VHR4232)	1996	"Toy Palace", "Real or Bobots?", "Beach Blanket Babies"	2 Inside Out Boy shorts	Maisy short "Sandcastle"
Rugrats - A Baby's Gotta Do What a Baby's Gotta Do (VHR4277)	5 February 1996	"Monsters in the Garage", "Touchdown Tommy", "Let There Be Light"	2 Inside Out Boy shorts	Maisy short "Washing"
Rugrats - Angelica the Divine (VHR4278)	1996	"Angelica the Magnificent", "The Seven Voyages of Cynthia", "Runaway Angelica"	Nickelodeon Picture Puzzle	Maisy short "Meow"
Rugrats - Phil and Lil: Double Trouble (VHR4396)	9 September 1996	"Twins' Pique", "The Unfair Pair", "Together at Last"	3 The Non Adventures of Safety Queen shorts	Maisy short "Tummyache"
Rugrats - Tommy Troubles (VHR4279)	1996	"Naked Tommy", "Incident in Aisle Seven", "Baseball"	3 The Off Beats shorts	Maisy short "Shopping"
Rugrats - The Santa Experience (VHR4233)	4 November 1996	"The Santa Experience"	"Wiggly Wiggly Christmas" Music Video	Maisy short "Snow"
Rugrats - Chuckie the Brave (VHR4444)	12 May 1997	"The Slide", "My Friend Barney", "Chuckie vs. The Potty", "Chuckie's Wonderful Life", "Cradle Attraction"	"Rugrats Rap" Music Video	Maisy short "Playground"
Rugrats - Return of Reptar (VHR4479)	14 July 1997	"At the Movies", "Reptar on Ice", "Reptar's Revenge", "Candy Bar Creep Show", "Reptar 2010"	"Joke Time" (old short, 1997)	Maisy short "Ice"
Rugrats - Grandpa's Favourite Stories (VHR4478)	1 September 1997	"Grandpa's Date", "Legend of Satchmo", "Grandpa's Teeth", "Visitors from Outer Space", "Grandpa Moves Out"	Microscopic Milton short "Holiday Camping"	Maisy short "Camping"
Rugrats - Diapered Duo (VHR4445)	13 October 1997	"Down the Drain", "The Odd Couple", "Mirrorland", "Give and Take", "Farewell My Friend"	Animal Stories short "Simpson the Slug"	Maisy short "Bathtub"

Streaming

As of March 4, 2021, all seasons of the show are available on Hulu and Paramount+.

Reception

Critical reception and legacy

Since its debut in 1991, Rugrats has generally received positive reviews from critics and fans. In a 1995 interview, Steven Spielberg (who, at the time, was producing several competing animated series for Warner Bros.) referred to the show as one of several shows that were 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 cable 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 Cosby kids." In 2017, James Charisma of Paste ranked the show's opening sequence #11 on a list of The 75 Best TV Title Sequences of All Time.

Controversy

Rugrats was noteworthy among contemporary children's television for depicting observant, identifiable Jewish families. Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious 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 Tommy Pickles' maternal grandparents, accusing their character designs of resembling Nazi-era depictions of Jews.

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Award category	Nominee	Result
1992	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Animated Program		Won
1993		Outstanding Animated Children's Program		Nominated
1994	CableAce	Animated Programming Special or Series		Won
	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Animated Children's Program		Won
1995	Annie Award	Best Individual Achievement for Writing in the Field of Animation	Episode: "A Rugrats Passover"	Nominated
	Humanitas Prize	Children's Animation Category	Episode: "I Remember Melville"	Nominated
	CableAce	Animated Programming Special or Series		Nominated
	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding in Animation		Won
	Emmy Award	Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour or Less)	"A Rugrats Passover"	Nominated
1996	Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite Cartoon		Won
1997	Emmy Award	Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour or Less)	"Mother's Day"	Nominated
	Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite Cartoon		Won
	Young Artist Awards	Best Performance in a Voiceover	Charity Sanoy for "Dust Bunnies"/"Educating Angelica"	Nominated
	CableAce	Best Writing in a Children's Special Or Series	Episode: "Mother's Day"	Won
1998	Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite Cartoon		Won
	Humanitas Prize	Children's Animation Category	Episode: "Mother's Day"	Nominated
1999	Emmy Award	Outstanding Children's Program		Nominated
	Genesis Award	Television – Children's Programming	Episode: "The Turkey That Came to Dinner"	Won
	Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite Cartoon		Won
	Humanitas Prize	Children's Animation Category	Episode: "Autumn Leaves"	Won
	TV Guide Award	Favorite Children's Show		Nominated
	World Animation Celebration	Best Director of Animation for a Daytime Series	Episode: "Naked Tommy"	Won
	Kids Choice Awards	Favorite Movie	The Rugrats Movie	Won
	Cable Guide	Favorite Cartoon		Nominated
2000	Artios Award	Best Casting for Animated Voice Over – Television		Nominated
	Kid's Choice Awards	Favorite Cartoon		Won
	Emmy Award	Outstanding Children's Program		Nominated
	TV Guide Award	Favorite Children's Show		Won
2001	Artios Award	Best Casting for Animated Voice Over – Television		Nominated
	Emmy Award	Outstanding Children's Program		Nominated
	Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite Cartoon		Won
	Television Critics Association Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming		Nominated
	Jewish Image Awards	Outstanding Achievement		Won
2002	Artios Award	Best Casting for Animated Voice Over – Television	Episode: "Cynthia Comes Alive"	Nominated
	Emmy Award	Outstanding Children's Program	Special: "All Growed Up"	Nominated
	Kid's Choice Awards	Favorite Cartoon		Nominated
	BMI Cable Award			Won
2003	Artios Award	Best Casting for Animated Voice Over – Television	Episode: "Babies in Toyland"	Nominated
	Kid's Choice Awards	Favorite Cartoon		Nominated
	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Children's Animated Program		Won
	BMI Cable Award			Won
2004	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Children's Animated Program		Nominated

