| Doug | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | Brand Spanking New! Doug(seasons 5–6) Disney's Doug(season 7, reruns of seasons 5–7) |
| Genre | Animated sitcom |
| Created by | Jim Jinkins |
| Developed by |
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| Voices of |
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| Theme music composer | Fred Newman |
| Composers | Dan Sawyer Fred Newman |
| Country of origin |
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| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 117 (166 segments)(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Running time | 22–23 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Nickelodeon |
| Release | August 11, 1991 (1991-08-11) – January 2, 1994 (1994-01-02) |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | September 7, 1996 (1996-09-07) – June 26, 1999 (1999-06-26) |
Doug is an Americananimated sitcom created byJim Jinkins and produced byJumbo Pictures. It originally aired onNickelodeon from August 11, 1991, to January 2, 1994, and onABC from September 7, 1996, to June 26, 1999. The show focuses on the early adolescent life and zany hijinks of its title character, Douglas "Doug" Funnie, who experiences common predicaments while attending school in his new hometown of Bluffington. Doug narrates each story in his journal, and the show incorporates many imagination sequences. The series addresses numerous topics, including trying to fit in,platonic andromantic relationships,self-esteem,bullying, andrumors. Many episodes center on Doug's attempts to impress his classmate andcrush, Patti Mayonnaise.
Jinkins developedDoug from drawings in hissketchbook that he created over the course of the 1980s.Doug, a mostly autobiographical creation, was largely inspired by Jinkins's childhood growing up inVirginia, with most characters in the series being based on real individuals. He first pitchedDoug as a children's book to uninterested publishers beforeNickelodeon purchased the show. Following this, the series underwent further development, in which Jinkins meticulously detailed every aspect of the show's setting. Jinkins was insistent that the series would have a purpose and instructed writers to annotate each script with a moral. The show's unusual soundtrack consists largely ofscat singing and mouth noises.
The series premiered on the cable network Nickelodeon, as the first of the original threeNicktoons alongside two other original animated series,Rugrats (which premiered directly afterDoug) andThe Ren & Stimpy Show (which premiered directly afterRugrats). The original run consisted of 52 episodes over four seasons that were broadcast from 1991 to 1994, withGames Animation andEllipse Programmé co-producing. Due to Nickelodeon opting against renewing the show for a fifth season,[1] The Walt Disney Company would acquire Jumbo Pictures alongside theDoug intellectual property, subsequently green-lighting the show for three additional seasons of 65 episodes. Jinkins made several creative changes during this time. The show moved toABC's Saturday morning lineup, co-produced byWalt Disney Television Animation. In 1998, the series also aired ontelevision syndication. It became a top-rated show, inspiring various books, merchandise, a livemusical stage show, and a theatrical feature,Doug's 1st Movie, released as the series' conclusion in 1999. The series has seen multiple home video releases during its run.
