'Rugrats': The Complete Original Series + All Grown Up: The Complete Series' DVD Set Announced

 A baby's gotta do what a baby's gotta do!

Nickelodeon's beloved '90s original animated series Rugrats and its spin-off, All Grown Up!, is coming to DVD in a massive Reptar-sized 36-disc boxset!

Rugrats: The Complete Original Series + All Grown Up: The Complete Series (The Complete Original and Sequel Series) is being released by Australian distributor Via Vision primarily for the Australian and New Zealand markets, however, the set, featuring all 172 episodes of Rugrats and all 55 episodes of All Grown Up!, will be available internationally, including the U.S. as an import through Amazon. The set released Wednesday, February 12 in Australia and Friday, March 28 in the U.S.

Included on the set as several bonus episodes and specials, including All Growed Up, which served as the backdoor pilot for All Grown Up!, plus Rugrats second spin-off, Pre-School Daze, starring Angelica and Susie, and two Tales From the Crib specials!

Now, Paramount has released a complete Rugrats DVD boxset in the past, however, this is the first time both Rugrats and All Grown Up! have featured on one set.

Fans of the Klasky Csupo series can pre-order the DVD set today, including Amazon.com and viavision.com.au.

Rugrats: The Complete Original Series + All Grown Up: The Complete Series – DVD

You’re gonna love this wheelie big Rugrats collection, I square!

Rugrats

You’re gonna love this wheelie big Rugrats collection, I square! It’s chock-full of over 70 hours of the most hilarious adventures by the lovable kids known as the rugrats. Baldly go where no baby has gone before with Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Angelica, Dil and more of your favourites. Join these entertaining babies in their nappy-clad escapades, as they try and make sense of their world – which sometimes means getting into hilarious trouble!

All Grown Up

It’s the Rugrats you’ve come to know and love… but now they’re All Grown Up! Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica and the rest of your Rugrats favourites are now pre-teens going through the rigours of searching for a place to fit in, finding ways to survive, girl and guy trouble, discovering their individuality and making it through the pitfalls of junior high school. With all episodes from Seasons 1 – 5, come along for the fun – and sometimes wacky – journey with your favourite group of kids.

The perfect collection for a 90’s Nickelodeon kid!

Special Features:

• Rugrats
• Runaway Reptar
• All Growed Up
• Babies in Toyland
• Tales From the Crib: Snow White
• Tales From the Crib: Three Jacks & A Beanstalk
• All Grown Up
• Pre-School Daze: Good News, Bad News
• Picture Imperfect
• Tree’s A Crowd
• Finder’s Kreepers

Prices: AUD$179.95

Number of Discs: 36

Rating: G (General Audience)

Release Date: AU 12-Feb-25 | USA

Runtime (in minutes): 5374

Subtitles: None

Product Code: VVE4663

Package Dimensions: 7.5 x 7.5 x 5 inches; 4 Pounds

Media Format: Import, NTSC

Studio: Via Vision

ASIN: B0DR38ZQDX

Number of discs: 36

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More Nick: Live-Action/CGI Hybrid ‘Rugrats’ Movie In Works From Paramount!

Originally published: February 25, 2025.

Original source: GameSpot.

SpongeBob Beats Arthur to Become the Longest Running Animated Kids Show

 SpongeBob SquarePants has been in the midst of celebrating its 25th anniversary this past year, but now it has officially beaten Arthur to become the longest running animated series for kids of all time. Fans have been getting to see animated hits of all kinds go on to very long runs of episodes, and that has been especially the case with many adult sitcoms like The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad and more which had recently celebrated their own 35th, 25th, and 20th anniversaries especially. But this same success has been seen with children’s animation as well with many crossing over some huge milestones too.

SpongeBob SquarePants has been one such case as it not only officially kicked off its 25th anniversary celebration last year, but the fact that it continues to be in production means it is going to hit even more impressive milestones in the near future too. SpongeBob SquarePants has now officially become the longest running animated children’s show of all time. Beating a record previously held by the PBS Kids classic, Arthur.