Honors

The Rugrats received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a ceremony on June 28, 2001, commemorating the show's 10th anniversary.

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 series to receive a star. It was placed at 6600 W. Hollywood Blvd., 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 No. 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 No. 699.

Angelica Pickles placed seventh in TV Guide's list of "Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time" in 2002.

On September 24, 2013, in honor of their 60th anniversary, Rugrats earned a spot on TV Guide's "60 Greatest Cartoons of All Time" list.

Franchise

Main article: Rugrats (franchise)

Films

Further information: Rugrats (film series)

In 1998, The Rugrats Movie was released, which introduced baby Dil, Tommy's little brother, to the show. Its worldwide gross was $140.9 million against a $24 million budget, though it received mixed reviews from critics. In 2000 a sequel, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, was released, with three new characters introduced, Kimi, Kira, and Fifi. Kimi would become Chuckie's sister and Kira would become his new mother, after marrying his father. Fifi would become Spike's new mate and Chuckie's new dog. It too was a box office success and also received a more positive critical reception. In 2003, Rugrats Go Wild was released. It was a crossover between the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. It was the least successful Rugrats film both critically and commercially. The Rugrats film trilogy has grossed $299.6 million. In July 2018, Paramount announced that Rugrats would release a live-action movie on January 29, 2021. However, in November 2019, Paramount decided to pull the movie from its schedule with no explanation given.

Spin-offs and remake

See also: All Grown Up! and Rugrats (2021 TV series)

Rugrats Pre-School Daze, also known as Angelica and Susie's School Daze, is a spin-off that follows revolves around Angelica Pickles and Susie Carmichael as preschool students. Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain were its creators and executive producers. It was announced in 2001 as the first spin-off for Rugrats, and initially received a 13-episode order. Even though it was reportedly a "highly-anticipated" part of the March 2002 upfront presentation, the show was reduced to four television specials. This decision was reached after Nickelodeon shifted its focus to the All Grown Up! spin-off following the rating success of "All Growed Up". Rugrats Pre-School Daze was first shown in the United States between November 2008 and December 2008. The series carried a TV-Y parental rating, meaning that it was judged as "designed to be appropriate for all children".

In 2005, Paramount Home Entertainment released all four episodes of Rugrats Pre-School Daze on the DVDs for the Rugrats: Tales from the Crib movies. The first two were released on the Snow White DVD, while the last two were on the one for Three Jacks and a Beanstalk. The series was once available on the iTunes Store and Amazon Instant Video, but the episodes were later removed from both platforms. All episodes are available on Hulu. Variety's Brian Steinberg felt that the show's concept could be retooled as part of a Rugrats reboot, where the baby protagonists would be shown in preschool and Angelica in kindergarten.

In 2001, a spin-off centered on Susie Carmichael and her family was also proposed. It would have focused on the Carmichaels moving to Atlanta, Georgia, to help their grandmother run the family restaurant.

On July 16, 2018, it was announced that Nickelodeon had given a series order to a 26-episode revival of the series, executive produced by Klasky, Csupó, and Germain. It was further announced that Paramount Pictures had greenlit a live-action/CGI hybrid feature film which was last set for a January 29, 2021 release date. Originally, it had been set for a November 13, 2020 release, and then was pushed back, with Clifford the Big Red Dog taking its old slot. But on November 12, 2019, the live-action/CGI hybrid film was removed from Paramount's release schedule. On May 14, 2020, it was announced that the reboot was delayed until 2021. The reboot premiered on Paramount+ on May 27, 2021. The reboot also began airing on Nickelodeon on August 20, 2021.