The series revolves around Douglas "Doug" Funnie, an 11 (later 12)-year-old boy who wants to be another face in the crowd, but by possessing a vivid imagination and a strong sense of right and wrong, he is more likely to stand out.[2] He keeps a journal, which he treats as anautobiography, as he records numerous experiences over the series, which range from learning to dance to getting a bad haircut.[3] Doug Funnie and his family (which consists of his parents Theda and Phil, sister Judy, and dog Porkchop) move from the town of Bloatsburg to Bluffington after his dad receives a job promotion. Bluffington is in the United States but not in any specificU.S. state. However, Bluffington is loosely based on the city ofRichmond, Virginia, where creatorJim Jinkins was born and raised.[4]
| Season | Segments | Episodes | Originally released | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | Network | ||||
| 1 | 25 | 13 | August 11, 1991 (1991-08-11) | December 8, 1991 (1991-12-08) | Nickelodeon | |
| 2 | 26 | 13 | September 13, 1992 (1992-09-13) | December 6, 1992 (1992-12-06) | ||
| 3 | 26 | 13 | April 11, 1993 (1993-04-11) | July 11, 1993 (1993-07-11) | ||
| 4 | 24 | 13 | September 26, 1993 (1993-09-26) | January 2, 1994 (1994-01-02) | ||
| 5 | — | 26 | September 7, 1996 (1996-09-07) | March 8, 1997 (1997-03-08) | ABC | |
| 6 | 8 | September 13, 1997 (1997-09-13) | November 22, 1997 (1997-11-22) | |||
| 7 | 31 | September 12, 1998 (1998-09-12) | June 26, 1999 (1999-06-26) | |||
| Film | March 26, 1999 (1999-03-26) | — | ||||
Beyond the title character,Doug features a largeensemble cast of characters. Many of the series' ancillary characters, among them Ms. Wingo and Mr. Spitz, are based on authority figures from Jinkins' childhood.[5]
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Doug was created by animatorJim Jinkins.[9] He was born inRichmond,Virginia in 1953, and grew up fascinated by drawing. He went on to animation and filmmaking atOhio State University, and upon graduation, got a job working atPBS in their children's programming unit. Jinkins first sketched the character of Doug while doodling without thought, not aiming to create a character based on himself.[7] In the 1980s, he began working on an autobiographical character namedBrian, which he later changed toDoug, as it was a very common name. He began to view the character as his "alter-ego", drawing him in various silly and occasionally cynical scenarios in his sketchbook.[5]
In 1984, Jinkins's career took a turn for the worse, as well as his personal life: he had a rough breakup and suffered injuries in a biking accident.[10] During this time, he gained a new outlook on life.[8] Desiring to "create a place where there was no overdue rent and no delinquent phone bills," he began doodling and formed the basis for Bluffington, the central location inDoug. The character's early designs were solidified alongside friendDavid Campbell at a small Mexican restaurant in New York. He later credited the character's odd coloring choices from being in a "margarita stupor".[8] Campbell suggested he make Doug into a children's book, titledDoug Got a New Pair of Shoes, which was rejected by all of the city's publishing houses.[10]Simon & Schuster was interested, but management changed before it purchased the pitch.[6] The character made its first animated appearance in a 1988 Florida Grapefruit Growers commercial,[7] and it was also used for a 1989 promotional bumper for theUSA Network.[5]
Meanwhile, cable networkNickelodeon, aiming to expand its content and find creative auteurs, began a search for animators to develop their first original animated series. This was very unusual for the time period, which often consisted of pre-licensed characters, such asTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles andWhere's Waldo?. Jinkins had actually worked at the network before it was renamed Nickelodeon; he was employed in the late 1970s, on their first showPinwheel.[7] Jinkins set up a meeting with executive Vanessa Coffey to show her the book prototype.[10] Coffey ran out of the room ("which is, you know, disturbing," Jinkins would recall), but only to inform her boss that "This [Jinkins] guy is the real deal, and we're taking him to pilot."[6] Employing voice artists and writers from New York, Jinkins created a pilot forDoug, titledDoug Can't Dance.[6] It was one of three six-minute pilots chosen out of eight to premiere as Nickelodeon's debut animated series, orNicktoons.[3] It also tested the highest out of eight that were shown to test audiences, scoring the highest of eight points.[11] The long contract development took nearly a year to complete. Jinkins made sure that his contract allowed him to take the series to another network if Nickelodeon did not complete the show's order.[12]