SpongeBob Becomes Longest Running Animated Kids Show

Arthur first aired with PBS Kids in October 1996, and ran for 25 seasons across 26 years with the final episode airing back in 2022. The series finale offered a much more conclusive ending than fans of the long running animated adaptation ever expected as Arthur and his friends had aged into adulthood through a special time skip that revealed their future careers. Arthur, for example, actually became an artist that ultimately illustrated all of his adventures as a kid and turned that into the “Arthur” series itself. So it was a real full circle moment when it all came to an end.

But with the series ending its production, and SpongeBob SquarePants having no plans to end any time soon, Arthur no longer holds that record. The Nickelodeon animated series currently only has about 15 seasons under its belt of regular episodes, but it’s become an entire universe that has spread across multiple shows, feature films, and more in the years since its debut. As of February 22, 2025, ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ has officially become the longest-running animated children’s television series, surpassing ‘Arthur’, which previously held the record. SpongeBob SquarePants now being the longest running animated children’s show is a huge honor, and is likely not going to lose this record in the future. It’s still just as popular as it ever was.

What’s Next for SpongeBob?

As SpongeBob SquarePants continues with new episodes of its own show, but the series is continuing with all sorts of other new entries such as a brand new movie coming to Netflix next month. Plankton: The Movie will be exclusively streaming with Netflix beginning on March 7th, and is written (and stars) Mr. Lawrence. The film also stars longtime members of the SpongeBob SquarePants cast such as Jill Talley, Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Clancy Brown, and Rodger Bumpass. There is also a brand new movie coming to theaters soon.

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: Search for SquarePants is currently slated to release in theaters beginning on December 19th. Very little has been revealed about this film as of the time of this publication, but it has teased that it will have a large focus on the Flying Dutchman’s Ghost. Mark Hamill will be the voice of the Flying Dutchman in the upcoming film, who will be replacing Brian-Doyle Murray (who had voiced the character in his appearances in the TV series). But as we get closer to its release, we’ll likely see more of what to expect soon enough.

How the NAACP Helped Free The Oompa Loompas of 1964

Yes! The Oompa Loompas from the 1964 book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, were African Slaves.

A children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. The narrative is rich with imagination, creativity, and moral lessons, but it also unearths complex themes that reflect the societal context of its time.

Everytime a film release transpired, the Oompa Loompas were rewritten as something else weather it be one man acting as many Loompas being virtually identical or simple puppets on a string.

Back when the first Chocolate factory book was released in 1964, black people all over the globe were dealing with a distinctive living situation. Martin Luther King, Jr. was heading the National Civil Rights Movement of America, while Haiti faced constitutional referendum made President François "Papa Doc" Duvalier president for life, with absolute power and Jamaica competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan for the first since their independence in 1962 and lost - Gold, Silver and Bronze - all across the board.

Slavery was still legal then. It wasn't until 1865, that US by Congress voted the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to abolish slavery in the United States. So, more than interesting to see an american author wrote African slaves into his book during a time it was written and published.

The Oompa-Loompas were a tribe of 3,000 amiable black pygmies imported by Mr. Wonka from ‘the very deepest and darkest part of the African jungle where no white man had been before.’

Mr. Wonka kept them in the factory, where they had replaced the sacked white workers. The little slaves were delighted with their new living circumstances, and particularly with their diet of all you eat chocolate. Before they lived on green caterpillars, beetles, eucalyptus leaves, ‘and the bark of the bong-bong tree. Obviously an upgrade in their eyes.

Oompa-Loompa illustration by Joseph Schindelman, copyright © 1964 and renewed 1992 by Joseph Schindelman, from CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY by Roald Dahl. Used by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

The Oompa Loompas were illustrated by Joseph Schindelman for the first and revised US editions.

In the context of this problematic portrayal, The Oompa Loompas could be seen as significant to black people in a negative way, as it perpetuates harmful stereotypes and contributes to the dehumanization of marginalized groups. It is important to recognize and challenge harmful representations in media and advocate for more thoughtful, inclusive, and respectful depictions of all people.

