Steven Spielberg’s Emmy-winning children’s show Animaniacs is now streaming on Netflix
When it first aired in 1993, Steven Spielberg’s Animaniacs was nearly as big of a hit with adults as it was with younger audiences. The animated series was effectively an old-fashioned variety show centering around the exploits of the Warner siblings Yakko, Wakko, and Dot. Employing true Warner Bros.-style antics, the zany characters danced and sang their way around some of the most bizarre, and bizarrely hilarious, content ever served up for kids.
Netflix is now streaming all 99 episodes. If you haven’t heard of it, then you’re in for a treat.
Many of the skits featured elaborate musical numbers. It was a defining attribute of the series that really set it apart from most children’s programming of the time. It even tried to (shhhhh) educate in its own way. Both Warner brothers Wakko and Yakko had songs dedicated to geography. I give the edge to Yakko. Needless to say, the series won a few well deserved Emmys for its songs.
What else? There’s the catchphrase “Hello Nurse!” There’s Pinky and the Brain. There’s even a Scorsese parody called “Goodfeathers.”
Like the best animated shows, Animaniacs found a way to entertain across demographics. It burned brightly for much of the 1990s, skewering everything in its path. Here’s hoping you have an opportunity to catch up on this truly great animated series.