In another unusual move, Nickelodeon allowed their purchased pilots to be animated at independent studios. Jinkins and Campbell founded Jumbo Pictures in July 1990 to produceDoug. He would later recall the oddity of the deal, remarking, "that was a moment in time where we were able to be an independent production company and deliver those shows."[7] Coffey was the main executive in charge of the series' production, and Jinkins would later give her credit in bringing the show to air.[7] The pilot was a success, as Nickelodeon happily decided to greenlight production for the first season, scheduling it for early August 1991. The plan was to make 26 segments, but pair up 2 each to make up the 30-minute runtime of programming.[13]
Jinkins characterized the series as not entirely autobiographical, but emotionally accurate to his childhood experiences.[10] The show was designed and based on his experiences growing up in Virginia, designing it as such to give the viewers "a roller coaster of emotions."[2] Each character in the series was based on people from Jinkins' life, with some exaggerations. Prior to the show's premiere, Jinkins sent messages to each subject of inspiration, notifying them of their inclusion.[7] Jinkins' religious upbringing also made its way into the series, albeit without direct reference.[12] For example, if an episode is set on Sunday, Doug's family is dressed in their church clothes. Jinkins felt it was important to not insert overly religious themes into the series, but he viewed it essential that each episode contain a moral.[12] The series was also inspired byPeanuts.[7]
The show's design was labor-intensive, intended to convey a certain logic to the show's universe. In the show's pitch bible, which Jinkins described as "huge", contain floor plans for each main character's homes, as well as maps of each street.[12] In addition, Jinkins and the series' developers paid particular attention to more hidden elements within the series, such as the founding fathers of the show's central town.[12] In translating the show into animation, the characters' designs were solidified. "Jim Jinkins is an illustrator and not an animator, so his initial drawings were a little bit more of a wiggly line," saidYvette Kaplan.[14] The designs were inspired by Jinkins' period working forR. O. Blechman at the Ink Tank, incorporating Blechman's nervous line quality.[14]
In writing the series, the production schedule was built around spending several weeks writing the series' scripts. Jinkins asked each writer to place a central theme at the top of each script — a problem Doug deals with in life, and the lesson he learns from it.[7] Jinkins often told staff that he wanted the show to remain relevant "in 30 years," aiming for a timeless effect. While developing the series, Jinkins wanted to change its name fromDoug toThe Funnies, but the network encouraged him to stick with the original name.[7] There was a "cross-pollination" among the network's writing staff. This involved story editors being assigned to the show, among themMitchell Kriegman ofClarissa Explains It All andWill McRobb ofThe Adventures of Pete & Pete. "There was definitely camaraderie and a quirkiness about who they were hiring," Jinkins later said. "Sometimes it didn't work quite so well, but working with McRobb was awesome!" McRobb, who worked withSpümcø onThe Ren & Stimpy Show at the same time, called working on both shows "schizophrenic" due to the contrast between the two studios' working environment; Jumbo Pictures was relatively peaceful and conformed to what little resistance Nickelodeon executives had while Spümcø had frequent feuds, if not necessarily aggressive conflicts with them. McRobb convinced a team at Spümcø, includingJohn Kricfalusi andVincent Waller to work on layouts for a single episode ofDoug; they considered the experience to be "joyless", but Kricfalusi did not mind as it brought more funding to the studio. The episode, "Doug Is Quailman/Doug Out in Left Field", was apparently vandalized by the staff with hiddenRen and Stimpy cameos, which were not visible in the final cut.[12][15]
Jinkins was also very involved in the show's music. One of the show's most notable elements is its uniquea cappella soundtrack by voice actor Fred Newman. "Fred showed me how you could take out a guitar and use a tuna can filled with water that you'd thump with your finger," said Jinkins.[5] The concept of making music out of anything, or making something good out of nothing, is explored in "Doug's Garage Band" (episode 38, part 2), which ends in Doug performing the song "Bangin’ on a Trashcan".