As a messianic figure, Wonka believes he has “rescued” the Oompa-Loompas from certain death. Saving his tiny “helpers” from near starvation, he offers them shelter from their predators, the Snozzwangers and Whangdoodles.

Their servitude, Wonka insists, is a special privilege, a pro-slavery sentiment that echoes the “positive good” defence of the Atlantic Slave Trade.

With this said, if you look at it they were individuals who were chosen by Willy Wonka to help make delicious chocolate delectables for others to enjoy and they were allowed to have more than their fair share of it as a scrumptious compensation!

Despite the seemingly benevolent framing, the reality remains that the Oompa Loompas were subjected to harsh conditions and treated as lesser beings within the factory. While they were depicted as enjoying the perks of their chocolate-filled existence, they were, in essence, prisoners confined to the factory, deprived of autonomy and agency. 

They worked tirelessly in exchange for cocoa beans, even as the Wonka earned real money for their labor. They were restricted to areas inside the factory as well. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka learned the tribal language when negotiating a deal with the Oompa Loompas, but he was proud that "they all speak English now," further underscoring the dynamics of power and control at play.

Besides the unreasonable wage and inhumane treatment, Oompa Loompas were Wonka's test subjects for new inventions. Although the film showed "Whips - All Shapes and Sizes" as cows being whipped to produce cream, the rooms could have been another indication of the chocolatier's full ownership of Oompa Loompas. 

The book was first adapted into a feature film as a musical, titled Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), starring the iconic Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka.

Although, Dahl insisted there was no racist intent behind the Oompa Loompas, when news broke in 1970 that there was to be a film of the book, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) said the importation of the Oompa Loompas to the factory had overtones of slavery. Dahl found himself sympathising with the NAACP. 

Fighting the allegations of racism, Dahl rewrote the Loompas in time for the second US edition as white hippy dwarves hailing from an invented place, “Loompaland”. The film, avoided the issue of race altogether, making them green-haired and orange-skinned.

In a sense, one could argue that the NAACP played a role in liberating the Oompa Loompas from their initial portrayal, sparking a necessary dialogue about representation and sensitivity in literature and media. 

Regardless of the controversies surrounding Dahl's intentions, many black children have grown up enjoying the adventures of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, along with its sequels and film adaptations.

It is essential to acknowledge the complexities of the narrative while recognizing Dahl's attempts to address and rectify any problematic elements in subsequent editions.

Mr. Dahl should be given considerable credit for trying to rectify any complicating issues. It is a great story. That should be enjoyed by many generations of children to come and accepted for its classic quality.

Ultimately, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remains a classic tale, filled with wonder and imagination, and it continues to resonate with generations of readers. While it is vital to engage with the historical and cultural implications of the text, it is equally important to appreciate the story's enduring charm and the joy it has brought to countless children. The narrative serves as a reminder of the power of storytelling and the responsibility that comes with it, encouraging more thoughtful and inclusive representations in literature for future generations.

Susie Carmichael: The Rugrats Black Icon

It's February 2025. It's also Black History Month 2025. This year's National Theme for the month is "African Americans and Labor".

The theme is a powerful reflection on the pivotal role that the hard work of African Americans has played in shaping America's history.

The hard work of many African Americans have played a significant role in shaping the history of the world at large as well.

Rugrats alumni, Susie Carmichael, is no different. Despite only being a fictional animated character, this beautiful brown skinned maiden has made her mark on the world in a positive way. Her contribution should not go unnoticed.

THE STORY

Susanna Yvonne Carmichael entered into the public eye as a supporting character and Angelica's best friend from the Rugrats (9 seasons) franchise. Nicknamed, "Susie", is a black American born girl who lives across the street from the Pickles' residence in the series. She is a polar opposite to Tommy Pickles' cousin Angelica, and as such, she is always willing to support Tommy and his friends in their adventures, often taking a stand against Angelica.

The creators of Rugrats named the character Susie as an homage to Leonard Cohen's song "Suzanne", despite differences in spelling, since her mom Lucy Carmichael (1991) has the same initials as Canadian singer Leonard Cohen.