Other media

Comics

Further information: Rugrats (comic strip)

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

Nick produced a special, 50-page comic magazine retelling of the film Rugrats in Paris, edited by Pittarese and Roman, written by Scott Gray, pencils by Scott Roberts, and inks by Adam DeKraker.

On October 18, 2017, Boom! Studios began publishing a new Rugrats comic book series.

Video games

Nineteen video games based on the series have been released. Notably, Rugrats: Search for Reptar became one of the bestselling PlayStation games. Tommy and Angelica appear as guest characters in Rocket Power: Team Rocket Rescue. They appear again as playable characters in Nickelodeon Party Blast and Nicktoons Racing. Tommy later appears in Nicktoons Basketball in his All Grown Up! form. Rugrats characters make non-playable appearances in Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots and Nicktoons MLB. Tommy, Angelica, and Reptar are playable characters in the official mobile game Nickelodeon Super Brawl Universe. Tommy, Angelica, and Reptar appear as playable characters in Nickelodeon Kart Racers. These same characters, along with Chuckie, are playable in Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix. Reptar is a playable character in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. Angelica is playable in the Apple Arcade game Nickelodeon Extreme Tennis.

Titles in the series of Rugrats video games

Year	Title	Platform(s)			Acquired label(s)
		Console	Computer	Handheld
1998	Rugrats Adventure Game	N/A	Windows Mac OS X	N/A	N/A
	Rugrats: Search for Reptar	PlayStation	N/A	N/A	PlayStation Greatest Hits
	The Rugrats Movie	N/A	N/A	Game Boy Game Boy Color	N/A
	Rugrats Activity Challenge	N/A	Windows	N/A	N/A
1999	Rugrats: Studio Tour	PlayStation	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt	Nintendo 64	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Rugrats: Time Travelers	N/A	N/A	Game Boy Color	N/A
	Rugrats Mystery Adventures	N/A	Windows	N/A	N/A
2000	Rugrats: Totally Angelica	PlayStation	N/A	Game Boy Color	N/A
	Rugrats in Paris: The Movie	PlayStation Nintendo 64	Windows	Game Boy Color	N/A
2001	All Growed Up	N/A	Windows	N/A	N/A
	Rugrats: Castle Capers	N/A	N/A	Game Boy Advance	N/A
2002	Rugrats: Royal Ransom	PlayStation 2 GameCube	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Rugrats Munchin Land	N/A	Windows	Game Boy Advance	N/A
	Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party	N/A	N/A	Game Boy Advance	N/A
2003	Rugrats Go Wild	N/A	Windows	Game Boy Advance	N/A
2004	All Grown Up: Express Yourself	N/A	N/A	Game Boy Advance	N/A
2005	Rugrats: Totally Angelica-Boredom Busters	N/A	Windows	N/A	N/A
	Rugrats Food Fight	N/A	N/A	Mobile	N/A

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. Despite some 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, pencils, markers, cookie jars, key rings, action figures, My First Uno games, and bubblegum. The show also managed to spawn a popular merchandise line at Walmart, Kmart, Target, eBay, Hot Topic, J. C. Penney, Toys "R" Us, Mattel, Barnes & Noble, and Basic Fun. By March 1999, the franchise had generated an estimated $1.4 billion in merchandise sales.

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. In 2017, entertainment retail store chain FYE began selling Reptar Cereal, as well as Reptar Bars, both based on fictional products within the show. Reptar Cereal is very similar to Froot Loops, and Reptar Bars are chocolate bars filled with green frosting, a reference to the show in which the bars would turn the tongues of whoever ate it green.

Rugrats made fast-food appearances as well, with the most appearances being on Burger King. In 1994, the Hardee's fast-food chain offered a collection of Nicktoons toys as premiums that were included with kids' meals at their restaurants. All 4 Nicktoons at that time were featured — Doug, Rugrats, Ren & Stimpy, and Rocko's Modern Life. 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 and toothbrush, and entry blanks to subscribe to Rugrats Comic Adventures, Nick Magazine, and the Kids Club. From 1998 until 2004, Rugrats based-products included watches and various toys.

External links

• Rugrats at IMDb
• Rugrats daily comic strip at Creators Syndicate
• Rugrats at the Big Cartoon DataBase
• Rugrats at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on February 9, 2017.
• The Oral History Of ‘Nicktoons’, Part III: Exploring The Multigenerational Appeal Of ‘Rugrats’ Decider, June 16, 2016