In the series, Doug's favorite rock group is The Beets, a play onthe Beatles—the band's members also visually resemble caricatures ofRingo Starr (of the Beatles) andRobert Plant (ofLed Zeppelin), and their penchant for endless reunion tours owes tothe Who. Jinkins viewed the series' music as part of the storytelling.[5]
Newman deliberately attempted to deviate from the standard of compositions for animated cartoons, which traditionally followed the style ofCarl Stalling's work, with the frantic pacing being ill-suited for the show's slower pace.[16] The most complicated piece of music created for the series was for the opening sequence, which was recorded preceding animation, rather than the typical method of composing it afterward. The series' theme song is largely composed of simple sounds, mostly "doo-doo" and "na-na", performed in ascat singing style with increasing intensity, and culminating in a crescendo of several harmonies. Newman's scat singing also plays over transitions in the series. The show also incorporated many homemade sound effects.[16]
In the closing credits for the first season of Nickelodeon'sDoug, two different pieces of music would play: the first piece would be taken from the second segment in the episode, and during the last third, Porkchop would don headphones and listen to music from the first segment, drowning out the original background music and annoying Doug, ending with Doug chasing Porkchop. Subsequent seasons, however, use a single piece of music for their closing credits (despite using the same animation). Starting with the Disney series, the credits have used Doug chasing Porkchop to the left and right only for Porkchop to chase Doug to the left while the credits play.
The original deal required Jumbo to produce 65 episodes ofDoug, which Nickelodeon would air in blocks of 13 per season.[10] After four seasons and 52 episodes ofDoug, Nickelodeon declined to order the additional 13, citing the show's expensive budget during a budget freeze. The network had a two-year window in which it could reverse the decision. The show received strong interest from several networks, among themABC. Each time they received interest, they would notify Nickelodeon in order to speed up ordering the series' fifth season.[10] In February 1996,The Walt Disney Company, having closed on its purchase of ABC earlier in the year, purchasedDoug in a multimillion-dollar deal with Jinkins and Campbell from Nickelodeon's parent companyMTV Networks. The deal involved buying Jumbo Pictures and "signing them to five-year contracts, with stock options, to be Disney executives." The company also purchased theDougtrademark and its rights to all future merchandising. MTV Networks was allowed to retain the rights to the episodes produced from 1991 to 1994.[10]
Due to the length of time between the series' run on Nickelodeon and its beginning on ABC, there were several creative changes. Production of the series relocated from New York City to Los Angeles. This meant the voice actors recorded their lines remotely instead of together in the studio. Billy West was replaced by Tom McHugh as the voice of Doug, while the role of Roger was taken over byChris Phillips. Disney could not afford West, as his fame had grown from voicing characters inRen & Stimpy and other animated properties.[12] Jinkins argues that he worked hard to keep West on the series, claiming that the deal the company offered him was breaking their budget.[6] In 2013, despite not returning to the Disney version, West mentioned that he would be open to returning as the role/character.[17]
Several original staff members ofDoug have openly regarded the Disney run as inferior to the Nickelodeon run. Jinkins was less hands-on regarding the production of the show's Disney episodes due to other responsibilities. "I mostly agree withDoug fans who think the original 104 eleven-minuteDoug stories made for Nick were the best", Jinkins later said. David Campbell felt the Nickelodeon episodes were "quirkier" and better, while Constance Shulman, Patti Mayonnaise's voice actress, felt voice recording sessions were not the same in the show's newer incarnation: "I missed all the gang crammed in the studio, waiting for their turn for the big group scene. Someone just dimmed the magic a bit."[16]
Another factor inDoug going to Disney might have been Nickelodeon's high expectations for the series not being met, something that has been acknowledged by Jinkins as well asRen & Stimpy creatorJohn Kricfalusi.[10] Among Nickelodeon's three original Nicktoons, executives were banking onDoug to be the network's breakout hit. WhileDoug proved to be popular, it was by far Nickelodeon's least popular original Nicktoon, asRen & Stimpy would (alongsideThe Simpsons andBeavis and Butt-Head) help revive interest in theadult animation genre that had been largely dormant sinceThe Flintstones ended in 1966. Meanwhile, Nickelodeon's other original Nicktoon,Rugrats, would instead be the network's breakout hit and would remain in production until 2004, long after the other two series ended production.[10]