Susie's unofficial debut appearance was actually in the Rugrats 3-D board game called "Rugrats Turn The House Upside Down". It was released in 1992, and the Rugrats episode "Meet the Carmichaels" was aired January 10, 1993 as episode 18 of season 2.

Later in the show's run, there was consideration to give Susie her own spin-off entitled, The Carmichaels, which was slated to have her move to Atlanta, Georgia. However, due to subsequent continuity issues that were raised by the green-lighting of two other spin-offs, it was eventually cancelled.

The series premiered on August 11, 1991, as the second of the original three Nickelodeon animated series known as "Nicktoons", after Doug and before The Ren & Stimpy Show. The Rugrats became a global phenomenon. Tie-in media for the series include video games, comics, toys, and various other merchandise were in homes worldwide.

As a result of its 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 Chuckie's stepmother Kira, his stepsister Kimi, and a poodle named 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 episode aired on August 1, 2004, bringing the series to a total of 172 episodes over nine seasons. The show ended it's 13-year run as one of the longest-running American animated television series, one of Nickelodeon's longest-running animated series, and one of the longest-running animated series of all time. Rugrats gained over 20 awards during its 13-year run, including four Daytime Emmy Awards and six Kids' Choice Awards.

Two direct-to-video specials were released in 2005 and 2006 under the title Rugrats: Tales from the Crib. Susie stars in the titular princess role of the first special, "Snow White" released in September 2005. It aired on TV in November 2005. It was directed by Ron Noble, Primetime Emmy Award nominated Michael Dædalus Kenny
& Andrei Svislotski and written by Jill Gorey & Barbara Herndon. The movie features the voice talents of Emmy winner Kenan Thompson and Amanda Bynes.

Prior to the series ending, in July 2001, Nickelodeon broadcast the TV special All Growed Up to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the series. The special was a backdoor pilot for the Rugrats sequel series All Grown Up!, which started airing in 2003 and lasted for 5 seasons until 2008.

Susie along with Angelica and Charlotte Pickles are the only characters to appear in every incarnation of the franchise: the 1991 series, All Grown Up!, Rugrats Pre-School Daze (4 episodes in 2008), the film trilogy, and the 2021 reboot series.

Susie was one of three Rugrats to be introduced after the series premiered (the only one not to be introduced via a film) as well as being the only Rugrat of African-American decent.

Susie has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as a member of the Rugrats collective.
They received the star on June 28, 2001, in commemoration of their tenth anniversary, making it Nickelodeon's first series (and only Nickelodeon show as of 2025) to receive a star. It was placed at 6600 W. Hollywood Blvd.

IMPACT

Susie Carmichael, a character from the animated series Rugrats, played a significant role in representing Black culture and experience in children's media. Introduced in the show's later seasons, Susie's character was notable for several reasons that positively impacted the Black community and beyond:

1. Representation: Susie was one of the few Black characters in a prominent children's show during the 1990s. Her presence provided visibility for Black children, allowing them to see themselves reflected in popular media. This representation helped foster a sense of belonging and identity among young viewers.

2. Role Model: Susie was portrayed as intelligent, kind, and confident. She often showcased leadership qualities and a caring nature, serving as a positive role model for children. Her character demonstrated the importance of friendship, problem-solving, and resilience, which resonated with audiences.

3. Cultural Impact: The inclusion of Susie highlighted the importance of diversity in children's programming. It opened doors for more inclusive storytelling and characters in animated series, encouraging creators to explore different cultures and backgrounds. This shift has had a lasting influence on how animated shows are developed today.

4. Empowerment: For many Black children, seeing a character like Susie provided empowerment. It challenged stereotypes and offered a more nuanced portrayal of Black youth, contributing to broader discussions about race and representation in media.

5. Community Engagement: The popularity of Rugrats, along with Susie's character, spurred conversations about diversity in entertainment, encouraging the industry to consider more inclusive casting and storytelling. This awareness has contributed to increased representation of Black characters in various animated series and films since then.

 

CONCLUSION 

Overall, Susie Carmichael not only enriched Rugrats as a character but also played a pivotal role in influencing how Black characters are represented in children's media, promoting inclusivity and paving the way for future generations.

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