Animaniacs

Steven Spielberg presents Animaniacs is an animated variety series mainly featuring three "puppy-like" creatures known as the Warner Brothers and the Warner Sister, consisting of Yakko and Wakko, and their sister Dot. The trio live in a water tower on the Warner Bros. studio lot (and often create havoc there). The show featured rotating segments with other characters like The Goodfeathers (a parody of sterotypical mafia characters from movies such as Goodfellas and The Godfather), Mindy and Buttons, Slappy the Squirrel, and Pinky and the Brain, a pair of rodents who are bent on world domination.

Animaniacs premiered on September 13, 1993 and new episodes ran through the 1998 season. A total of 99 episodes were produced along with a direct-to-video movie and a theatrical cartoon short. The show introduced the popular cartoon characters Pinky and the Brain, who were subsequently spun-off into their own TV series in 1995. It was later revived on Hulu in 2020.

Muppet Mentions

• "Draculee Dracula" (October 29, 1993)

Upon meeting Count Dracula, Yakko asks the vampire "Didn't you used to teach math on Sesame Street?", a reference to the Dracula-esque Count von Count.

• "Video Review" (November 23, 1993)

A song full of references to popular movies and specials on video references A Muppet Family Christmas with the line: "Amadeus was a genius, Beethoven was a dog, The Muppet Family Christmas was about a pig and frog!" As each title is mentioned an animated video cover is shown. On the cover, Kermit (dressed as Santa Claus) is crushed as Miss Piggy leaps onto his lap.

• "Teeniacs" (Hulu series, February 17, 2023)

In a parody of teen drama shows such as Riverdale, rumors are afloat that high school students are being turned into vampires. Wakko (playing a teenager at said high school) tells coach Ralph that he feels funny, and he "can't stop counting like this: One, ah ha ha! Two, ah ha ha!" in another reference to Count von Count.

• In the DC Comics comic book Animaniacs #26 (June 1997), spoofing Tales from the Crypt, Buttons and Mindy face a possessed toy in "Tickle-Me Evil!" (referencing Tickle Me Elmo).

Pinky and the Brain (spin-off)

• "Big in Japan" (November 7, 1997)

Pinky plays with a "Tickle Me Herbert" doll (parody of Tickle Me Elmo). Pinky also later refers to Brain's sumo suit as a "Tickle Me Dom DeLuise."

• "You'll Never Eat Food Pellets In This Town, Again!" (April 25, 1998)

When the duo quit their show and are in need of work, Pinky thinks he can get them a new gig using his puppet Marget to network. He mentions that he "used to lunch with the fella who did Frank Oz's nails."

Connections

Paul Rugg

Many Henson/Muppet actors provided voices for Animaniacs. In addition, staff writer/voice actor Paul Rugg has been a regular performer in The Jim Henson Company's Puppet Up! improv team and other post-2004 projects. Steven Spielberg was executive producer and was heavily involved in the show.

• Ivy Austin voiced Carloota in "West Side Pigeons"
• Diedrich Bader voiced Odysseus in "Warners Unbound"
• Bob Bergen voiced Porky Pig in "Suffragette City"
• Eli Bolin co-wrote the song "FLOTUS, FLOTUS, What Do You Know About Us?"
• Jack Burns voiced Sid the Squid
• Nancy Cartwright voiced Mindy
• Dan Castellaneta voiced Dracula in "Draculee, Draculaa"
• Barry Dennen voiced Czar Nicholas II in "Pavlov's Mice" and "Nothing But the Tooth"
• Jess Harnell voiced Wakko, Walter Wolf, and others
• Phil Hartman voiced Dan Anchorman in "Broadcast Nuisance"
• Dan Haskett designed Minerva Mink
• Jameela Jamil played Sultana in "1001 Narfs"
• Arte Johnson voiced Newt in "Meet Minerva" and "Gunga Dot" and a delivery guy and German dog in "Bully for Skippy"
• Richard Libertini voiced Wally Llama in "Wally Llama"
• Maurice LaMarche voiced the Brain, Squit, and the Great Wakkorotti's burps
• Phil LaMarr voiced No-Name in "Pinko and the Brain" and a reporter in "Suffragette City"
• Michael McKean provided several guest voices
• Brian Stokes Mitchell voiced Noodles in "West Side Pigeons"
• Stuart Pankin voiced Ed in "The Carpool"
• Rob Paulsen voiced Yakko, Pinky, Dr. Scratchansniff, and others
• Bernadette Peters voiced Rita
• Kevin Michael Richardson voiced Almond Rocha and a cab driver in "The Christmas Tree"
• Avery Schreiber voiced Beany the Bison
• Harry Shearer voiced Ned Flatt in "Fair Game"
• Ben Stein voiced Pip Pumphandle
• Cree Summer voiced in "Lookit the Fuzzyheads", "The Warners' 65th Anniversary Special" (reprising Elmyra Duff from Tiny Toon Adventures), and "The Tiger Prince"
• Frank Welker voiced Runt, Ralph, Buttons, Mr. Plotz, Flavio, Chicken Boo, and others
• Jonathan Winters voiced Stinkbomb in "Smell Ya Later"