Since the acquisition, Disney has owned the rights to produce any future material in theDoug franchise. In 2016, Jinkins stated that Disney had "no interest" in revamping the show.[18]
Doug and Porkchop appear on a billboard in theChip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers movie, released on Disney+ in May 2022.[19]
In 2023, Jinkins revealed concept art he had drawn for a potential revival titledDoug Kids that would focus on the children of Doug and his friends. However, the idea was passed over by Disney executives.[20]
The series covers topics related tocoming of age.[6] According to Jinkins, honesty is the series' main theme:
We put ourselves through enormous pain to avoid pain and I had this notion of: 'What if we didn't do that? What if we just told the truth?" he said. "But that's complicated. In the adult world, the notion of truth and not-truth is complicated, but I didn't want to debate it. I didn't want to show all of the ambiguity of the adult world to kids. I wanted to show kids a world where everyone took honesty seriously."[6]
For example, the episode "Doug's in the Money" finds the titular character coming across an envelope of cash and returning it to its elderly owner. It created a heated debate among the series' writers regarding honesty. In the episode, Doug is rewarded with a stick of gum. "It comes down to how we think about who is involved in a story. In that case, I wanted Doug to do something that hurt where there was no tangible reward," said Jinkins.[6]
The series also made frequent use ofcutaways, frequently showing Dougdaydreaming certain scenarios. The use of cutaways declined during the Disney run, but was never eliminated. The technique would become much more frequently used onFamily Guy, which debuted five months before the series concluded.[21]
After the series' completion, much of the online debate ensued over the race of Doug's best friend, Skeeter, who some viewers felt exhibited traits stereotypical of African Americans, and who subsequently drew conclusions that the character was intended to be African American. Jinkins did not envision this discourse on the series' colors.[clarification needed] When creating the show, he came across his 200 design markers and employed an array of bright, wild colors for the characters.[12] Jinkins later toldThe Huffington Post in 2014 that the series' colors "came to symbolize the irrelevance of race."[6]
Sony Wonder released a series ofDoug videos of the Nickelodeon episodes between 1993 and 1996.Walt Disney Home Video released four videos of the Disney episodes in 1997; each collection featured two episodes.
Paramount Home Entertainment andAmazon teamed up to releaseDoug and other Nick shows on manufacture-on-demand DVD-R discs available exclusively through Amazon's CreateSpace arm.[22] Seasons 3 and 4 ofDoug were released on DVD on December 8, 2009, and December 22, 2009, respectively.
Season 4 was supposed to be released as a complete season, but Nickelodeon was unable to secure the rights of two episodes from the season and opted to rename the DVD releaseDoug: The Best of Season 4.[23]Doug: The Complete Nickelodeon Series was released on June 26, 2014.
| VHS and DVD name | Release date | Discs | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| How Did I Get into This Mess? | August 31, 1993 | 0 | 3 Segments and 2 music videos |
| Patti, You're the Mayonnaise for Me | August 31, 1993 | 0 | 3 Segments and 2 music videos |
| Cool in School | July 26, 1994 | 0 | 3 Segments and 2 music videos |
| Doug's Christmas Story | August 30, 1994 | 0 | 2 (Paramount version only, Sony contains 1 segment.) |
| Doug's Birthday Blues | July 15, 1997 | 0 | 2 |
| Slam Dunk Doug | July 15, 1997 | 0 | 2 |
| The Vampire Caper | August 26, 1997 | 0 | 2 |
| Doug's Secret Christmas | October 7, 1997 | 0 | 2 |
| Season 1 (1991) | August 29, 2008 (Amazon exclusive) | 3 | 13 |
| Season 2 (1992) | August 29, 2008 (Amazon exclusive) | 3 | 13 |
| Season 3 (1993) | December 8, 2009 (Amazon exclusive) | 3 | 13 |
| The Best of Season 4 (1993–94) | December 22, 2009 (Amazon exclusive) | 3 | 12 |
| Doug: The Complete Nickelodeon Series | June 26, 2014 (Amazon exclusive) | 6 | 52 |
Currently, all of the original run episodes, including the two that are missing from the season 4 DVD since its Paramount+ removal in December 2024,[24] are available fromvideo on demand services such asiTunes Store,PlayStation Network, andAmazon Prime Video, while the Disney run episodes andDoug's 1st Movie are onDisney+.[25]
Reruns of the Nickelodeon series aired onNoggin until 2002,Nicktoons until 2007, and onTeenNick'sNickRewind block from 2011 to 2021. Reruns also air onPluto TV's "90s Kids" channel as of October 2023.[26]
The Disney series aired reruns onUPN’sDisney's One Too until 2000, Disney Channel until 2002, and on Toon Disney until 2004.
The series premiered alongsideRugrats andThe Ren & Stimpy Show on August 11, 1991, being scheduled first among the three series.[2][3] The show was not as immediately popular as its counterparts,[10] and Jinkins lamented to Coffey this fact. "Ren and Stimpy is getting so much attention because of [the show's creator]John Kricfalusi. I feel like the squeaky wheel gets the grease". Nickelodeon was largely attempting to push the limits of children's programming, whileDoug was a much gentler, quiet show.[16] While the original Nickelodeon series received mostly positive reviews, the Disney series received a more mixed reception, and was considered to be inferior by fans of the earlier seasons.[27]
The new Nicktoons block on Nickelodeon raised the network's ratings instantly.Doug constantly achieved over 2.0 in the network's most desirable demographics.[16]
When the show moved to ABC in 1997,Doug became the most popular program on ABC's Saturday morning lineup, attracting the highest ratings of any cartoon on the network. Its high-rated second season on the network contributed to its position as the number one network in Saturday morning ratings.[10]
The Disney episodes later reran in broadcast syndication and on theDisney's One Too block onUPN.[10]
Doug received numerous domestic and international awards and nominations. It won twoParents' Choice Awards, twoNickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, and was nominated for threeCableACE Awards and fourDaytime Emmy Awards.[28] It was also nominated for the Prix Jeunesse International Award.[28]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | ASIFA-East Animation Festival | Best Direction | Won | [2] |
| 1992 | Young Artist Awards | Outstanding New Animation Series | Nominated | [29] |
| 1992 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Animated Program | Nominated | [29] |
| 1993 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Animated Children's Program | Nominated | [29] |
| 1993 | Ollie Awards | ??? | Won | [30] |
| 1993 | CableACE Awards | Animated Programming Special or Series | Nominated | [31] |
| 1993 | Parents' Choice Awards | ??? | Won | [28] |
| 1994 | ??? | Won | [28] | |
| 1994 | CableACE Awards | Animated Programming Special or Series | Nominated | [32] |
| 1994 | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Cartoon | Won | [29] |
| 1995 | Won | [33] | ||
| 1996 | Nominated | |||
| 1996 | Young Artists Awards | Best Family Animation Production | Nominated | [29] |
| 1999 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Children's Animated Program | Nominated | [34] |
| 2000 | Nominated | |||
| 2000 | Annenberg Public Policy Center Awards | Outstanding Educational Program on a Commercial Broadcast Station | Won |
On March 15, 1999, Disney premiered a new musical stage show,Doug Live!, atDisney's Hollywood Studios (at the time known asDisney-MGM Studios) at theWalt Disney World Resort.[35] The show ran until May 12, 2001.
A theatrical feature-length film,Doug's 1st Movie, was released on March 26, 1999, before production on the television show ceased.[36] During this time, meet-and-greet costumed versions of Doug and Patti were seen inWalt Disney World. It was received negatively by both critics and fans.
A video game developed byImaginEngine forGame Boy Color was released byNewKidCo andDisney Interactive in 2000, titledDoug's Big Game.[37][38]
While Doug had never received his own self-titled print media outside of books that retold events of the TV series' episodes, comics that entailed original stories were published in the magazineDisney Adventures, from Volume 7 #5 in February 1997,[39] to Volume 12 #1 in February 2002.[40] To date, the one-page comic "Neckerchief Grief" is the last official material that features Doug in any major capacity.
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